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I walked gingerly to his side, touched him lightly on his shoulder to see if he was truly asleep. He was. I took the bottle from him and set it on the floor. I motioned to Tola to come help me carry him. She shook her head. I glared at her, she threw her hands up in frustration and came beside me. Together we took Niyi to my room. She said,
‘Goodbye and good luck.’ And left my room.
I undressed Niyi to his boxers. I filled a bowl with water and soaked a towel in it. I moped him with the wet towel and covered him up with the towel. I went to the kitchen and fetched a bottle of water and a sachet of paracetamol. I placed him beside him by the table. I took a pillow and went to sleep on the couch. Before sleep claimed me, I prayed to God.
‘God, please have mercy.’
The sofa was uncomfortable to sleep in so I woke up also every hour. I checked on Niyi every time I woke up. I readjusted his head on the pillow and the duvet around him. I checked his temperature and I was glad that his fever has gone, he was snoring softly. When it was finally 5a.m I couldn’t go back to sleep. I tiptoed to my room fearing not to wake him up. I was still sleeping soundly. He was lying on his stomach and the duvet was almost off him, I didn’t bother to readjust it again. I quietly rampaged into my wardrobe and came up with some of his clothes he had left behind, thank goodness I still have them. I laid a clean boxers, singlet, jeans and polo on the bed. I dropped a new toothbrush on it. I tiptoed into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and washed my face and retraced my steps out of my room, closing the door softly behind me.
For a full minutes, I sat down for a full minute thinking of the next line of action before Niyi wakes up. From generation to generation, mothers have past it down to their children that ‘a full stomach is the way to a man’s heart,’ it was time to find out. I knew prawn rice and dodo was Niyi’s best food, and luckily for me I have the ingredient in my freezer except prawn but I had shrimps which was a good substitute and an aphrodisiac, I wanted him horny! I stood up with a new determination to win my man back and marched to the kitchen. I got all the ingredient I needed, which were, shrimps, chicken wings, cow flesh (ponmo), cow leg(bokoto), green and white onions, smoked fish, carrots, plantain, pepper, rice, seasoning, locust beans, salt, palm oil, vegetable oil, out of the freezer and cupboards. I got down to cooking. First I blended my red pepper, tomato and onions together in the electric blende because of the unreliable power supply. I plugged in the electric kettle to make hot water.
I rinsed the chicken wings and cow leg(bokoto), three times, put it into a pot, and added water, salt, seasoning and onions. It was ready for the stove. I washed, peeled and diced my carrots, ponmo and green onions. Then I peeled the scales off my shrimps. I watched it, put it into a pot, added a bit of salt and small water, I covered it and put it on the gas cooker to boil. The smoked fishes were next to be cleaned. I removed the bones, the big and small bones and cut them into small pieces. I poured the hot water on them and covered it up. I dropped the boiled shrimps from the gas cooker and replaced it with a big pot filled with water. I washed my rice and put added it to the pot on the stove to per-boil. I sliced in some onions and splashed in little vegetable oil. I sliced my white onions and plantain and watched my locust beans while waiting for the rice to per-boil. I lit the second compartment of the gas cooker and put another pot on it. I left it to heat for 20seconds and added a good measure of vegetable oil. I added some onions, I turned the onions around in the pot so that it wouldn’t burn, after 10seconds, I added the pepper.
‘Sshhhrrrcchh,’ it purred as the hot oil met the cold pepper. I added my washed locust beans and stirred it. I covered it up. I was sneezing profusely. I sieved the ponmo, smoked fish, chicken wings and bokoto of its water and added it into the mixture in the pot. I divided the shrimps into two and poured half into the pot too, I added two cubes of seasoning. I stirred together and tasted to know the quantity of salt to add to my stew. I added some salt and tasted again.
‘Perfecto!’ I said to myself. I covered it up and reduced the fire to the most minimum. I mopped my face, I was sweating. I opened the pot with the rice in it, tasted it, it has soften to the texture I wanted. I poured it into the sieve. I rinsed the same pot on put it back on the stove. I poured some water into into, just a little, like 35cl then I added little salt and vegetable oil. I spread my rice into it bit by bit. At every layer I spread some shrimps, carrots, green and white onions till the whole pot was covered. I did this because I didn’t want to stir the rice, if I stir, it would burn. I covered it up. I opened the stew, it was cooked, I dropped it on the kitchen table. I wiped my face of sweat again. I brought out the frying pan from the cabinet, washed it and put it on the stove.
