It has been thirty-three years since I borrowed a library card
From a shy, handsome, gap-toothed classmate
He came to my university for a degree
He left with his degree and something else
Three years later we walked down the aisle
A simple beautiful ceremony in London
The dress was from Debenhams
The suit was Italian
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With wedding rings from H. Samuel Jewelers
And a lovely red and white cake that cost 90 pounds
The party was supposed to end at 9pm
We gave the Jamaican Venue Manager a pack of beer
He beamed and said we could stay for as long we wanted
Our family and friends in London danced all night
On Monday we were homeless due to no fault of ours
That is a story for another day!
The seasons came and went
Thirty of them and still counting
As the good book says, there was a time for everything
A time to paint and decorate
A time to pack up and leave
A time to agonise
A time to rejoice
A time to dream
A time to plan
A time to talk
A time for silence
A time for friends
A time for enemies
A time for tears
A time for laughter
Through it all there was one thing that defied time or circumstance
It was always A Time for Love
Thank you for all the wonderful years
Thank you for being my friend
Thank you for holding my hand
And for placing yours in mine
Thank you for being such an amazing father
Thank you in advance, for all the great years to come
Thank you for lending me your library card so long ago
Without it, I would not have had such a life of love.
• Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a gender specialist, social entrepreneur and writer. She is the founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She is currently the First Lady of Ekiti State. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com
