In the Loving Arms of Servitude

22. Home Trouble

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"Tobi!... Come and get your food!" Uju yells from the kitchen, as she serves Tobi's dinner- rice, tomato stew and a humongous lap of fried chicken. The rice keeps steaming, as the dish rests on the kitchen cabinet. And the savoury aroma of the spicy tomato stew tainted with whiffs of chicken flavour starts to pervade the ambience of the kitchen and beyond, such that the entire house becomes covered in its ambrosial fumes.

Later on, Tobi runs into the kitchen and slowly attempts to pick up his plate. But Uju stops him, "Be careful! It is hot. Use a napkin."

"Okay." he replies.
Then with utmost care, he lifts the plate with a napkin, Uju watching him closely, afterwhich he carefully walks out of the kitchen and goes to drop it on the dinning table. And he does this all successfully, at which point Uju nods her head in approval.

Shortly after, Yusuf walks into the kitchen with his small cooler.
"Mmmm... See as the food dey scent! " he exclaims, with his usual grin on. Then he drops it on the cabinet for Uju to put his food. Afterwards, he casually rests on the cabinet, watching Uju closely, as she puts some rice in his cooler.
"You sabi cook oo! " he comments, eyeing her with his side eye.
"Thank you." Uju responds, as she keeps serving the food. And when she begins to spread the stew on top, he exclaims again, "Ah ah!... Put small join am nau! " Then he adds smugly, "You no know sey with the work wey me dey do for dis house... I even suppose dey get double ration?"

Fortunately, a loud series of knocks on the gate outside cuts their conversation short. And Uju sighs in relief, as Yusuf quickly runs out of the kitchen, to go and answer. After serving his food into the cooler, she closes it half way and then takes her plate to the dinning room to eat dinner with Tobi. While they both eat, aunty Amara walks in with two large bags in her hand and Yusuf behind her, dragging both of her suitcases. Judging by the stressed-out look on her face, she is definitely furious and extremely exhausted from her journey.
'Where is uncle Femi? Wasn't he supposed to pick her up from the airport?' Uju wonders, as she immediately drops her fork and runs to welcome her; Tobi as well,
"Welcome ma!... Good evening!"
"Mummy!!!... Welcome!!!"

And lethargically, she responds to them, "Thank you... How have you been?..."

"Fine ma!" they both respond.

Then in deep puzzlement, exhaustion and slight annoyance, she asks Uju, "Where is your uncle???"

"He came back home earlier, but then rushed out quickly again. I think something happened." Uju replies humbly. Then Amara sighs again and starts heading toward the bedroom; Yusuf following patiently behind. Thereafter, Uju and Tobi slowly head back to the dinning table to finish their dinner.

A few hours later, after Uju is done with her Further-Maths assignment, she decides to rest on her pillow for a while, before doing the dishes. It is 9:00pm and Tobi is already in bed. So while looking up, she begins to stare at the rotating blades of the ceiling fan, as they slash through the wind slowly and steadily. And gradually, she starts to feel her eyes and limbs getting weaker, as she follows each blade with her eyeballs; like it were hypnotizing her and slowly draining her life-force away. The more the languor encapsulates her being, the more she enjoys the weakness she starts to feel; the freedom; the comfort, as the surface of her skin digs deep into the foam mattress. She is so stressed that she wants to remain like this forever. But she knows all too well, that fate will never give her the satisfaction. She'll have to begin the marathon again soon. But maybe at least, she can get a few minutes of rest; a few minutes of sleep; a few minutes of sanity, before the universe takes notice.