I DO... NOT

003

Booking Alethea Jaziri for private sessions was like an olympic sport. She took 36 requsts for private meals in a year and trust that before the noon of January 1st all slots are resrved and have deposits made, so the possibility of a slot suddenly openening up is rare. A week ago, one of the owners of the slots passed and it became vacant. News spread pretty quickly and the slot was booked by another individual the same afternoon that she got the news.

William dropped her off at the restaurant and went to the house to pick the ingredients Jada had gotten for tonight. She was hit by a rainbow of aromas as she stepped into the restaurant.

“Good day Miss Jaziri” the doorman said holding the door open

“Hi Randy, how is Alicia?” she asked, handing him her coat. He smiled “She’s feeling better, she asked me to thank you for the soup you sent over, her cold disappeared a few hours after she took it”

“I’m glad it helped” she replied walking in, making her rounds of the restaurant, greeting the customers and asking them how the food was. Then made a quick stop at the kitchen to check on the chefs in charge and taste the meals. The kitchen was a family, a well oiled machine, all the people in her employ had undergone training by her, she hand picked only the best of the best of her students and put them in a position where they cauld do what they did best. She had no problem leaving her baby in the hands of these people.

She put together a plate of roasted spicy potatoes and sat in the corner filling her stomach.

“Let me guess, that’s your first actual meal today” a voice said, taking her attention away from the potato she was devouring. 

“I’ll have you know, I had a smoothie this morning, and I ate some of the Pelau that I cooked on the show this afternoon, so, you’re wrong” she replied her childhood friend turned restaurant manager, P.

“So fruits and a couple spoons of rice. A chef that doesn’t know what it means to eat, you truly are a wonder my friend”

“I try. I’m sure you have better things to be doing than questioning my life choices mademoissele”

“Meh, it’s not like I have a job or something that needs my attention. Who else would question your life choices if not your best friend” she asks, pulling a chair close and joining her

“Well, my mother, my father, my tens of thousands of haters”

“Sorry, I meant who else whose opinion matters? Y’know, besides your parents I guess” she added under her breathe

“I hath not your time, I have a job to get to and so do you. Shoo shoo!” Alethea hurridely finished her meal, seeing the message from William, informing her that he was waiting outside.

“Do you want me to send some food home for you? Marcus is on duty, I know how you love his chicken salads”

“Fine fine, thank you. Love you” she planted a light kiss on her cheek before moving for the exit, making sure to extend greetings Alicia through randy as she collected her coat.

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The drive was silent, no music played. Between the hours of 4 and 5, Alethea meditated, she lived such a fast paced life, she had to actively set aside time to let go and breathe, but atimes her mind tended to wander…

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Mummy David was what they called her mother in their town, but her children called her mama. David, John and Alethea had just returned from school. David and John ran upstairs to shower, change and begin their homework, but Alethea would shower and change after she was done helping mama in the kitchen, there was need for her to get clean yet, not when she would still sweat from the heat in the kitchen, that’s what mama always said.

That afternoon mama was making Sweet Potato Choka and it was Thea’s job to peel and dice the potatoes, she stood over the dustbin, peeling the rough bodied potatoes, careful not to cut herself, but not careful enough it seemed

“Ah!” Alethea screamed as the knife made contact with her skin and red liquid flowed down her palm. She dropped the knife and potato in the bin, clutching her finger in pain

“What is this noise you’re making in my kitchen Alethea, what happened now?” her mother said, scolding her

“Mama, I cut myself, blood is coming out” she whined, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes.

“Is that why you’re making noise? Go and bring the plastic under my bed, be quick about it” Alethea clutched her bleeding hand and ran to her mother’s room, grabbing the makeshift first aid box and hurrying back to the kitchen where mama made a quick show of wrapping up her cut with a plaster, stopping the blood flow.

“Thank you mama” 

“Go and return the plastic and come and finish cutting the potato” Alethea paused, her eyes flashed to her freshly bandaged hand and back to her mother

“It’s still paining me mama” she tried to reason with her

“So if your husband and children are hungry, you won't cook for them because of a cut?” the question was asked with such venom that Alethea didn’t dare to respond. She hurried off to her mother’s room to return the plastic, passing the living room, where she saw her brother’s laying on the floor, one reading a novel and the other laying on the floor, dozing off. 

She returned to the kitchen, fished the knife and half peeled potato out of the trash and continued to peel, tears coming to her eyes each time the potato came in contact with her skin, partly from the physical pain she felt and partly from the overwhelming feelings she felt inside but she repeated to herself… ‘This is how it has been, this is how it is, this is how it’s going to be’

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