Tag: Love

Heart Of My Heart

Tobe: Good evening

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Greetings! How are you doing?

Tobe: I’m fine boss. You?

DBM: I am doing alright, thanks.

Tobe: My story is not so great but it’s something.

DBM: Something’ is good enough.

Tobe: Okay. I was in my late 30s, and a bit fed up with my first marriage. Our marriage was a mess and 95% of it was my fault. I am in my second marriage. She is the same woman I was cheating on my ex-wife with. My ex-wife has also moved on and has been married for 8 years. I admit that whatever broke my first marriage was because I let my guard down for more than just a moment. I did not make any serious effort to address what went amiss. Instead of changing my ways to assure my ex-wife that she could trust me again, I had opened the door to rather rebuild something better with my current wife. A decision I partially regret because my ex was one person who loved me through my poorer. I feel bad for disappointing her in my richer. She should have been the one enjoying the fruits of her sweat. I destroyed her self-esteem, which I regret.

DBM: You had kids?

Tobe: Yes. We have a daughter together.

DBM: Okay!

Tobe: Though I love and admire my now wife, I feel like I made a big mistake letting a good woman go. It was not a good choice. I was also not ready for marriage. I made her sound crazy by denying all of her suspicions of me and my now wife. It was so bad she did not know who I was or meant to her anymore. I got up with other emotions and was deceived by my flesh’s lust for different things.

DBM: Did you own up to it?

Tobe: I tried.

DBM: Have you apologized to her?

Tobe: I have, in court. I don’t have access to her on phone so I had to use our divorce proceedings in court to ask for her forgiveness in person.

DBM: You did the right thing.

Tobe: I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I had a good wife, David Bondze-Mbir. All I do sometimes is to reminisce on the good times we once shared, the beautiful experiences she gave me; all the things we could have done, the dreams and future I promised her, but never did.

DBM: It’s good you know what you did to her and hopefully, the lessons learnt thus far. Now you have a new wife and marriage to apply it.

Tobe: That is right

DBM: You will be fine

Tobe: I will be fine

DBM: Indeed! Sometimes, GOD uses these experiences and mistakes we consciously or unconsciously make, to drive home the point we fail to realize when the people we were supposed to have loved right are no longer around.

Tobe: It really sucks. She is my one true love

DBM: I know! How is your relationship with your daughter?

Tobe: We’re close. She’s my everything.

DBM: Does she understand why you and her mother are no longer together?

Tobe: Yes

DBM: Okay!

Tobe: Dave

DBM: Yeah!

Tobe: Can you say something to encourage me?

DBM: What do you want me to say to you?

Tobe: Anything from your experience in marriage

DBM: You have to keep going because you have a new family now. Your partner deserves a good relationship with you. Put your energies into being a good man, a great husband and an awesome father. The most you can do is to be the very best of you. Whatever you now wish you could have been to your ex, become to your partner in your marriage. Love your wife. Do not fix her. Do not control her sense of self and being. Do not manipulate your way through her vulnerability and respect for you. Accept her and love her. Who knows, this could be the best one you’ve ever had.

Tobe: Thank you for your time.

Image Credit: Dapo Abideen

Wildwood Flower

Sharod: David, I have to commend you. Your Facebook is lit. Honest to God; I used to not believe anything on your platform. Some of the stories were too good to be true until my own brother from the same mother and father shared his marital issues with you and made us read some of the comments under his story.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Well, I don’t really care whether or not you believe it. I am more interested in the lessons to be learnt from each story.

Sharod: Take a chill pill Bruh, it’s a compliment.

DBM: I know. Thanks!

Sharod: I have a positive story to share. 21 years ago, I rented a house that my now wife, had just moved out of. It was a very simple house. It had 2 decent sized bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen that was connected to the dining. It was very spacious and neat. The layout was spot-on. It did not feel cramped like where I had moved from. The bones of the house were solid; it had strong floors, walls and roof. It was relaxing and comfortable, as I was making myself at home three weeks after moving in. Then one evening, I heard an unexpected knock on my door. It was raining heavily that night. I opened the door and there stood this guy with a look of confusion written all over his face. He was looking for the former tenant. I told him I had moved in not long ago. Two days later, another man came knocking on the door. Four days later, a different guy came knocking looking for the same lady. I called the landlord to inform her. That was when she shared the hot gossip. The former tenant had wild orgies at the house and those guys were probably some of her participants or customers. In fact, that was the first best thing I had heard since moving to the area.

DBM: Lol! You’re funny!

Sharod: True. I was a hardworking, single young man in my early 30’s who needed a break to relax, have fun and let my hair down to enjoy some of the pleasures of life. Being part of an orgy had been a secret dream of mine.

DBM: How did you meet your wife?

Sharod: That’s the story I’m telling. I went out partying one weekend and I bumped into a lady. We were talking and getting to know each other. She asked where I stayed and I told her my new address. She laughed and asked me to give her a second. She ran back to the party and returned holding hands with my wife. She introduced us and then told me she used to live in my house. Come and see me smiling. I had finally found the legend. Her friend, before leaving us alone to chat, whispered to me, ‘You’re the type she usually goes for’.

DBM: Was she your type?

Sharod: I don’t usually have a type. I prefer giving people a shot, and before I know it, I’m having all the fun and I’m hooked. That’s how I know who complements me. If you don’t try giving people a chance with you, you may never know what works for you.

DBM: I concur!

Sharod: I told her about her male visitors at my door and we both laughed at the joke. I didn’t know what to expect but I was interested in knowing more about her life. That is one of the awesome things about getting to know all manner of people. You learn something new. Her days of partying, drinking and doing orgies were over. Damn. Not when it was supposed to be my turn. Lol

DBM: You’re silly! Lol! Why was she into that lifestyle, did you know?

Sharod: I asked her that question. She used to date a guy who was addicted to porn and always joked about how tempting it would be for them to have sex with another couple. She said her ex used to fantasize about sex with multiple partners. It wasn’t something she was interested in but because she loved the guy, she gave it a try. Her first experience turned out to be different from the way she had pictured it in her head.

DBM: Good different or bad?

Sharod: She didn’t like it but she kept doing it with him for a while to please him. She stopped when their relationship finally ended.

DBM: That was when she moved out of the house?

Sharod: I think.

DBM: Okay!

Sharod: We became friends and through our friendship, realized how much we liked each other. Nothing was more stimulating than when I realized her care for me could make me still surprise myself. I didn’t know I could love a woman so deeply. She reaffirmed the right kind of love and fondness that left a good taste in my mouth and later, heart. I wanted our relationship to work so I became too loyal. When I realized I was falling in love with her, I knew I didn’t have to have everything I thought I had to have in order to be happy in life. Appreciating one good woman and making sure she’s everything important to you is all it takes to be happy with your wife.

DBM: Are you happily married?

Sharod: Happily married for almost 20 years.

DBM: What do you like the most about the way your life is right now?

