From awkward interactions to secret dates, love is peculiar in so many ways. This is the love story of Sosefina Rokosuli, 26, and Aisea Duwai, 27, and the journey that brought them together.
From 2018 to -2020, the pair attended Lautoka Teachers College. They first met in 2019 when Aisea had accompanied his friend to pick up his partner, who happened to be a good friend of Sosefina.
“That was how we first got introduced to each other in Nadi, and I was intrigued by Aisea. I thought he was good looking, soft-spoken and I asked myself who is this handsome guy,” Sosefina shared.
“Aisea also thought the same. It was the first-time he had ever seen me and felt the same way,” she said.
After that first meet, whenever they saw each other in school, there was an awkward feeling of affection because they both knew they had feelings for each other.
“In February 2020, when school started, our conversations through social media’s Messenger grew deeper and we would actually travel to Nadi from Lautoka after school just so that we could meet up and go on our secret dates.
“I can’t remember details of our first-date, we went to watch movies at Life Cinema in Nadi and it was the longest movie in my life, The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
“These secretive dates went on for months and as it went on, I started falling for Aisea. He did too but he never gave a title to our relationship.”
When Sosefina questioned him about what they were, Aisea would always reply, “in God’s timing eh! Sosefi- “So, I left it at that and continued to be patient with him as he was doing everything an ideal boyfriend would do but was failing to pop the very question.”
All that changed around late August when Aisea kept pestering her about whether she was going to the school social night in September.
“We ended up going together and it was a night to remember because after months of confusion about where I stood in his life, Aisea finally mustered up the courage to ask me out and make me his girlfriend.”
After their graduation in 2021, Aisea went on his first posting to Kia District School in Macuata while Sosefina was posted to Muaira District School in the highlands of Naitasiri.
“The real challenge in our relationship began when just as school was about to be over in term 1 (2021), COVID-19 struck, and we weren’t able to see each other for eight months.”
With limited internet and poor phone reception, Sosefina had doubts about whether their relationship was going to work but Aisea was assured Sosefina it would, only if they remained true and honest to each other.
“So, he came up with an idea that we would try to communicate on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
“In order for this to happen, he would climb the hills and reach the peak of Kia Island for reception which took about an hour or so. I also had to walk up the hills of Naitasiri which is almost 2 hours, just to get a reception so that we could talk for hours before dark.
“As soon as the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Aisea made sure that the first thing he did was to come home and tell my father through Fijian traditional protocols that he was courting me.”
The pair were engaged in July 2021 and got married on May 11, 2023, at the Centenary Methodist Church in Suva. While Aisea’s wedding attired was designed in Bua by his aunts, Sosefina’s attire was arranged by a friend who had connections to Vatulele.
“We chose to do our reception at the Seafarer Centre at the Naval base in Walu Bay, as both Aisea and I come from big families.
“Right after the wedding service, other traditional protocols were performed at my family house. Aisea’s family did their kali ni sucu, which meant I was now being taken away from my family and was asked with a tabua to be part of Aisea’s family.
“My family also did their part which is the i tautaunaki. They also presented a tabua to Aisea’s family, agreeing and giving me away to his family.
“The main thing we were both looking forward to doing on our wedding day, was exchanging our vows to one another.”
That happened as dreamed and the bride and groom of wedding day are now husband and wife, and united in their journey together.
Sosefina said the love that she found with Aisea was a rare one and to this day, she counts herself the luckiest woman alive.