Student of the year

CULINARY ASSESSMENT (outcome)

The following day, everyone brought their money and we decided to go and buy the rice that day. When we went to ask for excuse to go,the principal said we can't all leave the school.

I opted to stay behind,and just then Georgina handed the list of ingredients to Nancy and said she'll stay too. Are you kidding me?

" Are you just so devoid of what to do or you just don't know how to make the first move?" She started. We were alone on the walkway. Of course the rest of the school is preparing for their forthcoming examinations scheduled to start the following week and everyone else in my class was also preparing one way or another for the culinary test,or for something else, everyone was just preoccupied.

"What do you mean?" Of course I knew what she meant,I just didn't know what to say?

" Oh, really? I thought you'll try talking to me after Friday or something,but I didn't even get as much as a wink from you."

" Listen,Gina.........."

The way she burst out laughing and stopped to look at me amused me."Really? Gina? I really do love the sound of that. Especially coming from you."

Wow. Why did I call her Gina? Am I still bused to abbreviating names? Matthew,I call Matt and now I'm calling Georgina, Gina. And she said she likes it." Alright listen. You and I have a lot ahead if us. I mean we don't want to fail WAEC,I want to be voted for prom and I know you do too. And more than any other thing,you and I want to because me student of the year,and there are several others, Matthew and thirty-seven others want it too, and the least thing I want right now is to be distracted." I voiced out my fears in the best way I could and I felt sorry when I saw the hurt on her face.

" You consider me a distraction?"

" I may not want to say it,but yes, we've both been at arms and even legs length since we were in JSS3, and you choose now to get acquainted with me? Of course I smell fish. I can't let anything get me distracted. Not even some relationship with you."

" You think relationship is a distraction?" I had no idea what to say but thankfully she didn't expect me to reply. She continued after the rhetorical question." You're wrong. You think I want to get you distracted? You're wrong as well. We're in the same group,of course I can't let you fail, because if you fall,I fall too,but then there's a long way to go. I learnt something in chemistry when I was learning for the aptitude test,you call it balancing equations. And there's something called balance sheet in accounting. You learn to balance things. Concentration is what you need. The only reason relationship would come in the way of your intelligence is if you lack concentration and coordination. You have a relationship with Matt and it's not affecting your studies,instead,it's strengthening it. You have a relationship with both your parents and it's not affecting you either. This........us,could be different but you're skilled at handling your studies,and that's exactly what you should do."

Wow! What to expect from an art student who wants the become a......I don't even know yet. But the most successful art students are the ones who are talkatives. And this girl obviously knows how to talk her way out. Her speech was reasonable, but is she trying to force herself on me?

" What do you expect me to do?" She'll consider me too naive and just let me alone with that ridiculous question but she didn't let me go despite the fact that she considered me naive.

She looked straight at me again. " Are you kidding me? Or have you truly never asked a girl out?"

It was my turn to be asked a ridiculous question." Really? I'm not yet even seventeen yet. You expect me to have had a girlfriend?what sort of guy do you take me for?" I looked at her and I bet I saw that look of admiration on her face.

" Oh,yeah,I'm barely seventeen too,and I've had a girlfriend,though we broke up."

" Why?" I was trying to shift the attention from me.

" It's personal."

"Of course I need to know that personal thing." I seemed very interested.

" Why do you think you need to know? Of course......."

The words came even before I could stop them. " I'm stepping into his shoes so I need to know what I should avoid."

" Wow. Did you just agree to be my boyfriend?"

There was no escape." Technically!"

" Well,he broke up with me, because he wanted s*x and I'm not going to spread out my thighs." She replied.

" Oh wow. How old is he?"

" Nineteen."

" Really,he's just a teenager and so are you,even if he's above eighteen, you're not!"

" Eighteen is not a qualified age for sex." She corrected." I mean that you're eighteen doesn't mean you should start having sex."

" Of course I know . I'm just saying it's more like child a***e for you both. But now,if you don't want the have s*x,then why do you want a boyfriend?"

She waved her hand over my face." Excuse me! Having a boyfriend and is not all about s*x,you know? It's more like a having a confidante. Someone who'll be there for you. Someone who makes you happy......"

" What if I can't? What if I can't be like him.... your ex?" I was still trying to scare her off.

" I know you can. But as for been like Jeffery? You can't. He's more like a bully. He's not like you and you're not like him and can't be like him. You're not going to ask for s*x are you!?"

I looked straight into her eyes." How are you so sure?"

" Because I studied you for three years."she seemed that be ready for the reply before the question even came.

" You didn't study Geoffrey?"

" It's Jeffery. And yes,I didn't. He just asked me out and I thought I needed a boyfriend,just like everyone else and so I accepted his question. So I think we have a future now."

" I have not the slightest idea of what a boyfriend does." I was picking at my finger nails.

" You can ask someone,you have an older brother,don't you?"

" I don't,I'm an only child. And Matt is the only person I can ask,but he's never been in a relationship too. And have brother? I don't think I can ask him."