Sharod: I’m at peace with myself. I have peace in my heart.

DBM: What was your first impression of your wife, and what do you think about her now?

Sharod: She was different. That was my first impression of her. We could laugh together over stories from her past. We could listen to the reasons why we did what we did. My thoughts about her now are almost the same as my first impressions. I made the best decision for myself. She belongs in my heart. When she agreed the first day her friend introduced her to me at the party, to go back home with me to where she started life as an independent woman, and upon arrival, didn’t have to relive her wild memories with me, but rather made me understand a phase she once belonged in that home, I knew I could hold history in that house with her.

DBM: Before you met your wife, what were your views on marriage?

Sharod: I don’t know. My parents were married and I thought I would too. I knew exactly what I wanted and expected out of a love relationship, and I was not afraid to keep pushing until I found it in someone.

DBM: Was there anything about your wife that you wanted to change after you had gotten married?

Sharod: No. I loved her just the way she was. Marriage brought us closer and we still share the warmth, respect, excitement and our little acts of love. I’ve not stopped loving my wife. I’ve not stopped choosing my wife. I’ve not stopped celebrating my wife. I’ve not stopped belonging to my wife. I have not tricked her into thinking I am someone I am not. I’m still showing her my best side because I’m trying everyday to secure my marriage and relationship with her. I’m very intentional when it comes to our relationship, because in my mind, there’s still something to ‘woo’. I’m a big-time flirt when it comes to my wife. You will always see me amping my sultry side to just hookup with her.

DBM: How has your sex lives changed, and how do you communicate if you’re unsatisfied?

Sharod: I desire sex but it’s not an urgent need. Marriages of my friends ended because they saw sex as a need. It was a must have, else… It becomes a justification, intentionally or unintentionally to do things outside the marriage. My wife knows that sex draws us closer and she’s capable of putting my desires ahead of her own. When she’s not in the mood, I am capable of understanding her and suppressing my desires for the right time. I have a question.

DBM: Ask away

Sharod: How do you get through a difficult conflict in your marriage?

DBM: Lol! My partner and I hug. One of us, one way or the other would initiate a hug an hour or two after the disagreement. We don’t talk. We just stay in the warmth and comfort of the embrace. Every pride is put aside for the hug. It’s something we look forward to after a fight. We find strength in our tears – if any of us had to cry it all out. It has always been our unspoken promise of being there for one another. We’ve never insulted each other before. I have been mean every now and then but it wasn’t intended to hurt anyone. It’s not always a practical gesture and I don’t know if it’s going to work for everyone else, but we’ve been intentional on working out our differences with a hug. We’re seven years down the line and still married and expressing affection and reassurance.

Sharod: That’s a mature move there. How old are you?

DBM: 40

Sharod: And your significant other?

DBM: Also 40

Sharod: Nice one. It was nice talking to you David Bondze-Mbir.

Image Credit: Kampus

Sentimental Journey

Mofoluwakemi: My husband’s first wife reached out to me one day to ask if I still loved her husband. Let me put it in context; my husband is my first love. The only man I have ever loved. We broke things off in 2008 because I left for Canada to study and fell in love with Vancouver. We had by then dated for two years. I sent him a long email explaining why I he should consider joining me abroad. I told him about the thriving job market, predominantly in industries like technology, which was his field of expertise. And the fact that it also offered a perfect balance of work and personal life. He wanted to remain in Ibadan. I had just started a new job and, after seven months, I got an email from him suggesting we ended things. It was tough but we did end the relationship. Fast forward to nine months later, he got married to his first wife. Two years into their marriage, his wife sent me an email asking if I still loved her husband.

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Were you still talking to him after the breakup?

Mofoluwakemi: No Mr. David, communication in all forms ceased.

DBM: I see. How did she get your email address?

Mofoluwakemi: She said there was an internet Café’ near their house that she and her husband used to frequent. They had both gone there that day and there were a lot of people. So, when her husband was done using the computer, he asked her to come and use his station. He had forgotten to log out of his email when she was about to check hers.

DBM: Interesting.

Mofoluwakemi: Yes. That’s not even all. She said prior to her chancing on our email exchanges, she had woken up at dawn to her husband sleep talking or crying out my name and professing how much he still was in love with me. She said their physical intimacy was great, but she realized as much as he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to being vulnerable or even sharing intimate details of his life with her. And it bothered her for the most time.

DBM: She knew of your name then?

Mofoluwakemi: She did. And had been curious to find all the information there was to me. They had been married for two and a half years with a 12 months old daughter, who was named after me.

DBM: Eish! That’s to the extreme

Mofoluwakemi: It actually came as shock to her too, realizing her daughter’s first name was actually in remembrance of me.

DBM: What was your relationship status during this moment?

Mofoluwakemi: I was single and working hard. I needed the money and experience my job was offering.

DBM: Understandable.

Mofoluwakemi: She said she wrote down my email address after reading every conversation me and her husband used to have on yahoo.com. The first time she sent me a message, she introduced herself and told me how much she loved her husband but also wanted him to find true love. She said she felt something was missing in his life that she couldn’t be the one to fill wholeheartedly. She brought up the idea of me sending him an email to check on him, if I still had feelings for him.

DBM: You had gotten over him, no?

Mofoluwakemi: Dave, what I shared with that man was real. I couldn’t have gotten over him just like that. I still loved him, though we hadn’t spoken in years. I actually tried to date guys in Vancouver to take my mind off him, but I couldn’t because I was so much in love with him. Anytime I would allow another man to get close, I will feel this urge of suddenly being trapped and would frequently be tensed or just find myself crying the arms of these men, while thinking of my husband.

DBM: Hmmm! How did the marriage arrangement come about?

Mofoluwakemi: His wife gave her blessing of approval if I still was interested in her husband. She was willing to share him with me.

DBM: What’s your religion?

Mofoluwakemi: I’m a Christian.

DBM: What’s his wife religion?

Mofoluwakemi: She’s a Muslim.

DBM: That makes a lot more sense. What’s your husband’s religion?

Mofoluwakemi: He’s a Christian.

DBM: Interesting. He did not convert to Islam before marrying his wife?

Mofoluwakemi: He wasn’t forced to. Apparently, the woman comes from a very level-headed Muslim background and family.

DBM: I see. So, you eventually reached out to him?

Mofoluwakemi: No, I did not.

DBM: Why not?

Mofoluwakemi: I wasn’t sure it the right thing to do, going after someone else’s husband like that.

DBM: How did you end up becoming a wife?

Mofoluwakemi: She knew her husband’s yahoo.com password. She sent me an email pretending to be him, expressing how much he’s been thinking about me and wanted to know if I was also going through the same phase. I replied to his message and he found out someone had used his email address to contact me. But Dave, who doesn’t love a good theatrical declaration of undying affection? That’s how we started to talk again. His wife later confessed to the act. He said he went straight to the house to tell his wife of what had happened in his email at the café. His wife told me that was the first time in their marriage that her husband could trust her with that part of him he could have easily hidden from her.

