Chapter 31: Chapter 31

CHERRY’S POV

“Jayson!!” I scream and cough out loudly.

The whole kitchen is filled with so much smoke, I can’t even see clearly.

Oh God! What has he done now? I ask myself.

I see him stirring whatever he is frying and I continue coughing, not only from the smoke but from whatever peppery substance he has on the fire.

Going out through the kitchen door, I walk to the backyard of the kitchen, opening all the windows, and I come back inside as the smoke gradually disperses and subsides.

“Do you plan on killing me today with pepper?” I ask, covering my nose, “No I didn’t mean to, I’m just frying some fresh pepper and onions.”

“Some pepper and onions, and you want to blow up everywhere. Let me have that.” I say collecting the spoon from his hand.

Going closer to the pan, I quickly pour the tomato paste in the mixture and stir sharply and add a little water.

The paste makes the pepper less peppery and I stop coughing.

Gosh! I exclaim silently.

JAYSON’S POV

I stand beside her and watch every move she makes round the kitchen, already filling up the space.

She places another pan on the cooker after she is done making the tomato stew paste.

“Pass me the butter again.” She says and I hand it over to her, “Parboiled rice.” She says and I handover the rice I cooked earlier, “Wine.” She says and I hand it over to her again, “Peas.” She says again and I give it to.

God this is not easy. I think and she requests for another thing yet again, "Check in that cupboard, you'll see some seasoning thyme, curry and turmeric, bring them to me." She commands and I have no choice but to obey her.

She stirs continuously adds the spices, and soon a nice aroma fills the air.

She turns and catches me watching her intently and blushes before turning back to the pan.

I guess she doesn't want me to see her beautiful pink cheeks, I laugh silently and I hear her say.

"Why don't you go elsewhere, maybe the dining or the sitting room, because you staying behind me is making me really uncomfortable, or do you want to come and continue?" She asks raising the spoon up.

"No, no, I’ll just leave, before I create another disaster." I say hilariously and I get the response I want because she starts laughing.

"Yeah, yeah just go." She says and smiling I take my leave, go sit in the dining and wait patiently for my food.

...................

After a while, she appears with a tray containing my food and places it on the table.

Rubbing my hands together, I clean them with a napkin and look at her as she serves me laughin

She made spicy jollof rice, dipped in chicken sauce alongside my burnt plantains.

How and when did she fry this chicken I think to myself, well let me just eat my food.

She goes to the fridge, gets a bottle of water, and orange juice and pours some in my glass cup.

I mutter a silent thank you, and she nods in confirmation.

"You can dig in and enjoy your meal." She says staring at me and I smile and begin to feast.

****

CHERRY'S POV

I look at him as he eats, and at the same time feel a little pity because damn it he's so hungry, amd currently he's eating like a dog.

I think and I chuckle loudly making him look up from his food to me.

"What is it." He asks me, "Well nothing really, how's the food?"

"It's delicious, but it's peppery."

"And whose to blame for that, you of course." I say, but deep down I actually added some more pepper deliberately to teach him a lesson, and I chuckle inside.

I turn on the TV, and watch some shows.

I'm hungry for something sweet, so standing up I go to the fridge to pick up some chips and juice.

I see Jayson's done eating, and he's currently wiping his sweaty neck, "So, no thank you." I ask raising an eyebrow at him, and he replies with a frown, "For what?"

'Huh, seriously? Is he joking with me right now?' I ask myself, "Your meal, of course, I made it for you, or were you not taught simple manners and curtsy."

"We are supposed to be thanking ourselves here." He says proudly and I raise my eyebrows furiously, "Really, for what actually?" I ask placing the packet of chips and bottle of chilled orange juice I'm holding on the dining table, and cross my arms waiting for his answer.

"I started the food and you just finished it."

"I just finished it, wow, no thank you seriously, because you had a hand in the food I made. Okay what about the kitchen I arranged, the plates I washed, and don't make me start listing everything I did just to get this food to you."

"Well, I'm not thanking you for all those because it's your duty, it's your kitchen, your house and I'm your guest. Babe, you are supposed to serve me." He says and I lose it.

"My guest, you call yourself my guest. It seems you have forgotten who invited you here. I don't have your strength now, just make sure you wash those dishes." I fume at him angrily and storm to the sitting room.

'What confidence! The nerve!'

...........

Going to the kitchen to drop my empty packet of chips, I see his dishes in the sink, unwashed and the dining table not properly cleaned.

'What is he up to? Walking to the dining, I see he's not there and I go outside, seeing him sitting by the veranda.

"Hey!" I call out walking over to him, "Who did you leave those plates in the kitchen sink for?" I ask him and he looks up from his phone and smirks and I so want to slap that look out of his face.

"You made the meal right? You are the lady right? So finish your work and wash the plates." He shrugs, "Are you kidding me? I served you the food I made that you didn't even thank me for, and now you are expecting me to wash the dishes. You must be joking." I yell and he laughs again, angering me further.

"Why don't we play a game, and whoever loses washes the dishes." He says proudly as his face lights up and now I know he has an ulterior motive.

"Have you no shame?" I ask him, but he just shrugs and says, "Whatever, let's just play the game if you are not afraid, and whoever loses washes the plate, because left for me, I'm not washing them."

"Hmmmn, okay, let's play rock, paper, scissors , right here and now and whoever loses washes the plates."

"No, I brought the idea, so I'll choose the game. Let's play card and get this done with."

....................

"Last card." I say smirking.

We are in the living room, sitting and playing cards as he suggested and I'm so giddy right now.

I can't wait to win, I mean look at the number of cards in his hands.

Still smiling, I become confused and my smiling face turns into a frown when he packs all the cards and say, "Check up."

'What! This is basically cheating, I thinks and he stands up and begins to dance dramatically.

"What, you can't just tell me you won, you just cheated on me." I blurt, but he doesn't answer me and instead he keeps on dancing and I become furious.

Looking round, I take one of the throw pillows and throw it at him, and he stops, gets another pillow and throw it back at me.

I retaliate and no sooner do I know, we are both on the floor of the living room pillow fighting, and hitting each other.

He laughs, stands up and runs to the kitchen, when I hit him on the head, and that's when my senses come back.

What the heck am I doing?

TBC