We met when I was six. 

I had envied my older sisters clutching fancy wrapping paper to their chests on Valentines, oohing and ahhing as they exchanged stories of Stephens and Pauls and maybe Damilares? I knew I didn’t like their kind of romance. 

It either ended too quickly or the present Paul had hidden a hundred crimson red flags behind his bravado, his money or even his handsome face.

I would tell all my best friends that mine would be different, that I wouldn’t have a Paul or Stephen or even Jerry. I wanted a Nonso or Emeka, honest, patient, slow to anger, kind and very intentional about me. I fantasised about a big wedding, a white dress, family cook outs and five children don’t judge me.

One Tuesday night, I had to sleep alone for the first time ever. The talons of the pitch blackness piercing through my blanket and the humid weather drew out gallons of sweat from my tiny frame, I was drenched.

 Mommy had asked me to be a big girl. “At six years old, you should be able to sleep alone don’t you think? After all you’ll have a room to yourself soon. Be excited Nwadiuto”.

I wrestled with fear, maybe not wrestle because I laid there letting it torment me. My mind travelling from the events of the morning to afternoon to evenings to nights when all my  older sisters were home. Like a trance I was plunged into memories of Sunday evening Bible club’s where Mrs Kasiobi, would insists that we sing Bible verses as surprisingly beautiful songs. 

I started to whisper one of them, it was my favorite one yet.

God has not given us the spirit of fear

God has not given us the spirit of fear

He has given unto us

The spirit of love, of love!

The spirit of power and of sound mind!

That’s when I met Him. He told me that He liked the sound of my voice and that if I closed my eyes any harder my eyes would pop out. He was funny. 

I was able to sleep that night and many nights after, not alone but because my own Prince Charming would listen to me ramble about my day and sing all the Bible verse songs, all of them!