DBM: He cared for her too, I guess!

Mofoluwakemi: On a very deep level. We got married a year later. I moved back to Nigeria to join my husband.

DBM: You all live together?

Mofoluwakemi: No, he bought a 5-bedroom house for me as my wedding gift, and built a 5-bedroom house for his first wife as his appreciation present for her kind initiative. But his wife and I have become the best of friends and out children love each other.

Image Credit: TUBARONES PHOTOGRAPHY

Yesterday When I Was Young

Imani: Mr. David

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Yes please!

Imani: I’m a big fan of how you do Facebook.

DBM: I appreciate you!

Imani: I am 36 years old. I’ve been in a relationship with my guy for 5 years. I am sure about him and our relationship so far. He is the realest guy I know; I don’t feel invisible in his eyes. He understands me. It’s rare to have had a guy like him loving me because I have never found someone who sees me like he does. He believes I am the prettiest woman in his eyes and worthy of his love. Everything I’ve prayed for in a husband is him but he doesn’t believe in marriage. He’s told me he’s never going to get married to anyone. I want to get married.

DBM: Have you asked why he’s not interested in marriage?

Imani: He told me his parents were miserable in their marriage and his mother had to endure being unhappy with his dad because she was solely at the mercy of on his financial support. He has also seen the marriages of some of his friends and their parents end in divorce. He doesn’t see the need to spend so much money on a single day’s event. I have also heard him make jokes with friends about not involving the laws of the nation in his relationships because it’s an indirect way of handing a woman with a chainsaw to ruin his life with.

DBM: What do you want for your love life in order to feel settled and secure?

Imani: I want marriage. I want more

DBM: If you want more than just co-habiting with a man, you would have to be intentional on making space for more.

Imani: But I don’t want to lose him, Dave. My past relationships have all been bitter. This is the only bittersweet relationship I have stayed the longest and felt seen and accepted. In him, I feel seen, honestly. He sees me when I’m in doubt. He sees me when I am lost in my insecurities.

DBM: If a man accepts you, he accepts all of you. A part of who you are desires marriage and he’s unwilling to acknowledge that. That is not total acceptance of you. A man ought to feel excited, I mean, really happy or at least, feel at ease with the mere thought of marrying you to prove to himself that marriage is the right decision for him. Does he feel all these when he’s around you?

Imani: I think he feels it. He’s just not sure if it’s the right step to take. My pastor was suggesting to me to invite him to church one day and surprise him with a public proposal.

DBM: As in, you proposing to him?

Imani: Yes.

DBM: Are you built for that?

Imani: I can actually do it. He’s the type that would not publicly embarrass me.

DBM: Do not be the woman to pressure an unwilling man to say ‘yes’ to a marriage proposal just to please you. If I’m understanding the kind of man, you’ve thus far presented to me, it will be very easy for him to accept your proposal in the moment to avoid any form of public awkwardness. I disagree with your pastor. The guy can easily say ‘yes’ to play along, knowing very well he’s specifically told you marriage is not his thing; and then end the relationship outright later in private. Who loses at the end of the day?

Imani: How can a man care about a woman like he does with me and not see himself taking that step with me? Everyone close to us keep asking me when we would be tying the knot.

DBM: Let the man be. Allow him to live his life the way he wants and on his own terms.

Imani: What about my own terms?

DBM: You can find it elsewhere. There are a dozen single men looking to settle down with the women of their dreams. Also, marriage isn’t really for everyone.

Imani: Marriage is for me.

DBM: Yes, but there is also more to his life than just becoming your husband.

Imani: Dave, you are married, anaa?

DBM: Yes, and marriage is a partnership. Partners ought to be on the same page. Trust me, you would want to be with a man who would love you the way you want to be loved. A man who, you wouldn’t have to say or expect your desires met and he’s already done it just to make you happy, because it makes him happy to see you happy.

Imani: I don’t think I’m ready to join the single pool again. Those waters are cold with deprivation.

DBM: Tell me a little about yourself

Imani: I am a licensed professional. I design high-end residential and commercial buildings, and other structures.

DBM: An architect?

Imani: Yes

DBM: What else makes you stand out and not blend in?

Imani: I do everything with valor. I’m a risktaker, I work hard, and I try not to crumble when things go wrong. I am determined, resilient and have a calm confidence to move one day at a time. I keep my thoughts clear at all times and wouldn’t stay silent when my voice needs to be heard. I love deeply

DBM: Marriage isn’t the ultimate goal of life. You can be unmarried and still consider yourself worthy, simply because of your accomplishments.

Imani: Good men are hard to find these days

DBM: I know! And the right and better man for you wouldn’t opt to stay on the fence when it comes to what is important to you. The man you’re currently with is not going to marry you, if marriage truly is what you want. Make the best decision for yourself.

Imani: What do you think a woman can do to make a man do her wish?

DBM: What you can do is not to settle for a man’s bullshit. You have been having sex with a man you claim loves you for five years – and still waiting on him to ask you to marry him. Who is to blame here? Even married men of today operate with the mentality that they’ve got to have a lot of freedom in their marriages. Most men want more than enough rope to hang themselves. They want the freedom and independence to come and go as they please – and do what they want when they want. Men want to go out, get laid, and not have to answer to anybody. And, these are even the married ones, so imagine your current situation and the rope your willingness to accept his conditions gives him.

Imani: Now, that’s tough. I will think about it.

DBM: Marriage to the right partner is a beautiful experience. Commitment to the right partner outside of marriage can equally be great. Being unmarried or single is not a bad thing, at least, not in my eyes. It’s not a curse or a problem that needs to be fixed at all cost. It’s not an experience to be ashamed of. It’s just where you are in life, and life happens to all of us. Do not be defined by it. You do not owe anyone an explanation. Be comfortable loving who you are. Marriage will happen when it happens at the right time. But assuming it does not, make peace with it. Everything happens for a reason. Just because you don’t have a husband or children doesn’t mean you’re incomplete.

Imani: Thank you David Bondze-Mbir. No one has ever spoken to me this way before.

Image Credit: Picha Stock

Ain’t No Cure For Love

Comey: Hi senior. Are you a counselor?

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): No sir.

Comey: You’re not a professional therapist?

DBM: I am not.

Comey: What are you into?

DBM: Communications

Comey: That’s your professional background?

DBM: Yes please

Comey: Why do you do these things on FB?

DBM: Which things?

Comey: Counseling, music, preaching

DBM: I don’t counsel. I don’t preach. I just chat with people who are comfortable opening up to me. I like listening to people when I have the time. I can sometimes be good at expanding perspectives, and if in the right mood, offer feedback on how I would deal with a difficult situation.

Comey: Are you a musician?

DBM: I’m a songwriter who just happens to love to sing.

Comey: You don’t sing professionally?

