Valentine's Dinner at the Little Inn

Valentine’s Dinner at the Inn in Little Washington

Joe Jones had a dilemma on his hands. He could not decide what to get his new wife as a valentine’s day gift. He had met her in war-torn Afghanistan just before the fall of Kabul, and after it took almost a year to get her out of Afghanistan and to the States. She was his interpreter during his tour of duty and he had fallen madly in love with her and she with him.

One day in Kabul he had mentioned the customs of Valentine’s day to her. She told him that was a foreign holiday concept to her and she was not sure she approved of it.

Two years later she was arriving in the states a week before Valentine’s day. He consulted with his buddies who had Afghan wives and he came up with a plan. He would take her out for a special dinner at a special restaurant – but it would be a surprise. He made reservations for the Inn at Little Washington, near the Shenandoah mountains in Virginia. And he had another surprise in store for her.

When they married in Kabul, they had to have a quick civil marriage ceremony as time was running out. And he could not give her a proper wedding ring because they had to keep their marriage a secret in case the Taliban found out about it.

They drove to the inn at Little Washington and had the most romantic meal of his life. He bought a wedding ring, and after dinner, while enjoying their wine, and cocktails he slipped the ring into her Irish Coffee. He smiled as she almost drank the ring but stopped her in time.

He got down on his knees, and said,

“Adela Sayed, I was not able to give you a proper wedding present or ceremony because of the war and the collapse of Kabul. But that is over and behind us. Will you accept this ring as both a valentine’s day gift and a belated wedding gift?”

“Of course. So when do you want to get married?’

“ This weekend on Valentine’s day. That way we will always remember our anniversary. It is all arranged. Friday Night the Afghan community will host a traditional Afghani wedding and on Sunday we will do a Catholic ceremony with my family and friends then go to St Lucia. It is that okay with you?”

“Sure”

They celebrated their wedding anniversary every year at the Inn in Little Washington.