Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Yesterday's night club outing was an experience that will remain evergreen in my memory. We tasted different expensive wine and liquor. We danced to the latest hip hop music, we played truth and dare, we cruised around Abuja and finally sealed the day up with a mind-blowing sex. I really don't know why I went on and on, having sex with Alex. But what I do know is that I enjoy it and I might have taken Harriet's advice to heart.

My boyfriend didn't call me and for the first time, I felt myself feeling comfortable with it. Mom called to know how I was fairing and I gave her all the gist and only excluding the almost death scene of the plane and how I now have sex freely with my boss. If there is one thing that is confirmed, Alex is not only a hot looking geek god but also a bad beast in bed.

Everywhere is boring with nothing to do so I decided to explore one of my hobbies. Cooking. If there is one thing Abuja should be praised for, it is the peacefulness and tranquillity of the state. The traffic isn't as worse as Lagos and you hardly find hoodlums dominating everyone. It is not as bustling and as crazy as Lagos. In Lagos, you need to be mad to survive. And if you are not mad, you definitely need to take a lesson or two from a friend to become mad if not, you will regret living there.

I just got back from a supermarket where I purchased the ingredients for jollof rice and chicken. The cost of living here isn't even as high as Lagos. Alex has been in his room sleeping all day, leaving me to myself to keep my company.

I set the ingredients on the counter and washed my hands first. The kitchen is huge and modernized with all form of latest cooking appliances like refrigerator, oven, gas cooker, heater and soon. The theme of the kitchen is purple and black making it look all the more inviting and easy to cook with the relaxing colours. For a five star hotel, I will rate it a five star.

I tied my hair into a messy bun and began seasoning the chicken after which I left it to marinate. I proceeded with blending the pepper. While I was turning the puree into a bowl, someone startled me, making me jump in fright.

"Sweet Jesus," I exclaimed and glared at the brown candy that is laughing his ass out.

"Why were you scared, I only touched your waist." He scratched his curly hair.

"How did you manage to creep in on me without my knowledge." I hissed and began chopping the onions.

"Well, that is your punishment for waking me up." He clicked his tongue and picked a glass from the cupboard.

"And your punishment is that you won't taste what I'm cooking." I stuck my tongue at him like a little kid and continued chopping the onions.

"Wow," he walked towards the fridge, "it's been long I ate home-cooked food, I'm currently craving one now." He poured his juice into the glass.

"Too bad you won't be getting any of this." I bent to pick a pot.

"Oyah, I'm sorry momma," he pleaded and touched my waist.

"Leave me alone." I pushed him off me and lighted the gas.

"Please aunty," he pouted his lips, giving me the cute look and to be honest, my inside melted.

I gave an exacerbated sigh, "on one condition." I raised a finger.

"Whatever it is I will fulfil, I can give you another style tonight." He bit his lip.

"As tempting as that sounds, there will be no sugar for you."

"Please now," he continued begging and began hugging my back.

"Fine, you will be my personal assistant in the kitchen. Is that understood?" I cocked a brow.

"Yes boss, as long as you don't punish me." He wiggled his brow playfully while I chuckled.

"Now, look at those vegetables over there." I pointed at the tray filled with carrots.

"Okay?"

"I need you to chop them into smaller bits," I said and waved him away. "Don't chop off your fingers o," I warned.

"Yes, boss." His musical tone wafted around the kitchen.

I began making the sauce for my parboiled rice when Alex asked suddenly, "where will you like to visit someday?"

"Uh!" I stirred the stew and added more salt for taste. "I have always wanted to visit Paris. It is the city of love and I'm hoping I will spend my honeymoon with the lucky man someday."

"What about you, Alex?"

"What about me?" He kept making chopping sounds as he pressed his two hands on the knife.

"Easy there, don't kill those carrots, they are not criminals." I laughed and he joined me.

"Any vegetable that proves too difficult will be chopped off like this." He winked and resumed his job.

"I meant, how many places have you visited so far?" I turned my parboiled rice into the thick sauce and stirred continuously till it settled in.

"I started touring the world since ten years of age, I have visited France, Italy, South Africa, India, Canada, USA Pakistan, and ten different countries in Africa." He shrugged while I dropped my cooking spoon as I gawked in awe.

"Wow!" I exclaimed loudly and finally picked up the spoon. "You know that is someone's dream someday."

"I do know that, but most of these countries can't be compared to home, Nigeria."

"I beg to differ, you are only saying that because you hale from one of the richest family in Nigeria." I rinsed the spoon.

"Nope," he said popping the 'p' "there is no place like home, those countries food doesn't satisfy like my native food. I'm a bonafide Yoruba guy and I'm used to eating cooked vegetables with swallow, not raw vegetables with some certain pasta."

"I understand your point, but as an average Nigerian, the suffering in this country is too much to bear. There are so many things we are supposed to benefit as a citizen but we lack them, making us divert our prayers to things that are insignificant abroad."

He passed the chopping board to me while I shoved the veggies in the almost done rice.

"About that, I believe Nigerians are just too religious and that won't cure poverty." He stood arms akimbo and took another sip from his juice.

"Why won't they be prayerful when the only person they can cry to is God? I prayed and fasted before getting a job. In abroad, who prays and fast before securing a job? Most people even pray for power supply here. Life is hard for people, Alex."

He sighed, "if I say I don't understand you, that will make me a huge bloody liar." He nodded repeatedly. "Let leave Nigeria topic and concentrate on this food a beg."

"So, will you rather have a Beyonce or Rihanna song stuck in your head for twenty-four hours?" Alex danced towards me and stretched his hand for me to accept.

I bit my lower lip and snickered, "it's Rihanna for life, that babe creates fire in her music." I accepted his hand and he twirled me twice before dipping me.

"Nice choice," he whispered and stole a kiss before bringing me back up.

"You bloody thief, you stole a kiss," I scolded with a fake glare.

"Oh," he fake gasped, clutching his chest. "Oyah, return it back," he pouted his red lips towards me, making me laugh.

"Get away silly," I pushed his chest and turned to my rice.

"Not too fast honey, you haven't returned the stolen goods," he kissed my cheeks.

"Alex I have to check on my rice," I struggled and tried to release myself from his grip.

"Awn!" He fanned himself with his hand, "are you shy?"

"Of course not, silly." I pulled him for a kiss sucked on his lower lip.

"Girl, you a good kisser, kiss me one more time." he wiggled his brows continuously.

"Alex, my food will burn." I cried out.

"Give me another kiss and you will be free, it is not that hard, is it?" He made kisses sound, making me shake my head and smile.

"You are a distraction to my food." I tapped his nose and kissed him again. This time around, he didn't release me on time.

"This is the last time dear, please give me the last kiss," he winked.

"Get out," I shouted at him.

He began making crying noises like a kid that was deprived food for a year.

"Oh my goodness," I sighed and finally pulled him for another kiss. I can feel him smiling as we kissed passionately.

He kissed me and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways words would never be. I ran my finger down his spine, pulling him closer till there was no space left between us. I could feel the beating of heart against mine and they were in sync like synchronized hearts.

His male cologne clouded my head as I inhaled all the beautiful scent like my life depended on it until  I perceived a bad aroma. Something like a burnt offering.

"Oh my God," I pushed Alex away and rushed to put off the gas. I raised the lid of the pot with my bare hand and dropped it immediately after it scalded my hand.

I licked my hand in pain as I stared at my food, my rice was all gone and even insects will reject this burnt sacrifice if offered.