The Agony Of A Weeping Child

3 - Business calls

Mrs. Sade felt like a queen when she heard her daughter's kind words. Overjoyed, she reminded Mercy to be careful and watchful, especially since she wasn't frying akara at that moment.

Lying down on the bench, Mrs. Sade relaxed while gazing out at the road. Soon enough, evening fell, and at exactly 5:00 PM, she got up from the bench and began arranging things for the evening sales.

By that time, Mercy had yet to return to the shop. Concerned, Mrs. Sade dialed her daughter's number, hoping to urge her to hurry, but Mercy didn't answer. Worry began to creep in, but she tried to calm her mind.

A few minutes later, Mercy arrived at the shop, carrying the items her mother had asked her to bring.

Mrs. Sade was not pleased and reminded Mercy to always answer her calls, no matter what.

"Mercy, you need to learn to pick up your calls. You don't know what I might need to tell you," Mrs. Sade said.

"Mummy, I was almost at the shop, so I didn't pick up," Mercy explained defensively.

"Even if you're right in front of my shop, you should still answer your calls. Is that clear?" Mrs. Sade said, placing her right hand on her ear, her eyes wide as she spoke.

"Yes, Mummy," Mercy replied.

Mrs. Sade took the items from Mercy and set them in the corner of the shop. While she was busy organizing, three young boys approached but turned to leave when they saw there was no akara.

"Wait, please!" Mrs. Sade called out, pleading with them to stay until she could fry some.

"My brothers, please don't be upset. I didn't realize you'd want akara this early; it's not even 7:00 PM yet. You can sit on the bench and wait while I quickly fry some bean cakes for you," she urged.

"We might not be able to wait, ma, because we're really hungry. We'll just come back tomorrow morning," one of the boys replied.

"No! Let's wait. She's already started; let's be patient," the second boy insisted.

The boys decided to stay. Within fifteen minutes, the akara was ready. Mrs. Sade thanked them for their patience and even added five extra bean cakes as a token of appreciation. The boys left happy and grateful.

A few minutes later, the shop was bustling with customers. Many people lined up to buy akara from Mrs. Sade. Though she wasn't the only akara seller in Ire town, there was a noticeable difference between her bean cakes and those made by others.

With Mercy assisting in the sales, the queue moved quickly. Mrs. Sade focused on frying the akara, allowing the oil to drain, while Mercy wrapped and sold the hot cakes.

Customers adored Mercy for her friendliness and respectful demeanor. Some women even stopped by in their cars to buy akara, loading up on bean cakes for themselves and their children.