### **Chapter 8: The Meet**
**1989 – Nigeria**
The airport buzzed with energy—an endless stream of announcements, hurried footsteps, and muffled conversations blending into the heavy air. Bunmi Onasanya stood among it all, gripping the handle of her suitcase, her heart pounding in anticipation.
She had spent the past few nights unable to sleep, her mind drifting between excitement and uncertainty. She was about to board a flight to **Houston, Texas**, to study accounting—a journey that would mark her as the **first university student** in her family. The **first Nigerian woman from her village** to travel to the U.S. for education.
Her father, standing tall beside her, beamed with pride. To him, she wasn't just his daughter—she was the future of their lineage, the first accountant that their village would ever produce. Bunmi's mother, dressed in striking **aso-ebi** fabric and a towering **gele**, held her chin high. The weight of tradition and expectation sat on her shoulders, but there was also an unmistakable **glow of pride** in her eyes.
Bunmi exhaled slowly, feeling the mix of emotions swirl inside her—**thrill, nerves, happiness, and fear**. The unknown stretched before her like an open book, unwritten and endless.
Finally, the announcement rang across the terminal. **Her flight was ready for boarding.**
She turned to her father one last time. His voice was firm, filled with advice and warnings—but beneath it, she heard the softness of love. He handed her a small notebook and whispered, "**Write to me. Always. Never forget home.**"
She swallowed back her emotions, hugged her parents, and stepped forward. She had never traveled before, never stepped onto foreign soil. Yet, with every step toward the gate, she knew—**this journey was hers to take.**
---
### **Scott Dawns – Texas, USA**
The **Dawns Estate** stretched over acres of land, standing as a symbol of wealth, legacy, and expectation. Scott Dawns had spent his childhood within its walls, but today, he was leaving it behind.
With his bags loaded into the car, he was ready to begin his new life at the **University of Arizona**—a place where he could chase both of his dreams: **basketball and journalism**.
Unlike his father, a man of industry and business, Scott craved something different. He wanted to **tell stories, report truth, and play the sport he loved**. His family supported his ambitions, but there was always an unspoken **pressure**—the weight of living up to the Dawns name.
As the car pulled away from the estate, Scott gazed out at the world beyond his family's domain. He couldn't wait to see what lay ahead—to experience life on his own terms.
---
### **1992 – University of Arizona**
The campus bustled with movement, conversations, and the vibrant energy of youth. Among the many events held throughout the year, one in particular stood out—the **joint campus fellowship**.
Here, students from different universities gathered to exchange ideas, debate societal issues, and discuss the challenges of their generation.
It was during one of these meetings that **Bunmi Onasanya met Scott Dawns**.
Their interaction was **brief at first**, a simple exchange of ideas during one of the debates. But something about Scott intrigued Bunmi—his sharp mind, his passion for discussion, and the way he carried himself with confidence.
Scott, too, noticed her. There was something magnetic about Bunmi—her intelligence, her unwavering presence, the quiet strength in her voice when she spoke.
Soon, their conversations stretched beyond fellowship meetings. They spent afternoons discussing life, culture, dreams, and ambitions. One conversation turned into two, then three—until suddenly, they were **inseparable**.
They quickly became known as **the "lovey-dovey" couple** among their peers—always together, always lost in conversation, always finding reasons to steal time for each other.
For **four years**, their love grew.
Until reality came crashing down.
---
### **The Harsh Truth**
The moment they spoke about marriage, everything changed.
Their relationship had thrived in the **bubble of university life**—a space where they could ignore the world beyond. But stepping into the real world meant **facing the weight of their differences**.
Bunmi's family **refused** to accept Scott. Tradition dictated that she marry **within her culture**, and Scott—an American, a white man—was an outsider they could never embrace.
Scott's family was no different. His parents saw the challenges of an interracial marriage, the struggles they would face, the rejection society would throw at them. **They didn't approve.**
The choice was **brutal**—abandon their love, or abandon their families.
They chose each other.
Disowned, rejected, and cast out from the embrace of family, they entered a world that was **unforgiving** to their union.
Society turned against them.
Friends distanced themselves.
Everywhere they went, they felt the stares, the whispers, the silent judgments.
Bunmi bore the weight of rejection more than Scott. The pressure crushed her spirit, pulling her into the depths of **anxiety, isolation, and depression**.
And then came the unexpected consequence—the cruel twist of fate that she would never escape.
Her first pregnancy was successful. But after that, she could no longer bear children.
A scar left by the past—a wound that refused to heal.
For years, she carried that pain, that memory, that reminder that love came at a cost.
Yet, despite the heartbreak, despite the suffering, **she never regretted her choice.**
She had chosen **love over tradition, hope over fear, Scott over the world.**
And **that choice** shaped her destiny forever.