PHOTOS: Relentless pursuit of love pays off

In 2014 when Boniface Mutinda’s job ended abruptly, he decided to go back to school for further studies and thus enrolled at St. Paul’s University. Little did he know that he would meet his wife there.

“I remember in detail the day that I first saw Bella. She walked into our literature class and I felt a spark which I believe is what people mean by love at first sight,” says the broadcast media manager at Optiven Group. Bonnie Tinda, as his friends call him, could not wait for a chance to talk to her.

For Issabelah, fondly referred to as Bella, she couldn’t have been more oblivious. “I didn’t even notice him in the class,” reveals the communication manager at Peak Performance International. As though by fate, their lecturer put them in the same discussion group and Bonnie quickly volunteered to head the group. He managed to get her contacts under the guise of creating a common WhatsApp group for the group to ease communication.

Bonnie utilised this opportunity to get close to her, seemingly to no avail. “He would check up on me often via text and calls but it did not occur to me that he had an agenda,” shares Bella. She attributes this to her very reserved nature. “I take a while to get used to people,” she adds.

Over time, a deep friendship grew between them. While Bonnie was aiming for more than a platonic friendship, that was all he got from her. She recalls several instances where Bonnie actually went out of his way when she was in a rut but it still did not dawn on her that this was out of romantic interest.

As time went by, Bella began to appreciate Bonnie’s focus, expertise in their field and the fact that he did not put up a front just to impress her. “He told me from the get-go that he was a hustler but believed he had a great future ahead” she expounds.

Things finally started looking up for Bonnie in December 2015 when Bella confided that she had begun to think about his wish to date her. “During that Christmas break, we would talk on phone for hours. It occurred to me that I missed his company, which I was used to while in school,” Bella, who describes herself as analytical, prayerful and intuitive says, intimating that she got a revelation that Bonnie was the perfect fit for her then.

For Bonnie, however, this revelation had come much earlier. By January of 2016, they were officially a couple headed for marriage. This new development in their relationship set things in motion in preparation for their wedding.

Even as they planned for the big day, Bonnie knew that he had to properly propose to her. He enlisted the help of his friends and family to pull the proposal off.

“He told me that it was a dinner invitation from his brother. I was so clueless that I didn’t even dress up or wear makeup. Little did I know that I was going to be on the spotlight,” says Bella laughing.

When the meal arrived, they all urged her to serve first something she refuted strongly for a bit before heeding. On turning her bowl, her eye caught sight of a maroon item and as she turned to get the attention of the waiter to enquire, she found Bonnie on one knee. It was an emotional moment when she said yes. Bonnie’s two-year pursuit had finally paid off.

However, the wedding, meant to take place on October 28, 2017, would not happen as planned. “The repeat Presidential elections slated for October 26 scuttled our plans. We had to postpone the wedding for security reasons,” explains Bonnie. “We postponed by a week and our family and friends adjusted. They also supported us greatly during the planning and actual wedding and we are truly grateful,” adds Bella.

The couple finally said ‘I do’ on November 4, 2017 at the College of Insurance grounds in South C. The couple, who are celebrating their first anniversary this month, advise other couples to take time to know each other and when it comes to planning a wedding, to cut their coat according to their cloth.