Chapter 5: Seven Dishes and Big Dreams

After that, we buy crayfish, eggs, seasoning, all those small small things.

Na so we waka from stand to stand, carry bag dey heavy, Shina no complain, just dey follow. Everything dey cheap, but if you add am, money dey go.

I dey calculate every naira for head, dey plan next week. I go start university soon.

No be only tuition I go pay, I still need leave food money for Shina.

Sometimes I dey wonder if I fit do all. Na wa o.

This life na real survival game.

But God dey, and hunger never kill us. As we dey go house, I buy two puff-puff—one for me, one for am. Na that one be breakfast.

The puff-puff hot, oil dey shine, I hand Shina one. E no complain, just dey chop am with joy.

I watch am, small smile for him mouth, eye dey close like say na Christmas jollof. But small boy dey chop, and my money dey finish.

Before afternoon reach, hunger don catch Shina again, but e no fit ask, just dey look me with big eye.

That kind eye wey pikin dey use beg, but no fit talk, I sabi am well. As I see am, I roll sleeve, smile: "Brother, I go make you seven dishes and one soup today."

Shina swallow spit. "True?"

Me: "Sure!"

I go kitchen, scatter everywhere, open all ingredient. So, as time dey go—

E watch as I carry crayfish, fry am with green pepper, then carry am commot: "Done! Crayfish and pepper."

Then I put crayfish back, no wash pan, add egg, fry am, add salt, fry till e yellow: "Crayfish and egg, done."

Next, crayfish go back, add dodo...

...

After I use the crayfish do plenty experiments—

Crayfish okra soup, crayfish oil egg, crayfish head fry with garden egg, crispy fried crayfish shell, crayfish and pepper, crayfish and egg, crayfish noodle, crayfish pancake... everywhere full.

Kitchen smell like village market after rainfall, the kind aroma wey dey make neighbor children poke head for window. Shina just open mouth, look all the food: "..."

My phone dey vibrate for bed, but na only for my mind WhatsApp dey ring. [Crayfish: I for like remain for market o.]

[Wahala boy don shock!]

[Laugh wan kill me—who go wash plate now?]

[...]

I tap him shoulder, serious: "You see am? When I go school, you go sabi cook for yourself. Chop well."

Shina just dey look, e take time before e answer: "Mm."

E voice small, but e dey grateful. I nod, no notice as e drop him eye, hand dey squeeze.

For him mind, e dey wonder if e fit reach my level. I just rub him head, tell am say practice dey make perfect.