Some fears are unconquerable.
I sat on a mat playing with my doll and blocks of the alphabet. I was seven and had a keen hearing. It was almost dinner time and my mother was busy in the kitchen.
For some reason, I picked up on a near-silent sound of something creeping on the carpeted floor. But I refused to let anything distract me from my game.
The sound stopped and started again. Then something brownish-black appeared in my peripheral vision and my instinct warned me to look. I remember distinctly that I glanced to my left for a second and back to my blocks only to freeze and slowly turn to look closely at this scary monster with tiny legs crawling towards me.
It was a scorpion!
I froze for a long time, the creepy monster and I staring at each other until my mother came to check on me, got a log of wood and smashed it on the scorpion. It was the striking sound that jarred me from my stupor.
Ever since I've had a fear of insects with many legs, spiders and scorpions being at the top of the list or just any insect that crawls. I think it's called arachnophobia. I've not been able to face this fear but now it seems the stakes are high: instant coffee for life or face these creepy insects with multiple tiny legs. That's quite a dilemma.
In my country, it's hard to come by freshly brewed coffee unlike in coffee-drinking countries. That's not to say we don't have fancy coffee shops around. We do but they are few.
Coffee is not a major part of our culture so most times, we settle for instant coffee. We have local baristas who sell instant coffee from small shops or push carts.
I tasted freshly brewed coffee a while back when I visited a friend at Lekki, Lagos so I know the big difference between it and instant coffee. We stopped at a fancy coffee shop run by this friendly white couple from the US. I bought a latte (pricey) that day because I like a little milk in my coffee and the latte art fascinates me. My friend bought an espresso.
A single sip changed my life forever! It was as though my taste buds worked correctly for the first time. The aroma and the earthy rich taste with a touch of nutty flavour was out of this world. It was a delightful and unforgettable experience.
So when I made instant coffee from Nescafé Gold Blend at home the following morning, I tasted the stark difference. (I feel tears pooling in my eyes). It was mild and did not have the richness of the freshly brewed. Then I understood the craze for freshly brewed coffee from whole coffee beans.
Ever since that experience, I've tried not to drink boring instant coffee. I spice my beverage with cinnamon sometimes or chocolate Irish cream.
Last Christmas, I bought this fine premium instant coffee called Cobizco Black Gold. It's mixed with some Ginseng and with a cap of chocolate cream liqueur in my coffee, my breakfast was always a worthwhile experience.
I'm kind of used to instant coffee with some ways to make it rich but I would rather drink freshly brewed coffee every day if I could afford it.
However, I've not conquered my fear of insects yet. I tried, believe me, but usually my brothers (when I was single) and now my husband come to my rescue when I see those mean insects. If I'm alone, I go into a freezing mood or leave the environment until help comes.
I doubt if I'll ever get over this arachnophobia but I'll have to settle for instant coffee in the meantime. I can always sneak to the coffee shop for some latte so I'm not sentenced to boring coffee for life.