Sunny was a wealthy, good looking business mogul in his late thirties. But he was also a player. His was a life of advantages, or so he thought. His status meant he could pay his way into the beds of different respectable ladies every other night. Sunny knew his onions pretty well – he was well educated, and apart from his business savvy nature, wooing women came second on the list. He was a true master in the art of seduction, and it was no wonder that he always had his way.
Trouble started when Sunny decided it was time to get married. He had always admired Oluchi, a smart, easy going entrepreneur he had met years ago on one of his business trips to South Africa. From the word ‘go’, Sunny needed no soothsayer to tell him that Oluchi wasn’t interested in him (at least not in a romantic way). He did everything he could to get her attention. He would make sure to appear in all her official functions without creating the impression of being a stalker. He bought and sent her numerous expensive gifts, which got returned each time with a carefully penned note of polite rejection. He then began awarding contracts to her company. He arranged the contracts in such a way that he always got to spend hours with her discussing different business perspectives.
Finally, having known Oluchi for about a year, Sunny decided to hit the home run. He invited all his friends to a grand dinner which doubled as an unveiling platform for one of his major business brands. He made sure Oluchi’s company played a key role in the events leading to the unveiling. When it was time to announce the name of the new business and its partners, Sunny walked up to the stage, his blazers taking on a golden hue under the bright rays of the dim chandeliers on the podium. He straightened his tie, adjusted the mic on his collar and smiled at everyone. Then he reached inside his left suit pocket, brought out a tiny box and went down on one knee. While everyone stood flabbergasted, he said the five most unexpected words, “Oluchi, will you marry me?”
Oluchi had been busy with numerous logistics behind the scene. She had been in the middle of sending one of her employees on an errand when she heard her name. She turned towards the podium. She stopped in her tracks and looked round the large hall. There was no other Oluchi walking to the podium. Was the proposal for her then? At this time, about a thousand eyes looked at her expectantly, many of them unable to conceal their envy. Anger rushed to Oluchi’s cheeks in a mighty wave when Sunny repeated the proposal. She walked calmly to the stage, knelt beside Sunny, looked into his eyes and whispered into his ears, “No Sunny. I will never marry you. You’re not my type. And if you really thought that this public proposal would make me change my mind, think again. Now explain to them what I just said.” Oluchi got up, smiled happily at the crowd, descended from the podium and went back to her corner behind the scenes…
The story above actually happened (only inside my head though). However, I’ve always toyed with the idea that public proposals might be a safe way to get a lady to say yes when she has continually said no in private. What do you think? Do some guys propose in public so that ladies won’t get a chance to turn them down? Do ladies truly prefer public marriage proposals? Have you seen anyone whose public proposal got turned down? I’m interested in your answers…
-Rev. Fr. Oselumhense K. Anetor