DBM: No.

Comey: Why do you shoot music videos and record songs? You spend money on all that, don’t you?

DBM: I do. I love to document all my works, thus my reason for recording and registering them. Someday, if I’m to leave this earth, I’d want to confidently leave knowing I put out all the talents and giftings deposited in me by GOD.

Comey: Do you have a performing rights organization representing the songs you write?

DBM: Yes. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI Music)

Comey: Can I ask another personal question?

DBM: It depends on the type of question

Comey: How much do you spend on recording music and shooting videos?

DBM: I’ve spent over ten thousand dollars.

Comey: Do you make money from music?

DBM: No!

Comey: Have you considered pursuing counselling professionally?

DBM: No!

Comey: Why not?

DBM: I tend to be very emotional and biased.

Comey: But you actively know how to listen

DBM: When I am in the right mood to want to, yes.

Comey: Is that not the minimum basic skill for counseling?

DBM: Yeah, but it’s not my life’s mandate, unfortunately.

Comey: Do you follow up on your clients?

DBM: No.

Comey: Why don’t you?

DBM: Because they are not ‘clients’ and I don’t want to be invested.

Comey: So, it ends after the chat?

DBM: Yes. I have to gauge my own energy and desire.

Comey: I need someone who will check up on me after sharing my problems with them.

DBM: I can recommend a professional therapist. He charges per the hour. He is very experienced and passionate, and has made huge contributions to the field.

Comey: How much does he charge?

DBM: $150/hr

Comey: Ghanaian?

DBM: No! He’s American. I know him personally. He does remote sessions with some of his clients too. Let me know if you’re interested.

Comey: Ok. Can I share my issue with you so I know what you make of it?

DBM: I’m all ears.

Comey: I think I’ve found my soulmate. I knew from the first day we agreed to be friends and I’ve loved her every moment. I broke things off with her at a point, and moved on with my life. She married a different man three years ago. We met at a function in 2022, and she told me she had been trying to find me. I had been trying to find out what she had been up to through mutual friends over the years too. When we met at the function, she told me she’s only been in love with me. Dave, she’s the only woman I have been in love with. I found out in 2022 that she was pregnant with her husband’s child but didn’t want to keep it. She wanted us to try rekindling our relationship to see if we still had a chance.

DBM: She was married in 2022, no?

Comey: Yes, and under 11 weeks pregnant when we had this conversation at the private function.

DBM: Okay!

Comey: She wanted an abortion, and asked me to find her a trusted doctor. I knew of a doctor who assessed her pregnancy and told us she was suitable to have a medical abortion at home. To clear things up, it wasn’t my suggestion to get rid of the pregnancy. She did not want to continue with the pregnancy nor keep her husband’s baby, and she confirmed to the doctor that her decision was her preferred option.

DBM: Her husband had no say in this?

Comey: The doctor said it was her choice and her right to do so

DBM: Did her husband know about the pregnancy?

Comey: He did.

DBM: I see

Comey: The doctor prepared a treatment pack for her, which included medicines she’d need for the abortion treatment, and some pain killers and other tablets. I collected the pack from the clinic and delivered it to her at work. I did not hear from her for two weeks. The day she called, she had gone to see the doctor to do a scan and the result was negative.

DBM: How did you feel after hearing from her?

Comey: Relief, sadness, a bit of joy, all combined.

DBM: Was that her first pregnancy?

Comey: Yes

DBM: Is she divorced now?

Comey: Not yet.

DBM: What is the current status of your relationship?

Comey: My relationship with her?

DBM: Yes

Comey: We’re still in touch and in love.

DBM: Why is she still married?

Comey: We were in the planning process to figure out the best way to break the news to her husband.

DBM: And?

Comey: She got pregnant again.

DBM: With her husband’s child?

Comey: We don’t know

DBM: You were sleeping with her?

Comey: Yes

DBM: Unprotected?

Comey: Yes

DBM: Are you sleeping with any other women?

Comey: One or two, but with protection. She’s the only one I do raw with.

DBM: What do you feel for the one or two you fuck with?

Comey: It’s just sex, nothing important.

DBM: Is she keeping this pregnancy?

Comey: We are. She believes it could be mine

DBM: It could as well be for the husband, no?

Comey: Yes

DBM: So, what’s the end game here?

Comey: She still doesn’t know how to ask her husband for a divorce.

DBM: You are the ‘how’ to her puzzle. What’s so difficult about being honest with her husband? She has no reason to sugarcoat or beautify a lie. You two managed to abort his first attempt to fatherhood. It’s only fair to dish him the remaining painful truth than to be lying and unintentionally giving him false hope.

Comey: She wants me to join her at home so we can both break the news to him.

DBM: How old are you?

Comey: 38

DBM: How old is she?

Comey: Also, in her 30’s

DBM: What are you going to do?

Comey: I would have joined her at home to do this but she said her husband know of my name.

DBM: How so?

Comey: She’s accidentally moaned and cried out my name three different times while having sex with her husband. Because we cannot predict the outcome of things, we are both not sure if it’s the right move.

DBM: Do you truly love this young lady?

Comey: My love for her grows over time. We have shared quality moments and memories that I cannot let go. She has my support.

DBM: Why did you break things off with her many years ago?

Comey: I saw a message on her phone from a guy who was supposedly her friend, but was making a move on her. She did not tell him to stop and was rather enjoying the attention he was giving her.

DBM: Was she the only woman you were intimate with during that dating phase?

Comey: No. But she was the only girl I was in love with and wanted to marry. For the others, it was just sex.

DBM: What does ‘just sex’ mean?

Comey: It’s like candy, sweet. I share it happily with a selected few without expectation of catching any feelings in return. But when it comes to my woman, I give her a special piece of the candy because it makes me happy to see her excited about it.

DBM: Can you picture a future without her in it?

Comey: I cannot, Dave. I am interested in everything she cares about. Can’t say I’ve ever wanted to assist anyone in getting an abortion, but here we are. It’s easy for me to find a woman to fulfill my sexual needs and there’s rarely a connection beyond the moment. What I have built with my woman has always had the potential to develop into marriage. And I’m willing to marry her any day after her divorce.

Image Credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich

Those Confused Eyes

PY: Dee

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Herrh! What are you doing here?

PY: I want to talk

DBM: Don’t you have my number?

PY: I want to talk here

DBM: For my ears only or you want it published?

PY: Your ears and publication.

DBM: What’s up?

PY: I think I’m ready to get married. I haven’t proposed marriage to Helena yet, but my mind is filled with all sorts of fanfare lately. I’ve always wondered about what it might be like to make her my wife.

DBM: Good to know! You’ve dated for how long?

PY: Four and a half years

DBM: How old are you?

PY: You know my age. Lol

DBM: Yeah, but for the purposes of this publication…

PY: 42

DBM: How old is your lady?

PY: 40

DBM: Why now?

