It's one of those harmlessly hilarious stories that the internet bonds over. When Edi Okoro decided that Cally Read was the one, he bought his then-girlfriend an engagement ring. He waited over a month to pop the question. In the meantime, Edi took 23 pictures of the engagement ring right next to Cally without her noticing.
Edi managed to pull off amazing stunts, including holding the ring behind Cally several times, pulling it out when she's asleep, and even placing it on her back. Cally remained oblivious the whole time. You have to see how hilarious Edi's photo collection is.
Here's How It All Began
On Facebook, Edi Okoro explained how he proposed to his girlfriend...or rather, all the times he didn't propose. In his Facebook Post, Edi describes how he's a spontaneous person who wanted a spur-of-the-moment engagement. His girlfriend Cally knew this, which made his planning (or lack thereof) harder.
While he was pondering his options, Cally almost caught a glimpse of his ring. At that moment, Edi came up with an idea.
The Close Call That Started It All
According to his Facebook post, Edi was sitting on the sofa admiring, his "precious." Then, Cally almost saw him holding the ring. "Then it hit me!" he wrote. "All these missed opportunities mixed in with the thought--Cally doesn't know I have the ring!!"
Edi's goal was to take photos of the ring near Cally without her knowing. "The idea was to take as many photos, in more daring scenarios, until I found the perfect moment to propose, or until I got caught."
Photo Number One
Edi's first photo originated from the couch where he got his idea. You can see Cally reaching into a kitchen cupboard in the background while Edi waves the ring around mockingly. Little did she know that Edi was planning the prank of a lifetime.
After this photo, there was no going back. Edi would continue sneakily snapping photos until he proposed, or until he was caught, at which point he would propose.
He's Lucky She Didn't Turn Around
The initial pranks happened in the couple's living room. Edi popped open the engagement ring box while Cally's back was turned for a split second. He's lucky that she didn't turn around and ask, "What's that box you're holding?"
If that happened, Edi only would have caught two photos. But don't worry. The more pictures he gets away with, the more risks he takes. This fiance-to-be is just getting started.
You Can't See The Ring If You're Asleep
This photo was a long time coming. In a sense, it's the easiest picture Edi shot throughout this entire prank. Since he and Cally shared a room, how could he not whip out the ring while she's fast asleep?
We can hear peoples' criticisms from the future: "This is too easy!" We thought so too. But Edi had a habit of upping the game. He continually placed the rings in increasingly risky situations. Wait and see.
It Got Worse
For those who thought the last picture was too easy, here's Edi upping the game. He had to climb back in bed without waking Cally up to snap this photo. She must be a deep sleeper.
If on the off-chance, Cally weren't actually asleep, his cover would be blown. He'd have to propose in their bedroom on a random morning. But don't worry; there are many riskier pre-engagement pictures to come.
Bringing The Ring In Public
Here's when Edi began pranking Cally in public. In the photo, Edi holds up Cally's engagement ring while he stands behind her in a check-out line. And she never thought anything of it.
In this case, Edi had to hide the ring from both Cally and the retail employee. If the employee caught a glimpse of the ring, he would give it away to Cally. Sly, Edi. Very sly.
He's Ruining The View
It's a classic proposal move to wait until your partner is distracted by the view and then pop the question. But Edi didn't propose during this moment. He just held up the ring, took a selfie, and added the picture to his collection.
This isn't the only photo Edi took behind Cally's back, and it won't be the last. Also, let's take a moment to celebrate Edi's sunglasses. They're stunningly reflective.
Somehow She Didn't Feel It
In this shot, Cally scrolls through her phone while in bed. Meanwhile, Edi placed the ring on her back. Somehow, she still didn't notice.
This incident was a series of three photos, one of which was a selfie with Edi smiling at the prank. The ring was on Cally's back for a long while--at least long enough to take three pictures. If you think this move is too risky, just wait. Edi's not even close to done.
Just A Normal Photo, Right?
Can you see the ring? It's hiding behind a bag on the right-most shelf. Edi took a "regular" picture with both him and Cally facing the camera. He hid the ring strategically so that it was just out of sight.
