Episode 12
I’m sitting down outside gisting with Joe when Victor pas-sed and just glance at us as we greeted him, He smile and raised a hand in response to our greeting before heading to his car, he has being more quiet since after the mum’s scolding, he stays in his room often and sometimes come down to watch the TV in the big sitting room, or go outside to the pool side,
He has also being joining us for morning devotion and also goes to check out the family business which he sometimes does with his mum ,
he st©pped going to hang out with his friends, he even speak to the staff with a calm voice and a smile too,
there’s a lot of change in him that even the other staffs noticed, they can’t get enough of it, he still hasn’t spoken to us or talk much or even asked who told the mum about the whole incident with his friends, But he didn’t relate harsh or arrogant with any of us.
Today after the morning devotion of which he was the one that lead us as he was instructed by the mum, he stammered throu-gh prayer just to show he hasn’t being so much involve with it, after his prayer and worsh!psong he looked up at me, and when i thought there was a spark again he looked away and looked at other staff before saying
“…plea-se everyone, permit me to use this medium to thank everyone first, for there ha-rd work and total devotion to my mum and this household as a whole, I un-derstand how difficult i have made your work for you all, I un-derstand how over demanding and bossy I have being, I sincerely apologize for all that. I will try to be the people’s person, I’m better off than what i use to be, don’t really know what got into me…I’m working on myself to be better everyday, continue to do your work and be selfless, continue in your diligence and total dedication, I love the way the you all never allowed my negativity to affect or take root in your heart, I know there’s always a reward for every good work….and you will all receive your rewards,
thank you all for always taking this family like yours…. Mum, I’m very sorry for causing you much pain and sadness, I love you mum, I only become what i was out of ignorance, you are the best mother any child can have, I have watched you care for all the staffs like your own children. I watch as you pu-ll-ed in strength in running our business empire, employing capable hands to manage it and you do the follow up, I know i was supposed to be doing all that, I just felt unconcerned, I just believe that the employees can do everything, you opened my eyes to really see how self centered and foolish i have being, no matter the education, home training or age we all are bound to make mistakes, I’m not trying to make an excuse for mine….I’m sorry and thank you mum for everything….i know Dad will be so proud of you if he was alive because you are a true definition of a strong woman, I love you mum and i say thank you once again. To Ujunwa my sister, I’m sorry for not being the loving big brother i was to be, I’m sorry for not always ma-king you proud or happy, I promise to do better dear, i promise to love and protect you in any way i can, I will always be here for you if you nee-d me…i love you always. Joe….hahaha..i know you must have wondered what planet i fell from to have treated everyone differently and opposite from my mum and sister, I’m sorry for ma-king your work difficult for you, I’m sorry for being a bully, thank you for always taking charge of the staffs and ma-king sure things are in place here… I don’t know everyb©dy’s name but with time just gradually i will learn all your names and another thing, There will be a raise of salary for everyone…with the permission of mum I’m increasing your salaries…and you can meet me or mum if you nee-d anything, if you want to learn a handwork or further your education or anything you will like to add to yourselves you are free to do that…we will employ extra staff, to take your place while you are gone but be sure of this you will always be family, because your efforts can’t be denied, family you are today family you always be….
