The aroma of Mama Chinedu's well prepared pot of jellof rice hit me as I walked into her kitchen that Sunday evening. That familiar aroma of fried onions and garlic, spices, and tomato stew. That aroma that always leaves me without home training. The particular aroma I found hard to escape from. I froze and thought of turning back and leaving. But Mama Chinedu had already seen me and was smiling from ear to ear.
"Zee was about to ask Chinedu to go check up on you. You've been indoors all day." She asked, sprinkling crayfish over her pot of magic with her spoon like the magician's wand. Then she covered the lid and reduced its fire. I could tell that the rice was almost ready.
"I had to sort out some paperwork." I lied, with a smile on my face. The truth was, I've been at home all day coming up with a new diet plan, from the new weight loss WhatsApp group I recently joined.
Over the week, I joined a WhatsApp weight loss group. I was beginning to get bothered about my weight, especially my stomach. One of the rules in the group was “no food after 7 p.m.” I glanced at my watch, it was 6:45. I groaned, my chances of eating Mama Chinedu's food before 7 p.m. were low.
I thought of leaving Mama Chinedu's house and walking back to my apartment, but I was already inside her house. Leaving immediately might make it look suspicious. I shrugged my shoulders and told myself that no matter what happened, I wasn't going to betray my weight loss plan. Not now that I was beginning to take it seriously.
But then again, how was I going to reject Mama Chinedu's food without making her feel sad? I asked myself. Because, from the little I've known about Mama Chinedu. I dare not come to her house when there's food without her forcing me to eat.
So telling her that the reason I didn't want to eat was because of a weight loss group I joined will be like watering a stone.
I took a deep breath and grabbed a seat first. Then, I began to cook up excuses. I didn't care if they were weak. I just needed to cook up something convincing.
Mama Chinedu turned around with a broad smile. "Are you okay? You seem bothered." Sge asked.
I nodded and smiled back at her. "I'm fine, Ma'am. I just overfed myself before coming over." The words came right out before I could properly think of them.
"Overfed yourself?" Mama Chinedu looked at me again with a raised eyebrow. "So what? You're not going to eat again?"
"Something like that," I replied, avoiding her gaze. My fingers, tapping hard on the kitchen table.
She scoffed. "You know I know too well like the back of my hand. Don’t try to lie to me, Zerah. I know that look.” She walked over to the plate rack and brought out a couple of plates. Then she walked back to her pot of food and turned off the fire.
"Lie? No ma o. I'm serious, I’m full, really. I already ate one big lunch from earlier.”
Mama Chinedu ignored me. She proceeded to dish out the food on the different plates she had brought out. "This isn't up for discussion, Zerah. You ate in the afternoon, that's fine. Now, it's evening. Besides, I know you're lying. You're avoiding my gaze, tapping the table nervously, and you're just contradicting yourself. How can you eat before coming, but it was lunch you ate?" She turned to look at me. "I know you too well." Then she winked at me.
"Mama," I called slowly.
"Daughter." She imitated me. "That's a bad attitude o, Zerah. You're deliberately avoiding my food. It hurts." She said with a mean face and voice.
I couldn't say a word for a few seconds. I felt bad for trying to reject her food. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. The truth is, I joined a weight loss group, and they said no food after 7 p.m. So I’m really just trying to stick to it.”
Mama Chinedu walked over to me and pushed a plate of Jellof rice towards me. "Well, you better dig in immediately. It's almost 7 pm. Then later, we'll discuss this weight loss group. The reasons behind your weak excuses to starve yourself."
I sat there staring at the plate of hot jellof rice before me. It had in it every possible protein one could think of. The aroma was stronger than my zeal to live. My stomach growled, and I knew immediately that I had lost the battle even before it started. I sighed and subconsciously pulled my chair closer to the table.
"A few spoons wouldn't hurt," I muttered before digging in.
One spoon. Two spoons.
Before I knew it, I was moaning, clearing everything on the plate. It was as if my taste buds were deprived of something tasty for a very long time. That was the kind of power Mama Chinedu's food has over an adult like me. From the aroma to the tasting. It was hard to resist her food.
I got so lost in the food that I wasn't aware that Mama Chinedu had sat down opposite me at the table and was watching me intently with a huge smile on her face.
I looked up to see her beaming with smiles. “I thought you said a few spoons wouldn't hurt. You've cleared the plate o."
I laughed, embarrassed at the same time at how quickly I’d gobbled down the food. "Don't blame me, Ma'am. I was blind, now I can see."
She laughed. "Hallelujah."
I checked the time, it was past 7 pm. There was no need to try to follow the rules again. I looked at Mama Chinedu. "More, please," I said with a tiny voice and a baby face. Smiling brightly with my teeth out in the sun. Then I proceeded to adjust the waist of my trousers.
Mama Chinedu laughed. "And she was giving weak excuses."
She grabbed my plates, walked over to her pot, and added another portion of rice. Then she walked back to me and handed me the plate of rice. She rested her hands on my shoulders and asked
"So what about the weight loss program?"
I looked up to her and whispered shamefully.
"Maybe, I'll try again tomorrow," I said, stressing each word.
Mama Chinedu laughed.
