Thursday Thirteen #25

I was going to use this picture for yesterday's Wordless Wednesday - but it has such a great story behind it I couldn't leave it wordless!

This picture was taken in 2004 when I was in Nigeria living with my grandparents, who are missionaries there. My uncle, aunt and four cousins all live right next door. My grandparents live in the middle of no where. It takes an hour to drive to the post office and a small market place. It takes three hours to drive to drive to a semi-decent market place. This semi-decent market place is where the story takes place.

My cousin and I were at the market place and this Nigerian man in his early twenties approached us. It didn't take long to realize that in his eyes him and I equaled happily ever after. He actually said these things to me:

"Look! You are wearing flip flops and so am I! What a coincidence!"
"You are wearing green, and so am I! What a coincidence!"
"You are drinking Coke and I am too! What a coincidence!"
"You have dark hair and so do I! What a coincidence!"

All of these 'coincidences' were signs to him that him and I were meant to be together, and it was so obvious that he had a massive crush on me. Or, ok, maybe a strong passion to get to Canada, but I prefer to think he liked me for *me.*

All of these coincidences happened within a matter of minutes of cousin and me meeting him, and when he finally paused and asked me about myself my cousin piped up and told him I was a country music star from Canada and was in Nigeria for a vacation.

He asked for my name and when I told him Jessica Crowe (my maiden name) he says "Ah yes, I think I have heard of you! I am so pleased to meet you!" And then became all the more convinced we were meant to be as he owned a music store and I was supposedly a singer - how much clearer could it get??

He asked me to sing, but we told him I was under strict orders to rest my voice. He asked me to send him my cd, and I said I'd do the best I could.

I left the market that day thinking I would never see or hear from him again. I was so wrong.

The next trip to the market place I stayed at home, and just my cousin went. She came home bearing gifts for me from Mr. Coincidence. He'd sent a book on some country music singer, a belt buckle that said "Country Music" on it and his photo albums. I think there were four or five of them. (And he'd requested I send the albums back to him next time someone went to the market.)

That is when I got the idea to take the above picture of myself to send to him! I got all dressed up (because trust me, I don't normally dress this way!) and my cousin took some pictures for me. I got them printed and the next time my cousin went to the market I sent along an autographed picture of myself.

Conceited? Maybe. Coincidental? I think not.

Today is Thursday Thirteen, and mine is Thirteen Reasons Why Mr. Coincidence and I Would Never Have Worked Out.

1. I lied to him. That is no way to start a relationship.
2. If I did try to keep up the facade that I was a singer eventually I'd be caught - I can not sing.
3. I don't think I could convince him that Canada liked really off tune and shaky voiced country singers!
4. I am not sure if he would ever get over the shock that I'm not truly a singer.
   
5. And even if he did, his initial attraction was driven by a desire to get to Canada, not based on the fact that he loved me.
6. I couldn't pronounce his first name.
7. I can't cook Nigerian food, and I am not too fond of the hot and spicy food they eat!
   
8. His photo album was full of pictures of him with other women - I could never be with a man that had a history of dating tons of women.
9. I really wasn't interested in him.
10. In the slightest bit.
11. Because I was already interested in Paul.
12. As nice as this man was Paul was much, much nicer =)
13. And to this day I know Paul was a much, much better pick. :)

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