The cheering and thanks was coming from everyone, all the staffs where all happy, they couldn’t hold back their joy, mummy was also happy that her real lost son was finally home, I was equally happy, my happiness was so large that i wanted to go and hvgged him, but held unto my emotion, I know i can start my p@rt time school or full time depending on the one i want, I have being saving up plus the increment, I can start the journey towards going back to school since they will be employing a kitchen as-sistsnce, I was so happy and was so much in love with this family, when i thought he was done with his speech he suddenly turned to me, he looked at me without blinking, as he focused on me i thought i was going to melt un-der his gaze, I looked away and bow my head so he won’t see throu-gh me he then called my name for the very first time and said
“Uju, I saw how ha-rd working you have being, feeding us everyday, we are more than 10 in this house yet you manage to make sure we don’t go hungry, mum wanted to get an as-sistant for you long time ago but I turned it down because i was self centered and didn’t want her to start spending on another staff, I thought that when one person can do the job what was the point of spending on another, I know it hasn’t being easy waking up early and slee-ping late with just little as-sistance from others, that was a total foolish thinking of me, I know how difficult i have being and never thought you were also human, I just want to say I’m very sorry, sorry for allowing my guest haras-s you without tendering an apology, no matter who he was or is to you, he has no right to hurt you, I could have asked the security guards to throw him and others that he c@m£ with out but i allowed him to join the p@rty and i ended up angry with you for reasons i don’t even un-derstand, I’m sorry, so sorry for everything, we are getting a chef for you and a kitchen as-sistant, you will be able to do other things for yourself, thank you for accepting us as family……so can i get a hvg or handshake from you all?
Everyone was happy to hvg and shake him and when it got to my turn i was shy, but he opened his arms beckoning me to come forward, I slowly went into his arm and he wra-pped me with his, I felt so glued that i don’t want him to let me go and he didn’t he allowed me to stay as much as i wanted before i finally re-leased him, I remembered the first time i was so happy after he told me at Kala’s house that i can apply as a cook in his house i was so happy that i threw myself to him and wra-pped my hand around him and he pushed me off and warned me not to ever do that again, hvgging him now was a memory i will forever cherish.
We later all dep@rted to our various duties, I always wake up early and refresh before morning devotion after which i will go straight to the kitchen to make breakfast for the house and start preparing for lunch which Joe always as-sist me, with few others who are less busy,
Today i was so happy as i prepare for breakfast today, I sang different songs as my voice echoed in the kitchen, I was singing and smiling when i turned he was standing there, I almost dropped a plate that i was carrying in my hand as i saw Victor standing by the kitchen door and watching me, I don’t know how long he has being there but he was smiling, I have always wanted to see a smile on his face and he has being doing so much of that over a week now since his last encounter with his mum…he was just by the door standing and not saying anything..i stammered throu-gh words as i didn’t know how or what to say.
Episode 13
Did i forget to tell you i was innocently twisting and wining my w@!st while singing, and my voice was echoing…when i saw him alot of thought crossed my mind, I was wondering if I was causing a nuisance or distracting him from whatever he was doing and he c@m£ to tell me to tone down my voice, but looking at him he was obviously not angry as he kept smiling, could it be he has been watching me whine my w@!st all this while…i was totally embarras-sed and shy too but i managed to ask him
“sorry, I didn’t notice when you c@m£…ahh… do you nee-d anything…i mean…i can i help you with anything…
“ooh…I’m sorry to have started you….i was actually enjoying you sing and…dance happily, I didn’t want to cut you off from your joy….but I’m here for a request…I have a guest at the pool and wanted to ask if there’s something eatable for her, like food…she said she will like chicken soup…plea-se hope i won’t be asking for too much from you…can we get chicken soup plea-se, three plates…
Immediately i ha-rd that he has a guest who is a female i started feeling bad unexpectedly, I felt bad but still manage to respond with a smile, he turned and left, I started wondering what was wrong with me, how can i be developing feeling for someb©dy like Victor with clas-s and fame, I’m just ordinary cook who can’t boost of anything, what is wrong with me, I thought to myself, but the more i thought the more i felt my heart will break, I took extra time to prepare the chicken pepper soup, just the way he likes it, i still manage to sing but this time it wasn’t like before, I sang so that he won’t think it was because of him i st©pped singing, the song wasn’t ma-king any s-en-se any longer instead it was sounding so sad in my ears, so i st©pped,
Joe c@m£ into the kitchen and noticed my dull face and asked me what the problem is I lied and told him i missed my mother, which was a fat lie, I was only sad because Victor’s girlfriend or fiance was by the pool waiting for me to cook chicken soup for her,is sad to say but I’m jealous, a guy that has never showed interest in me, a guy with clas-s and fame, how can i even think in my wildest dreams he will have something to do with me, I must be foolish to ever imagined such fairytale,
As i lied to Joe how i missed my mum, the sadness was written all over me, he told me everything will be fine and gently draw me into a hvg, I hvgged him too, I was love struck and was acting like a baby, we were still hvgging when i heard Victor’s voice, he was by the door again and we didn’t hear when he c@m£, he cleared his throat loud startling us both, I stammered but Joe was bold and said
“my apologies sir, we didn’t notice your pres£nce sir, Uju was down emotionally, she missed her people so was just hvgging her to calm her down…
“is fine Joe, I’m not offended…although she looked so happy to me earlier, she was singing and dancing whatever it is that changed your mood, I’m sorry…but you can actually take some time off to go and see your people, let me know when you want to do that, I actually wanted to check if the soup is re-ady….
