Our Story-Destiny Partners

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love"

(1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)

Once upon a time, there lived a young lady growing up on the hills in Bong Town, Bong Mines, Liberia Africa. She was a part of a household consisting of her maternal grandfather (Robert Hill, Sr.), her mother (Jessina, “Jay”), her older brother John, Jr., and half of her jolly twin sister, Zinnah. For many years, this young lady adorned an unprinted and invisible sign on her heart that said, “Stay away, Fred”! 

I unsuspectingly brazed the umpteenth chances of coming around Saino, waiting for the moment that I would garner the boldness and express my true feelings for the beauteous and highly astute young lady. Whenever I gathered the courage to be bold and speak with Saino, the report card day came around and as always, Saino was the dux/head of not just her class but the entire school. I got scared and insecure all the Moore (no pun intended). 

Finally, one night, I got a buddy of mine to visit the house when Jay was at work and supposed to be away until very late at night. We arrived and all the junior high school residents of the home, my buddy and I were having great teenage conversations, with a pitcher full of Kool-Aid. Suddenly, Jay pulled up in the yard and Saino whisked us to the dark room where Saino’s grandfather was asleep. Then, there was a quick change of plans, we had to move under the bed, along with the pitcher of Kool-Aid, concealed by the bed skirt, with the hope that Jay would come in the house and go quickly to her room so that we could escape.

Jay came in, sat in the living room for a while, went out to look at her garden (who goes to check their garden late at night? The hater gods were punishing us under that bed). When we finally made it out, that was the end of my pursuit of Saino, at least for the time being.

Saino and the family traveled to the United States in 1980 but miraculously, we continued to communicate using those archaic airmails, pulling whatever little resources to purchase my stamps, sometimes begging Ms. Martha Benson who managed the post office then in Bong Mines to get free stamps, you name it. Saino would send me pictures of her time in her ROTC exercises, I sent her a few pictures after her constant prodding (Trust me; you do not want to see those pictures).

We reunited in our friendship in early 1991 when we established the Association of Bong Miners (ABM) and then the Bong Education Center Alumni Association (BECAA). Saino was unavailable and so was I. We found ourselves at the “Promise Land” but respectfully could not enter. Our friendship remained strong and respectful until we were both fully available. I gathered the matured confidence, after a long and strong but sober reflection on the word of the Lord when He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.” 

I called Saino and invited her on a lunch date. Initially, she agreed but then called me at the last minute, with the weirdest excuse I had ever received. I accepted her excuse, but I mounted an onslaught of the Peal charm that was just too hard to resist. Finally, on the night of July 9, 2022, at the 21st anniversary of BECAA convention in Providence, Rhode Island, Saino relented, and she planted an unexpected huge kiss on me as we approached the after party.

Then she said, “This is your final bus stop.”

I responded, “Yes, Captain Moore!"

That was all she wrote!