connected very well. Our late-night calls became routine, and we couldn’t wait to meet in person. Our first meeting was supposed to be at a party in Newark, New Jersey. She flew down fromMichigan to New York, and my buddy, Bernard Kofi Aboagye (Jazzie), offered to drive her all the way fromNew York to Delaware to come pick me up back in New Jersey for the party. We partied like we had been dating for years. It was only natural that our relationship blossomed over time and transitioned into marriage. Freda quickly became my best buddy, confidante, and soulmate. What surprised me and later became a source of admiration was how serious and focused she was about the relationship from the onset. She had no time for gimmicks. I recall that on her next visit to Delaware, she realised my roommate and I had a pretty empty refrigerator. She went toWalmart to purchase pans, utensils, etc., did the groceries, and filled the refrigerator with food to last us for weeks. I was amazed and beaming with pride and admiration. Then I realised that she was relaxing leisurely on the sofa, folding the receipts from her shopping. I thought she couldn’t find the trash can, so I showed her where to find it. She responded that she was folding the receipts for safekeeping so that, should her investment in this relationship not pay off, I would refund her expenses. I was shocked, but my dismay turned to admiration because it was glaring that she was fully committed to the relationship. We got married on 17 July 2004 in Ann Arbor, Michigan Freda and Josh (Wedding Ceremony 2011) 32
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