JUST A TASTE
Episode 9
NADIA continues: Listen, there are two ways to learn, either the easy way. Or the hard way.
My guess was mine would be hard. Not just hard but extremely hard.
I had burned in flames and angrily started towards the door. Expecting her to call me back.
But, she didn’t say a word. As I approached the door I deliberately lingered a bit. Still, no
“Nadia please come back”
My mind had to remind me to use the little sense of reasoning I had. So I gently turned back and collected the plate from her.
“Make sure you wash all the dishes”
I closed my eyes and bit my lips. Trying so hard to compress the anger I felt, in one magazine I read…it was explained that taking a deep breathe helps relieve stress. What I felt was raw anger but who knows, maybe it can work for me. So I took a deep breathe and sighed repeatedly to calm my nerves.
DANIEL: The text I received turn my whole world upside down. I read over and over again. I wanted Akin to confirm the text, although I felt I was giving him the opportunity to pry into my personal life way too early. But I needed someone to confirm that I was still normal. Or that I could stil see well.
“Dan, your Father is alive. I mean your real Father”
Akin read aloud
“Is that what the text says?”
I asked. Like I never understood after reading it for more than 67times in just 30minutes.
“Emm, that’s what I read bro. What does this mean? You lost your Father years back?”
I nodded in affirmation.
“Who sent this?”
It took me time to finally answer
“My uncle?”
Akin was quiet for a while. I was thinking he didn’t want to pry into my personal life without my consent. I signaled him to go ahead.
“Do you trust this your Uncle?”
He asked. Good question
“Cos why will he tell you this now, if there isn’t something he wants to gain from it?”
“Something like what?”
I was quick to ask
“Like trying to make you have issues with your mom. I mean you would definitely hate your mom for a while for keeping this from you”
He made sense. But I wasn’t satisfied. My uncle had texted me a place to meet him up. So I stole out of the academy to see for myself.
Only to discover he had planned my death. I ran with my two legs flying in the air. It was like my legs transformed to a super Jet. First I had suspected the secluded area he picked. And then I noticed some suspicious men hanging around. I didn’t just bother to go further. Or find out if he was really after my life. I took off, even before he saw me.
NADIA: My expectations concerning my planned private lessons was so high that I felt I would go crazy just by thinking about it. Or maybe my head would burst for excited thoughts of what my first food lesson would be. Maybe fried rice, or Jollof rice. You know those sweet, top, classics foods. Only for the woman to slash and destroy my expectations, right from the source, when she requested
“Just prepare pap”
My eyes went dim. The sudden look of disappointment was written all over me.
In case you don’t know what pap means.
Edo people call it “Akamu”
It is also called “Ogi”
Like seriously? Pap? What does this woman take me for?
“What are you doing?”
Her eyes went wide. She was watching me trying to boil the raw pap.
“Making pap nah”
She shook her head. I was thinking she just realized that she had alot of work to do.
“Nadia, do you love cooking?”
It was an honest question. But I wondered why she asked now that am trying to prepare the pap that would land her in an hospital bed.
“Yes”
I lied. And she caught me
“Tell me the truth”
She pushed on. I saw no reason to lie so I just opened up
“No ma. Cooking sucks”
She laughed at first. And I was like ‘why is this one laughing?’
“Then why are you here. Why do you want to learn?”
What is really wrong with this woman? I have given her the solid reason before.
“To prove to Wilson that I can cook”
She walked up to me and collected the bowl I held with the raw pap in it.
“And tell me what you’ve learnt so far?”
I tried to crack my brain. But even the Egyptian hawawshi. I couldn’t even remember the ingredients.
“Listen, Brenda picked you and your crew”
I made her stop when I held up my hand
“Wait, how did you know that? Who are you?”
I had to ask. Confusion was written all over my face.
“That’s not the point, you must know that there are a lot of people in your group who will kill to be in where you girls are now”
I attempted to protest a little further but she butt in
“And you will all fail, because you don’t enjoy what you do. In this world you’ve found yourself. This Academy in particularly. Trust no one. No one is after your good. Even your supervisor can’t be trusted. Your roommate can’t be trusted. I can’t be trusted. You can’t be trusted”
It was like she was speaking riddles. I wasn’t getting her point. Was this an Academy or a war front?
“You talk like am in a war front”
She nodded
“Yes you are. There is a competition that is held every 5years with the prize of 5million dollars. And a sponsor to open your own food plaza. Even your supervisor is aspiring to win cos it begins this year. So what makes you think she would teach you guys all she knows. What makes you think your seniors wouldn’t try to eliminate you if they discover your potentials?”
She was getting me confused
“Ma I don’t understand your point”
“My point is simple!
1- Enjoy cooking, see it as your life
2. Keep your progress and skills a secret from everyone.
3- Trust nobody”
I headed back to my room that evening, thinking of all she had said. But who is she? She just stated that she herself can’t be trusted. What is really going on in this Academy? Or should I just abandon everything and escape now that it’s still safe?
