Sunny Side Up

Chapter 33

I woke up to the aroma of something delicious wafting from the kitchen. I sat up in bed, processing life and all its complexities. The morning sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the dust particles dancing in the air. I took a deep breath, feeling the softness of the bed and the quietness of the room.

After a few minutes, I got out of bed and walked over to my suitcase to pick out an outfit for the day. But nothing seemed to catch my eye. I rummaged through my clothes, searching for something that felt right, but everything seemed dull and uninteresting.

I grabbed my toiletry bag and headed out of the bedroom to the bathroom. The apartment was big enough, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and a toilet room if that makes sense. The master bedroom was upstairs, with an en-suite bathroom. The other bedrooms , one was downstairs and the other one was upstairs, along with another bathroom. There was also a toilet room downstairs for convenience.

As I walked upstairs to the bathroom, the bathroom was spacious, with a big bathtub and a separate shower. I did my morning routine, brushing my teeth and washing my face. As I washed my face, I looked at my braids and decided that I was going to take them out later.

I headed downstairs to the kitchen, where I found Milani cooking up a storm. The kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of pancakes, and my stomach growled in anticipation.

"Good morning," I said, kissing Milani's cheek. I didn't know why I did that, but Milani just smiled and greeted me back.

"Good morning, Melo," Milani replied, her voice warm and friendly. "Slept well?"

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, thanks."

I hopped onto the counter, and Milani chuckled. "Is that a habit?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, laughing. "Yeah, I guess so. I love sitting on counters , these stools just don't have that woza woza thing."

Milani laughed. "Well, make yourself at home."

"So, what's cooking?" I asked.

"Pancakes," Milani replied. "Want some?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, please."

I asked if she needed help, but Milani said she was almost done. I nodded and took a bite of the apple Milani handed me.

As we chatted, my curiosity got the better of me. "How old are you?" I asked.

Milani smiled. "I'm 20, turning 21 in September."

I raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh, so you're in university?"

Milani nodded. "Yes."

I asked what course she was studying, and Milani replied, "I'm studying culinary arts. I want to be a chef."

My curiosity was piqued again. "That's cool. How did you and Nkosenye meet? I mean like since you're doing culinary arts and he's doing business" I asked.

Milani smiled, and I could tell she was happy to share their story. "We met through mutual friends," she began. "We were at a dinner party, and Nkosenye was talking about his business ventures and I was doing my practicals there and some of my friends were there to support me and I guess my friends were his friends  ."

I leaned in, interested. "And then?"

Milani laughed. "And then we started talking, and I realized we had a lot in common."

I smiled. "That's cool. It's great that you have so much in common."

Milani nodded. "Yeah, it definitely makes things easier. But we also challenge each other, which is important in any relationship."