I haven't written in a while, but I feel that I am completely justified in documenting my recent experience of returning the promise to marry someone I love, and who loves me.
Without writing this, I can imagine myself forgetting all the details. What I did that morning, what I wore that night, or ordered at dinner, what he and I talked over appetisers and wine, what he said and how he knelt.
Though seemingly inconsequential all these other little things are, his proposal made every bit of that day memorable. It quite literally was the best day of my life so far - that he would ask to marry me; is the biggest commitment anyone has ever made to me. I will cherish the memory forever.
That Sunday morning, August the 4th, we slept in like we do every sunday. I always wake earlier because he works overnight at the family business. That day, however, my sleep was broken by a call from my mother. She didn't usually call early but our conversations are so sporadic, varying from 1am past midnight to 7am in the morning, I didn't give the call a second thought.
"How are you? What are you doing today? Do you have muffins to give me?"
It seemed like normal conversation. I told her, no, I had no muffins from work to bring to her house, and that Woong had booked us a nice dinner that evening, at the Bather's Pavillion at Balmoral Beach. It was a short conversation, but loud enough to wake up Woong.
"Omg babe, go outside if you have to talk"
"No, it's warm in bed, haha"
The banter continued until he suggested that we finally go out and buy that espresso machine we'd been eyeing for the past 4 weeks. It was the start of a good day for me. I actually really wanted that cute silver thing in my kitchen.
We shopped around at the Super Centre, checking out the home appliances, flat screens and white goods. Woong eagerly approached the fridges section to show me his idea of a 'beast fridge'. It reminded me of us going to Masterton Homes to check out the houses we would like to live in. He always made thoughts like these welcome.
We purchased the machine and all the other accessories. Upon returning home, I excitedly unpacked everything and left Woong downstairs because he needed to clean his car. I spent a good 2 hours playing with the machine and the grinder to figure out its settings. By this time, Woong had left to visit his friend Julian who lives nearby - as he usually does to play games. Woong put on a suit and tie. I still didn't suspect anything.
We had discussed that I would be ready to be picked up at 6:15, as dinner was booked for 6:30. I chose a body fitting navy lace dress with a satin underlay, something I bought on impulse online, and hoped there was an occasion for. I knew it was a fancy location so I tried to look the part - even though I ran out of time to do my hair. After managing to tame it, and pin it down, I ran out the door.
We drove the 5 minutes down the road to the beach, and the restaurant. We were seated immediately, by the window with the closest view of the water and the sand. We ordered wine and appetisers, and as usual, I took pictures of just about everything. Including him.
Then our food was delivered to our table. It was all so gorgeous and flavoursome. I honestly didn't know how to say half the words on the menu, but they really tasted and looked amazing. He ordered the grilled kingfish, and I ordered the duck magret. We tasted each other's dishes and joked the whole time about random topics, rich people, upper class snobbery with a twist, british accents, winning the lotto and having these meals whenever we wanted. It was all good until he started checking his watch.
"Wow, is that the time already? I didn't realise it going so fast..."
He ate his food faster, drank all of the wine in his glass. I didn't change my pace.
"Don't worry babe" he tells me. "I'm just a fast eater, I like getting through my meal"
I tell him that I'd like to take my time as it was so rare for us to be in such a nice place. I wanted to savour the food and the atmosphere. But he was firm in his encouragement. We paid the bill and I found myself outside in the cold, with the breeze filtering through my coat.
Standing there, I wondered why he would want to rush out of the restaurant at 8:15pm when we had not much else planned for the rest of the evening. He insisted that we take a walk - I confessed how cold I felt; I wanted nothing more than to get into the car.
Then I saw it - the white Gazebo. Decorated with colourful balloons about 20 meters away.
"Wow! look at that" I said. "Someone must have had a party this afternoon and forgot to take it down". I genuinely believed what I said at the time.
"Let's check it out" - he took my hand and we walked to the white gazebo. On closer inspection I realised that it was also covered in fairy lights.
Standing in the middle of the gazebo, staring into my eyes, and I'm wondering why. He shifts uneasily and looks around.
Out of the dark, I see a familiar face. One of our friends who studied cinematography, holding his digital camera, walking around Woong and I as we hold hands. I awkwardly look into the camera, completely confused.
Another familiar face appears from the dark, this time with a guitar. I hear the music, look around at the fairy lights, balloons and the camera... and my mind starts ticking.
My breath becomes shallow and fast - Woong begins to speak. The most lovely words. Words I can't remember because of the shock of what was happening. I was beginning to piece it together. Everything he said, the decorations and his friends - it told me he had planned this for a while, and that something very important was about to be said...
He got down on one knee, opened a little blue Tiffany box and asked me to marry him.
I felt as though I was screaming out the word "Yes!" but he told me later that it was so quiet and muffled because I had already started to cry.
YES! and the ring was on my finger. My girlfriends appeared. Anukesh opened a bottle of pink bubbly and poured out glasses. We toasted, all smiles and laughter, photos and happiness. For hours afterwards I remained a mixture of dizziness, happiness and excitement. It was everything I wanted, he gave me everything I imagined.
Our friends returned to our apartment, where we talked and had dinner. I even made coffee on our new machine.
I quite literally won't ever forget that night. And writing it like this will ensure I never do :)
