PERFECTLY PAIRED: The tale of a dead-to-self man and a woman with the same energy; Gbohunmi and Tosin Story.
- Dolapo .P. Olaopa-Thompson
- Feb 14
- 9 min read
“PERFECTLY PAIRED” is A Valentine's day campaign By The Baton to celebrate Love, Romance and the creator of it all - God.
We commissioned a campaign around three perfect pairs that go well together. Our last couple are Gbohunmi and Tosin who just got recently engaged.
We interviewed Gbohunmi and Tosin gleaning insight into their story in order to understand what being perfectly paired is.
Can you both introduce yourselves and tell us about your relationship with each other?
Tosin: Good evening. My name is Tosin Salami. I double as a freelance social media manager and run a social media management firm. I am engaged to Gbohunmi.
Gbohunmi: My name is Gbohunmi Adeniran. I am a photographer and a content creator. I am engaged to Tosin.
Tosin, how did you both meet?
Tosin: Wow. It’s a long story from my end. We met a while ago. Maybe not met. We attend the same church. We knew each other in the way you’d know a random guy or girl. Yeah. There was a time when this man was in my DMs.
Gbohunmi: Wow. You went there. Wow.
Tosin: What’s wow? I have to explain everything.
Gbohunmi: Go on. Go on. I’ve not said anything.
Tosin: There was a time when he was in my DMs, right? Obviously, at that time it was nothing. He was just in my DMs complimenting me. “Your picture is nice.” “You look really good.” All of that. At that point, I knew him. He wasn’t just That Guy From Church. I knew that this guy had begun to notice me. Fast forward to 2021. At that point, I was still a makeup artist. I was having a bridal shoot and I called him because I know he takes really great pictures. I told him I would love to collaborate [with him]. We had the shoot. It was good and great.
At that time, he was in a relationship. We did the photoshoot and it was great. After that, something happened. I was pissed I didn’t get my pictures [from him]. I wasn’t speaking with him.
Gbohunmi: Haba. Haba. Eh, God!
Tosin: Yes nau. I didn’t get my pictures.
Tosin: I was so pissed at him. I think he was also pissed at me because I was late to the photoshoot. I think we finished the shoot by 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. I think I’m probably skipping a lot of things, but [we] fast forward [again] to 2023. At this point, I moved to my sister’s place somewhere in Ogba, and at that point, he was just also there. It just happened at that time and in that season. He moved there for a bit. I also moved there. It’s not like we planned it. It was just us. There were like five people in that house at the time. It was just the time and the season, honestly. That was where I kind off developed something for him.
The funny thing is, at that time, there was a breakup. He had been in a relationship, so he was just breaking up, and I was having feelings, and I was feeling bad about [my developing feelings]. To myself, I was like, “Hello, ma. What are you doing?” That was how it was. Obviously, I did not tell him I liked him. I just waited for it to pass and for everything [with his breakup] to be resolved.
There was a time when he just knew and must have thought, “This girl really likes me.” Then, he just came to me and said, “You know what? I like you, but you have to wait.” I, too, knew he liked me, but he kept saying wait, chill; don’t make any decisions based on whatever is happening right now. We were friends for that period, and we got to know each other. Soon, we moved out of that space. Fast forward to 2024, that was when he asked me to be his girlfriend. And now, we are engaged.
Wow. So, Gbohunmi, do you have anything to add or remove from this? Do you agree with Tosin’s version of this story?
Gbohunmi: The customer is always right.
Gbohunmi: There’s nothing more to add because she has already won this one. But one thing that is certain is the fact that none of it was planned – that’s the uniqueness of how we started this whole thing. I knew her like years ago, probably 10 years ago. I met her and thought, “This babe na fine babe o” and all that. So, I got her Instagram. She was a content creator. It was all fancy, you know. So I’d just reach out to her in her DMs and say, “What’s up? How are you doing?” Still, I never told her that I liked her. Nothing. Nothing of the sort.
I was the kind of guy to know if someone liked me back by [their] response. So, anytime I reached out, there was this cold, dismissive thing, so I was like, “No wam. E be like this one no like me.” Then, I’d wait until later. If I was single and probably saw her, I would be like “This babe, I no mind o.” She’d be dismissive again, and the cycle begins again back to back. That’s the level at which we were playing until this particular year. This particular year is so unique because that was the year I showed the most mature side of me, especially when it came to managing relationships. I had just come out of a breakup. I could use every opportunity to come out of a breakup and move to the next available person. I was intentional about not carrying trauma and putting it in whatever relationship I was going to go into next, whether it was with her (Tosin) or anyone else. That’s something I try to give myself credit for. Hopefully, she gives me credit for that. ‘
Tosin: Yes, I do. I show it.
The next question, then, is how would you both describe the word “love” in one sentence?
Gbohunmi: Sacrifice. For me, love is sacrifice. Giving yourself for something with the motive of not necessarily wanting to get it back. That’s what love is for me – that I am willing to give. I don’t care if you give me back. I’m just willing to give of myself, my time, my money, my resources, everything that I have. And even though you don’t give me anything, I’m fine. So that’s what love is to me.