‘Ppsshh ppsshh.’ That was the sound of the fire licking the water. When the pot was dry I poured in some palm oil (Niyi does not like his plantain fried with vegetable oil.) When it was heated I put the sliced plantain into it, some hot oil splashed out and some landed on my arm hand a feet. I cried out.
‘Sorry oo,’ I heard behind me. I looked at Tola who was leaning against the kitchen door frame.
‘Ose, igbawo loji?'(when did you wake up?) I asked as I turned the plantain to its other half to fry.
‘The question is not when I woke up, it is what woke me!’ She moved over to the pot and opened the pots.
‘Areeeeyy! Are we expecting the president? You have outdone yourself I swear!’ She said.
‘I’m cooking for my man and you aren’t eating until he wakes up!’ I threatened her as I put the second batch of plantain in the drying pan and switched of the fire under the rice.
‘No do that one oo. When did you wake up self?’ She meant to ask how long I have been cooking.
‘Since five, ki lago so bayi?'(What time is it?) I asked.
‘It’s almost 7,’ she replied. I’ve been cooking for almost two hours. I have put my heart and soul into it. I just prayed and wished my effort would not go in vain. Everything was ready. I brought out three food warmers and poured my rice, stew and fried plantain into the warmers respectively. Tola offered to wash the pots and I was grateful because my legs were tired.
‘Please, can you help me make oat?’ I asked Tola. She looked at me like I was crazy.
‘Kilo tun fefi shee?'(what do you want use it for) she asked.
‘Oat is good for hangover, it settles the stomach and makes someone hungry. He will need it.’ I explained to her.
‘Ok then.’ She said. I went into her room and showered. I put on one of her tank-top and bumshort. She came in as I was combing my hair. She eyed me smiling.
‘You look good sis. Planning on seducing someone?’ She asked.
‘No ma’am, where’s your make up bag?’ I asked and she handed it to me.
‘Do me a favor Tola. Don’t come into the pallor until I call you ok?’
‘Arh! if hungry come catch me nko?’ She asked. I looked at the clock on the wall. 7:45am.
‘If by 9am I no call you, you fit show.’ I told her. I did a very light make up on my face. I admired myself in the mirror and walked into the living room.
I sat on the couch that faced my room. I turned on the TV and pretend to watch it, but I was actually watching my door. I heard some movement in my room, my heart started racing and skipping. I wanted to go into my room, at least peep in from the key whole, but I didn’t. Partly because I was scared and partly because I knew he needed his privacy. The time crawled by as I waited for him to come out. 20 minutes later, my door opened quietly. I had planned to pretend to be engrossed with the TV but I couldn’t take my eyes off the door way. He came out slowly. He was wearing the clothe I left for him. That made me happy a bit. Just seeing him standing in my apartment filled my heart with hope. Oh how much I’ve missed him. Our gaze locked for a few seconds before he dropped his. I could feel he was a bit embarrassed to be in my house, so I spoke the first word.
‘Hi,’ I said softly but firmly. I was a bit surprised that my my voice was firm because I was shaking within.
‘Hi,’ he replied. He walked gently to the sofa, one hand was on his head, holding it as if it would fall off.
‘Did you take the drugs I left for you,’ I asked. He rested his elbows on his thighs and dropped his head into his hands. He moaned in pains softly. My heart went to him, I wanted to go to him and wrap my hands around his head and kiss his pains away, but I restrained myself.
‘ I did but I vomited it, I don’t think anything can stay in my tommy right now.’ He said obviously reacting to his hangover.
‘Just rest your back and head against the sofa,’ he did. ‘Take shallow long breath till I get back, ok?’ I said heading for the kitchen. I poured the oat into a bowl, I added some sugar and a lot of milk. I put it on a tray, drop a spoon on a clean napkin, added a bottle of water and cup to it and headed back for the sitting room. I met him in the position I left him. I dropped the tray on a nearby stool and called him to eat. He said,
‘My head is aching seriously, I don’t think I can move it without it falling.’ I smiled to myself.
‘Ok, don’t move it, I will be right back.’ I went into my bedroom and came back with two pillows. I supported his back with one and his head on the second one. I sat on the sofa handle and put the tray on my laps. I dipped the spoon into the oat and started feeding him. He was reluctant ant first but after three spoons he relaxed. Tears grazed my eyes, but I refused to cry. I was ready to battle my way back into his heart, I was ready to cajole, to bribe, even to beg, but not with tears. I shook the tears away and fed my man. Ours eyes locked. I tried to read his expression but I couldn’t, I wore my heart in my eyes. I let my emotion showed on my face. The oat finished and I used the napkin to clean the corner of his mouth.