" Alright. I'll be fine with whatever you do."

" This girl is crazy." I told myself.

" I think fate is more on our side, that's why we picked the same group. Why didn't you want to come out in the first place?" She seemed to suddenly remember.

" I didn't open the paper. I was so sure I wouldn't be in group A" I replied nonchalantly,but honestly.

" It's obvious,you don't feel excited about this ofada group,but guess what, Nancy and I will make sure everyone of those panel bite on their tongue."

" They obviously would not award us points if they have blood in their mouth."

She laughed." You know that was a figure of speech,right?"

" It made you laugh, didn't it?" I found myself asking.

" Oh yeah,it did,and Harry,that's how to act like a boyfriend." We both burst into laughter.

" And you know what,always call me Gina,and I'll call you Harry." She negotiated.

When the three years of them came back we shared the ofada rice and everyone was to go home and pick their portions carefully. Gina offered to go home with mine and pick it for me. Oh God I was relieved. I think I'm going to like this boyfriend-girlfriend idea anyways.

Wednesday came earlier than any of us anticipated. All thanks to the girls on my group,we had everything accurately prepared for. By Wednesday morning, nothing was left out.

I was to break ng the gas cylinder from my house and of course my dad brought me to school and I had the cylinder and the cooker. However it's described.

The girls brought big pots, turning spoon and stirring rod,blender,plastics,big coolers and absolutely everything we needed.

Our school has a large compound and asides the Agricultural science teacher that was closely looking at everything we were doing,there was no one else in sight. I know the rest of my classmates partaking in this competition were also cooking at the moment somewhere in the school,but I don't know where any of them is, because we were assigned our space by each of our supervisor,and the Agric teacher,Mr Akorede,happened to be ours.

Despite the fact that we already picked the rice and given it a thorough wash,Nancy advised we parboiled it to rid it of the remains of the dirts and stones and that was exactly what we did.

You needed to come and perceive the welcoming aroma of the stew we made. I poured the oil, Ruth poured the carefully sliced onions and Nancy poured the pepper,Feyisola added the bouillon while Gina salted it. And one after the other,we all took positions in front of the pot,taking turns adding the ingredients which included ponmo,smoked fish, tinu-eran to mention but a few.

In the end,the stew was calling to be served and you needed to see how red it looked,and each time someone put in a spoon, something came out with the stew. It was salivating.

We were told who and who amidst the teachers we were to give our delicacy,and you needed to see how tempting it was and how it was dished. Although we dished out some with the moin-moin leaves,but most were dished into chinawares. The proteinous ingredients just wouldn't allow you see the rice itself at all. All you see was the turkey,ponmo,egg just mention it. Our ofada was served to four teachers,we complemented it with a bottle of Malta Guinness for each of them. We also took a plate to Mr Lanre. We considered it reasonable.

Of course we had a portion given to our juniors,just enough to go round for tasting. And the rest if our classmates, including those that didn't qualify for the culinary assessment,we reserved a portion. And ours?,forget it. I got four disposables,the exact way we collected it at the end of the year parties,and the same goes to all other members of my group. Our quantity paid off just enough.

When I got to class, I realized group A wasn't the only group with great culinary talents,oh my God,come and see Egusi soup and Èfó rírò. You'll think they were prepared for VVIP parties.

The porridge'yeepa' moin-moin great. Ewédú and the gbègìrì. And the jollof rice? It was burnt orange and this was just the very sample you should see if anyone wants to start arguments on Nigerian jollof. Guys for that matter!

There was a fight of aroma in our classroom. Of course I tasted all the eight delicacies and I was relieved I wasn't part of those awarding the points because I surely wouldn't know who to give the best and worst points. I thought I was going to puke or purge but thankfully I did none.

Few of the teachers came to the class to tell us what wonderful cooks we were,how we could become chefs and all,but Mrs Ojelade,Mr Lanre and Mr Paseda did not show up for the rest of the day. And the following day.

That Friday anyways,we were summoned into the staff room while others went for fellowship. Mr Lanre was there and so was Mr Paseda,Mrs Ojelade was present as well,Mr Olorunda and four other teachers were there too.

Mrs Ojelade walked up to the board in the staff room. She divided it into nine with a red marker. Like before,a sheet of paper was in her left hand and out of it she wrote other left hand side of the board,in the first column.

The first thing she wrote was taste,then she wrote coordination on the second line,it was followed by tidiness,verbal presentation and lastly, thinking out of the box. The last two were alien to me, they were like words I've never heard before. We all exchanged questioning looks.

Now your group leader will step out and tell the audience how your delicacy was made and with what.

Another shocker! Is this a joke? Like a flash we were divided,five five,each person fallen in their group. I can't just start saying what we used to prepare what we prepared and ........" Can you defend our group? As in can you tell them all they need to know?"Georgina asked and I didn't even think before replying "s

Sure." Was I mad? How did I just say that,and confidently for that matter? Maybe I was just trying to be a dependable boyfriend.