“thanks you, is Almost re-ady sir, I will s£nd it right away…
He stood for sometime, Joe was still there trying to help me out. He just watched us and later turned and walked out, I was hoping the hvg between me and Joe in the kitchen will not be misinterpreted, why do i worry so much about Victor’s opinion on me, his own fiance is outside there relaxing by the pool so why I’m i killing my self emotionally,
I finished up the cooking and Joe called a staff to go and serve, I later left the kitchen and c@m£ outside just to see Victor’s girlfriend, I saw a fine lady with another man and Victor sitting and talking, I went back inside feeling worst than before, I wish i have stayed back inside, because the lady looks so beautiful and wealthy too, they later c@m£ inside and i saw Victor’s mum hvgging her and the other guy, telling her to greet her parents, she hvgged Victor and gave him a pe-ck, she did the same to ujunwa, I thought to myself that the whole family loves her, the rich and the rich walks together not the rich and the poor,
I went back to the kitchen and sat down there, I wanted to make dinner but i was feeling sad for reasons i don’t even un-derstand,
Victor later c@m£ to the kitchen again and saw me sitting, I quic-kly stood up and he asked me to sit back down, i did and he sat with me. then he said
“my cousin and her husband said their thanks to you, they both enjoyed the chicken soup… Is being a while they c@m£ down here, they are both base in UK, I also enjoyed it too, you have totally become a professional chef, that’s lovely and I’m proud of you….you know that right…. So what makes you sad…plea-se tell me….you really missed your people….I’m sorry Uju…i know how ha-rd it must be for you, just take sometime off, although i will miss you and your cooking….
All my sadness quic-kly disappeared when i heard cousin” I bec@m£ normal again as i blus-h and said a smiling thank you to him with my hand folded in front of me, I told him I will call my people on phone …then the next confusing question c@m£
“I’m not suppose to be asking but i can’t help it…you really love him right?…i know the question sound stupid seeing the way two of you bond together… Is just that I…. never mind, just ignore the question…
“I don’t un-derstand sir…who do you mean…who are you talking about…?
“I mean Joe, he is always helping you out and I’m always seeing you together with him.. But is cool…Joe is a nice person, he is a good guy…
“we are not d@t!ng, we are just cool friends, no emotion attached, is not what you are thinking, there’s nothing between us sir…
“really…wow… I thought… Are you in…mmmh… Don’t mind me… So what do you want to do next….
“to prepare for dinner sir…
“plea-se enough of the sir, call me Victor, i want to help you in ma-king dinner hope you don’t mind…even if you mind I’m insisting….plea-se….i want you to teach me how to cook so that i can at least help out sometimes…
I laughed so ha-rd and he laughed too, he took my hand into his and look up at me and this time i knew that spark was real, he looked at me, then looked at my mouth, then back to my eyes, I know he may probably k!ssme if i don’t stand up, the way our emotions was running with speed…i gently re-move my hand from his and stood up, he robbe-d his head before standing up to join me
“so tell me what to do, or what to say to keep you company or should i start singing because i know you love singing….
“hahahaha….i laughed he also joined me, we started dinner together acting like old friends…..
could this be love…
To be continued
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