Chapter 5
"Good appetite," Nicholas Larry said to me, as I used my hands to put a piece of meat in my mouth.
"Thank you Sir" I responded over a mouth full of meat.
He chuckled seeing me like this; We were at a fanciful restaurant at Bepanda, beside the stadium. It was a really classic one, and the food too is well spiced with obstacles from left to right.
What was on the menu was garri and eru, pepper soup goat meat, and poulet DG. Eru was my choice eh, as a bayangian, it was my traditional meal and I love it so much. I can even go on days eating it without any problems.
I remember once, when daddy was still alive, it was his favorite meal too, and he made mom cook it for a consecutive week. It was cool because not body complained, but the after effect was disastrous. We all took rounds in the toilet, purging our intestines out. Each time we want to make fun as a family, we always think about that event, and we stay laughing our lives out.
Nicholas had taken poulet DG, a very sweet meal made from fried chicken and fried plantains, then put together in steaming tomatoes and other ingredients. I could cook it well too, but with our current poverty strike at home, the highest thing we could afford was fish and other times crayfish. Sometimes, we go about eating naked food, just plain red oil rice or potatoes. So annoying, but I have come to embrace our situation, and I hope now that I have gotten a job, things will be a little lighter on Mama's shoulders.
"This is a first you know", I heard him say from across the table.
"Excuse me?" I asked blinking severally to meet up with what he was saying.
"I mean, this is the first time a lady is choosing this kind of meal whenever I invite them for lunch," he said picking a chopped piece of plantain and hovering it around his mouth. Chewing on it majestically, his teeth masticating on the thin clump of food.
He added, "Most at times, the lady shy off, hiding in their cloak of hunger, choosing only a plate of rice, or just a drink, and all I do is hear their angry stomach growling against the choice they made". He concluded. By then, the bitterness that boiled in me had no bounds.
I stopped eating at once, washed my hand, then used a napkin to wipe my mouth and the hand I used in eating. Opening my mouth, I let out the bile of annoyance to flow out.
"You are the most annoying and disgusting fellow I have ever come across. You are so stupid for thinking that women accept your treat because of your money. Like seriously, who will ever want to hear all this rubbish that just came out of your bowel? I wish those women could spy through the window and listen to this junk you are saying. You know what? Thanks for the meal" I said rising furiously from the table.
Nicholas, rising from the table too, held my hand, and oh, the energy that was being radiated just by that single touch could not be comprehended by me. At first, his hand, soft like a baby's buttocks, meant he wasn't working at all, I wonder if he washed his own boxers. This thought made me sick mentally.
The flesh at the back of his hand was fresh, like today's palm wine, I marveled if he did anything on his own. No veins were found on it as if God did not put veins in this handsome man's body. Just his touch made me forget the reason why I was angry with this man, I just felt like no reason was worth me being angry again. Also, the thought that I had just said those things loud, made my eyes widen with shock and terror.
"How could you be talking to a very big businessman like this, are you mad?" my mind scolded me again and again repeating the same phrase. It is as if you want to lose your job, just one phone call, and your boss will squeeze you out of the agency you were never being recruited.
"I am sorry Megan, please do not go, I didn't those things to irritate you, rather I said it because I wanted to show you honest you are to choose what you want to eat regardless of who is looking, and also your freedom, you look so free eating with your hands". Nicholas said trying to convince me to sit down. I had no intentions of leaving, by the way, so nodding, I took my seat opposite him, eating no more.
"It is alright, apology accepted, what about I make it up to you? I am not too hungry too" he said pushing away his plate.
"But Sir, you haven't eaten much, you were rather toasting your meal instead of eating it". I let out seeing him want to waste so much food.
"It is nothing at all." He said, holding a glass of red wine, freshly poured from its bottle, putting it to his lips, he takes a sip. I looked at the whole process, swallowing hard.
"I have a question Sir," I asked, before discovering that I was actually asking that question.
"Feel free to ask whatsoever question you like", I smiled immediately.
"How do you feel when you drink wine manufactured by other companies when you are a producer of wine yourself, why don't you walk around with your bottle of wine and drinking it whenever you want it?" I heard myself ask the most ridiculous question in the history of Cameroon.
That was a dumbass question and I felt stupid for asking it. Like who does that? At once, I opened my mouth to ask him not to answer.
"I am sorry for asking that foolish question, I guess you now know how terrible I can be while interviewing you". The loud outburst of laughter that erupted in the air made me confused, like what did I say that was funny enough for him to laugh out this hard.
"Please Sir, will you tell me what is funny? I feel terrible already" I groaned.
"Okay, I will tell you… what… ha-ha is… ha-ha funny" he said, his baritone playing a melodious tune in my ears. I looked at him quizzically, with my head cocked on one side, allowing him to enjoy himself.
When he was done, he said to me "Sorry for making fun of your question, but nobody has ever asked me such a question and the facial expression that you had wasn't making issues any better. I will tell you this, the fact that I produce a product, doesn't mean I am limited to my own product. I have gotten a brand name in Douala, and that means money keeps generating even when I least expect it, my company is leading in the market as you well know, so why don't I consume other products from other companies?" Nicholas questioned responding to the question I had pose.
"Oh, it is true then that Cameroonians always ended up answering a question with one of their own question" I rolled my eyes as I put a glass of water to my lips taking a long gulp.
"And who told you that Miss Arrey?" with this, we both laughed at the funny reality.