‘She played hard to get but I was determined’

After completing her university education, Odeth Kamukama started looking for a job. Luckily, her cousin connected her to his friend, Norman Ampulira, who worked as a team leader at Platinum credit, a micro-finance company. However, because she had a bias towards the company, Odeth declined the job opportunity but kept in touch with Norman and with time, they became good friends.

It was not long until Norman developed romantic feelings for Odeth, although she had never thought of him as a potential partner.

“Whenever I asked to meet her for a date so I express my feelings, she would decline. But the fact that she did not end communication between us gave me hope that one day she would accept to go out on a date with me,” Ampulira says.

 What attracted them to each other?

Although she was still playing hard to get, Odeth’s cousin would constantly talk about Norman as a good man with adorable character traits.

 “I learnt that he was humble, God fearing, kind, caring and disciplined, qualities I envisioned in an ideal spouse. This drew me closer to him,” Odeth shares.

“With continued communication, I was able to confirm what my cousin had been telling me; Norman was indeed a good man and someone I knew I would be happy with in the long-term,” she adds.

Whereas Odeth loved Norman’s personality, Norman says she influenced him to change for the better and learnt something from her every time they talked.

“She would bring out the best in me. I was initially reserved but whenever we met, I found that we were talking deeply, something I was not used to. To date, we talk endlessly which enriches our relationship,” Norman explains.

The two finally scheduled a date in late 2021, which marked the beginning of their dating journey.

Settling down

The couple held their Kukyala ceremony in June 2022, after a proposal in the comfort of their home.

“One morning he asked that we get married and although he had not bought a ring, I said yes,” says Odeth, adding that because they had spent enough time getting to know each other, what remained was to get married and spend the rest of their lives together.

The couple, therefore, held their introduction ceremony and wedding in December, the same year.

To have the wedding of their dreams, Odeth and Norman had planned to wed in May last year but their families disagreed.

“Our respective families said they would not attend the introduction ceremony unless we confirmed the wedding date. The preparations were hectic because we had to prepare in one month for both the introduction and the wedding but we thank God it was all successful,” recalls Odeth.

One of the reasons Norman had wanted to push the wedding to the following year was that he was set to travel to Ghana for a business trip. With him away, the task of bringing together two families and planning for the ceremonies was left to Odeth.

“Before leaving, he told me his father wanted us to wed immediately after the giveaway ceremony, which left me confused because it is not what we had planned. This called for various discussions between me, the go-between, my family and his family to agree on dates. Fortunately, the two families came to an understanding,’’ narrates Odeth.

Challenges

“We both stayed in Kampala and our wedding was to take place in Bweranyangi, Bushenyi District. This made it hard to attend matrimonial classes but we talked to the dean at the church who agreed to meet us only once,’’ recalls Norman, a father of one.

What stood out on the wedding?

“The simplicity of everything. We recieved a lot of support and were also able to chip in with what we could afford. It was good and satisfactory to our expectation. Everyone ate, drunk anon their way home, enabling many to actually make the journey back to Kampala,” says Norman.

The couple explains that having their two families and friends witness their two big days was priceless.

So far

Moving forward, Odeth and Norman have found joy in their marriage because they have anchored it in prayer, regular communication, mutual respect and honesty. The couple says having their first born is one of the blessings they cherish every day.

Advice

Odeth says it is important to always pray that God blesses you with the right partner at the right time, adding that marrying the right person helps one go through hard times because the right partner offers support unconditionally.

Norman says it is crucial to understand your partner’s strengths and weaknesses early on in the relationship. He believes that with that, it is easier to understand each other’s emotions during wedding preparations, which usually bring out the worst in most partners since they are hectic.

‘‘Even with the support of friends and family, the burden of wedding preparations still rests on the shoulders of the bride and groom,” Norman states.