Meet the Parents: pt 1

I'm going to meet my boyfriend's father today. I am super nervous, more nervous than I have ever been in ages. See, most of the guys that I ever seriously dated were Nigerian, and meeting their families was always a piece of cake. Mainly because Nigerians are very close-knit community and everyone knows everybody or someone who knows them. You can connect the dots and find some common ground quite easily. Growing up, everyone knew my dad and I was automatically made to feel welcome andthis gave me merit on the guise of me being Nigerian and my father's daughter alone. Besides that all the non-Nigerian men I've dated in the last 7 years never made the cut for me to meet their parents so I haven't had any practice.

Until Him.

He's been asking me for weeks now to pop through to see his parents, but I managed to dodge it each time. His dad travels alot and is out of town like every few weeks, so that helped as well. I had given him all kinds of excuses. I told him that I wasn't ready, that I didn't have my Meet the Parents clothes on, or that I was having a bad hair day. I told him that I needed a special invitation from his parents, and advance notice (like several days) to prepare myself and get over the nerves. He didn't get why I was so nervous and anxious. "They are just my parents," he said jokingly.

Right. I couldn't explain why I was so nervous, I'm normally classically cool when meeting people. I sequester the old introvert in me and morph into the outgoing and charming Vixen, a change that happens instantly I'm put in a social scenario. But this was different. This time, I wouldn't have the 'prestige' of my dad's name to fall back on. This time I wouldn't have the good name of my family to automatically grant me esteem. This time it was going to be all about me, my merits and my accomplishments. I had to put my best foot forward. Or fall flat on my face.

I accepted the invitation with trepidation. He had given me time to get ready. I didn't have any excuse even though I hedged and hawed and searched in vain for one. But he wasn't backing down this time. In fact he backed me into a corner by stating, "Why do I get the feeling you don't want to meet my parents?" Gulp.

I frantically called my sisters/friends going through my wardrobe trying to find the best Meet the Parents outfit. I didn't want it to be too casual, so jeans wouldn't work. I didn't want to look depressed so I eliminated anything black. That left dresses/skirts. "Just wear something comfortable," he told me when I asked for a suggestion. Gee, that helps! Why even bother? What does he know?

The final selection was a blue pastel summer dress. It was an empire waist, demure cut, yet a flirty, fun frock that made me feel like I looked my best. I had to redo my eye makeup twice before I had it to my satisfaction. At his urging, I sped up the process. "We don't want to be late," he stated.

No way out now.....