I got to understand what she meant when I got back to my room, to find Joyce unconscious. Bleeding profusely.
Ok enough jokes. This is getting serious..
Just A Taste continues
Episode 10
DANIEL: The reason I got into this storyline was because, I got twisted with Nadia in complicated ways I couldn’t imagine.
I had gotten back to the Academy late in the night. I would have to sneak in but my problem was at night, security was tight.
I was praying so hard I make it to my room alive.
Who knows, all those Hausa soldiers that smokes dry weed can just fire me thinking its one stray rabbit.
And I was right.
“Who’s there?!”
I froze at first. Waiting for the angry man to get to me. But the guy cracked his gun. It was then I realized he wasn’t approaching me to hear my explanation. I took off and he pursued.
I found a dark tunnel and without thinking what I might encounter while going thru it. I ran inside.
And you won’t believe this man followed.
My initial plan was to hide there for a while and then later come out when he was out of sight.
But plans change. I hurried to the other side.
To the glory of God I came out in our floor. But it wasn’t my Hall.
I noticed a door open, I ran in and shut the door.
Ok, listen. This is were our original story started from. Because I actually ran into Nadia’s room. Only to discover there was an unconscious lady, bleeding. From frying pan to fire.
NADIA: The shock that overwhelmed me got me startled for the next 2minutes. It wasn’t my fault. The horrific tales I heard from the mysterious old woman had created fear in my mind already.
I didn’t know I had not even locked the door until the person I least expected rushed in
“Jesus! God no..God no! Why me today. Why do they want to kill me?!”
Lord of heaven. My heart had left me. My thoughts were the people responsible had come to finish the Job. But It was just Daniel. What was he doing in my room. He was sweating profusely. He was panting and fidgeting like a scared rabbit.
“Daniel?”
Before I uttered another word I heard a knock on my door. He quickly hid behind the door and signaled me not to sell him out.
Sell him out keh, when I have my own case to hide.
“Sir there is no one here. Please I am naked”
That was the word to convince the man.
When he was finally gone. I rushed to Joyce and applied pressure to her chest. She was pleading from a slight tear on her forehead. She must have hit her head somewhere. Thank goodness I knew exactly what to do. Am a Doctor nah.
“What do we do?”
I asked Daniel who has been standing afar off by the door. He made sure there was a very reasonable gap between us. I knew he was thinking I did the damage.
“What’s we? You and who?”
He quickly replied.
“Mr man. Whether you like it or not. We are in this together now. Except you want me to call back the security”
I threatened. After he hesitated for a while he gave in.
“Take hold this scissors. I have to sew her up”
I made sure all my medical kits were with me. I had taken them with me to the academy.
He was quiet as I sew her up and made her lie on her back to stop the bleeding. Slowly I could sense life coming back to her.
We couldn’t sleep. he sat opposite me, with his back against the wall.
I had a lot as to say. A lot to ask. And I knew he had something to say to. But we sat looking up to the ceiling. Like there was something special in it.
“So you tried to kill her”
He finally spoke out.
“Kill who? Is like there is something wrong with you. Or I should be scared that you want to kill me. What are you doing in my room at this time of the night?” I fired back immediately. I had been expecting him to say it. I had been prepared.
He was quiet again.
“That’s why you tore my trousers the other day”
He shot again.
“After you planned to disgrace me. And for the record you bath me with sour food so what’s the big deal”
Silence again. Till he asked another question, the one I least expected.
“What happened Nadia. You were broken that day. Who hurt you?”
I opened my mouth but no words came out. I felt he was trying to read me, so I turned my face before I found the words to reply.
“None of your business”
I expected him to say something else, but he didn’t so I asked
“Where are you coming from by this time. And why was the security after you?”
My mind was telling me he had went clubbing.
And I had the right to know since he took refuge in my room. But then, the guy had the guts to reply
“None of your business”
And we stayed quiet all night. I even fell asleep and woke up to still see him in the same sitting position. It was almost 4am. Now there is trouble. Because Joyce had not woken up yet.
“Daniel, she has not woken up”
I muttered, i was panicking already.
“So?”
He asked. For a while there he didn’t understand till I gesticulated at the time.
“Ok ok. Am out of here”
He stood up and started towards the door.
“It seems you’re forgetting something”
“What?”
“That any guy found in the ladies Hall is outright expulsion”
He sat back.
“God, why is this happening to me? Which kind wahala be all this one”.
He lamented. That’s not my business anyway. We are in this one together, whether the Devil likes it or not.
I remembered I had Robb with me. I quickly applied to her nose continuously till she sneezed and jerk up.
” let me go! Let me go!”
Daniel rushed to her like the flash and held her mouth even before i made a move.
“What’s wrong with you. It’s like you want to expose us”
I hit his hands off her.
“What’s wrong with you. Can’t you see she is hurt?”
He held his head and looked up to heaven
“God, let this cup pass me by”
He lametd again
I hissed and turned to Joyce.
“What happened”
She held my hand and muttered.
“It was our supervisor. Brenda”
Just a taste
Continues
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