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His eyes are a light blue, like the sky, as he looks over his shoulder at me. They contrast his dark skin. The sun’s rays make his skin glisten. He flicks off some sweat from his forehead. “We’ll be there soon, you’ll love it there,” his voice is deep, but calm. I smile and nestle my head into his back. I tighten my grip around his waist as he speeds along on the motorbike. I had dreamt of travelling to Nigeria for so long. But nothing could have prepared me for it. The sounds. The smells. The colours. The people. All of my senses are fully awakened. Then there was him. He had appeared from nowhere, as I was lost in my phone. “You look lost? Can I help you?” his brows furrowed with concern. “I am looking for Idumota markets,” I said. I hoped he did not see me partly blushing, partly mesmerised by the sight before me - a god walking on earth. “Are you American?,” he asked with a smile. “No I am Australian,” I replied. “Australian? Wow, you are a long way from Australia. You are the first black Australian I’ve met,” he looked at me curiously. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” I smiled. We spent the rest of the afternoon together, and every day after that. Trying out every food imaginable. Visiting historical sights. Haggling with street vendors. Indulging in the local arts. Visiting national parks and waterfalls. Dancing the nights away. Watching the African sunsets. Seeing Nigeria through his eyes was a revelation. A pothole in the road brings me back to the Lagos traffic. It’s late Friday afternoon and everyone is leaving the city. The traffic is at a standstill. I am thankful for the motorbike as we breeze through the traffic. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. My flight leaves on Sunday and he wants to take me to the seaside for my last weekend. Tropical trees start to appear. We are almost there. We arrive at Jara Beach Resort in the heart of Eleko beach and I am in complete amazement about this country. The majesty of the mountains in the horizon are softened by the green lush trees and blue ocean surrounding the resort. I can’t believe this tropical paradise is just a couple of hours out of Lagos. We check into the resort and quickly freshen up so we can go sightseeing. We stop by the street vendor selling everything from fried plantain, abacha, akara, puff puff, groundnuts and suya. I am famished but it is taking me long to decide. He stands there patiently. Then he says some words in Igbo and the man hurriedly starts packing some food. “How about a bit of everything you love since you can’t decide?” he smiles at me. I melt into his arms and his 6’2 frame and he pulls me in closer and kisses my forehead. We receive our food, hand over some money and walk off. A woman asks me if I want to buy a love potion and I smile and think to myself - maybe a few weeks ago. We walk on the beach. The sand is warm. My feet sink into the sand and I think to myself “if heaven was a moment, this would be it.” “I have been meaning to ask you something,” he breaks the silence. “Yes, what is it?” I ask, even though I already know what’s coming. “Do you think you could stay? At least for a little bit longer. I mean, I know we only just met...” His words drift away with the sound of the ocean. Since I met him, I knew this moment would come. Meeting him feels fated. At home, I am logical. Everything is planned. Every decision scrutinised. Deadlines. Routine. But when I am here, with him, I am in flow. The sun here is not harsh. The water is the bluest I have seen. The colourful clothing makes my heart dance. The food is the right amount of spicy. I am at home. Before he asked me the question, I already knew I was going to take a leap into the unknown.