Lilith
03-16-2008, 07:03 PM
(gg)
LONDON (Reuters) - It is the one moment every manwants to get right -- and which London floor-fitterLefkos Hajji could hardly have got more wrong. The luckless 28 year-old's dreams of giving hissweetheart, Leanne, 26, the ultimate proposal haveliterally vanished into thin air. Hajji, of Hackney, east London, had concealed a$12,000 engagement ring inside a helium balloon. Theidea was that she would pop the balloon as he poppedthe question. But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled theballoon from his hand and he watched the ring -- andquite possibly the affections of his girlfriend --sailing away over the rooftops. "I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper. "I just watched as it went further and further intothe air. "I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and Iknew my girlfriend would kill me." Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase andfind the balloon, without success. "I thought I would give Leanne a pin so I couldliterally pop the question," he said. "But I had to tell her the story -- she wentabsolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to meuntil I get her a new ring." He is hoping the ring will still turn up. "It would be amazing if someone found it," he added. (Reporting by Peter Apps. Editing by Steve Addison)
LONDON (Reuters) - It is the one moment every manwants to get right -- and which London floor-fitterLefkos Hajji could hardly have got more wrong. The luckless 28 year-old's dreams of giving hissweetheart, Leanne, 26, the ultimate proposal haveliterally vanished into thin air. Hajji, of Hackney, east London, had concealed a$12,000 engagement ring inside a helium balloon. Theidea was that she would pop the balloon as he poppedthe question. But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled theballoon from his hand and he watched the ring -- andquite possibly the affections of his girlfriend --sailing away over the rooftops. "I couldn't believe it," he told The Sun newspaper. "I just watched as it went further and further intothe air. "I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and Iknew my girlfriend would kill me." Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase andfind the balloon, without success. "I thought I would give Leanne a pin so I couldliterally pop the question," he said. "But I had to tell her the story -- she wentabsolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to meuntil I get her a new ring." He is hoping the ring will still turn up. "It would be amazing if someone found it," he added. (Reporting by Peter Apps. Editing by Steve Addison)