Silent readers, how far 👀
Aya
"...No! Not like that, arrange them vertically!" The Camera man abi woman yelled, which completely startled me.
"But...what difference does it make?" I Asked in confusion, Making her firm Her already bored facial expression.
"What difference does it make?" She raised an eyebrow "arranging meat pies anyhow on the baking tray is absolutely wrong and unprofessional. You're making it looks so disorganized, as if you have no idea what you're doing. That's the difference!"
That woman was clearly on a mission to frustrate me, and she was very much succeeding.
There's this new cooking show That Honey TV were getting ready to introduce to their channel, which I was picked to be the host for, and since I was the host, the show was named after me; Aya's Table. It's all about tasty and versatile African dishes that one can enjoy for both lazy and festive seasons. Each episode will run for 30 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays.
Nigeria is abundantly blessed with good food and a rich food culture, so It certainly is a dream come true for me to be the host and it's one step closer to fulfilling my dream of giving African food a good rep on the food map. I love what Honey TV represents. I love how they are showcasing the rich culture of Africa, and now to have me on board on their huge platform to share some authentic Naija recipes is certainly a huge milestone in my career and the fulfilment of my overall purpose.
So far everything is going well, but you see this stupid camera woman, she's getting on my last nerve.
"I don't appreciate being yelled at, Tolani" I stated in a neutral tone "you can correct me as much as you want but there's no need to be aggressive"
"Excuse me?" She took her shades off.
"I didn't stutter"
"Wow!" She let out a humorless chuckle "do you know who you're talking to?"
"It doesn't matter who you are, the point is that you cannot talk to or yell at me like that"
"What's this girl feeling like?" She Asked while looking at the whole crew "my friend rearrange those meat pies like I told you to!"
Lol.
I could see my assistant, Linda literally begging me with her eyes to not say anything else in order to avoid getting into yet another brawl with Tolani, but I simply ignored it because that day wasn't a day for me to let anything slide, I was frustrated and had feelings I wanted to get rid of, so if Tolani wants a piece, who am I to decline the beautiful offer?
"I'll do it MY way, and wallahil azeem if you talk to me like that again, I'm going to slap you, because you don't have the right to boss me around like you're the one who hired me" I hissed "you better mind your business, and if you can't do that, leave the camera and come and host the show yourself"
"You-"
"What's going on?" The Director, Mrs Tina Adeyemi Asked as she came back to the kitchen. She left for a brief moment to get something to drink, which was what gave Tolani the chance to start with her rubbish.
"She's disrespecting me, Ma" replied Tolani, trying to feign being the victim as usual.
"Noooooo that's not what happened" the entire crew yelled before I got the chance to even say anything "Tolani just doesn't like minding her business. She's giving AY a hard time because of arranging the meat pies in a certain way that she wants her to" said the set decorator.
"You this Ayo, I always knew that you don't like me. Omo alé, ko ni dafun iya é; Bastard, it won't be better for your mother" she snapped at him "why didn't you also tell her that your AY threatened to slap me"
"Yes I did. And I will actually do it if you don't face your front. wetin even concern you with the way I arrange the meat pies? Aren't you the camerawoman? Your job is only to record whatever I'm doing, not to give me orders, so you better stop playing the role of assistant director!" I rolled and eyes "Mrs Adeyemi, I really can't work with such problematic people, please help me tell her to mind her own business and leave me alone"
Mrs Adeyemi was clearly trying to not laugh as she didn't want to appear unprofessional, but something was tickling her, probably the Yoruba insult Tolani threw at Ayomide, who by the way looked like he was about to kill her.
"Tolani, you are only required to record what she is doing, anything that has to do with corrections or criticism, I will be the one to handle it, and I do not need an assistant in that aspect, am I clear?"
Tolani looked like she was about to burst, but she didn't have a choice "Yes Ma"
"Good" Mrs adeyemi nodded "I don't want to hear anything like this happen again, and Respect is reciprocal, you can't plant potatoes and expect to harvest Yam"
This is why I love working with Mrs Adeyemi, she's so diplomatic with everything and everyone, she fixes all issues while being chilled.
"Let's get back to work" She took her seat on her chair and we continued from where we stopped, and it went very smoothly. I baked my meat pies in piece and made my signature Zobo afterwards and then we called it a day.
