We Were Both Broke But We Won Valentine’s Day

A few years ago, I was in a relationship with this amazing guy called Jimmy. I was in the university at the time. I was a broke student with no money yet when Val’s day arrived, I wanted to do something special for him. Yes, I understood that we had three hundred and sixty-five days in a year to celebrate love but it didn’t mean we should let the special day set aside to honor all things love pass like a normal day.

With the little money I had, I bought him a customized bracelet. I wanted to do more for him so I went online to look at Valentine’s Day packages. I saw one package that cost GHC50. It included six cupcakes in a nice box and a flower.

I was so giddy with excitement when I saw that a package like that was within my budget. Valentine’s Day that year fell on a Friday so we planned to spend the weekend together. I woke up that Friday, used some ingredients from my locker, and whipped up some sausage jollof rice. It was his favorite meal so I knew he would like it. When I stepped out of my hostel, I bought our favorite drink, Tampico.

I did not have the money to show a grand romantic gesture but I knew that the little things I put together would be more than enough for him. That was how great a lover Jimmy was. It did not take too much to make him happy. No matter how insignificant a gesture may seem, he would welcome it and say, “It is the thought that counts.” I have come to believe that you don’t take the world too seriously when you are intoxicated with love. You just float through life dusting off happiness from the everyday things around you. That was how Jimmy and loved each other.

I added a bar of chocolate to my package and set off to go see my man. I got there around 5 pm and he was very happy to see me. When I gave him his stuff, he got all emotional. He was almost teary when he said, “No one has ever gotten me anything for Val’s Day before, but you’ve done it although you don’t have money. I am even embarrassed that I didn’t get you anything.” I was happy. Why wouldn’t I be? I had done something to make my man happy.

He had this uncompleted storey building in front of his house. We took out one of his mother’s old carpets, set it on the floor in the uncompleted building, and set up the things I brought as though we were on a picnic.

That night we were full of smiles and laughter as we wined and dined. After eating, we were in each other’s arms gazing into the not-so-starry sky. The cool breeze blanketed us as we made plans for our future. We even talked about all the fun ways we would celebrate Valentine’s Day the next year. “Next year by this time I would have gotten a job,” he said, “You will see the way I will spoil you.”

I smiled and sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the universe for the gift of love and for a wonderful man like him. The night was enjoyable, not necessarily because of the lovemaking session we had after the picnic but because of how magical the events that transpired between us felt.

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We broke up a few years later and it was a mess. I have moved past it now but when I saw people sharing their Val’s Day experience, I searched my heart and found that even though things didn’t end well with Jimmy, I still had beautiful memories of our time together.

That Valentine’s Day celebration in the uncompleted building with him was my best one ever. The future did not turn out the way we planned it but I am grateful I got to experience something as beautiful as that. I believe people are always going to walk in and out of our lives. What matters most are the good memories they give us. The kind that fills our cheeks with smiles whenever we remember them. At least, Jimmy gave me that.

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This year, I don’t have any big romantic plans to celebrate the day of love. I chanced on Johnny Drille’s song “Just Single” and thought out loud, “This song is stuck with me this Valentine’s Day.” I am going to be spending the day alone but I will be happy.

Tomorrow is a Wednesday. I will go to work and then when I close, I will buy a plate of assorted noodles from my favorite seller down the street and devour it as I watch a movie on Netflix. When I am done, I will talk to one gentleman who is gradually becoming a special person. Who knows, maybe if it all goes well, I will be ordering a full cake and doing more cooking next year’s Valentine’s Day.

#MyValsDayStory

—Amakyewaa

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