I met Dayo shortly after finishing secondary school. I had just taken the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam in Nigeria, hoping to study medicine—but unfortunately, my score wasn’t high enough. That meant I had to wait another year and try again.
During that gap year, my brother introduced me to his friend—Dayo. At the time, Dayo was already a paid writer, passionate about the craft, and my brother thought he could mentor me since I loved writing too. And so, our story began—not as lovers, but as mentor and mentee.
Let me be honest—he was an annoying boss! A perfectionist, really. No matter how hard I tried, I felt I could never match up. It was all writing, writing, writing. Purely professional. But gradually, things changed. He became more attentive, more caring. He wasn’t just my editor anymore—he was a friend, a listener, someone who genuinely looked out for me.
When it was time to apply for universities, he was there—guiding me, proofreading, encouraging me. Eventually, I received the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship to study medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. I moved, and with the busyness of medical school, our communication reduced—but he never stopped checking in on me.
Then came the shock: during my second year, he proposed. Yes—my once “annoying boss” wanted to be my husband. I was stunned. I wasn’t ready. Medical school was consuming, and I couldn’t handle a relationship—especially a long-distance one. So, I didn’t say yes. I didn’t say no either. I simply told him it wasn’t the right time.
But Dayo? He waited. He said, “Take your time—just know there’s someone out there waiting for you.”
And he did. Two years later, during the pandemic in 2020, I said yes.
Our journey since then has been anything but easy—long distance from Ghana to China, and now the U.S., battling time zones, poor networks, and the challenges of life. But through it all, Dayo remained steady, faithful, and full of love.
God kept us through it all. And now, here we are.
Glory!
I met Esther several years ago, back in 2017, during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. Her brother, who was a close friend of mine, mentioned one day that he wanted to introduce me to his sister to mentor her to be a better writer. I humorously responded, “Are you trying to find me a wife?” It was a joke at the time, but little did I know how prophetic it would become.
When Esther and I finally met, our relationship began as one between a mentor and mentee, with her quickly becoming like a sister to me. Over time, our friendship blossomed into a deep bond as we spent significant time working together. Eventually, Esther went off to school, but we remained in close contact.
In 2018, when I moved to China, our communication only grew stronger. Early on, I realized my feelings for Esther were more profound than mere friendship—I felt a deep, relentless conviction that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Although it seemed early, I wrote down my thoughts and kept them to myself, unsure when or even if I’d reveal them.
However, fate had other plans. One day, a friend, aware of my hidden affection, took matters into his own hands. He secretly messaged Esther from my phone, confessing my feelings, and then deleted the evidence. When I discovered what had happened, I was initially upset, as I had intended to express my feelings on my own terms. Nevertheless, this incident pushed me to be open about my emotions. A couple of months later, I gathered the courage to tell Esther exactly how I felt and what I envisioned for our future together—that I wanted to be more than just a mentor or brother figure; I wanted to be her lifelong partner.
That moment marked the beginning of our beautiful, adventurous journey together. Our relationship navigated an eight-hour time difference, making communication challenging. When COVID-19 hit, the challenges of distance and separation became even more pronounced. Yet, despite these obstacles, our bond deepened significantly.
When travel restrictions lifted at the end of 2021, I traveled from China to Nigeria to see Esther. Shortly afterward, at the beginning of 2022, I moved to the United States. Our journey has since taken us across continents—from Nigeria to Ghana, Canada, and now America. We’ve shared amazing experiences, overcoming various challenges along the way.
Throughout this journey, God has been at the center, faithfully providing guidance, strength, and support, making everything beautiful in its time. Today, I give glory to God for the privilege of marrying the person I love deeply and passionately. It’s truly special to marry someone you love, but even more so to marry the one you love the most. I am immensely grateful and thrilled to embark on this lifelong journey with Esther.