I made sure to take all the makeup off my face before leaving the set with Linda, 5 bottles of Zobo and about Ten meatpies in a bag. I was so choked with that atmosphere in there, I didn't want to stay for a single minute, so I was basically running out like someone was chasing me. I couldn't even drive the car because I was angry, Linda was the one who drove while I looked out the window, trying to calm myself down.
This is just not my day!
I don't even know why I'm angry.
Maybe I do....
"What's next?" I Asked Linda.
"Your photo shoot for Pepsi"
"But I had a shoot with them just last week"
"That was for a billboard" she replied "this one is for the limited edition champions league bottles they want to release"
Great! Now I'm gonna have to fake a smile and being excited, literally the complete opposite of what I'm feeling right now. But I didn't say anything, I just groaned and turned to look at the window again, this time, hiding my tears from her.
"Are you Okay, Aya?" She Asked after a while.
The answer is no. But I didn't want her to know that, so I just nodded because I didn't want to give it away, and thankfully she left the issue there, even though she didn't believe me.
I was fine just this morning, I was as happy and as excited as I used to be every single day, Hafeez even took me out to have breakfast in a small café near our home, and we had a really great time, but it's like I cannot have a single day go perfectly well in my life, I was just on my own when I suddenly remembered that it's....Majeed's birthday.
12th November. A day I used to cherish like no other, A day I used to enjoy even more than he did, but now, now it's just a day I dread to think about, a day that brings forth the feeling of pain because it reminds me of him. That day singlehandedly destroyed all my efforts of moving on, it ruined my chances of forgetting everything and starting over, it was complete torture because I was forced to come to terms with the fact that The pain I feel now is the happiness I used to have.
What hurts the most is how I can't forget him, he was always in the back of my mind and haunting me even in my sleep. Let me not even lie, I missed him. I missed him so much. I missed what we had. I missed how we used to be and I couldn't stop thinking about how he ruined it. I will never be able to understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once, without an explanation. He just....left, for the sole purpose of hooking up with my best friend.
That pain is like an axe that chops my heart, because I simply cannot understand why. Why did he do that? Am I not beautiful enough? Am I not hot enough? Am I not nice enough? Did I not love him enough? It will forever remain a mystery Because I know I did my best, I did everything I could to make him happy, I stayed loyal to him throughout our relationship, I never raised my voice against him, I never insulted or cursed him over anything whatsoever, which is very commendable considering how much of a hot tempered person I am. I was always careful with what I did or said around him because I didn't want to hurt him, I lived my life around him like I was walking on eggshells, always extra cautious and taking preventive measures because I always wanted him to smile.
The more I thought of him, the more It gave me a continual anguish, he Became the human version of an aching tooth in my mind, the feeling was involuntary, hopeless and absolutely compulsive Because For years, he had been the first thing I remembered when I woke up, the last thing that drifted through my mind as I went to sleep, and even during the day as I worked or just lived my life. He was just a huge part of me, and the constant reminder that he has ripped me off of himself was unbelievable.
I was in period of agony, my heart was extremely hungry, but the only one who could feed it will never ever do that, I'm just going to have to continue living with that hunger until I get used to it.
"Aya?" I was snapped out of my thoughts when Linda lightly tapped my thigh.
I quickly wiped the tears off my face before turning to face her "Yes?"
"We've arrived"
I looked around and indeed she was right, we were already in Maitama. I was so lost in my own world that I didn't even realize it.
I sprawled out of the car like a moody teenager and headed inside with Linda following me behind. I wanted nothing more than to just be in my feelings while laying in my bed but instead, I have to fake a smile.
"After this, that's all for today right?" I Asked Linda with hope in my eyes, but she just looked at me with pity, and that was enough to tell me that I had a day full of cameras.
"....no. You have to shoot your last scene for that Hausa movie, then there's another photo shoot for peak milk, after That you have a two hours lunch break, then a meeting with your agent and the last photoshoot for lily Pulitzer. We're supposed to round today up by 9pm"
Can someone please shoot me??
*******
I ended up returning home like one misplaced priority. My heels in one hand, my veil barely covering my head, my eyes were covered with dark circles and I could barely feel my legs, it was as if they weren't even on my body Because the blood wasn't circulating well enough.
