Ngozi's Jollof

PREFACE I sat on the bed, thinking. I had tried to sleep but sleep had chosen to be far from me and so now I was up, sitting as a very broke student who had so many needs that had to met and no finances to meet them. Maybe I should collect loan, so that I can pay the loans I owing.... Hmmmm.... It was a thought but not a definite option, I was already owing two online loan vendors. There had to be another way. Home was not an option, not when my dad had said ‘That 5000 Naira is the last money I have. Please don't call me till upper week.' I can start a business in this school. This was very much a option but what business? I had a small bag of rice at home and I could cook. This was definitely it. I was going to start a mini-restaurant in school. THE YOUNG HUSBAND “Ngozi, this your rice go work wonders in the life of many students of this school." This was the day I started the business. I knew I was a great cook but anxiety and worry had taken a place in my heart and so, I asked my roommate and best friend, Dorathy, to help me taste the food. After she was done with a plate, she dived in to take more from the container, hoping her eulogies would distract me from noticing her attempts. “Dora, don't take again."I said, pulling the container closer to me and placing the lid on it. “If you finish it, which one would I sell?” She placed her plate aside and sat erect on the chair. “Your tagline should be Miracle rice, because this rice would definitely heal the sick and wrought other great works in the life of many students." My ego was flourishing from all the eulogies, the worry and anxiety slowly fading away. Dorathy accompanied me to the stand that day, she was helping me out, assisting with orders and filling the air around me with ease; telling jokes and teasing people. The night ended with me going home with an empty container, a win for us and a big loss for Dorathy's long throat. “I am happy for you babes. First day and you sold out completely," Dorathy said, the best friend in her showing off. “Thank you. We make a formidable team except your long throat.” Dorathy chuckled, “Babes, make I no even whine you, I would have been more than happy if there were left overs but then, there is none. Just take it like this, my long throat is my sign to you that you are good at what you do.” “I love you.” “I love you too babes." She crossed a hand over my shoulder, a smile plastered on our faces . ”Today was just the beginning. Tomorrow, I am going bigger.” “Bigger is better. They don't know what is coming.” She was shouting, hyping me up, leaving me beside myself in glee. “They don't know.” I said, acting out from her contagious excitement. The tales about that night didn't stop. When we got home, we retold jokes we told at the stand, laughing all over again. “Did you see that guy? Shades, black short sleeve top and jorts,” Dorathy asked. I was sitting beside her, sorting out for class the next day while she was wrapping up her night skincare routine. “The one who came in that BMW car. Tall and . .” “Yes. Yes. Yes," Dorathy exclaimed. “Ngozi, that guy was feeling you like mad.”She said. “Omor, he made it so obvious with his crazy stares." I laughed.. “Dorathy , I can predict the direction of this your talk and so I would say this. You know I just started this, I am not thinking about relationship or boyfriend with any customer right now or ever. All I am trying to do is sell out plates and get this money,the highest I can give any guy is friendly vibes. ” “Ngozi, no even talk am,” She sat up erect on the bed and pulled me so that I gave her my full attention. “Did you see that guy? Ngozi, you did not see him.That guy is not just a customer. He is a fine customer and surely, an answered prayer.” “Who tell you sey I de pray for man?” I said. She immediately let out a sigh in response. Day after day, he would show up at my place. He was tall and neat with an impeccable dressing sense. Dorathy once called him the perfect muse for a 'black is beautiful' campaign. The number of times she said 'Damn' when she saw him was unhealthy, she kept saying that she did not know why he was wasting time, that if he wanted to approach me that he should do it already. I, on the other hand, my mind wasn't really stayed on him though at times, I would think of him as someone I might be interested in.... “I like your rice.” He said one faithful day. He had just finished eating and instead of leaving as he would do on other days, he approached me. “Thank you. I cook to please “ “I am more than pleased. Your rice slaps harder than my mother's palms” Comparing my rice to the slap of his mum's palms left me somewhat intrigued and I smiled in appreciation of the humour . “Can I get your number?” He said. “To order rice?” His smile tipped at both sides,“Can it be more than that?” “I had anticipated this.” “Really?” “The crazy stares. Even the trees wondered if you were never going to approach me. The thing is you don't come off to me as a shy guy. I mean I once saw you around that Agric Lecture hall and you seemed pretty confident, you were like the life there. But when you are here, you are just staring, like you have lost all that confidence.” “The real thing is you are a beautiful girl. Extraordinary. Mesmerizing,” he flattered me with his words and hit me heavy with his smile.