SATURDAY NIGHTS WITH SPARKS

WHERE'S MY JOLLOF? 

I sat in my room that morning, one of those days when you wake up and lie down lazily on your bed, thinking of sweet nothings.

I had been invited to a wedding by my friend and I couldn't fathom the joy that I would see wedding jollof again....it was mind-blowing. I laid on the bed reminiscing on the slightly orange, no it can’t be red that would be too much tomato, single grained rice, with a distinct aroma that could still be perceived days after, and that piece of fried meat sitting gallantly in the middle staring at you. Please do not insult wedding jollof with plantain; you can carry out that sacrilege at home. This is a revered meal.

I am not a glutton, but my oh my!! There is something about wedding jollof that makes it stand out from the ones we cook all at home. I dunno if it's the firewood used in cooking, or the condiments and spices, I can't just place it!!

Who is feeling this testimony, brethren? Glory !!!

One of my favorite hymns in church says "I need no other argument, I need no other plea"...for Jollof, I need no other invitation.

I took my time to bath, after pushing out the excesses of the previous day, to give room for the meal of the day...the meal to come....my jollof. I put on my Asoebi, I have never liked gele...my "off shoulder" sleeveless flowered gown, just on my knee, my navy blue shoe with red heels, I held a small red clutch, my phone and that was it. I don't like baggage, straight to the point. You know my signature ponytail hairstyle na...with little makeup...I was good to go.

I called up my girls and we met at the junction. Never!! And I repeat never!! go to the church service, you won’t make it in time to the reception venue to get the best seats. We arrived at the reception venue, one cool hotel, looking all tush, my eyes scanning the hall for the location of my jollof.

See, Jollof needs no introduction at any event. Burial, naming ceremony, wedding, birthday, please name it! We allowed our noses guide us to the perfect seat, not too far from where you can see the couple, and relatively close to where the buffet table was. Gbam!!

You know in Nigeria, many people abuse this word - buffet. I mean, you go to a wedding and they say its buffet, but they don't let you serve yourself. It happens in two ways; either there is a mean looking lady behind the table, bypassing all the chicken laps on top of the tray, to look for the wings, ribs and chest to serve you, while you seethe behind that tight smile.

 Oya lets do that smile....1..2...3...smile, shut your teeth together(to avoid calling her a "beach"), blink three to four times (to stop the tears)...then mouth thank you. I suggest you walk away calmly.

This same buffet in Nigeria also means; these same mean girls, will share the food, and now hand it over to very partial sets of girls called ushers, who look at your table and bypass you if they find no eligible bachelor.

Trouble started when it was time to share drinks. Lemme tell you something, if they share wine and soft drinks for everyone, and then drop water, serviette and tooth pick on your table, I can assure you with 98% confidence that you are getting no jollof that day.

During the chairman's speech, they started serving the food, beginning from the high table. The ushers kept passing my table with hot steaming jollof as if we were invisible. I acted cool because they just started serving like 15minutes ago.

I kept glancing at the tray of jollof rice behind me, rubbing that invisible spot behind my neck, and watched as it kept reducing in quantity. I was sweating lightly now, despite the cool AC close-by. I was praying in my heart, wondering what I did wrong in my past life to deserve this treatment. By now, the visitors in my stomach had started grumbling; they took part in the cleanup exercise, and were expecting a reward by now.

I continued sipping my water as I professed faith that the pastor preached about the previous week. I tried every trick I knew, even smiling at the ushers as they passed, all to no avail. Could this be payback? Did karma remember when I hid my pot of jollof rice that hot afternoon my friends visited? Ahhh!! Karma is a "beach" that suffers no amnesia!!

Respite came my way; I saw that dear usher walk towards our table, after extra 30minutes, with a tray holding one plate of jollof, coconut and fried rice. I was forgiven of my past sins! I smiled ever so beautifully, as I stretched out my hands to collect my food....and the "beach" just walked past us. I had to gently drop one hand first, scanning the faces around and dropped the other hand 4seconds later.

I didn't know when I muttered "where's my jollof??" My world had just crumbled. I couldn't take it anymore. My stomach visitors were in revolt and my friends wouldn't stop laughing. They had eaten at home, an advice I refused to take so I won't contaminate my jollof.

I stood up calmly, my face drained of all emotion. I couldn’t quite place if the pain I felt was from the betrayal of no jollof, or the war going on in my stomach. I picked my gift and started walking towards the door (the things I can do for jollof, oh!!), then I began to think about "WWJD"...What Would Jesus Do? I came back, walked up to the stage, danced with the couple, shaved my sadness away and gave her my gift.

When I saw that usher, the one who made my testimony incomplete, the one who betrayed my trust, who tried to test my love for jollof, I chose not to get angry. I purposed in my heart not to say anything to her. But In my mind, I just kept repeating the song CHIGURL taught me.

 "You can't do more than a hanging shimi

 You can't do more than a hanging pant,

 You can't do more than a hanging trouser

 Hanging...ha....ha....ha...hanging!!!!"

I woke up from this nightmare!!! It was all a dream!! Affliction shall not rise a second time. I will attend that wedding next week, and eat JOLLOF!!! I also looooooove pounded yam and white soup (you can use goat meat or chicken), afang soup, edikanikong soup, coconut rice...

 Calabar is Bae!! Akwaibom Ado okay!!!

Which meal can you die for right now??? Let's gist!!

About the Author

 
Here is what Andikan Inyang also known as 'Sparks' has to say about herself......................

As a Chemical Engineering graduate, former Immigration Officer and present day banker.....and most importantly, a foodie, I hide behind my pen.......therein lies my strength. I hope to pursue a career in writing and explore the world of poetry. So help me God.