Blessing & Inemesit

"I didn't just find love in Communication Arts; I found my soulmate, my calm, and my biggest cheerleader."

We first met in 2016 at an event he was hosting for our department (Communication Arts, Uniuyo) as the Director of Socials. I don't know what it was, but from the moment I saw him, I just couldn't take my eyes off him. I got home that night still thinking about him, hoping I had somehow crossed his mind too.

Well... my prayers must have worked because the next day, he took my number from a group chat we were both in and sent me a message on WhatsApp. We started talking, and it felt so easy, like we'd known each other for years. There was just something about him that gave me peace. Deep down, I honestly felt like I'd met my person.

We planned our first date, and I counted down to it like there was no tomorrow. The date went so well that our relationship pretty much started immediately. Saying "yes" wasn't even hard. It just felt right.

Life, however, had other plans. In about 2 years later, we went our separate ways. It wasn't the ending either of us had imagined, so we picked ourselves up and continued with our lives. I was broken, won’t lie because I still wanted Us, but I realised I had to let go.

I laughed so hard and asked him when he became a prophet. Then I quickly changed the subject because, honestly, I wasn't trying to hear any of that.

That conversation happened in 2018.

Fast forward to 2022, just a few months before I completed my NYSC, guess who showed up in my DM again? Yep... him.

At the time, I wasn't in a serious relationship, so we started talking again. The conversations felt familiar, comfortable... almost like no time had passed. After I returned to Uyo, we met up, and before long, he asked if we could give us another chance.

Those thoughts stayed in my head for a while. But when I looked back, I realised our breakup wasn’t so messy. We had simply gone our separate ways. So I decided to take a chance on us one more time.

Looking back now, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The last three years have been full of growth, answered prayers, adventures, and a love that's become stronger with every season. We've grown together, supported each other, and built a friendship that's just as beautiful as our relationship.

And now, here we are.

As I write this, everything still feels a little surreal. This week has been so emotional because I'm still trying to take it all in. After all these years, all the twists, the pauses, and the unexpected second chance, I get to marry the love of my life.

If you had told the 2018 version of me, after the breakup that this would be our story, I probably would have laughed out so loud.

But God clearly knew better.

In few days, with a grateful heart and happy tears, I’ll get to say "I do" to my forever person. And I honestly can't wait to see what the rest of our story looks like.

"Any treasured possession isn't easy to come by, from the strenuous process of refining gold, to the rigorous sojourn of extracting diamonds" ... Inemesit Eyo

All thanks to Zuckerberg's green app that engineered our first hi's. Ten years ago, we were just two students trying to find our way through university. You were in your second year, and I was in my third. I could never imagined that the simple task of coordinating the social hub of the then ACAS April/May Gbedu; a birthday thrill initiated by myself as the director of socials could have culminated in the greatest story of our lives.

The event was one of its kind, celebrating birthdays for the departmental April and May borns, and another geared up edition; 'June-July Jolly' was a planned out masterpiece intended to sustain the social bond amongst students of the department... Where am I going with all of this explanation, you might ponder? Abeg just dey with me.

It was in April and May edition that during the bubblings and runnings my eyes locked with yours, since I was diligently organising the event, I couldn't walk up to you then as I was the fibre of that very event. As fate will have it, I messaged everyone who played active roles in ensuring that the event was successful, then here I was in your DM. Obviously, the conversation didn't end at 'thank you for showing up and showing well' rather it extended to 'please can we continue this conversation over lunch' and the reply didn't come with all those clichés of; lemme think about it, I'll get back to you tomorrow, rather it was an instant YES!

The relationship got rolling instantaneous after the lunch, I made sure I was at my best, the conversation was like we've known for ages, although I did all the talking and you did all the laughing and eating. Very reserved, yet illuminated your intelligence, very demure and very hot. Then came the pause, the breakup, a pill very difficult to serve. 'Inem, aren't you going too fast' I queried within myself. Tears flowed like a river, we went our different paths.

'If e no be panadol, then e no fit do like panadol'...

as one inclined to advertorials, other friendship I built towards the years, something felt missing. With heavy legs and my pride in the way, 'why should I go back to my ex, there are lots of fishes in the river, just move on and maintain your steeze, you no be dog o, you're an EYO, a true sun from the south' these and many more were the inner rumblings I contended with.

Where's that remote, please press fast-forward... I appeared on your DM with immediate alacrity, wasn't expecting an outright yes, c'mon I made you cry! That response didn't come, the reply implied "I've got my eyes on you, walk before me and be ye perfect". So, it wasn't a yes and it wasn't a no too. And in all of this, I made an earnest prayer, "God, if she is the one, please don't let it come easy." You should know that the life of a man is hovered on chasing after, the moment we stop chasing, e no sweet again.

Bambie, over the years we've watched each other grow. There's no battle we haven't fought. We've celebrated victories, endured disappointments, laughed over things only we understand, and held on to each other through seasons that tested our patience and our faith. Looking back, I realize that love did not rush into our lives, we built it through heartbreaks, disagreements, and hardwork then it quietly built a home between us, led more conversations, grew into one prayer, then one shared dream.

Here we are today, holding hands, smiling from ear to ear with pacing hearts. I love you my CuttieBams.