Jollof Love

8 - Culinary Slamdown

Nini slammed the phone on her palm again. Great, the one phone Dara had lent her to manage was also having issues. She pressed the power button again, and the screen lighted up.

A sigh of relief slipped from her mouth.

She tried Dara's number again, and again, it wasn't available. The lid she had put over her anger was fast coming off. To calm herself down, she breathed in, and then out, all the while searching the street for Dara's arrival.

The classy restaurant had been Dara's idea. She had reserved it for Nini's birthday, and given her the direction, promising to meet her after she had finished sending off the clothes she had sewn to some clients.

That morning, Nini had been extra excited to go out, and realized she barely went beyond Iya Asake's Buka or eaten beyond her foods. So, as a way to relax, Dara had done the one thing she didn't know she needed; taken her for a treat of the palate.

She had put extra effort in dressing that morning. Her mother had been the first to wish her happy birthday when the clock had just struck 12, and there was a look of pride on her mother's face when Nini informed her of that fact. She loved her mother for that; since she had been little girl, her birthday had been the one thing she had raced to wish her first.

Nini donned a long dress shirt designed with a cinch on the waist and paired it with her newest pair of jeans. She had gone through the effort of styling her headgear, a tapestry of color and style that complemented her features and accentuated her natural beauty.

The only problem were the heels. She had forgotten how wobbly they were when she started walking in them.

"Looking for me?!" Someone asked from behind her. Nini shook, and whirled around to see a grinning Dara.

"Dara now," Nini tried her best to hide her impatience. "You could have at least picked the call."

"I swear it didn't ring," Dara brought out her phone and showed Nini the call log. "You see? Happy birthday, Ore mi. And wait, I have the first part of your birthday surprise."

Dara fished inside her small bag and produced Nini's phone. Nini screamed when she saw it, marveling at its new and fixed look.

"Dara!" Nini gasped again. Dara had come over to her place and had taken her phone a day before, saying she knew someone who was willing to do it at a cheap rate.

"Switch on the data, see if it will switch off," Dara urged her.

Nini held her breath and switched on the data.

"It didn't switch off!" Nini screamed. "Dara, it's working just fine!"

Nini hugged her friend, her earlier disposition of annoyance all gone. She turned on the camera, and while putting her arm around Dara's shoulder, she took a selfie.

"So you like your gift?" Dara asked.

"So much," Nini hugged the phone to her chest. "Thank you, Dara. It means so much to me."

"Don't worry, I have another gift for you," Dara said. "Open your Instagram first."

Nini wondered she was on about. She opened her Instagram, and then, when she saw the flood of notifications on her page, she covered her mouth.

She couldn't believe it.

There were so many likes.

"Dara...," Nini managed to say. "Dara..."

"Do you know what that means?" Dara tapped her friend's forearm. "I told you. You are going to that Institute. You have already passed the guy that was leading, and it closes in three hours."