With great difficulty, I managed to drag myself upstairs, but not to my room, I went to the penthouse instead because I felt really bad for not being around to make both lunch and dinner for Hafeez and Nengi. I really didn't know I would take so long at work, I didn't even know I had that much work on my schedule, it basically just hit me like a lightning bolt.
"Salam alaikum" I Said in a small voice as I entered his bedroom, where I found him laying on his bed, but he wasn't alone, Anas and Asma were there too, Asma was with him on the bed while Anas was on one of the one seaters he had in the room.
"Dimples!" I was welcomed by Asma throwing herself on me, and because I was absolutely exhausted, we ended up falling flat on the floor.
"Wayyo Baya na" I groaned in...I don't know, is it pain?
"La! Ka ga Zata karya mana amarya" Said Anas as he shook his head.
"Yarinya kamar doki" Hafeez hissed as he got off the bed and smacked her back "Dallah tashi before you break my wife" he pulled her off of me and then helped me stand on my feet.
"Toh! Su yaya anyi aure" she replied, chuckling in amusement.
"Shut up!" I giggled and shook my head at their banter before I made my way to the bed and made myself comfortable. Asma laid down next to me on the left while Hafeez sat on the right, resting his back on the bed head, so I was sandwiched between the siblings.
"You don't look too good..." Said Hafeez.
"Bari kawai, I'm so so tired wallahi" I yawned "sorry I wasn't around to make lunch or dinner, I had no idea my schedule was tight like that, and my phone died in the middle of a shoot, that's why I couldn't call you"
"It's okay" he smiled "I had a feeling you'd be back late so I bought food for us"
A smile automatically took over my face as he handed me a takeaway pack containing the amazing seafood pasta from bleu cafe and a can of Schweppes Chapman.
"you're a life saver. Thank you" I smiled as we fist-bumped before I immediately dived into my food.
"Aya ni fa gurin ki nazo" Said Anas, grabbing my attention.
"Guri na kuma?"
He nodded.
"Toh Allah ya sa ba laifi na yi ba; hope I didn't commit a crime"
"Not at all, ai amarya ba ta Laifi" he smiled "I just want you to find a wife for me"
Ah!
"What happened to saudah?" Asked Hafeez.
"Please do not call that name in front of me" he sighed "we're not even married and that girl made me cry, in an yi auren kuma ai sai ta sa mun hawan Jini!" Hafeez bursted into laughter.
"Kai ya Anas! You're just not patient enough, it's all love" Said Asma.
"Making a grown ass man like me cry is all love?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Maybe that's just her love language. She's probably a hot tempered person who is hard to understand, so you have to be patient with her"
"Toh ni dai I'm not ready to go crazy. Let her carry her love language and go somewhere else, it's not me she'll kill" he was actually serious when he said that but it sounded so funny, I just had to laugh along with Hafeez and Asma.
"You said the same thing about every girl you've been with" Said Hafeez.
"It's because all of them dey craze. This saudah we're talking about, she can't even send me a goodnight text or at least respond to my own, haka na ke kwanciya ta kamar wani Shanu" he ranted, And then let out a chuckle "I've just never been lucky with this love thing, ko lokacin da mu ke yara, Idan Ana wasan amarya da ango, kullum ni ne Mai gadi ko dokin ango, And this idiot is always the ango" he pointed at Hafeez "he'll comfortably sit on my back while I take him around the room, and because he's wicked, not even once did he pity me and suggest that I should be the ango for at least one day, dokinnan dai a haka aka barni"
The funniest part of the whole thing is that he was serious while saying it, but to us, it sounded like we were watching a comedy show. Anas really is such a character.
"Yanzu dai this whole thing is Hafeez's fault right?" I Said while chuckling.
"Exactly!" He agreed "he turned me into a horse when I was a kid and now I'm starting to act like one"
This matter get K leg.
"How is that my fault? You were the biggest during our childhood, nobody could carry anyone on their back apart from you" Hafeez chuckled "you just don't know how to handle girls and you're not willing to learn, kwatakwata you're not romantic"
"how am I not romantic?"
"Didn't you wipe Saudah with Your charger when she hit you with a pillow?"
"innalillahi!" Asma And I bursted into laughter once again.
