Sometime in December

    I had known this girl since kindergarten, we grew up in the same neighborhood and were classmates. She was not the most beautiful girl in the area but she had these aura, glamour and grace that announces her and makes her stand out among others.

       I have liked her long before I understood what like or love meant, but I couldn't tell her. I felt she was unapproachable and in my defense she really is. She acts so focused and highly-strung. 
      Every time I try to imagine how I wanted my future to be I always end up with a mental, detailed, well painted picture of her beside me with our beautiful kids; the girls have her smile and beautiful ever glowing ebony skin with a touch of big brown eyes. And of course the boys will take after someone that doesn't look like me(that part always puzzle me)

       I daily nursed the day I would tell her how I felt. There were times I wrote it in a beautiful rainbow paper, stapled and well glued in a blue envelope hoping to give it to her. But when I see her I always get cold feet especially when she answers my greetings with a cold response.

     I always feared that she didn't feel the same way about me, when I see her laughing freely and relating with other guys I marvel and wonder.... How did they do it? How did they get her attention?

        Year after year I stocked my shoe box with tons of blue envelope(I lived in fear, the fear of rejection. it's a disease that plague us humans).
      I grew up and school work started to pile up, we got separated due to pursuit for increased knowledge and of course the job mobility of our parents. I got to the university and met other girls, many walked and struggled their way to my heart and some were just an added compensation and skill acquisition on how to woo women.
      But I was never satisfied by these women. The one woman I wanted and have ever wanted appear to be unavailable and unapproachable. 

    I couldn't keep a girl for more than 8months without a break up, they just didn't measure up to her, I tried to search her out online at my free time but she remained like air; invincible, yet can be felt.

       I lost hope in ever seeing or meeting her again and focused on my academics and career. I graduated with honors got a good job, went back to school for a part-time masters program(not really what I wanted but to ease off the tension my parents were building up for me to get married).
      I was rounding up my masters program late April, when a friend hinted me on organizing a reunion party for our old secondary school classmates; honestly that event was more tasking and time consuming than my masters program and job combined. But with the help of Facebook and other social media I connected and got most but her informed. I also told them to inform others.

      Together we agreed on a venue, we all chipped in, in every way.

     The event was fixed for the holiday(December) a perfect time for everyone to get together without an excuse, those abroad came down, those on missionary assignment(not judging) heard and came, those who were married brought their spouse.

   An hour before the event I knelt down  in my hotel room fully dressed in my blue tux and made a wish, although I knew it was a huge request but I sincerely asked God to bring her my way  before the year runs out. It was the Christmas gift I needed.

     The reunion party was perfect, we all had a swell time, everyone was happy seeing each other and recording success stories. Although, she never came and most people kept asking about her from me( weird world, how was I to know where she was!)
    The day  after the party was a thanksgiving service in appreciation to God for bringing us thus far in good health and success.

    Honestly, I didn't pick the church venue, someone else handled that. But when I walked in to the cathedral I knew their was something special about the place. I read through the program and noticed a familiar name in the bible reading section. It wasn't until she came up the altar that I realized that the text in 1corinthians 13 was true.
           Love is patient, and kind, its not jealous or conceited or proud, love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable, love does not keep a record of wrongs, love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up! And its faith, hope and patience never fail. Love is eternal.
 
   I was numb, rooted to my seat, she was still the same, didn't change much only added curves in the right areas(you know what I mean). Her skin still glowed and was a little toned. And yes! Her smile, still epic! And her voice(don't let me go there).
       I couldn't wait for the service to end, I really wanted to speak with her at least say hi( if I could get it out of my mouth) and to the glory of God I did.

       In a few hours I will be tying the knot with the love of my life. She had confessed to me that she did like me but she was always cold to me because she wanted me to work hard for her love and attention and if I had approached her then she would have said No because she had goals ahead that didn't include relationships. And in fact she had kept tabs on me; she knew about the reunion party but couldn't make it because she couldn't get a flight out of her location early enough.
      And she had made a vow to remain celibate unless I summoned the courage to come for her or get married. And thank God I did which makes me the happiest man on earth. Then, I couldn't approach her because the time was not right but when the time was right I didn't need a rainbow paper or a blue envelope to let it out. It just freely flowed out of me, and it amazes me at how I did it and did it well!