PY: Beyond the love, of course, I need a trusted companion. And Helena is someone I can trust to stand by me through thick and thin. I also feel it’s time to start building a family of our own.

DBM: I am happy for you.

PY: Thanks. Hopefully, it will tame my, how do you call it, lol, my cheating habits.

DBM: Are you ready to be a husband?

PY: I believe I am, yes. I am ready to share my life with her. She’s my special something-something.

DBM: Okay!

PY: But I want her to get pregnant for me first.

DBM: As in, before you marry her?

PY: Yeah

DBM: Why is that?

PY: She’s 40

DBM: And so?

PY: Her biological clock

DBM: What has it done?

PY: It’s ticking

DBM: Why do you want to marry her?

PY: I told you why already.

DBM: You do not believe she can have a healthy pregnancy at her age?

PY: I don’t. My mother doesn’t believe it either.

DBM: Whose idea was it for her to get pregnant before marriage?

PY: My mother.

DBM: I’m going to publish this conversation, no?

PY: Yes

DBM: Helena is going to read this

PY: She already knows.

DBM: Ha! And, what did she say?

PY: She’s not ready to have a child out of wedlock.

DBM: Ha!

PY: But she’s failing to understand my point.

DBM: What was your point again?

PY: I just want to be sure she can get pregnant with my baby. That’s all. We will be married before the child is even born. Do you understand me?

DBM: I do! But why can’t you do this same experiment with her fertility after marriage?

PY: I don’t want to marry and divorce later. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take

DBM: Is having a child the main reason why you want to settle down with her?

PY: It’s part of my reasons. Dee, I love her; she knows this. I know it. I’m just concerned about the complications that are likely to develop at her age.

DBM: But there is also a good chance her pregnancy will be healthy

PY: That’s if she can get pregnant.

DBM: Why do you say that?

PY: David, let’s be real. We’ve been shacking up for four years and no sign of pregnancy. Is that not cause to be alarmed?

DBM: How important is having a baby to you?

PY: It’s everything to me, Dee

DBM: And, are you willing to give up Helena over this issue?

PY: I haven’t thought about it.

DBM: Think of it now. Are you willing to give up Helena over the subject of pregnancy?

PY: No

DBM: Why not?

PY: Because we have a good relationship, and I am committed to her.

DBM: Why are you entertaining the thought of putting an expiration date on the womb of a creation of GOD?

PY: My mum thinks she may never get pregnant for me.

DBM: Is Helena the right woman for you?

PY: She is

DBM: If you genuinely want to settle down with her, then decide to want to enjoy your marriage, regardless. Do not encourage your mother’s doubt to manipulate your decision making, especially now that you’re seriously considering doing right by her.

PY: What if there are no kids and I am tempted someday to look elsewhere?

DBM: When a decent man chooses to want to enjoy his marriage to his wife, he decides that no other relationship or extracurricular activity is an option. Question is, are you decent enough to want to get married and stay married?

PY: I try my best to be a decent guy.

DBM: I don’t know exactly what about Helena makes you happy, but if she excites you as much as any good partner does their significant other, let that determine the actions you take henceforth.

PY: I want to be happy, Dave. I think that’s my ultimate goal

DBM: If being happy in marriage is your priority, then let that impact your decision to want to propose to her. If having a child by whatever means is your priority, then note that your needs and selfishness are what your priorities are, and not marriage to her.

PY: What do you suggest?

DBM: Think of Helena, and place her above your expectations. Look into ways and means you can bless and encourage her. And psych yourself up to walk together no matter what life throws at you both.

PY: What if I don’t feel complete without kids?

DBM: PY, there is LIFE to be lived, even without children. Yes, maybe not the life you thought you wanted, per your definition of ‘family’ but it’s not so bad. And it’s full of possibilities and hope, joy, laughter, dreams and contentment.

PY: Let’s change the subject. Are you happily married?

DBM: I am focused on my marriage. I am taking care of my partner in our marriage. I am being intentional on pouring enough time and energy into my marriage. A happily married life won’t just happen, you know?

PY: I know

DBM: Good! So, do any and every good thing to protect your marriage – if you choose to go ahead with it, and put as much effort into it.

PY: How about cheating?

DBM: What about it?

PY: I feel like I may cheat on her

DBM: If Helena’s breasts fill you at all times with delight, you will be intoxicated by her love. Helena, if you’re reading this conversation, please find out what PY likes and does not like in the bedroom when you get married. I know that in your minds, your sex lives are beyond great, but ask yourselves what turns you on; you both may surprise each other because it wouldn’t be what you think you already know. It’s not every married man who enjoys their marriage. So, to make yours exactly what you want, you must make intentional choices. That is what will make you not cheat on her. It’s all about choosing to walk a different path and doing right by each other.

PY: Is your WhatsApp still active? I sent a message four month ago.

DBM: No!

PY: I’ll give you a call later this week. Thanks

Image Credit: Collis

Checking-In On Ourselves

Nyakpoo: Hello David

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Hello sir

Nyakpoo: Yipee

DBM: Lol!

Nyakpoo: Finally. This is my third hello to you in three years. I’ve always wanted to share my love story with your audience.

DBM: Nice to meet you.

Nyakpoo: Nice to meet you, Dave.

DBM: I’m all ears.

Nyakpoo: Before I got married, my old boy sat me down to be sure I was cut out for it. Like him, I had made so many bad decisions in my dating life that negatively affected a lot of the women who had fallen in love with me. In my dad’s case, bringing children into it was the unforgivable part of his marriage. He told me that he felt he wasn’t mature enough to do marriage with my mother, though he was in his 30’s. My mom was ready to be a wife and mother but he wasn’t sure he was mentally and emotionally healthy to do the give and take in a serious commitment.

DBM: Why did he marry your mother?

Nyakpoo: She was pregnant with me. Also, he said she was hot.

DBM: Lol!

Nyakpoo: My dad was fluttering from one woman to the other, and that was pretty much my life too. I wasn’t interested in forming any ties yet. And there were no bounds, so I was meeting and having so much fun with different women who would come and go. I remember my father asking me one day if I had the maturity, patience and trust to be okay on the days, weeks or months that my wife wouldn’t feel like having sex with me. That was a tough question to answer because I am the very physical type of person when dating. My love language is… You know, in bed.

DBM: Your love language is in bed?

Nyakpoo: Anything vanilla under the sheets.

DBM: Smh!

Nyakpoo: He also wanted to know if I was willing to put in the needed time, the thoughtfulness, the level of self-control and sacrifice to make a marriage work. These were conversations I had never had with him before. In fact, I was very surprised he wanted to talk to me about it because in my eyes, he was the perfect example of a father and husband to look up to but no, he told me he failed my mother as her husband.

DBM: Did he explain his definition of failure?

Nyakpoo: His definition was everything my life with women had become. I was living without care and only interested in the casual. I realized I had been manipulating and deceiving women to get what I wanted without any intention of being in a committed relationship with them.

