How it all began
“In that moment, that simple U-turn changed my whole life.”
— Alex
“The stranger danger lessons from primary school had apparently clocked off early.”
— Busuyi
Busuyi & Alex
Alex’s Story
It’s all a joke, until it gets a serious. Something we jokingly say between ourselves, and to be fair it’s an accurate start to our love story lol! It was the 14th June 2020, a sunny day in Boris Johnson Covid ridden country. We should have all been at home, and if outside, only for essential journeys, right? Im sure some of you did otherwise but anyway it’s not about you it’s about us, and we definitely did otherwise. One of us had a valid reason I should say, hmm wonder who?
I’ll spare those details for another day, But as God ordained it, here we both were travelling the streets of Charlton on a Sunny Covid afternoon. I was driving back home to Essex, Busuyi was walking back home to Woolwich. I was on my way towards the Blackwall tunnel, and I had just got on to Bugsby Way. A few hundred yards in and there she was. Golden brown skin, black jumpsuit and a red wig…yes, A RED WIG! I drove passed and only got a glance at her but I was pulled in immediately by what I saw. I had gone passed the left turning I needed to take to approach her so I had no choice but to drive on. And there in lay the choice of a life time.
To carry on my journey, or make an illegal turn for the red head with the brown golden skin? (Im sure i’ve done worser things for less). The choices laid before me, dressed in banter and mischief with a sprinkle of adrenaline, was really a simple one to the naked eye. But dig a little deeper and we see Gods hand move in our simplest moments, we experience God’s peace in our simplest sate of mind, and Gods plans in our simplest actions. In that moment, that simple U-turn changed my whole life.
Busuyi’s Story
It was a hot summer's evening on 14th June 2020. I was minding my business... as you should. I'd just wrapped up an advert shoot in Greenwich and was heading straight home, as any socially distancing babe should. Well... maybe not straight home. I ended up taking a long scenic route home for reasons I still cant explain. A 45 minute walk almost turned into 2 hours, but I loved it. Sun out, headphones in, little prayer walk vibes, thanking God for the day.
About 20 minutes into my walk, I noticed a car creeping along in my peripheral on the opposite side of the road. I couldn't tell you what car it was and, at that point, I probably couldn't have told you much about the guy driving it either. If you know me, you'll know I spend half my life in my own little world. Suddenly I was hit with the classic "Excuse me, miss... can I talk to you?" as he rolled down his window. Let's be real... we know how this starting line goes and it’s usually never anywhere serious. What happened next was the surprising part. Normally, you politely brush these situations off and keep it moving. So I just replied, "You're causing traffic." Tell me why we both turned around to find... an absolutely empty road. Like, Excuse me?! On any normal day that road is full of cars. But not today. Well then…
Now I'm scrambling for another excuse while this guy slowly drives alongside me. Then, with the upmost confidence he says "Jump in quickly." As if we were long lost friends. Sir, do I even know you? I was stunned to the point of curiosity at such an unorthodox confidence.
But here's what still surprises me to this day... nothing in me felt alarmed. Nothing screamed danger. Nothing told me to run. The stranger danger lessons from primary school had apparently clocked off early. Instead, curiosity quietly took over. Ironically, just as my excuses were disappearing... the traffic actually started to build. So there I was, standing in the middle of Charlton, actually weighing up my options. If this all went wrong, can I tuck and roll out of a moving car? Do I take control of the steering wheel? Or do I just hope and pray for the best. After all of my 10 second of serious deliberation, I sized him up and thought, yh I can have him if he tried anything silly.
Looking back now, what seemed like a regular evening, a random encounter, a risky decision, was anything but. Sometimes God positions you in places you never planned to be, leads you down routes you never intended to take, and gives you the courage to make choices you never thought would work out, just so you meet people you never imagined would change your life.
And the rest is history…