As the judges summoned us to start speaking, Matthew raised his hand. He wasn't the group leader for group H,it was Gideon,the food vendor's son, but Matthew requested to speak in his stead. Everyone knows Gideon is a kind if shy guy and his utmost intimidation is caused by the principal and the vice principal.

" No problem." The principal waved at him.

How stupid I was, Georgina could make a very good presentation and I just stupidly agreed to do it. I'll never forgive myself if I let the group down. I foolishly concurred to do something I know I can't, and for the fact that we're the first group,I was going to speak first. No time to rehearse. I looked at the four girls in my group. I can't let them down. And I can't afford to loose either. So with a quick and swift prayer,I gently relived how it all started,but I didn't just began to talk.

I started by greeting each and everyone of them, thanking them for their time and how we all appreciate them. I could see how they were penning things down, even before I started bringing out the points.

And in the most fabulous way I could think of at the moment,I began to talk." Ofada rice is a Nigerian delicacy that cannot be abandoned or ignored in Nigeria, especially by the yorubas. It depicts patience, coordination, tidiness and plenty of sauce." I start after previously mentioning every ingredient I remember. " You need to be careful when you're picking the rice."I remember I didn't pick it,but if course I saw the difference between when they first bought the rice and when they brought it back after picking.

" Even after carefully picking it,we had it parboiled to get rid of all we don't want. And the only other thing we added to the rice is the accurate quantity of salt,thanks to the very able hands we have in our group." Of course I tried to add some humor. I got smiles in response.

"You can't enjoy the delicacy if you can't prepare it's very own stew. As the typical yorubas that we are,we made use of palm oil,we added sliced onions as the first spice before adding the pepper." Then I told them all we added to make it delicious. And at some point,I made a show of l*****g my lips to depict how delicious I remembered it to be." And that was how we made the ofada so delicious and tasty. Thank you all once again."I concluded.

Georgina took my hand." That was fabulous."

I knew it was , despite the fact that I was initially developing cold feet.

Well ,the pounded yam group had plenty to talk about,yes Busola did copy my greetings,but they didn't have the intro.

Moin-moin and Èko group also spoke but they weren't a challenge to me.

Matt had always been very good with speeches,trust someone whose passion is what. He brings it out first class and he was the only real threat I perceived.

At the end,Mrs Ojelade began to write the points on the board as Mr Olorunda gathered the points by all the judges for aggregate.

It was five sections we were been tested on and I saw how it was ending.

She wrote out the aggregates for taste first. Both rice,both Àmàla and both yam groups got full twenty points,but both beans groups tired at eighteen.

There was pindrop silence after that.

" The ofada group was a typical downright example of good co-ordination and cooperation."said Mr Akorede,our Agric teacher. He obviously gave us close scrutiny to help us now,not downgrade us." They were very cooperative with each other and that really awarded them the full marks."

Group B and H got sixteen points. C,D,E and G got fifteen points each but group F got an hyphen. Another moment of silent questioning looks dawned.

" Oh,yeah you lost all your co-ordination points the moment you started throwing punches as if your argument wasn't enough to crush you already." Mrs Ojelade informed with and to disappointment.

They didn't tell the class they had a fight. Why would they anyways? It wasn't like they won a valour.

For tidiness we got fifteen,group B and G got twenty,group C,E and H got seventeen but D and F got twelve. As I was predicted,our group and H are the only ones who got a full twenty for the speech. All other groups got sixteen points each,except the Àmàla dúdú group,they got eighteen.

Thinking outside the box was what disqualified other groups,but thanks to the fact that we used moin-moin leaves,served the ofada with turkey,egg and malt,we got twenty points each and so did the jollof rice group, moin-moin and pounded yam group. I later learnt jollof rice group also made dodo and served with not only the requested salad,but with chicken and soft drinks.

The pounded yam group made another soup asides Egusi and made zobo drink as well,while the moin-moin group made some akara and as I saw it,they put both egg and fish inside the moin-moin that was wrapped in moin-moin leaves as well as their Èko,but all the other groups followed the instructions they were given to the letter,and mercilessly,they all got zero! I knew immediately that the Àmàla láfún group,group F was gone.

So we won,and closely behind us came the jollof rice group with only two marks to spare,thank God they weren't so coordinated,maybe our source of coordination was because there was no more than one guy. Guys could be controversial at times like this. Girls could be too,but not in situations that are culinary.

Pounded yam came third with one point behind group H, moin-moin group came fourth with Àmàla dúdú taking the last slot with only one thankful point more than the èwà àgòyìn group. Àmàla láfún was last,they didn't even get up to fifty. Why in heaven's name would they even be fighting while cooking? In the midst of a competition? I hope they've learnt their lessons.

I realized,it wasn't about the group I fell in after all,it was about how much energy I enforced and the co-operation of who and who were my group members.

Now,we need to concentrate on the next part of the competition ,at least the culinary assessment is not the end if the competition,but so far I was still the best!