I first met my husband 10 years ago, on January 9, 2008 to be exact. While I cannot remember the entire conversation we had on that day (mostly trivial exchanges like where we studied and what major we were taking), I remember he asked my name at the end of the conversation; nothing unlike any other exchanges I had with people I newly encountered at church.
A few weeks later however, after one youth session, I got locked in the ladies’ restroom. The door’s knob decided to go out of order just after the last lady had left and there I was, violently turning the knob while imagining the worst and panicking for what if no one even realized I was locked in the restroom. (At this point you might think that my now-husband came to my rescue like a knight in the shining armor, but no he did not.)
Before I started shouting for help, another lady came to use the restroom and upon finding the door locked, she said, “Hello! Why do you lock the door? Open up please!” Thankfully, I replied, “Hello! I got locked in here, please help me out!”
The security guard was called and one of the brothers eventually broke the door open by force and saved me! Nope, that brother was not my now-husband either. In fact, while others went to join the hoohah, he was eating his dinner at the youth-receptionist table, just 10 meters away from said restroom.
Now that I was back to the youth group, everyone was asking whether I was alright, and was saying that it was a glad thing someone found me and got me out. But there was this one guy who, half way into his dinner, asked,
“Didn’t you have your phone with you?”
“I left it in my bag.”
“And where was your bag? You left it on the chair here in this room.”
“You know, it’s inconvenient for girls to bring their phones around with them all the time lah.” Thanks to one of the sisters who came to my defense.
“I know, the problem with girls and their phones.”
The problem with girls and their phones! In my entire life, there had been only two men who had ever talked to me in that manner over my not keeping my phone with me. The first was my father, this guy was the second. Both were known for their unfriendly faces and no-nonsense style of speech.
I was quite dumbfounded that a man could actually talk like that to a girl he barely knew. “Very well,” I thought to myself, “Tough guy huh? I’d very much like to see what will become of him when he gets smitten with a girl – if a man like he would ever be, that is.”
And the rest is history.
Six years into our marriage and I still leave my phone out sometimes, and he is still the man who makes sure I have my phone in my bag AND my bag with me all the time. He doesn’t pull that stunt in the photo anymore though, it’s not friendly to his back. … fine, I do gain some weight, but mainly because it’s just not too good for anyone’s back.
Truly I thank God for the past 10 years of knowing each other, 6 of which as husband and wife. To have a beloved to share those years with is a good gift, and “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
May the gracious Lord grant us many more years together. ❤
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