After a difficult break up of a relationship, I was beginning to enjoy life as a single once again. Serving at church, going out with friends was almost complete until my husband, David, whom I have known since youth days grew to be a great friend to hang out with. As we were working in the same church office, the staff had the same off day on Mondays when others are working. Hence, the group of us would always gather for movies, celebrate birthdays, have high teas and meals together.
In the beginning when we were hanging out, friends used to ask me to consider David as he is a great guy. However, I would always be so quick to answer “no” as he has the exact opposite personality as compared to me and I’d never imagine being together with him.
One day, the group of us arranged to meet as usual for a meal and movie. But when David and I arrived, we realized that each has received from different ones that they were not able to make it. We both decided that we should still go ahead as planned and so had dinner and caught the movie “Dantes Peak” together. While watching the movie, it soon crossed our minds individually that this could be counted as a “date” as we are alone. Of course at that point of time, both of us did not say anything and continued acting “normal”.
As time passed by and we continued going out together as a group, we soon discovered that we really enjoyed each others company. Hence, even when the others could not make it, both of us continued going out on our own. Being a super creative and romantic person, David would always come up with new ideas for us to do or surprises for me. Once, he decide to do a small “treasure hunt” for me to find the gift for my birthday by giving riddles for me to solve. I was having a hard time and being a pragmatic, I just gave up and got him to give me the gift straight away. On another occasion, he wrote a lovely poem and brought me out for fine dining. I was so enthralled but the previous broken relationship left some shadow of fear in me. Hence, I was not able to make a commitment until 9 months later. David would always termed that time as the 9 months of “pregnancy stage” that he had to go through.
The following year, for his birthday, I decide to reciprocate his creativity by setting a “surprise” celebration for him at Botanic Garden. However, at the end of dinner, he too has a surprise for. He brought out an engagement ring and made his proposal under the stars in Botanic Garden. I was awe struck and the rest is history although there was still one obstacle we had to go through. My mother objected to me dating a non-Chinese and threatened to disown me. However, David took it in his stride and won her over one step at a time. David used to say, “There is no door faith and charm cannot open” and today, my mother likes him so much and would cook “curry” for him each time we go home for dinner.
David continues to surprise me every year of our marriage and I never have a dull day. We will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this March and the romance continues year after year.
