Two Sides Of A Coin

GOMA

MARIAM

" Wa'ie yah sah iyata wanda ita nae nike ah wanan duniya haushi?" (Who got my one and only child and daughter angry this afternoon?). My mother shouted, as she entered the house and saw all the burners on the gas cooker being used.

Ever since I came back, I've been making soups, I just finished okra soup, now I wanted to start vegetable soup. I cook on a normal, but when am angry, it tends to be excess and more sweet because, all my concentration will be on it.

"Mummy sanu dah zuwa" (Mummy welcome)  I said as I turned to face her, I bet she saw the cry lines on my face, and I also noticed she aged faster in the last few weeks. She looked at me and smiled.

" Yaya shago yaw" (How is the shop?)

" Lahiya lau nagode wah Ubanagiji inta ki dae tuwo dun, tunda kina dafawa?" (It went good I thank God, should I help you make swallow since you are cooking?)

" A'a kar ki damu, zan yi dah kaina" (No, I would do it, don't worry) she seemed a bit suprised by my response, because I for one didn't like turning the swallow because it will easily wear my hand out, even though it will just be four of us eating; my mum, the driver, the gateman and I. I still hardly made it.
I was either cooking rice, spaghetti, yam, potatoes or any no swallow food, and if my mum was tired of oyinbo food as she would call it, she would do the swallow.

Definitely, she was going to be surprised and she had understood, that I was deeply hurt.

I put my meat on fire, after cutting it to sizeable pieces, then I chopped my onions and garlic, and added it to the meat on fire, after putting two cups of water. I then added my salt, thyme, curry and maggi cube. I let it boil for awhile, till I saw the meat become very tender. I then took my blended tomatoes and pepper  and added to the meat. I didn't add any more water, because I knew the vegetable leaf, would have their own water. I then added dry-fish and stock-fish inside and covered the pot.

I went to cut my vegetable leafs, then washed them thoroughly with salt, to remove any sand.

I later went back to check and observed that, everything had mixed well, I added more salt to taste, then I added my groundnut oil, then after leaving it for awhile, I then put my vegetable leafs and covered the pot. I gave it ten minutes, and my soup was done.

Now, time for me to put the water for swallow.

After everyone had being served, and my mother forced me to eat, reminding me that even in times of anger and sadness, I should eat, I went upstairs to my room.
I finally removed my uniform and put it in my washing machine, I didn't have the will to wash my clothes. I went into my parents room, put the water in the jacuzzi bath-tub, and sat down to cry and bath.

When the water started turning cold, I stood up and went back to my room, I found my mother  already sleeping, I guess she was tired from today's work.

I finally picked up my phone and put off the airplane mode. The first thing I did was turn on my data, and my WhatsApp messages flowed in like never before. I saw so many messages from our class group chat, our prefectship group chat and some Malik as well but I felt sad again, I don't know why.

I checked my class group chat, and the main topic was what happened, with Chelsea, her squad and some others spouting nonsense, I also went to the group chat, the same thing, but they were trying to be subtle about it.