Love isn’t for February only during Valentine's, so I learnt. Hata in Njaa-nuary (January), love is always in the air.
In Kilifi, there is an area known as Kufuli ya mapenzi, where lovers lock a padlock on the railings of a pole. They then profess to love each other eternally before flinging the keys into the ocean.
The idea was borrowed from European nations. Lovebirds from far and wide travel to Kilifi to make a vow. Some even settle after the exercise.
My boyfriend and I have a different story to tell. I met Brad at a rugby game at RFUEA Grounds along Ngong Road. I had dyed my hair brown and donned a local jersey with some rugged blue jeans and brown boots.
There was this moment when a player he was cheering passed the ball forward, and the referee blew the whistle. He vented angrily and threw his drink in the air, spilling some on us.
"We are almost scoring a try, yet he passes the ball forward!" He vented. Okay, I don't know much about rugby. All I know is when hanging out with friends, you don't ask too many questions. Haa.
But my girls and I turned towards him, with Tina ranting. He apologised. Later on, I found him waiting at the parking lot.
"Hi, I am sorry about earlier. Maybe I'll drop you girls in town?" Brad asked.
We declined in unison No. However, we spoke for a few minutes, and that's how I got to know about him.
He was quite perplexed that I was working as a security guard at a law firm in the CBD.
“Go on. Don’t reserve your comments,” I rallied him. He smiled.
"Can I at least pay for your cab? Let me send you some cash," he pleaded.
"No, it's alright. I got my Co-op Visa Card. I use it to pay for cabs," I declined, but agreed to go out on lunch with him.
In the cab, the girls kept teasing me about the encounter. Surprisingly, Jack was a lawyer at a firm in town, and he started frequenting our law firm for business deals.
For six months, Brad and I had one of the best episodes of our lives. The best part was that he brought out the best in me, and encouraged me to apply for scholarships.
“You can go for further studies. Let’s apply for degree scholarships in a different course than the diploma in business administration you studied.
“Or we open a business for you to manage,” he would insist. In turn, I was protective and nurturing. He was wary of sharing his cases with me, but I usually gave him advice whenever he struggled.
Jack loved pampering me the best way he could, but he was also quite cheeky. There was a time he pranked me into seeking a two-day off for an emergency case, only for it to be a trip to Diani.
While I was settled on the plane, I learnt we were flying to Diani for a holiday, contrary to earlier reports of us leaving to handle his personal issues.
“Thank you for flying with us, your next destination is Mombasa,” the air hostess announced.
It was a beautiful trip, serenaded by tours at the beach and candle-lit dinners, but he spent more on my beachwear since he caught me off guard. I hadn’t packed the right attire.
So, I also decided to surprise him at his workplace. I called him to the open lounge and knelt on my knee. You should have heard how the staff rushed to witness a proposal.
Lovebirds say there is always something so sweet in that moment of proposal. Some love the adrenaline, others the surprise, some the bond being made stronger and others the opportunity to make a lifetime decision.
I pulled a package from my bag and offered him my gift, a Ksh155 padlock, sparking excitement at his workplace.
Most of his colleagues were stunned by the gift, unaware of its hidden meaning.
“This is a journey; I want to discover who you are. I don’t want ideals given by others, for I will never know you as a person.
“With this padlock, we shall travel to Kilifi and lock our hearts at the pole and wish ourselves the very best,” I added. I never knew I’d be so emotional with life.
My proposal caught him off guard, but my gift caused ripples. Before we headed out for a party, I dragged him to a nearby mall to buy his favourite Arsenal jersey and some gym kits. I had seen his search history and how he planned to buy the items. I beat him to it.
We walked into the mall, hand in hand. I linked my fingers into his hands and shot him a look that was all love, just the right hint of softness. We grinned as we checked into the mall.
“Is this another surprise?” he wondered.
“Yes, it's something you have desired for a long time.
I asked him to unwrap the gift. “These are quite expensive. I hope you haven’t paid yet. We can withdraw some cash, and I top up. I saw an ATM down the streets,” He stated while embracing me in a warm hug.
“Babe, why should we queue at ATMs, wasting valuable time to access cash? I already used my Co-op Bank Visa Card to pay for the items.
“And that’s what you should always do - from fuelling, shopping, paying at dining, hotels, online transactions, utilities and many more without withdrawing cash from an ATM,” I stated.
“And paying for purchases using the debit card is cheaper than withdrawing cash from the ATM, as you avoid the ATM withdrawal charges. You can also get alerts on my mobile phone every time you transact,” the shop owner added.
He loved the gifts and almost told me how Arsenal is at the top of the English Premier League.
“Come on, you sang the narrative even before the World Cup started. You will lose next weekend,” I trolled him.
“Then you don’t know our manager Mikel Arteta!” He laughed. “Come on, let’s go. It’s almost raining,” he added.
Kilifi, here I come.