The Valentine Gift That Became My Forever Memory

Whenever I think of Valentine’s Day, I’m transported back to my senior high school days and the very first Valentine’s Day I ever experienced.

As a first-year student, I was innocent and carefree. I had heard of love and knew about sex, but Valentine’s Day was completely foreign to me. In my small village in the Volta region, it simply didn’t exist. No one talked about it, and no one celebrated it. Every February 14th was just another day for farming or going to the market.

On my first day at school, I met a senior who was clearly smitten with me but struggled to express it. Instead, he tried to make his feelings known through his actions. A day or two before Valentine’s Day, he asked me, “Would you like to spend Valentine’s Day with me?”

I stood there, staring at him as if he were speaking a different language. He repeated, “Would you have Valentine with me?” Looking at his expression, I mistakenly thought “Valentine” was just another term for sex, so I replied, “No, I’m too young for that. My mom advised me against it.”

He smiled teasingly. 

“Did your mom say you shouldn’t ‘chop’ Valentine?”

“Yeah, she said I could get pregnant and have to drop out of school if I let myself be used for Valentine.”

He understood my confusion and burst into laughter. I was puzzled, so I asked, “Isn’t Valentine about sex?” He replied, “Not at all.” He patiently explained everything to me, and I felt embarrassed by my ignorance. But he didn’t give up on me.

On Valentine’s Day, he surprised me with a gift bag. When I got back to my dormitory and opened it, I found a pair of red socks, a musical card, and a can of Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies.

The card read, “I loved you the very first day I saw you, and it’s wonderful to have you as my Valentine. I love you forever, and I hope you feel the same.”

I read the message repeatedly, and each time it brought a smile to my face. Although my mom had advised me against having a boyfriend, from that day forward, I had one.

We believed our love would last forever. Yet today, the only remnant of that love is the can of cookies he gave me, which I now use to store my jewelry. I look at it and remind myself, “You and I are forever.” 

Elikplim