“I did not just want to come to you. I wanted to come correct” “ What if I say this is not correct enough?” “I would do my correction and try again” “Now you are talking like I am one of those maths classwork they give in secondary school." “You are my classwork and I promise to put all the work I need to put to get a right on this one.” I shook my head in response. “I am Calculus." “Thank God, I am an engineer."He said, bringing forth my smile. Now he was standing here and we were talking, having a conversation that was beyond ordering rice, it was different,even having a totally different feel attached to it . I couldn't deny his handsomeness and even how that I was somewhat interested in him. I gave him my number. Dorathy had not accompanied me to the stand that day and so when I returned, I had to unpack everything that happened for her and she was just as excited as I thought she would be. “Did you give him your number?” Dora asked when I was done speaking . “Yes, I did.” I said Dorathy rose up from the bed, her excitement great and we jammed our hands in a high five. “Babe, take it from me, you are my personal Ronaldo and this particular shot na shot on target. In fact, Winning goal.” “Babe, let's not go far. I have a good feeling about it but chill.” Dorathy laughed, “Wait, is he not your customer again?” She said . “Dorathy leave me oo." I said “Answer me" This was her reminding me of my earlier promise not to mix business with pleasure “Nothing is happening yet but if something is to happen, I guess I can combine them both. Customer and lover.” “Something would happen. I know it.” Dorathy said with so much certainty in her voice. Well, something happened. I would start chatting with him consistently and discover that his real name was Akin. He would still be a regular customer at my place, showing up daily, cracking me up with his elite jokes and pinching me everytime I passed his table. I would soon find myself falling for him without repercussions. Our first kiss would be in his car on a day he drove me to the market. It happened when we were returning, the rain and heavy traffic kept us on the road longer than supposed and while we talked to pass time, he took my lips in his and kissed me. “Let me take you shopping next week ,” He said to me as we basked in the quiet and smiles that followed the kiss. I agreed, even choosing a time and place . He had promised to come pick up for the shopping date and he did. Dorathy being all busybody, came outside a dozen times since for some reason I couldn't fathom, her clothes kept on falling off the ropes they were hung on. She had picked out an outfit for me and that was exactly what I wore (she didn't even give me a chance to oppose her decision). She was outside when I came out of the house and she watched as Akin held me, pulling me into a kiss, and she went ahead to release a fake cough. I introduced her to him. “Let's go," I said and Akin took my hand and led the way before Dorathy started asking stupid question In the shopping mall, we loaded bags with various items, talked a lot and basically, enjoyed each other's company. It wasn't us trying force a connection. Chemistry, talks, banters came easily. Freely. I loved it. Outside, he said something , I didn't hear the entire thing but I smiled at him. He smiled too, and then, pulled me close and kissed me. It was sweeter than the kiss in the car, hotter too.Its replay ran in my head a dozen times and I longed earnestly for a repeat. In the car heading home, I stared at him, my heart swelled with happiness. I saw him as my blessing and though I was in year one, and I was told that it was impossible to keep a love from year one to the end of one's school year, I had faith in what we had and I chose to believe that this would stand the test of time. The sad truth was faith was not substantial enough to sustain a relationship, it could be shattered and little did I know that mine would soon be shattered. I was setting up the next day expecting him to show up like he had been doing, unknown to me that this day would be different in that a big drama would preceed his coming . As I was setting up, I heard someone shouting. People love a good gossip, so they followed the fellow shouting till she got to my place. When she got to my place, I wondered what had brought her there. “Are you the girl that cooks jollof?” She approached me. “Yes," I uttered, unsure why I was even answering her. She looked at the woman who accompanied her, smiled a wicked smile and said “She is the one.” The one who did what! “Jollof girl, today na we de cook and we no de cook rice” The other woman added and I became even more confused. “I don't understand. Who are you guys and what do you want from me ?” I said in a bid to display some boldness and act unafraid. “She dey call us guys," The main woman said and the other woman laughed in response. I was a bit annoyed. I mean I had a business to run and every second I spent here with them was delaying my progress. I crossed my two arms against each other, pressed it on to my chest and stared at them with every atom of seriousness I could afford. “Madam, I am Akin's wife.”