Tosin: Love is sacrifice, honestly. That is what it is. It’s both sacrifice and understanding in the sense that you always get to put someone else first. You are able to look away from whatever it is that “would pleasure you” and look at what will give this person joy and pleasure. I am able to understand and bend to meet this person where I will be able to meet this person where they want me to meet them in that sense.
If you were asked to give just one reason out of the many reasons you are assured of Gbohunmi’s love for you, what would that be?
Tosin: His kindness. So, when I say kindness, it is very robust. He emulates the word kindness. No matter the situation or what it is, Gbohunmi is kind to the end, and that is what makes me realise that Gbohunmi loves me. Not just me, but he loves people, too. Obviously, his love for me is special, but he doesn’t just love me, he loves people. So yeah, his kindness, he is kind.
Gbohunmi: I think that Tosin’s patience is uniquely important to me. When I say patience, I don’t mean patience where we don’t have fights or when I piss her off. Her patience is something that I don’t necessarily see in a lot of people. The waiting to see Gbohunmi fully furnished. I was watching a podcast yesterday, and I sent it to her, telling her, “Babe, this is 52 years combined of people’s marriage that we have experienced in the last year.” Like, I have seen the growth from where I was to where I am now, and I will not take away the credit that you [Tosin] are a major key player in it.
She is committed to making me furnished. She cares enough to wait to see that I am able to grow into that person. She not only thinks that I will have everything figured out by myself, but she also aligns with the fact that I [Tosin] am here to help Gbohunmi figure out some things. I love that she is able to plug herself in that way. For her to be intentional that much about me is unique to me. I know there are several reasons why I am assured of her love, but her commitment to seeing me grow is a big deal.
Apart from the believer’s relationship with God, do you believe it is possible to be perfectly paired with someone?
Gbohunmi: The funny thing is I was having a conversation yesterday, so I will just drive home the point with this conversation I was having. I was like, I literally know a couple of relationships that I have steered that were not believers. It's not like they were Muslims or anything like that, but they were not believers. I’ll just be like, “Ohh, I think this person is good for you, and I just feel like you should date and be together”. So, the word “perfect”, I wouldn’t say because even Christian relationships can’t use the word “perfect” like that. But perfect in the sense that you guys will attain perfection one day, that is the perfection context that I have. If it is in terms of a relationship that is so perfect, God will be the judge of that, right?
As Christians, because that’s the first place I look at it from, the best marriages are definitely kingdom/Christian marriages! But, in my own opinion, I think some people go through great marriages together. I won’t use the word “perfect”, but awesome marriages, and they have no idea what or who Jesus is, it is just marriage based on mutual respect. But, when we begin to get into the nitty gritty, we realise that God has an agenda for marriage, and they sort of don’t have a place in that because they are not in tune with what God has to do. If we are going to use perfect from that point of view, I don’t think anybody outside of Christ can have a perfect marriage in that sense. But when it comes to perfect in terms of great and awesome marriages, I think that can happen.
Tosin: There was a time when I disagreed with the view that people outside God had great marriages. I was always of the opinion that maybe we were not just seeing what was happening in their house, but people actually have great relationships and marriages, But perfect? Even Christians, I don’t think we are perfect. From the question, what was in my head was perfect pairs. Like for example, a lady who is a workaholic with a certain character and then a man who has the nature of a servant-leader who is kind and has the nature to see someone grow into what God has destined for the person to be. I would say they are perfectly paired if they both meet, especially as Christians. Yes, I believe that perfect pairs exist. That two people who are individuals and have flaws come together. So, I would say perfect pairs exist, but a perfect marriage doesn’t. I believe you will grow into it. You grow into each other and perfection because you come from different backgrounds and experiences.
Based on the context that you have both situated “perfectly paired” in, do you think you are both perfectly paired?
Gbohunmi: Tosin is perfect for me, I am not going to lie. I was telling a couple of my friends and one of her siblings that I think I’m lucky, to be very honest. I am very lucky to have found Tosin in my life. In this time and for future context. I believe God has given her the strength and grace that can help furnish what it is that I have. It’s not like I have everything figured out, but I know that this babe. Nah, I can’t play with her. So, I know she is perfect for me.
Tosin: I know you [Gbohunmi] are perfect for me. I know that. There are so many things that I have come to see and learn about God through him. Not like he sat me down and said, “This is God, this is Bible,” and all of that. I’m just watching this person and wondering how is this man kind. How are you able to love people? How are you longsuffering? I am not even trying to exaggerate.
Gbohunmi is very high standards for me, I’m not even joking. Very high standard. Somewhere in my mind, I always say, “Thank you, Lord! My sons and daughters will have high standards because of this man” I’m not saying I wouldn’t give them values, too, but just character, based on what they can see daily, they know not to take less than this. And he’s not just doing this to me, but to everyone else. I say every time that I have high regard and respect for you [Gbohunmi] because I know that when I call you, especially when I’m angry or losing my patience, you will not shout at me not to be that way. But, you will talk me through it in a very kind way.
One last fun one: Give us a one or two-liner for your partner using the phrase “perfectly paired”.
Gbohunmi: Every time I try to think of what bursts my head. I think it’s because we are perfectly paired.
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