I Fell in Love with a Muslim Man
Slipped into love.
Unplanned and like a shock to the heart, I fell in love with a Muslim man. Mesmerizing and captivating, he was the strong and silent type, a man of very little words but my heart skipped a beat the first time I heard his voice. Not my usual, clean cut baby face type. Bearded and slim, yet muscular, tall and strong, at that moment, he was just my type. Exactly my type, I needed him so badly, he was everything I ever needed all rolled into this beautiful chocolate figure of a man. My black king, my imperfect yet perfect guy.
It was 1pm, hot day in Ghana. I rushed to pack my stuff for my first day working outside my home in Accra. I had asked the reception in my apartment complex to get me a driver to take me to work that day. It was my first week back in Accra. I had spent 7 months seeing my friends and family in London and Florida. I waited outside my apartment patiently and eventually a blue car pulled into the complex. The driver, bearded, serious looking, kind of stern with perfectly rounded shoulders. He mentioned my name with the deepest, smoothest voice. The rumble of his voice took my breath away.
With sweaty palms and a pounding heart, I sat in the car. The journey was awkward and silent. I usually talk non stop during car journeys but for some reason, I struggled to utter a single word. It was only when I arrived at my destination did I gather the courage to ask him for his number just in case I needed him to come and pick me up. I knew from his name that he was Muslim and I felt some slight concerns because although I had been thinking about converting to Islam at some point, I knew that it might be very difficult for us to be in a relationship.
My first day at work was a blur, I struggled to get the tall, bearded man out of my head. It was literally love at first sight.
At 6pm, he arrived to take me home. Again, silence, just a few words uttered.
That evening, I slept at midnight. I was up drowning in thoughts of the tall bearded man. Did he feel it too ?
A few weeks had passed, conversation between myself and the bearded man became more intense. He was painfully shy, endearing and so gentle. I loved every second of time spent with him. It felt like a movie scene every second I sat with him in the car. We began chatting on WhatsApp, voice notes and texts, it was blossoming into a gentle, simple, soothing romance. No kissing, no touching, just heartfelt conversation and adoring stares. He loved me before he confessed it, I loved him from the start.
It was 10 am, July, a Tuesday. We met to go for a milkshake in town. He told me that because of his religion, he would need to speak to his mother to let her know that he has found a woman that he wants to marry. He also said that she might not accept me because I am not a Muslim. We had already spoken about the possibility of me converting to Islam but I was yet to take that step. We parted ways feeling dejected and apprehensive about the future.
That night, I cried myself to sleep. Fearful and anxious worried about what might happen. The thought of parting ways due to religion just terrified me. I felt sick to my stomach, I needed him, he needed me.
A few weeks later, he came to see me at my apartment. When I opened the door, it felt like it was over. The look on his face, cold stare. Eyes lonely like liquid moons, I just knew what was coming. We sat down, the whole thing was a blur. He told me that after speaking to his mother, there is no way that he can be with me any more. My heart just sank, my soul, crushed. A cold and dark emptiness just engulfed me. Why? Why does religion have to separate us?
I cried and cried and wept and wept. The days passed by and the nights just merged into one. We spoke on the phone a few times and then one evening, he turned up at my apartment and we both decided that being apart was simply not an option. I decided to convert but I knew that wouldn’t change his mother’s mind.
A few months later, we got married in a secret location and we are living happily in the knowledge that we let love win.
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