“ah ah Grace hurry up na,” Her Madam said gesturing from the kitchen door
Grace nodded as she quickly spread out the plantain she was frying. She heaped the perfectly fried golden pieces of plantain on one of the expensive-looking glass plates that they hardly use and her madam came and collected it from her.
“Ehen, before I forget shey you still remember how to open wine with the corkscrew,” The madam asked
“Yes ma” Grace answered
“clean your hand very well o, so the oil does not make it slip out of your hands, hmm.
That bottle is expensive o, so carefully open it after you clean the water droplet on it and bring it to the dining room” She narrated,
“Wrap it neatly in clean hand towel before you bring it” Her madam added as she headed out with the wine.
Grace sighed heavily after her madam left before heading to the sink to wash her slightly oily hands, she was unbelievably tired; she had been cooking all types of meals since afternoon. They were hosting a very important visitor, he was a very big man her madam repeatedly mentioned.
Grace had overheard when Charles was bragging on the phone that his father’s friend that is a member of the House of Representatives was coming for dinner in their house. They arrived exactly when she was about to start frying plantain which was the last thing she was making and since then she’s only heard loud laughter and greetings coming from the sitting room.
She turned off the tap and tried not to look at the massive heap of dirty dishes that was piled up in the second sink; she made almost all the type of food she can cook. She wiped her hands on the apron her madam made her wear before heading to the fridge to take out the wine that apparently cost more than three months of her salary and gently set it on the counter.
Personally, Grace didn’t think the bottle of wine looked like much but she wasn’t taking any chances so she got out the corkscrew and gently unwrapped the cover then she pushed the sharp point inside the hard cork just like her madam showed her.
Grace then picked out a clean soft hand towel neatly folded the towel into a triangle and wrapped it around the bottle before turning the screw and forcefully but carefully pulled it out with a small pop. She placed back the cork on the wine before placing it on the counter, knowing she didn’t really look like much in her hairnet and t-shirt covered by an apron, she frowned to herself.
She took out her handkerchief and wiped her sweaty face clean before picking up the bottle before her madam storm in to tell her to hurry up. She walked gently into the dining room towards the table, they were already seated and eating already. Grace steadily walked to where her madam was seated to place the wine on the table
“Hmm, this face is definitely new” She heard the visitor say
“I don’t remember you having any help or she is relative of yours, Nne anyi” He asked
“No sir, she’s the help I got a while ago” grace madam offered
“Oh I see, that’s good. You shouldn’t be stressing about so that you can always remain beautiful for my chairman” He said before laughing deeply
Grace madam laughed but it sounded like something between a giggle and a dying creature.
“Here dear, come pour some wine for me” She heard him say
Grace tried to steady her breathing so her walk and her hands won’t be shaking. She walked all the way to the side he was seating on the right of her Oga that was seated at the head of the table.
She bowed slightly in greeting before she carefully poured the red liquid in his cup that he held out. As she poured she could feel his eyes on every part of her body like someone trying to assess the quality of her goods.
Grace suddenly felt sad that her best assets were not on display for the big man to appreciate and approve. After his cup was filled, she walked over to her madam side swaying her buttocks harder to drop the bottle on the table.
Grace left the dining room, got some food and went to eat in her room before she would have to get started on the already heaped dirty dishes.
She ate slowly a bit disappointed that she wasn’t called upon for anything as they ate. After she was done she contemplated walking to the kitchen and flaunting herself a little but dreaded started doing the dishes more. As she sat thinking of what to do the door creaked open, she looked up to see her madam at the door.
“Erm hurry and pack some of your clothes, you’ll be following chief to his house, his wife and daughters are abroad and he could use some nice homemade food,” her madam said
Grace didn’t understand what was happening but it excited her
“He really like your Afang soup, you’ll have to cook plenty like enough for a week and anything else he wants, tell him everything you need” he madam continued
Grace only nodded her head as she imagined what it would feel like to be in a big man’s house.
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