Although Edi asserts that he's a spontaneous person, he clearly planned this shot out. This is the only picture in which Cally is looking on the camera. In a sense, it's his most tricky stunt.
Luckily, She Didn't Look At The Car
If you can't tell, Cally is sitting on a bike just outside the car window. Edi is holding her ring up while he's still inside the car. According to Edi, he had a few close calls where Cally nearly bumped the ring out of his pocket.
"Walking around with it in my pocket, I knocked into her a few times," he recalled. "She didn't notice it was a box." Luckily, the ring didn't fall out of his pocket during the bike ride.
A Two-Part Saga
This one's a two-part story. In the first picture, Cally begins ascending the staircase with her bike. In the second photo, Edi holds out the ring right in front of her. Cally's too burdened with her bike to notice the open ring case.
You can tell that Edi's growing more bold by the photo. In this shot, he held the ring to face Cally rather than himself. And he'll only act more daring from now on.
Yikes
When Bored Panda asked Edi about his few close calls, he immediately said, "the binoculars, only because she could have looked up!" Yeah, no joke. This is one of the riskiest pictures Edi has shot yet.
This shot garnered the attention of internet commenters. If Edi had lowered his hand by a millimeter, he would've been caught. This man needs to become a spy. He clearly has the stealth abilities for a CIA position.
Right Outside Of Her Line Of Sight
As usual. Edi takes his ideas to new heights. His other beach photo wasn't jeopardous enough to him; he captured this picture just outside of Cally's range of sight. Edi is truly living on the edge.
Many people consider the beach to be an ideal proposal setting. But Edi didn't propose on this spot. In fact, he wasn't caught in the act for a long while. There are many more "ideal proposal settings" that he used for the joke.
Up Against Her Back
Edi seems to take advantage of his prank every time he and Cally go to the beach. The two are both active and met through athletics, according to Edi's interview with Bored Panda.
"We met at athletics," he recalled. "We both competed at a very high level and traveled to competitions together. We both also ran for Birchfield Harriers AC." That's why many of these photos come from the couple exercising outside. They're the perfect match!
Cally, Don't Look Up
Oh boy--hopefully, Cally doesn't look to her left. How did Edi place it there without her noticing? How will he remove it without suspicion? These are questions only a ninja-like Edi knows the answers to.
"Some plan a flash mob, a fancy meal, or even arrange a marry me sign," Edi wrote on Facebook. "I couldn't do this because 'Edi doesn't plan'...I'm a spontaneous improviser!" He sure is. He's impromptu and a major risk-taker.
Someone's Going In The Wrong Direction
While Cally searches for the right direction, she's ironically looking the wrong way. Edi whipped the engagement ring out while the two were navigating a theme park. He's lucky that the ring didn't fall off a roller coaster.
In an interview, Edi expressed that he and Cally always have fun together. "I knew she was the one after I realized our conversations didn't dry up and bounced off of each other," he said. What else could one want?
She Said...! Oh, Wait. She's Asleep
In previous pictures, Edi always displays the ring in the box. This time, he took the ring out and placed it in Cally's hand. Somehow, she didn't sense the cold metal grazing her palm. Cally's one deep sleeper.
We're not saying that this would make a fantastic engagement photo...but it would make a pretty funny engagement photo. After Edi officially proposed, Cally didn't learn about this photo album until weeks later.
He Took Videos Too
Throughout the month, Edi took a couple of videos of him hiding the ring from Cally. In this one, he displays the ring behind Cally while she washes her face in the bathroom sink. In another video, he talks to Cally in the bedroom while holding the ring in front of the camera.
For one month, Edi carried the ring around and hid it from his girlfriend. He did eventually propose, and not because he got caught.
He Never Got Caught!
"So we did end up getting engaged," Edi updated on his Facebook. "And no, I didn't get caught." Cally learned about his secret prank weeks later. Now, the two have a hilarious story that they can tell their grandchildren.
"This engagement turned out more than what I originally intended it to be," Edi admitted. "I'm just happy that I don't have to walk around with [the ring] anymore and keep it a secret!"