DBM: Why did you want to marry your wife?

Nyakpoo: She was pregnant with my child

DBM: Let me guess, and she was hot? Lol

Nyakpoo: Lol. Yes, she was very hot. I’m my father’s son. But that was not that. I had introduced her to my parents and I think my mother had told her to be sure she wanted to do life with me. My mum doesn’t know about my personal lifestyle but she assumed I was just like my father, and was cautioning my wife to be careful with her heart. To be honest, I was really hurt she could say that to my woman.

DBM: Why were you hurt? She wasn’t lying about you, was she?

Nyakpoo: She wasn’t but she shouldn’t have. Because of what she told her, my wife started to feel a little confused, and was constantly questioning my intentions.

DBM: What were your intentions for her?

Nyakpoo: I didn’t have any but I cared.

DBM: I see. How did you two first meet?

Nyakpoo: We met in a bar. I’m usually the first to walk up to a pretty woman I am interested in but with her, I couldn’t get myself to approach her. And I knew I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least, try.

DBM: What was your initial intention for the first approach?

Nyakpoo: To know her and maybe f**k with her. But we talked for almost an hour and went our separate ways. Days later, I found myself showing up to her office with a basket of goodies for an office break picnic. She was cooked.

DBM: Lol! You liked her that much huh?

Nyakpoo: I hadn’t done that before. Also, my life was all over the place and a bit questionable, and I had been trying to answer with women, sex and alcohol. Becoming friends with her changed my attitude about everything. My life I think took a few twists and turns that later on forced me to want to straighten it out. Her love for her parents inspired me to also be visiting my mother and father more often.

DBM: What about her made her stand out and not blend in?

Nyakpoo: I desired her in ways I hadn’t needed a woman before, and that made me want to be a better man for her. I developed a kind of love I had never felt for anyone.

DBM: Nice. I’ve already asked this question but I’d like to ask again, why did you want to marry your wife?

Nyakpoo: Honestly Dave, I’d never thought of having a family with anyone. My life was all about going with the flow. However, my wife was the only woman who ever made me feel at peace when I thought about the possibility of a marriage. She was my definition of what felt right to me. She had a lot of love in her to give.

DBM: Can you explain that?

Nyakpoo: I saw the way she loved her parents and siblings. How she loved her close friends and some of the people she worked with. The love she shared in her circle of friends, even when some of her colleagues were hard to love. I just couldn’t look past that. It said a lot about her. She doesn’t know this but she taught and showed me how to love by the way she filled me up with so much of her love for me.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Nyakpoo: We’ve done 15 years so far.

DBM: And, has it been easy?

Nyakpoo: This is what I’ve been doing every weekend since we got married; I check in on my wife to know how I’m doing as her husband. I ask if she’s happy in the marriage. I ask if she’s okay. I ask if there’s anything I could do to improve her life or ours, as a couple. Whatever her responses are to these questions, I try to do the best I can to make it up to her in the week. She picked up on my line of questioning and started doing the same with me every Sunday. I check in on her every Saturday, and she checks in on my needs every Sunday. It has made our 15 years together as husband and wife so easy.

DBM: Oh wow! I’ve never thought of that. I’m going to copy this check-in tactic and practice it in my own marriage. We say ‘I love you’ everyday but I have never been the type to check in to know if I make happy. Thank you for this insight.

Nyakpoo: Because she’s been checking in on my needs, I’ve never felt the need to even cheat on her.

DBM: I figured. Huh! This is good information. I like you

Nyakpoo: Thanks Dave. I like you too.

Image Credit: RDNE Stock project

A Brother From Another Mother

Turff: Hi Dave

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Hi. How are you doing?

Turff: Fine. U?

DBM: I am doing alright, thanks.

Turff: I am going straight to the point?

DBM: Sure! What’s up?

Turff: I just found out that one of my best friends – I have known him since we were ten, is gay, and I am upset.

DBM: Why are you upset?

Turff: This guy stole my girlfriend when we were in secondary school and I never forgot about it. I never forgave him.

DBM: Do you still call him ‘your’ friend?

Turff: Yes. He has been there when I truly needed him in the past. I could call on him at 1 o’clock in the morning for literally anything, and he will be there with no hesitancy. I love him like a brother from another mother.

DBM: No one can ‘steal’ a girl from you. It’s all up to the girl. If she decided to leave you for your gay friend, then she wasn’t that much into you.

Turff: I and the girl were very much in love, Dave

DBM: A girl who doesn’t want to be ‘stolen’ in a relationship cannot be taken away by another man

Turff: I am upset because all that while he was a homosexual and he pretended as if he likes girls.

DBM: Look at it also from this angle; your girl needed a moment to step back to allow space – so you both could grow individually. It’s another way of honoring what you two shared and held dear, without forcing it into a shape it cannot hold. You were young. You were in senior high school.

Turff: Anyway, it’s in the past

DBM: The past is a memory we can still appreciate because of the people in it that impacted our lives for the better or worse.

Turff: Yeah. Back to my friend. He reached out to me telling me he needed a place to perch for like six months. He was staying with his friend but has been kicked out.

DBM: How old is he?

Turff: 36

DBM: Does he work?

Turff: Yes, but I don’t think he earns enough

DBM: Are you in a position to host him?

Turff: For six months?

DBM: Are you in a position to host him?

Turff: Yes, but I might have to ask my wife.

DBM: Okay! Ask your wife then?

Turff: My wife will not agree

DBM: Have you asked her?

Turff: Not yet

DBM: How do you know she wouldn’t agree?

Turff: She doesn’t approve of homosexuality.

DBM: Oh, okay! If she condemns people like that, then you’ve got to protect her wish.

Turff: Moreso, we have kids. Boys

DBM: What has that got to do with anything?

Turff: Moreso, we are a Christian household.

DBM: What has it got to do with the other?

Turff: I’m just saying … You know… Trumutrumu tu.

DBM: What is your memory of him? How would you describe your friend to me?

Turff: He is a very nice guy, very polite and respectful. He is thoughtful, honest and very smart. He is not a troublemaker. He used to walk like a girl.

DBM: Smh!

Turff: But it’s true. Lol.

DBM: Why is he being kicked out from his previous abode?

Turff: His roommate found out he sleeps with men.

DBM: Why, were they sharing the same room?

Turff: No.

DBM: Does it bother you that he is same-sex attracted?

Turff: I don’t know. But I know God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah

DBM: Do you know why GOD destroyed those two cities?

Turff: Yes. Men were sleeping with men.

DBM: The account in Genesis 19:6-8, states that, Lot went out to meet an angry mob at his entrance and begged them to rather rape his two virgin daughters. Did you read that part?

Turff: But Dave, the Bible clearly calls homosexuality a sin in Genesis 19.

