Our Story

Question

Love at Second Sight

Answer

TOMIWA - September 19th, 2021, I walked into TRC ATLANTA for the very first time, I was invited to church by my friend, Deji. It was still Covid era, so everyone had nose masks on, me included, except the person teaching Sunday school in the front, Femi. His face was instantly familiar, and I told my friend Toyosi who sat next to me, that I knew the person taking Sunday school, but that I couldn’t remember where I knew him from. FEMI - After church ended on this fateful Sunday, a group of youth gathered at the parking lot exchanging pleasantries and taking pictures. Tomiwa motioned at me, saying that she knew me, as my face looked familiar. I asked if she could take off her mask, and indeed, the feeling of familiarity was mutual! After spending a few moments listing off potential educational and religious institutes where we could have known each other, we eventually figured out that we both attended the same Secondary (or high) school, Command Day Secondary School, CDSS, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. For six of our tween-to-teen years, we attended the same school, same grades, same assembly ground, without having so much as a conversation. Ten years and 9,500 kilometers away from our high school valedictory service, we run into each other again! Nostalgia, they say, is a very powerful drug. It wasn't long before we became close friends, rooted in the premise of a connecting story, a shared history, and mutual communities. We hung out as part of a large friend group almost on a weekly basis, and sometimes twice a week. We spent time on the phone reminiscing about the past and bonding over the trials of diaspora and academia. After a few months of friendship, I realized I would very much prefer it if this blossoming friendship became something more... The rest, as they say, is the history that we have all gathered today to commemorate. Thank you for taking the time to read up on our journey, and for joining us on this memorable day in our love story!!