Chapter 15: Morning Routine

As cock crow first, Morayo wake.

Morning breeze cold, dew full ground, cock dey crow from neighbor house.

For village, first woman to wake dey get blessing. Morayo no dey slack.

She wake gently.

She no wake Bobo, just waka on tiptoe, tie scarf for head.

She mix dough for basin, make e rise, then carry woven sack go west room pack garlic.

She dey hum one old Yoruba song as she work.

The garlic na from their farm, just harvest this year. Morayo pick the biggest, roundest, best ones.

She dey pick like person wey dey buy for festival—she no dey rush.

Garlic for city dey cost—better one fit reach plenty naira per kilo. Morayo wan pack enough for her husband, make he chop well, share with him people for site, so that if he sick, dem go help am.

She reason am well—if man dey chop well, work go sweet am.

After she carry garlic reach main room, she carry jar of pepper sauce from cupboard.

The jar dey heavy, cover tight. Only Morayo fit open am without breaking hand.

Jude Dangana like am well, and na her handiwork: fresh pepper, she go wash am, cut, mix with scent leaf, crayfish, salt, keep am green and hot—anytime you chop rice, e go sweet.

She always dey proud when people dey praise her sauce for church meeting.

Next, Morayo bring out two pastry wrap with brown paper: honey puff-puff and coconut cake wey she buy for market yesterday. The honey puff-puff yellow, crispy, sesame dey on top; coconut cake soft, syrup dey come out, sugar full surface, like something from dream.

All these, she hide am for cupboard away from Bobo, because pikin go finish am before day break.

Jude Dangana like these things—he no fit get am for where he dey work.

If you taste am, you go know say na home food, no be town snack.

Anything Jude Dangana like, Morayo dey remember.

Her heart big for am, even small thing, she go add.

When she pack everything inside sack, the dough don rise—soft and smooth, like woman belle.

Morayo touch the dough, smile, say, “This one go sweet.”

Time to make pancake.