Back then, he'd been rubbing his hands together, awkward and ashamed, barely able to meet my eyes.
"Ma'am, I know the custom is to pay bride price, but I just bought our apartment and I really can't put together much. Would it be possible to, um, lower the amount?"
I was never about the bride price when it came to my daughter.
All I wanted was for him to treat her well.
They seemed genuinely in love, so I told him outright: "I don't want a single cent of bride price. Just take care of each other."
Jeffrey froze. His eyes went red almost instantly.
"Ma'am, I swear, I will be good to Ginny for the rest of my life."
Later, Virginia came to me looking miserable, saying they'd sunk everything into the apartment and couldn't even afford a wedding.
Seeing my daughter that worried broke my heart.
So I emptied my savings. Gave them three hundred and eighty thousand.
"Use eighty thousand for the wedding. Keep the other three hundred as your nest egg."
Virginia cried when I handed it over.
Jeffrey seized my hand, voice shaking, and swore:
"Mom, everything you've done for us, I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget."