In a demanding city like Lagos where you see everything been choked and with a daily demanding routine, for my own family, we have this rigid routine set to be followed.
Every Weekend, Mama will certainly wake up at dawn as she kickstart her weekly cleaning routines. Of course, there will be a flow of aroma of jollof rice from the kitchen and like we always do, we her children always take turns to help her but, but this fateful Saturday seems to be different.
"Ibukun, You will be in charge of the kitchen today," mama raising her voice to call her with that demanding response instantly and authority like how every African mother will exhibit. "I want you to go to the market immediately before it is crowded."
"Are you talking to me ma?" I quite was surprised and stammering looking at the loads of dirty dishes to be washed. "But mama, I am not as good at cooking jollof rice as you!"
"It's not that hard, just put few cups of rice, tomatoes and all other spices I told you about. It's not really a difficult thing to do my son. Make sure it does not get burnt or else, you need to explain that to your ancestors!"
Immediately, she made her way out, staring at the ingredients she has arranged down in the kitchen, I was feeling somehow overwhelmed. Well my younger sister immediately entered not quite long, Opeyemi.
"Ibukun, will you really cook today for us?
"My friend, will you keep that your dirty mouth! I am actually just trying to help out. As I stared at the tomatoes still yet to be cut, my mind began to drift apart like the famous saying, "away with the fairies."
Later that week, I actually made my plan known to the house of starting a small scale business of selling jewelleries. "It will be called the Lagos Jewellery and I will try to market it online!" At first, my family thought I was crazy.
"Ibukun, are you saying you want to start a business with a thousand naira?" My elder brother Adedapo shaking his head. "Man, you need to be realistic."
"Exactly Uncle Dayo, Ibukun can't just desire success without not even learning how to even market the stuff he wants to start selling." That was the response my younger sister Opeyemi gave.
Well at that particular time, I was determined to prove them wrong. Of course they are not aware that I have spent a whole week researching on how to make beads and jewellery. Even went as far watching lots of YouTube tutorials on it. By the time the weekend was gone, I had successfully made a lot of colorful designs of beads with the help of the YouTube tutorials.
Rewinding back to me still standing in the kitchen, I was lost as to how to unravel this cooking process even with mama instructions and guidelines. "First out the pot and heat it medium, then add oil and also blend the tomatoes"
As I was just about to blend the tomatoes using the blender, I heard a bixid behind. "No, that is not how you blend tomatoes!"
Looking back, it was my younger sister, Opeyemi who have been watching from a small distance and bursting into laughter. "Ibukun, you are actually far away with the fairies!"
"Opeyemi, will you keep quiet before I bounce on you.!"
Opeyemi heading the tone of my response to her mockery, ran off instantly leaving me inside the kitchen to battle out on the journey of cooking jollof rice alone.
A few moments later eventually, Mama walked in as she looked so surprised. "Ibukun, what have you done?"
"Mama, I am cooking na as you can see."
Later that afternoon, as the jollof rice keeps getting cooked on the gas cooker, I withdrew back to my room trying to focus back on my jewelry business. "Ibukun, you are definitely going to make this to work" I said to myself as I wanted to prove my family wrong who thought i can't handle this jewelry business.
As the evening gets nearer, the aroma of the jollof rice I was cooking has spread across the house. Well Mama Placed the pot down as I stood beside her and felt this sense of pride and Fulfilment.
"House, what do you think about this food?" I asked as I served them each plate.
Opeyemi taking a spoon bite looked up. "This is actually delicious, Ibukun! You are a great cook afterall!"
"Well, Opeyemi, I will take that as a compliment from you." I responded.
That fateful might, as I layed down, I realised probably I was not crazy as my family members thought. Probably because I was dreaming big even though it requires me to be a little "away with the fairies."