Where to start... Well, if you look to the previous post, you'll notice that I've been excited for awhile about our future, especially for this summer.
We've been talking about marriage, timing, and plans because we know that he's starting at his dream school, SCAD University in the fall. I started to notice something "fishy" about the way he was acting this past Wednesday afternoon/evening. I complained the other day (not really) that he never just plans a date...don't get me wrong, we go out all the time and we hang out a lot, but I complained that he never just planned out a whole night before... So, when he told me he wanted to take me to Yokozuna's downtown on Friday, I just thought he was trying to be a planner. I told him we didn't have to go out, since we're saving for Jersey in the summer and all his school needs for e-learning this fall. He said he wanted one last hurrah, so I agreed. However, he changed the time to go out to dinner a couple of times and spent a lot of time with D'mitri (his brother and my next-door neighbor), so I started thinking something was up.
He then started making sure that I was going to "dress up" for our date...so I just let my imagination run wild. I told a friend at work on Thursday that I thought he was going to propose...on Thursday night, I texted my friend Jessica, that I've known since the 8th grade to tell her my "secret" that he was going to propose...all the while just going off of my intuition.
I woke up on Friday morning, and even felt my left ring finger and said to myself, "You're going to get a ring tonight." I thought about it all day at school and knew my students were going to make the hugest deal out of it next Monday when I showed up with a rock on my finger...
I came back to my apartment after school and was feeling blah because I had forgotten to do something important the previous week (cryptic, I know). Tony came over around 5pm-ish and we just hung out until around 8pm when we got ready to go.
When we arrived at Yokozuna's. I realized there was no one there waiting for us. I realized he had no big object in his jean pocket (like a ring box). There was even a waiting list to be sat, which we'd never experienced before at Yokozuna's. Suddenly, all my imaginings and texts and conversations at work made me feel foolish. I felt like Pam on The Office that night at the end of season four, when Jim intends to propose and the Good-bye, Toby Party, but then Andy steals his thunder and surprisingly proposes to Angela and all of Pam's hopes were dashed. She teared up at the end of the episode because she'd seen the fireworks and thought Jim would propose, but he didn't. I felt like an idiot. So, I told him...
That's right, as we waited to be sat, I told Tony that I had thought he was going to propose that night. I thought everyone would be here at Yokozuna's waiting for us, that he'd have brought his camera, that he's planned something big... I told him I felt like a fool. I told him I was disappointed. Obviously, he could see that I was crushed. He laughed a little and thought it was funny I'd thought that. He did his best to just cheer me up, since I looked so devastated. We were quickly sat at our "usual" table, since that's where they usually sit us (clever, I know). He ordered the General Tso Beef and I ordered the Thai fish tacos with Tempura battered sweet potato fries. We then got two rolls of sushi, a spicy tuna roll and a Rising Sun roll (which I highly recommend). He used my cell to call D'mitri claiming that he didn't think he locked my apartment door when we left. I thought that was ridiculous, but was so sad that I was wrong, I kept telling myself he's just acting weird on purpose now to tease me.
We waited a while for the food because the were so busy. Finally we ate and Tony was pretty insistent about getting a dessert, which we never do at restaurants. When the dessert took so long to come out, we cancelled the order and left. He decided to run by his mom's house to check something, which I thought was weird, but I'd just been crushed yet had a nice dinner, so I just wanted to go back to my place and hang out. Then he made a weird turn and wanted to go to a park we'd gone to a long time ago when we were first dating. At that point, I had built myself up for over 48 hours that I was going to get engaged that night, only to be terribly disappointed. I didn't want to get my hopes up again. I didn't even ask any questions...I just let him drive wherever.
Then he parked and told me to get out, that we should go on the swings. It was pretty chilly last night, so I almost didn't do it. We get out and walk toward the swings. Then he started acting really weird...saying weird stuff...and I could've sworn I heard whispers in the dark in the trees. So, he started trying to do his rap that I know he used to do when he was in high school...something about getting all the ladies... He was "rapping" really loudly...then I hear music--"Moon River" by Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's that we'd just listened to the other night. I see tons of people coming out of the trees with signs, pictures, and red flares. I see a big boombox, lol, which is obviously where the music is coming from. I have on my glasses, but believe me when I tell you, I didn't know who a lot of the people were; I have terrible eye sight. When everyone got close enough, I saw each sign had a different word, "Will" "You" "Marry" "Me?"
The "Me?" sign is my favorite, because it's Tony as a little boy and he's adorable. I think when you see this picture up close, you will believe like I do that Tony was the kind of kid that when you called his name to come here he was probably just about to touch/do something crazy or had to pull his hands out of something crazy (i.e. mud, a bowl of sauce, cookie dough someone had to leave on the counter, etc.) He then repeated something beautiful he'd said in the car on the way there. He said having me in his life was his "earth," that it's what he lived on. He said he wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.
He then retrieved the beautiful ring from his niece, Ariel, and got down on one knee. When he opened the box, it lit up. How fancy :) Before he even got on his knees, I was AUDIBLY crying. He cried while he proposed, that was enough for me. I know we've been committed to each other in our hearts at this level for awhile now, so it was beautiful to bring what's been in our hearts into the real world.
Everyone then came close enough for me to recognize them.
Thank you, Josh and LaKisha Clemmons, Johnisha Stanton, Merlyn Oommen, Bryant Hamilton, Pastor Mike and Miss Ramona, Joya and Archie Cleveland (and Tre). Thank you to my new family, Tameisha Walker, D'mitri Willis, Mandy Merrell, Robert Walker, and Ariel Sanchez.
Also, a special shout out to James Sims on the video camera and Yolanda Easily on the Cannon Rebel :)
I could barely see the ring in the dark, but I could feel that it was solid and I knew I'd love it. Tony paid cold, hard cash. Once he got accepted to SCAD, his priority turned toward school, so he spent his tax return and money that would've gone to a new Cannon 5D Mark II on the ring...no financing for my Fi-Ancy :)
We're so happy. We've been together for over a year and half now...sometimes people cheer for us, sometimes people haven't. However, we've been blessed from the first day and will continue to be into perpetuity. Thank you for all that have sent congratulations. We feel so loved.
Information regarding the wedding/reception will be soon coming. Now you'll know why I'm asking for your addresses soon :)
Again, thank you to all who weren't able to come b/c of work or anything else. Tony did such an awesome job with creativity and planning...a Part 2 or updated version may even be in order when I have time to think back on it later.
[All Photo Credits to Yolanda Easily :) ]
Except this last one, my baby took ~
