Until My Last Breath: A True Story of Love, Sacrifice, and a Devotion That Wouldn’t Die by Jeffery Opoku - HTML preview
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Chapter Two
My Book of Leaves
Everything began to shift in the latter part of 2023. Her family didn’t live in Accra, but mine did. Around that time, her younger brother gained admission to the University of Ghana, Legon, to begin his bachelor's degree. The challenge was accommodation. It was incredibly hard to find a place for him.
I could tell how restless and anxious she was about it. Then one day, she asked me for a huge favor; one that would go on to change everything. She asked if her brother could temporarily stay with my mom and sister in Accra, so he could commute to school each day while they figured out a more permanent solution.
Honestly, I wasn’t happy with the request. I knew it could complicate things, especially when the two families have that premature connection. But because I loved her deeply and didn’t want her to feel burdened or alone in this, I agreed. I called home, explained the situation to my mom and sister, and they said yes. Of course, they couldn’t
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say no since I was the one supporting the household financially.
So her brother moved in with them and everything was perfect at the beginning.
Concerning my girlfriend or better say fiancée, my mom already knew her by name. I had mentioned her many times, and they’d even spoken on the phone once. But she only knew her as “a friend.” One day, I decided it was time to tell her the truth: I intended to marry this woman.
I expected joy, or at least quiet support. Instead, it felt as though I had delivered the worst news she could imagine. My mother was completely against it. She told me I wasn’t ready for marriage and insisted that I should focus on building my life first before thinking of settling down. I was stunned and deeply hurt.
I couldn’t believe she was saying this to a 29-year-old man who wasn’t doing badly in life. It felt incredibly unfair. Later on, she apologized for those words and said she would support me after all. That apology gave me hope again.
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