After placing the food on the table, Ogechi then informed him that she had finished serving him.
“OK, thank you.” He appreciated
Ogechi then nodded, turning to leave..
“And what about you, won’t you eat?” Ndubuisi asked
“I’m going to get my own” she replied
“To get your own? Are we not we supposed to be eating together?” He asked
“Are we supposed to be eating together?” Ogechi asked back, looking shy
“Come on Baby, don’t tell me you are still shy. We are husband and wife now and couples eat together.. So you will have to get extra spoon. Now go and get it because I can’t want to taste this special food of yours”
“.. OK, I’m coming. Ogechi said and then went to the kitchen to get a spoon.
After she got the spoon, they sat ready to eat.
Ogechi then waited, looking at how he will react after eating the food… “Lord, please let him like the food…..please…..please….. Lord” she prayed silently
“What is this?” Ndubuisi angrily screamed, spitting out the food from his mouth
“My husband what is it? Here..have water” Ogechi gave him drinking water
“What is this?” Ndubuisi asked, pointing at the food
“It’s….it’s food, but I don’t understand my husband. What happened to it?” She asked
“Did you taste the food after you finished cooking it?”
“Off course I did.”
“And it was OK in your mouth?” Ndubuisi asked
“Yes my husband. OK let me taste it to know what you are talking about” she then did and was shocked at the taste…..
“Bu……bu….but how come? My husband, I swear to you, this is not my stew. I know how my stew tasted and not this, I swear”
“And what are you trying to say now, that it’s not what you prepared this morning?”
“I mean, this is strange, this does not even taste like tomato stew. It’s odd, it’s not my stew.”
“You shouldn’t have wasted the ingredients you used in preparing the stew since you don’t know how to cook. I think I will have to ask my mother to prepare some food we will use to entertain the people that will be coming to welcome you as the new wife of the family.”
“But my husband, this is not my food, even if I don’t know how to cook, it shouldn’t be this taste. It’s quite odd”
“You see, I’m not that bothered that it’s too salty, but the taste is something else, and I think I’m going to be sick, my stomach is doing me somehow now” he said, looking upset, touching his stomach
Ogechi’s effort to impress her husband with her cooking skills was quashed.
Okwuchi who had already heard her son’s voice, then entered the room, pretending to be checking if her son had eaten.
“Ndu my son, have you eaten now?” She asked
“No Mama, Ogechi just made a mess of the food, I don’t even know what she cooked… It could not even pass my throat”
“I know that food is one thing my son doesn’t joke with, but he is not reacting the way I expected him to. So I have to add more fuel to his anger” she said in her heart and then spoke up: “But my son, the stew is good in the eyes, and the aroma smells good, what could be the problem”
“Mama, just taste it, you will understand what I’m talking about.”
“OK, let me taste it” she then bent and took a quarter spoon.
And immediately, she spat it out, furrowing her face, looking angrily at Ogechi.
“Ogechi, you want to kill my only son? What is this? Did you even taste it at all?”
But Ogechi was already crying profusely, she couldn’t understand what was happening.
“Lord, will I survive in this marriage? Yesterday, I faced Ndubuisi’s anger and today again, another issue. What is really going on? I remembered cooking this food with much love and effort and it was tasty, how come this? Is there any evil spirit following me around, seeking to destroy my marriage?” she kept crying, wondering what happened
“You won’t talk now, right, because you know what you did. I remembered asking your mother if you know how to cook and she emphatically said yes, so what is this nonsense now?”
“Mama, I promise you, cooking is one of my hobbies, I can swear that this is not my food, it did not taste like this after I finished preparing it. OK, allow me prepare another stew for you, you will then know that this one is no where near my stew, my stew doesn’t taste like this at all”
“Prepare another one? After wasting all the ingredients, do you think we pluck money from trees, huh?” Okwuchi snapped
“No mother, I’m sorry that this one is already wasted, but allow me prepare another one, please” Ogechi pleaded
“It’s OK now Ogechi, we don’t have time left and people will start coming here. So Mama, you will have to do the cooking now, please I beg you, prepare the food we will use to entertain the guests.
And one more thing mother, please, I want you to teach her how to cook. Please, just do it for my sake” he requested
“Hmm, what an insult to my personality.” Ogechi hummed
“You are right my son, it now seems she does not know how to do anything and her family are full of lies. First her education and now, food. I’m beginning to think that I made a mistake by choosing her for you”
“It’s OK Mama, just take her along with you and teach her how to cook, you know I can’t tolerate bad cook. This was why I asked to have some time with her before marriage but you refused, now see. I just pray she learns fast, because if she fail to improve in her cooking skills, I might aswell change my mind. Please take her along please. Today is her first time of cooking in this house, at least as a sensible person, she should have put more effort in impressing her new family, but no, she never cared, only to bring this nonsense here. Please take her along with you and make sure she learns quick, please” he said, still looking serious
And Ogechi stood, looking pained, releasing tears.
“Lord, only you knows what happened, I need you to save me in this mess. Food has never been a problem for me. I know how to cook very well, but what happened? Can you just tell me what happened? Because I can’t understand anything” she said earnestly in her heart.
Okwuchi was smiling happily in her heart: “Hmm, I am happy now. Ogechi, you have seen how intolerant my son could be when angry, so this should be served as warning to you. Before considering expanding your wings, just know the family you came into.” She said in her heart and spoke up
“I’m going to the kitchen now, follow me” she said, leaving
But Ogechi stood still.
When Okwuchi noticed that she was not following her, she then returned to the room to call her.
“Have you gone deaf now? I said let’s go to the kitchen and prepare something for my son”
“Mama, I am sorry, I’m not following you to the kitchen. This is an insult to my person. My parents have never complained about my food before, and this is clearly not my style of cooking. Please, I don’t need to learn anything from you. I’m skilled in the art of cooking, I don’t need to learn from anybody again. I am sorry”
“What? How dare you talk to my mother like that?” Ndubuisi burst out in anger, raising his hand to slap Ogechi……., but seized it on the air……
“Ogechi, don’t try my patience, don’t make me raise my hand next time, otherwise it will descend on you. Disobedience is one thing I won’t tolerate in this marriage, not to me and not to my mother, you hear me? Now, get out from here” he then pushed her out of the room.
Ogechi stumbled out as he pushed her.
She then went to the back yard, and began crying her heart out, calling the name of her mother.
“Mother, you promised me that I will enjoy my marriage, but is this what you meant by enjoyment? I have been insulted
Mother. This is not what you told me that marriage is all about”
Okwuchi was laughing happily in her heart that her plan was a success.
To be continued..
