Noelle was a nervous wreck. “Passport? Check. Covid test results? Check. Mask, shield and antibacterial wipes? Check. Check. Check.” Noelle said aloud as she did one last look over before packing into her dad’s car and heading to the airport. The only thing she was missing…a gown for the wedding. When asking Kofi for advice on what to wear, or more importantly, what not to wear, he casually replied, “Anything other than the color black.” “That’s easy,” she thought. She reached out to a friend to help pull a look together. A beautiful bright orange, one shoulder gown was ordered and arrived in ample time. The issue was that after Kofi told his friend’s about the gown Noelle chose, they promptly showed him the invitation; the one he never bothered to look at given he was a groomsman in the wedding. He sent the screenshot to Noelle which read Dress code: white with accents of gold and green. Noelle was devastated. 

“Still wear the gown. You look really nice in it and the color really suits you,” Kofi tried to reassure her. “Absolutely not!” Noelle pushed back. “I will not be the American girl standing out at a Ghanaian wedding because she was dressed inappropriately.” With two days left until her flight, she searched online sites that offered expedited shipping. “Look at this dress!” Noelle texted Kofi the link. “I could’ve ordered this in white when I saw it two weeks ago. It’s available in my size and deeply discounted,” Noelle said in frustration. She loved a good deal and this was a great one. “But of course, it won’t arrive in time.” She settled on a gown from Amazon that she knew would be ill-fitting, but at least they honored two-day shipping. As luck would have it, the dress was delivered to her home 20 minutes after she left for the airport.

——-

The experience of arriving in Accra this time was completely different. Her flight was fairly empty, giving her the entire row to stretch out during her 10-hour flight. Instead of the buzz of travelers that met her as she exited the jet bridge, she was welcomed by staff ensuring all passengers  had proper documentation before taking a doctor-administered Covid test and heading to Customs. While connected to the airport WiFi, she quickly texted Kofi, alerting him of her arrival. After retrieving her bag, which came almost immediately, and receiving her negative Covid results, Noelle made her way towards the exit and into the sweltering heat. Now this felt familiar.

She searched for Kofi in the sea of family, friends and taxi drivers waiting outside. There he was, exactly as she remembered him. He smiled when he noticed her walking towards him and they embraced tightly like old friends. “You made it! Finally!” he said cheerfully. “How was your flight?” he asked as they walked towards the car. “Long,” Noelle replied. “I’m sure  you’re hungry, I have some snacks in the car to hold you over until we can get you something real to eat.” Kofi was already speaking Noelle’s love language and she was grateful. After putting her luggage in the trunk, Kofi turned to her and went in for a welcome kiss. “Awkwaaaard,” she thought in her head. She hadn’t quite pictured this moment, but if she had, it wouldn’t have been like this. “Shake it off, girl!!” she said to herself in a quick attempt not to overanalyze. “You’ll be here for 10 days. It’s fine.” And it was, indeed, better than fine.

——-

Noelle and Kofi couldn’t believe how naturally they were hitting it off. The same comfort and chemistry they had on that first rooftop date 10 months prior was back and in full effect. While Kofi was still working remotely during her stay, he planned a two-night stay at a resort in Pram Pram, drinks back at Bloom Bar where they first met, and a day trip to the country to visit his rubber tree farm. Noelle had no idea rubber came from trees, but she was astonished to see it slowly drip down the tapped bark and into small collection pots. As promised, Kofi was showing Noelle another side of Ghana; less clubs and fancy restaurants, more authentic living. She loved all of it. The only issue was she still didn’t have a gown for the approaching wedding. Everytime she suggested a mall run or a visit to a boutique, Kofi would find a reason to put it off for another day. She was starting to think he was having cold feet about taking her to his best friend’s wedding. 

When Kofi told her about a pre-wedding dinner for the groom, Noelle took the opportunity to stay back at the house and catch up on rest. She awoke around 1:30 am, which was 9:30 pm on the East Coast, and decided it was a good time to share a video message to her girlfriend group chat, filling them in about the trip. After seeing the notification that Noelle was live, Cicely, Janai and Naimah hopped on the app to chat as well. Noelle missed her girlfriends and was grateful they could connect.As they were sharing video messages back and forth, Kofi and two friends, Rashad and Olu, returned to the house. All three of them wore sly grins on their faces. “They’re so drunk,” Noelle laughed to herself. That’s when Kofi handed her a package. Confused, Noelle pulled out the contents of the package and her jaw dropped. Inside was the white gown she’d shared with Kofi a few days before the trip. The deeply discounted, just-her-size gown was there, in her hands, ready to be worn to the wedding in just two days. Noelle blushed. Not only was she relieved, she was speechless. 

——-

As they brushed their teeth together before bed, Noelle couldn’t help but catch Kofi stare at her in the mirror. “What?” she asked. He responded with a smile. “You are drunk! Let’s go to sleep,” she said while heading towards the door to the bedroom. Kofi caught her hand and she turned around to meet him face to face. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “Me too,” she replied. “No, I’m glad you’re still here…because you extended your trip,’ he clarified. Kofi, did his best to sober up before delivering a long-winded soliloquy about how much fun he was having with her, how glad he was for approaching her at Bloom Bar on New Year’s Eve, how clearly he saw her future success and how, after having more time with her, he loved her.

Noelle stepped back amused. It was now close to 4 am GMT. Something about him beautifully affirming her while also intoxicated gave her pause. She gave him a speculative smile and responded, “That’s dope,” before leaving the bathroom and climbing into bed. 

Song: Is This Love x Bob Marley