‘Thank you Joke.’ He said.
‘You are welcome. How do you feel now?’ I asked. He moved his head from right to left then nodded up and down.
‘Wow, I feel better. Did you put anything in the oat?’ He asked.
‘At all. Cereals and milk is just good for hangover, do you want some water.’ I asked him, he said no. I dropped the tray in the kitchen and rushed back to the living room. I went back to my previous seat and pretended to watch TV. I wished and prayed he would say something, my prayers was answered after 4 minutes.
‘Hhmmgbmn, I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t know what got into me. Did I hurt you?’ He asked. I smiled at him.
‘It’s ok. And no you didn’t hurt me.’ I reassured him.
‘Was Tola there last night, I think I saw her or was I hallucinating?’ He asked taking off the pillow he had behind his bed. I sensed it would embarrass him if he knew she was there. I was torn between telling the truth and protecting him. When I remembered it was the truth that landed me here in the first place, I lied.
‘No she wasn’t, she came home very late yesterday.’ I saw him breathe in relief and I was happy I lied. Something I read in a book popped up in my head. “In a relationship, men lie to cheat, women lie to protect.” That phrase just made sense to me. Since the line of communication was opened, I took my chances.
‘Niyi,’ I called. He looked at me and I held his gaze.
‘I’m very sorry, I’m so sorry.’ I said dropping my gaze and head. After some seconds, he said,
‘I know you are sorry, I accept your apology and sorry too.’ It was as if I was dreaming. I looked at his face and I couldn’t detect any prank! He has really forgiven me! I felt like jumping, crying, laughing, I also felt like hugging and kissing him but I kept my seat, however, my face was in shock.
‘Don’t look so shock, you see, life has taught me a few things since we parted. When you….’ He was saying when Tola’s door opened! I felt like strangling her. What a timing! Smiled at me and looked up. I followed her line of sight, it was the clock. It was 9:13a.m. I rolled my eyes at her, all these happened in three seconds. Niyi quickly adjust himself and took out the other pillow behind him. I was scared a bit that Tola would give me away but she acted all surprised to see Niyi.
‘Hi, Niyi, long time. How are you!’ She asked and it occurred to me that she has been eavesdropping on us. Arh Tola!
‘Hello Tola. O tie bere mi.'(you didn’t ask of me). Niyi queried Tola.
‘Ma binu, I’ve not been around for 2month, just got back a few days, when I asked of you, she said you are in Ghana on business.’ She lied conveniently. I didn’t know if I should hate or love her. Niyi searched my face, I smiled and tried to convince Niyi with my expression. He bought the story because he said,
‘Yea, work tied me down in Ghana.’ The chatted for some seconds while I watched both of them act, especially Tola. Gosh, that girl is a born actress. After some time she said,
‘Something smells delicious here and it’s making me very hungry!’ She declared. I took my inspiration from her and introduced my speciality of the day. I said it looking at Niyi. I wanted to see the effect it would have on him.
‘Well, I cooked prawn rice, plantain and stew.’ Niyi’s eyes almost fell out of there sockets, then he smiled and the smile turned into a grin. Out stomach growled at the same time and we laughed. Tola spoke next.
‘But wait oo Joke, when I got home last night, there was no food in that kitchen, I know because I was very hungry and everything was raw, which means you just cooked it this morning. What time did you start cooking?’ She asked. I smiled to myself. She purposely asked that question to show Niyi I did it for him. I was grateful for the question because Niyi was now giving me all his attention. He wanted to know too. I gave the answer that was true to my heart.
‘It’s been long I saw my man, and now that he’s here, I wanted to feed him his best food.’ Niyi and I stared at each other, communicating with our heart.
‘Ok then, I’m hungry, lets eat.’ Tola said and went to the kitchen, I waited behind.
‘How do you feel now, can you eat something?’ I asked Niyi.
‘As a matter of fact, I’m very hungry, and even if I wasn’t hungry, I can’t pass over what you have cooked.’ I smiled at him and headed for the kitchen, he drew my hand as I passed him. He drew me down with my hand and dropped a kiss on my lips, a simple kiss but one filled with promises and love.
‘Thank you,’ he said and tears rolled down my cheeks. I went into the kitchen before he saw it.
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