"Do you have any idea how painful that was? Haka kawai Ina zaune na ta zo to kwada mun pillow a Kai, why shouldn't I retaliate?"
Na wa ooo!
"Ya Anas It's called a pillow fight, you were supposed to pick another pillow and hit her as well, then you'll both giggle like hyenas till you're tired, not flog her with your charger like she's some dull islamiyyah student" Said Asma.
"Ni dai gaskiya ba'a irin wannan wasan dani, Why will you hit me and call it romance? That's just wickedness"
"Okay, I'm done" Hafeez raised his hands in surrender and turned to him "you deal with him, daman ya ce gurin ki ya zo"
"I wonder who even asked you to put your mouth inside" he eyed him "Amarya, We'll settle this when this magulmaci isn't around"
"Toh shikenan"
"Goodnight"
"night"
And then he left, after taking a shrimp off of my pasta.
Anas and food sha, he can eat literally anything.
"Aren't you going home too?" Hafeez Asked Asma, who was so busy playing candy crush on her phone.
"It's past 11 already Yaya"
"The house is just 5 minutes away"
"Gaskiya I don't want to leave, sai gobe"
"I knew this is where you were headed to" he shook his head "Toh go and sleep"
"I'm sleeping here"
"Where?"
"here"
"In this room?"
"Yes"
"Capital NO!" He stated "go to one of the guest rooms or Aya's room, but you're Definitely not sleeping in here"
"Yaya....." she whined.
"Asma'u, get out of here, I want to talk to my wife"
"I promise I won't disturb you, I'll even close my ears if you want, I won't listen to a thing you say"
"Knowing you and your love for gulma, that is a blatant lie" I Said and pushed a spoonful of my pasta into my mouth.
"I really won't disturb you guys"
He just hissed, got of the bed, picked her up like a little doll and went out with her while she threw a fit. Like two minutes later, he came back without her and quickly locked the door.
"Where did you take her?" I Asked.
"To Your room" May God save my poor space for the shackles of the reckless human being, I just wonder what she drank today "why are your feet swollen?"
"Oh" I looked at them a bit and he was right "it must be from the Pepsi shoot, it required a lot of jumping and I wasn't in the right state of mind so we had to do it over and over again"
"They look so bad.." he said to himself as he picked them up and placed them on his laps, then he gently started to massage them "this is better than the pasta" I moaned with my eyes closed, Making him chuckle.
"You've been working too much lately, it's not healthy, you know?"
"I know but....I brought the commitments upon myself, so I have to fulfill them"
"But you're also not a machine or a donkey, you need to have a limit for the amount of work you do in a day so it doesn't affect your health" he said "have you ever even taken some time off to go on a vacation?"
I took some time to think but I couldn't come up with anything, except for one thing which doesn't really count "I went to South Africa once....for a shoot"
"Wow" he shook his head, taking my feet off of his laps. For a second I thought he was pissed by what I said, but he actually got up to go get something from his closet, which he did in less than a minute and came back to take his seat "here, this is for you" he handed me the white envelope.
"What is it?" I curiously asked as I opened it.
"Something I think you'll love!"
And he was right.
I loved it!
We're going for a holiday!!!!!!!!
The kind of scream I screamed sha, I just hope I didn't get anybody's attention.
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Hey guysssss 👋 Salam alaikum 😃
How's everyone doing? Hope everyone is good and fine ❤️
Finally I'm updating 😩 sorry it took quite long, I had small writers block and a problem with the app, anything I write doesn't save, I had to delete the app and download it again before it got fixed 😭
So, what do you think of this chapter? Did you like it? And which was your favorite part? Mine is the short feet massaging 😩 that's all I need right now but I no get a Hafeez wey go do am for me.
Also, funny story about that Yoruba insult, one bolt driver threw it at me ooo 😆 I ordered a bolt to go to Jabi lake mall, then on the way there, my bolt driver hit another bolt driver, and those people parked to start a fight 😩😩 they were wasting so much of my time, so I stepped out to apologize to the other one since it was my bolt driver's fault, but the other one was not having it, so he insulted me 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I didn't even know it was an insult till I asked my driver, who then translated what he said for me 😩 e pain me sha, but it was funny 😂
Thanks for reading guys, see you when I see you ✌🏼