DBM: That’s not my understanding of that passage. Read Ezekiel chapter 16:49. It says Sodom was destroyed because the people were greedy and arrogant. They were prideful and wicked. They were corrupt and lacked empathy. They were also neglecting the poor amongst them. Because most people in church practice selective outrage, they would rather associate Sodom and Gomorrah with homosexuality, and not address the sexual violence against women and men.

Turff: How about Leviticus? The Bible calls it an abomination.

DBM: I don’t wanna go into this conversation

Turff: Why? What are you scared of?

DBM: I am not scared of this subject. I just don’t see the point in explaining myself to a homophobe

Turff: I am not. I am just asking questions.

DBM: You are not asking questions. You’re using mistranslated Bible scriptures as a weapon to control a narrative.

Turff: Leviticus says homosexuality is an abomination. Let’s discus.

DBM: Why do you want us to discuss it?

Turff: Because my wife will use these same scriptures to refuse my friend.

DBM: Will you be comfortable with him staying with you?

Turff: Yes

DBM: I am a Chriatian, and I am not obligated to follow the Mosiac Law. Though some commandments have been brought forward because they are deemed helpful for our faith in the New Testament, I am often tempted to ask which of the commandments are worth keeping today. And if they’re to be kept, what criteria is to be used?

Turff: I don’t quite understand what you are saying but continue. Lol!

DBM: Leviticus 11:4-7 forbids the eating of pig, rabbit, shell-related fishes (crabs, shrimps, etc.). Do you eat any of these today? Leviticus 19:19 forbids the wearing of clothes made with more than one kind of fiber. Does your wife eat fried shrimps with fried yam and shito, while wearing a mixed fabric to look pretty? Do you have tattoos on you?

Turff: No

DBM: Good! Because Leviticus 19:28 forbids it. Does your wife wear trousers?

Turff: Yes

DBM: Deuteronomy 22:5 forbids women from wearing any men’s clothing. Leviticus 19:19 forbids sowing mixed crops. Do you know how vegetables and food-based plants are grown on farms by farmers before being sold to your wife at the market?

Turff: Dave, but I don’t think it’s the same argument.

DBM: It is the same. You brought Leviticus and what it describes as an abomination, no? Leviticus 25:35-37 commands you not to charge interest on loans or take profit from people who do not have, or cannot afford. Leviticus 25:23 bans the selling of land permanently to prevent divide between landowners and serfs. Deuteronomy 21:15-17 calls out the assumption of having multiple wives or concubines a sin. Is your wife the only woman you have been intimate with since you married?

Turff: No.

DBM: Have you ever had sex with a woman on her menstrual period?

Turff: Yes

DBM: Leviticus 18:19, 20:18 calls it a sin. Leviticus 19:33-34 commands us not to treat foreign residents as though they were equal citizens. Are you friends with, and nice to a foreigner? Why do Christians choose which prohibitions in the Bible to apply if not to police and marginalize others? It’s only a small-minded bigot who will refuse to hold people accountable for what Jesus actually said.

Turff: But in Genesis, we all know God created Adam and Eve, and not Adam and Steve?

DBM: The entire creation story in Genesis, to the best of my knowledge was about roots, ancestries, backgrounds, heritage and mainly, companionship. It wasn’t about orientation. Adam and Eve, was a beautiful love story GOD created. They lived their best lives. Let other creations of GOD who find other creations of GOD attractive be. Leave them be if they have shared experiences, which requires the same effort, presence and alignment you bring to the table to make your wife feel loved. What makes you think they don’t deserve what other people bring into their lives? The laughter, the lessons, the love?

Turff: Expunge what I am about to say from our chat

DBM: What now?

Turff: I fucked him when I was in UCC. He was in Legon. He visited me a couple of times.

DBM: What do you mean?

Turff: That doesn’t make me gay

DBM: Wait! Is he the only guy you have had sex with?

Turff: Yes, or maybe, no. But I love pu$$y.

DBM: Did you enjoy the sex with him?

Turff: Yes.

DBM: What happened next?

Turff: Nothing happened next. He was catching feelings. I don’t do feelings.

DBM: You do feelings. You just don’t do feelings with a man. I don’t think you should let him come over and stay. If you can afford to help him rent a place of his own, that would be ideal.

Turff: Why do you say that? I want him to come over

DBM: In-as-much-as you say you enjoy sex with your wife, you also have a desire to engage in sexual acts, specifically anal sex, with a specific man.

Turff: But Dave, I don’t want to date him

DBM: I understand, but what you just told me tells me that your sexual orientation may be more fluid and open to exploration when it comes to sexual experiences, while your choice of romance is more aligned to acting straight and staying married to your wife.

Turff: I can afford to help him rent a place.

DBM: That settles it then.

Turff: But that would also mean, I might be going there to visit him

DBM: That is better than confusing your wife with his presence at home. She would wonder exactly what the man she’s in love with have in common with a homosexual. And by extension, what she possibly could have in common with him. You are that common denominator they both share.

Turff: We had something going. It wasn’t what I wanted but it was fulfilling.

DBM: You had friendship, and that should be good enough. He cannot force you to be what he needs, just as you cannot fix yourself in a situation that doesn’t serve you. That doesn’t erase the good times you shared. It’s okay to sometimes look back and appreciate what he once meant to you. It doesn’t make you gay. It makes you human.

Image Credit: Gweje of Africa

What Works For Us

Agymah: My name is Agymah

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Nice to meet you, sir. My name is David

Agymah: Hi Dave. I am a silent follower of your FB platform. I have been for years and I love how consistent you have been.

DBM: Thank you, sir.

Agymah: I have been married for 39 years, but we’ve been together for 42. I feel like I can stand on my experience with my wife to say that marriage is an easy agreement and establishment between people who value the friendship they share – and can get to hang out, have fun, deal with the realities of life and have sleepovers every single day.

DBM: Hehehe!

Agymah: True. Because I have chosen my wife to be my closest and best friend, we have managed to face the hard parts of our journey together.

DBM: In other words, marriage is easy?

Agymah: Marriage is easy, yes.

DBM: Have you cheated on your wife before?

Agymah: I was expecting this question actually. David, when you CHOOSE to be so attracted to the man or woman – you’re doing life with, you will not find yourself constantly pursuing the other people you are attracted to.

DBM: So, does that make it a yes or a no?

Agymah: I have not cheated on my wife, no.

DBM: But you have found other people attractive, no?

Agymah: I have passed by and of course, seen other women that I thought looked beautiful. ‘Attractive’ is only reserved for my wife because of the thrill to it. Attraction has a desire in the shadows of its delight. That is why I would rather choose to act from my desire to bring into daylight – what I want to do to the woman I am attracted to, my wife.

DBM: Ha! Interesting.

Agymah: It’s a choice, Mr. David. And I think I have heard you say that quite a lot on your platform.

DBM: Yes

Agymah: But do you believe it’s a choice?

DBM: I believe it’s a choice.

Agymah: It’s a choice to cheat on your wife or husband. It’s unfortunate that many of us would rather look good on paper and pretend for people to love seeing us together than to actually be honest.

