It was 2020. COVID-19 had swept across many countries, throwing the world into chaos. Panic was everywhere. Schools were closed, churches shut down, and public gatherings banned. Nobody knew what the future held, and uncertainty hung heavy in the air. Then, as if things weren’t bad enough, the government announced a lockdown.

I called my girlfriend to ask how she was going to manage. She lived with her family, but money was tight, and they couldn’t afford to stock up on groceries to last through the lockdown. My family wasn’t wealthy either, but at least we had a habit of pooling funds to buy groceries in bulk. We had enough to get by.

I promised her I’d bring over enough supplies to see her through the two-week lockdown. But there was a challenge: police barriers were everywhere, and movement was restricted. Only essential workers were allowed to travel freely. Hiring a Bolt or a taxi was out of the question. So we came up with a plan.

At 4:00 a.m., I would start walking from my place to hers. By 6:00 a.m., I’d be at her door with the groceries. We’d spend the day together in her neighborhood, and I’d walk back home in the evening. A two-hour walk seemed like nothing for the woman I loved.

The night before, I barely slept. At dawn, I woke up, cleaned up, and packed the groceries into a large bag. It was heavy—so heavy that I had to balance it on my head just to carry it. The journey was grueling, especially that early in the morning, but I kept going.

Somehow, I managed to avoid the police barriers, moving quickly and quietly under the cover of dawn. After two exhausting hours, I finally arrived at her place. I was tired, sweaty, and thirsty, but relief washed over me as I stood outside her door. I reached for my phone and called her.

Her phone was off.

I tried again. And again. But nothing.

Two hours of walking with that heavy load, and her phone was off? I was angry, frustrated, and drained. Still, I didn’t give up. I knocked on her door. No response. I knocked again, harder this time, but still, no one came.

Minutes turned into an hour. I sat outside, unsure of what to do. Then, I saw her mother moving around in the living room. There was life in the house. I knocked again, and this time, her mother opened the door.

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I explained who I was and why I was there, and she called for my girlfriend. When she came to the door, she looked sleepy and unbothered.

“Oh,” she said casually, “I accidentally put my phone on airplane mode.”

Airplane mode.

I stared at her, too stunned to speak. Two hours of walking. A bag of groceries so heavy my neck was aching. And her excuse was airplane mode?

Well, that was four years ago.

She’s with another man now. He doesn’t have to carry groceries on his head. He has a car.

I wish them all the best. In love, we win some and lose some. But in the end, all is fair.