Losing my job was a blessing in disguise

BRIDE: Irene Nzioka

GROOM: Paul Mumina

DATE: May 7, 2016

GUESTS: 350

VENUE: St Nicholas Senior School

BUDGET: 736,000

FIRST DATE

Irene: The first time I met Paul, he had come visiting my cousin who owns a textile shop in Nairobi. My cousin introduced us but that was all there was to it. The second time he came visiting I found him at my cousin’s shop. When I saw him, I could not for the life of me remember what I wanted to ask.

Paul: I asked her cousin to give me her number, but she insisted that she had to ask Irene if she was okay with that.

Irene: I am not one to just dish out my number, so in as much as I was smitten, I waited out an entire month before I allowed my cousin to give out the number. Immediately he got it, we started chatting and it was all we did since I was working in Nairobi and him in Meru.

Our first date was a much anticipated affair and well planned out. On April, 11 2015 Paul came to pick me from work and brought with him some shopping and a bouquet of fresh flowers. That first impression blew my mind, plus he was dressed sharply in a grey suit.

 We then headed for dinner at a three star hotel. On sitting, he took my hand and said a prayer. It was sweet and sincere and it looked so beautiful on him. As our relationship proceeded. My mother fell ill and I informed him that she needed blood donation. He did not think twice about it. That was my little sign that he was the one. We made our relationship official then.

THE PROPOSAL

Irene: In January this year, on a Sunday evening, we went out for coffee. To me, it looked like just any of our ordinary late night weekend dates and I could not possibly expect him to pop in the question in midst of our  conversation. In the midst of our conversation he stood up for some noticeable seconds and then went on his knee.

 For a moment, I thought he was picking something from the floor or tying his shoe laces. It was then that he took his hand into his pocket and drew a beautiful ring, looked me straight in the eye and asked; ‘will you marry me?’

Everything as a blur for a while before I said yes. To date there is no time that passes when I narrate or recall that day that I do not struggle to hold back tears.

THE DRAMA

Paul: In October 2015, six months prior to our wedding, I lost my job, and within the same period Irene’s mother fell sick and was hospitalized. This was a big setback for us, as so many of our plans had to come to a stop. We even had to postpone our wedding date from March to May, so that we would have enough time to be there with our mother and to give time for me to secure a job.

At this particular time our friendship was put to test and at the brighter side of this, it was a great season for us to get to know each other better , get to know each other’s families and get to introduce to each other’s circles from both at workplace and at church. In February 2016, I was offered a job at a UK Based company and now relocated to Nairobi; a blessing in disguise. By then Irene’s mother had recovered.

Irene: It had been raining the entire night prior to our wedding day, and I was worried how our day would turn out given that it was a garden wedding. You would not believe my relieve when we woke up to clear skies and a warm day. But come evening the flood gates of heaven opened, but that did not stop us from hitting the dance floor.

WITH HINDSIGHT

Irene: It is important to focus on love, since many things among them untold pressure and attention will come to distract you from it.

Focus and refocus on you and your spouse’s happiness when planning the wedding. Put his interest first, its so hard for a happy man to say no.