DBM: How did you meet your wife?

Agymah: We were arranged in marriage. It wasn’t forced. I wasn’t interested in settling down. My wife was a busy woman, enjoying a fulfilling career and both of our mothers, who happened to be friends invited us home and talked us into the idea of marriage. We practically did nothing. Our mothers planned everything and all we had to do was show up on dates they had fixed.

DBM: Really?

Agymah: Yeah. The first time I had a one-on-one conversation alone with my wife was on our honeymoon. There is no guarantee in anything, Dave. Not even a love relationship/friendship before marriage. That is why I say it’s up to the two people involved to make the effort.

DBM: You mean to say, you didn’t go on dates, you didn’t talk on phone or visit each other before marriage to know yourselves?

Agymah: We did none of that. I built the friendship I have now with my wife in our marriage

DBM: Was she your type? Did you even have a type? Were you the type of guy she went out for

Agymah: I have always had a type. My wife was the opposite of my typical type, however, getting to know her a few months into our marriage changed my perception. I realized I was beginning to understand her unique qualities that made us a bit compatible. I was no longer interested in the selfish qualities I used to look for in a woman because that was what I wanted or was used to. This is what I think: having a type you go for is good but it should serve or act as a guide, rather than it being your final black and white checklist.

DBM: Let’s talk about sex

Agymah: What do you want to know about my sex life?

DBM: The first night with your wife, how was it like?

Agymah: It was nothing spectacular for me. I don’t know about my wife, but I thought of it as one of my usual hook-up pick-ups. The sex was pretty good actually. It was a new arrangement and it had its own awkward spark to it. We had talked for about an hour in our hotel room after the marriage ceremony, and I was beginning to like this part of her life without and outside of me – which made me want to get in on it. I paid attention to everything she was telling me about herself. I also realized that she felt comfortable telling me all about the crazy side of her life. She was into me and I was into her, and I think that woke things up in us a bit. The sexual attraction and tension started to build up from that point. And it created a certain amount of voltage between the sheets.

DBM: When did you realize you could fall in love with her?

Agymah: The morning I woke up after our first night together. I didn’t want her to leave, and I didn’t want to run. Which was shocking.

DBM: You knew?

Agymah: I just knew.

DBM: So, the sex made you know?

Agymah: No! It wasn’t the sex. It was our conversation before sex. We had the same life goals. Our values looked similar; our sense of humor and thinking aligned. We shared a lot of similar interests and could potentially see a good friendship between us. I was willing to put in the work.

DBM: Marriage is work then. It’s not easy

Agymah: David, working hard towards a goal isn’t a bad thing if it’s rewarding. My reward is getting to do life my wife.

DBM: Children?

Agymah: No, we don’t have kids.

DBM: Is it by choice?

Agymah: No. She had a medical condition where tissue that was similar to the lining of her womb was growing in other places outside her womb.

DBM: Oh, endometriosis. There is this twin lady on my Facebook dealing with same. I first heard about it from her.

Agymah: Ok.

DBM: Does it worry you to not be with child?

Agymah: Not at all. And I don’t think we have missed out on being parents. We have mentored and made impacts on a number of kids. It’s not the same but it feels the same to me. A trip down the aisle doesn’t mean the next thing to follow is a child. My wife and I live our lives the way we want it to be. We don’t care about what society is expecting a family to look like. I have no regrets marrying my wife. She is one of the best things that ever happened to me.

DBM: Good for you!

Agymah: You can choose to be happy on your own terms. You don’t have to have a wife or husband in your life to experience that. You don’t need a child in your marriage to experience that. You choose to be your own individual man or woman and can be whole on the inside and outside of yourself. We need to get to know ourselves as we would anyone else, we may want to build a relationship with. Get to know and build a healthy relationship first, with yourself.

DBM: I am my own best friend.

Agymah: That’s the way to go about it. I am always telling myself I am worth knowing and deserving of my own attention. I am curious and intrigued about my own self and I tend to be so kind to myself and needs.

DBM: This was really good. Let’s do it again another time.

Agymah: My pleasure.

 

Image Credit: Kindel Media

Date Me! (part 3)

This is Nana. I am Bernice’s husband. My wife told me about your request to want to share some of our pictures from her Facebook. I want us to remain anonymous. Sorry. I know my wife wouldn’t mind but I do. But everything happened just as she said.

For her choice of dialogue in her submission, I can only say my wife can be extra in her delivery. When Bernice is telling our story to friends and family, you don’t get to hear just one story. You get to hear two: her version and mine. Her version is always sweeter because she knows how to spice it up with a bit of drama and liveliness.

Remembering peculiar incidents like ours differently doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. My wife’s emotions sometimes color her memory but that’s one of the things I love about her. It makes listening to her fun and entertaining. A few things my wife forgot to add. When I first proposed to her that afternoon at my house, she did not give an affirmative yes. I had to find out how she felt about me asking her dad for her hand in marriage.

Her father and I bonded at their house when she was about to marry Rex. Because I was going to be driving them to the church, I was there waiting and had the opportunity to be introduced to her family. When Rex failed to show up at the Chapel, Bernice’s mother came to join us in the car, but Bernice insisted to be left alone. I left with Bernice because she asked me to drive and go as far away from the situation. I called her father to inform him of where I was taking their daughter.

Her mother and father joined us in my house that evening to check on her. I wasn’t dreading spending time together with my father-in-law because he already approved of me because I was his daughter’s favorite boss at work. He had heard a lot about me from Bernice already. I informed both of her parents about my intentions that same evening and her father was in agreement. I felt they deserved to be informed because they both raised her. My mother-in-law was a bit hesitant initially but she came on board later on, when I assured her of my love for her daughter. I am a confident man and I was honest to her. I was going to take very good care of their daughter.

Just as my wife stated, we did the traditional marriage a month after my proposal. I wasn’t given a list. We were asked to just present the dowry bride wealth so her family members could consent to the marriage. I willingly gave a huge sum of money to be shared and that was it. A day was fixed for me to come and take my bride away. We signed in court the following month and we were officially married. There was no party. There was no merrymaking.

Bernice also forgot to add that, we did not have sex for over three months after we married. What she felt for Rex was real and I didn’t know if she was going to survive without him by her side. Being stood up on her wedding day was one of the hardest things for her to come to terms with. And I understood that. So, I gave her time to process her feelings and grieve her loss. Both of which were of utmost importance as they paved the way for my wife to finally move on to write a new chapter with me.

I love Bernice so much that, I was willing to allow her to be vulnerable and give herself time and space to cry. I was not afraid to join her sometimes to let all of our emotions out and cry together. I drafted a one-year leave request to HR on her behalf, and it was forwarded to me for approval. No one at work knew we had been married for almost a year and a half.

This version plus hers should sum up our full story. Thank you, guys.

Image Credit: Marayah Stumbo

 

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