CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The traffic light frowned red as it forced all the vehicles in its vicinity to a standstill. Car horns blared from all corners making his journey more annoying than it already was; he couldn't wait to be back home on his bed laying and wasting away the day. He glared at the traffic light which counted down numbers, he counted with it…30,29.28,27,26,25,24, 23,22,21,20…a car horn blasted from behind and he covered his ears in disgust.

What a rude way to interrupt his thoughts, he thought. Everybody is at a halt and no one could move; what exactly was he blasting his horn for? He thought the man deserved a good punishment and started to think of many vile chastisements suitable for the man who had all the audacity to annoy him. Immediately, the cars began to move once more, and all raced to avoid the red that could pop up after the deadline of about seventy seconds. This event dismissed his thoughts.

He looked through the window sighing as he thought to himself, 'well, looks like I'll have to let it slide this time around, Nigerians are known for their ridiculous impatience, but he might not be so lucky next time.'

"Sir, is everything ok?" his driver asked quietly

"Yes, I am fine" he smirked "How much longer till we get home?"

"About an hour sir" his driver replied

"I see, guess I will read then" he said as he picked up his novel from his backpack on the ground. His mother had gifted it to him on his sixteenth birthday this year and he had planned to read it this holiday before returning to his university. He uncovered the first page of the book and saw the name, 'Perfect Olawole' inscribed on it. He rolled his eyes in frustration as he recalled the numerous times he had begged his mother never to write his name on the books she bought for him. She had a beautiful handwriting, but his name is too perfect to be written on meager books like these; she would have protested telling him that he would lose them if she heard his thoughts, but he never lost any.

He was now too angry to read, he returned the book to his bag and brought out his phone. He would surf the net and check his social media handles to while away his time instead.

He was watching a video on instagram when they got to the gate of his house; he took a quick glance at the mansion he called home as the driver drove in and returned to monitoring his phone. He got down when the car came fully to a stop, three maids had come out to welcome him and get his things to take inside the house on his behalf. He mumbled a greeting back in response to the maids' greetings while walking absent mindedly to the front door still tapping his phone vigorously. He had already realized that his parents were not home.

He unlocked the door of his room, and threw himself on his king sized bed. He always thought he was perfect in every way and led the most perfect life just as his name. He caressed his black teddy by his bedside.

"I am exceedingly perfect, aren't I? I have a perfect life living on the island in Lagos, having politicians as my parents, having a perfect body" he laughed snuggling his nose into the teddy's tummy as he held it to his face.

He smirked a little and lowered his voice to whisper into the teddy's ears "I also have the most perfect secret."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door; it opened and one of the house maids came in "your food is ready sir, it has been set on the table for you."

Perfect eyed her a little before answering, "Ok, I will be down in ten minutes."

The maid nodded and left. He sighed a little after she had left, and letting out a grunt, he got up to have a quick shower before proceeding downstairs.

Perfect eyed the food displayed on the table; there were so many delicacies on the table, but he hated every single one of them. Has he not told them that he hated every form of 'swallow'? He felt his anger rising steadily; he calmed himself down and breathed in and out three consecutive times.

"Sarah, who made this?" he asked one of the maids who passed by the table

Sarah swallowed, "the new cook who was employed the day before yesterday sir"

"Could you summon her for me?"

"Yes sir" she said hurrying up to carry out his bidding

The chef arrived few minutes later. She eyed the boy in front of her cautiously, so this was the boss' son everyone feared as if he was a god. He had a beau masculine structure and was very attractive and handsome. She remembered what Sarah had told her in the kitchen; she had lamented fearfully about her refusal to listen when she told her not to make pounded yam, how the boss' son was now angry and demanded to see her. She had claimed that bad things happen when the boy was crossed. She laughed to herself, what could this small boy possibly do to her? She was sure that the main thing he could do was to report her to his parents-she suspected that she would be reported majorly to his mother. The only thing the boy has to do is to taste her delicious vegetable soup with all sorts of assorted meat, panla, dried fish and the like and he will be itching to have some more.

"Why was I served this" he asked ominously interrupting her thoughts.

Such a spoiled brat, he could not even say a greeting. Well, what was she to expect from boys who lived on the island, in a big mansion, under the umbrella of his parents, fed daily with a silver spoon, a boy who had never wanted or lacked anything?

"Good afternoon, for your lunch today, I have served pounded yam, a very delicious mouth watering delicacy with a variety of vegetable soups prepared locally in diverse ethnic groups of the country such as egusi, edikaikong…" she said using polished English

"Excuse me please, but I didn't ask you to explain. My question is demanding the reason why I was served the food. I am not as stupid as you are as you can see; I do know what I have been served" he interrupted in a rude tone.

This boy was the most stupid of all boys she had ever met. How dare he interrupt such a professional chef as her? She had gone to many culinary schools-top notch in the country. Worked in many big restaurants and hotels and had even received some international awards for her awesome cooking skills. This boy would soon be humbled by her delicacies.

"Well sir, I would rather you sought the reason out by yourself, all you have to do is taste it" she said calming her angry thoughts

"Taste it I would rather not do. You are not answering me!" he replied in anger; this woman was really getting on his nerves

The chef hissed. Perfect was stunned at this development and questioned in his heart if she had hissed at him or accidentally did so

"Ok, I served it because I believe it is a wonderful dish that you are bound to enjoy"

"I see" Perfect hummed in deep thought "You must be new here"

"Yes, I am. I was employed just the day before yesterday" she replied

He nodded, "you must be one of those fools then who leap without looking. You did not even care to know the rules and regulations of the new place you are now working in"

The chef's mouth fell agape. She was perplexed at his rude answer

"I do not want this food" he declared and was about to exit the table when the woman shouted at him suddenly, making him halt in his tracks.

"Who do you think you are? A god? How dare you embarrass me? You have no respect, no shame at all! I am old enough to be your mother, I have achieved far more than you and perhaps far more than you ever will" she bellowed attracting some of the other maids.

"So, because you are old enough to be my mother gives you the right to lecture me as one?" he retorted

"Yes, I will make you learn respect you spoiled animal" she said despite the pleading of the maids to stop annoying their boss' child and her ranting.

Perfect nodded slowly at her with a mocking face, "well, I am not eating this" he made to leave the dining room again.

"Perfect! You are not a good child" she shouted

All the maids gasped in horror and dragged the chef into the kitchen. They were all worried and begged her to calm down.

"This is just your first time here and you are making a scene. Cook another food for him and we will eat this one" Sarah pleaded

"Abegi, is the boy a god that you all should fear him? He is just a…" chef could not finish her sentence, her head suddenly started pounding with excruciating pain. She held her head slowly and tried to massage it.

"What is it?" Sarah asked tapping her gently

"It is my head, it suddenly hurts"

"Come and sit then" the maids all tried to help her sit, but she collapsed unconscious on the ground. Pandemonium and confusion arose as the shocked maids and house workers hovered over her trying to revive her to no avail.

Perfect smirked as he eyed his golden watch on his left arm thinking to himself; no meager soul calls him by his name and gets away with it, he is perfect after all.