Exhausted, Mama Sweetie wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her wrapper. She took another look at her buka local restaurant, 'Mama Sweetie's Buka' for the upteenth time and shook her head. By this time tomorrow she will no longer be in service. She blinked fast to hold back the tears gathering in her eyes.
"Madam, akara bean cake has finished o" Uju, her loyal employee for over ten years now yelled from the dining hall.
"I'm on it already" she replied, sweating from the pain of turning the akara mixture in her big mortar. Then she scooped a portion with her spoon into the big frying pan resting on top of a big stone with fire made of firewood burning fiercely.
She could hear the voice of Mr Edet the bus driver and her regular customer chatting with other customers at the top of his voice. She had wondered severally if he ever had a soft voice which he communicated with his wife or just the loud voice.
"Where is my order Uju?" She heard him ask.
Also in the background was the voice of Ịfunanya a young mother who recently lost her husband to a ghastly motor accident. She was attending to her daughter who kept crying for no reason at all.
"My baby girl sorry na" the young mum tried consoling her daughter. “Take more akara”
Mama Sweetie shook her head. She hadn't told her customers that today was their last day being fed by her. She didn't want to, she knew she couldn't handle the shock that would be on their faces. So she felt it was better they found out tomorrow of her eviction from the property by themselves.
She cursed at her landlord and wondered how a fellow woman like her would be so mean. For over twenty five years she had run her business in that building, paying her rent when due. Until the real owner of the building died, relinquishing ownership of the place to her daughter.
The first thing her new landlord will think of doing was to triple her rent, all because she felt her business was thriving and she could afford it. Not knowing that sometimes, food sold on Mama Sweetie's Buka was for free.
It was just her own way of helping struggling people in their tiny community, especially with the rise in the cost of living.
Ịfunanya was one of her beneficiaries, ever since she lost her husband, Mama Sweetie's had never taken a dime from her whenever she came to eat with her little daughter.
This time she couldn't trick her tears again as they came streaming down her cheeks like a loose faucet.
"Madam, there is a man here asking for you" Uju's voice brought her back to the moment.
"Which man? Mama Sweetie asked, shifting her gaze and quickly wiping off the tears in her eyes.
"I don't know him o. But he's the one putting on big Agbada native attire at the diner* Uju replied, opening her palms as proof she had no idea.
Mama Sweetie sighed "I'll be there shortly" she answered. In her mind her landlord must have sent her lawyer to come and give her the final warning but on a second thought, a lawyer doesn't wear Agbada.
She washed her hands and walked out into the diner trying so hard to put a smile on her face for her customers. She walked out to the diner
"Mama Sweetie, where is my jellof rice?" Mr Edet complained for his order immediately when he saw her step out of the kitchen into the diner.
"Edet don't worry Uju will attend to that shortly" To Uju she called "Please give Mr Edet his usual"
She walked over to Ịfunanya and some other customers, asking questions and making sure they were fine. Then she scanned her eye round the room for the man on Agbada who wanted to see her. Her eyes caught him seated at the far end of the diner in his well tailored Agbada looking so out of place among the plastic chairs and rubber bowls. She weakly walked towards him with a frowned look.
Taking her seat "Are you the one looking for me?" She asked.
On sighting her the man stood up and prostrated to greet her in a local manner and dialect " Ekaaro Good morning ma'am" he said
"Ekaaro , do I know you?" She asked, wondering why her supposed oppressor was being so humble.
"Yes but I doubt you'll remember. I'm Gbenga" he replied with a smile.
"Hmm" she relaxed on her seat ready to hear what he had to say. "So how can I help you, Gbenga"
"I heard you're being evicted" he asked in a low voice
"Nobody apart from Uju knows that. How did you know and who are you again?" She asked this time seriously and leaning forward.
"If you'll remember Mama Gbenga, the old lady that was sent packing from her husband's house after the death of her husband by her husband's people. You let her sleep in your Buka here at night when work is over. I'm Gbenga, her son, the little one she comes with" the man explained.
Mama Sweetie tried recalling. She had helped several people in the past and she could barely remember any of them. She shut her eyes and thought harder
"Wait, my Gbenga boy" she remembered calling him by the nickname she gave him.
"I'm the one ma'am" Gbenga replied smiling.
"You've grown so big. Where are you and what do you do now?" She asked smiling
"Well I reside in Abuja now with my family where I work for the government" he answered
"I see but how did you know about the eviction?" she switched back to the important issue.
"Well words fly and I got a wind of it from a friend who still stays here and I'm willing to help" Gbenga said, pulling out some wads of cash and placing them on the table. "That's rent for two years"
Mama Sweetie scoffed "Gbenga boy! What's in it for you? Because I know all you politicians don't give out money easily like that" she asked, refusing to take the money.
Gbenga smiled "I understand but I'm not doing this for anything. I'm doing it because you helped me and my mum when we needed help the most. It's just my way of saying thank you" Gbenga replied, sincerity in his voice.
Mama Sweetie liked him closely in his eyes. She could tell he was being sincere, she felt the tears coming again but this time they were of joy
"How do I repay you" she said with teary voice
"You don't have to. Just keep feeding and doing the good you've been doing for this community through this Buka, that's all the repayment I can ask for" Gbenga said leaning forward.
"Thank you" she said with tears
Suddenly, Mama Sweetie heard Uju shout from the kitchen "Madam this akara has burnt o"
Mama Sweetie quickly got up. How did she forget she had left those akara on fire. "Please stay back for a meal. Even if that's the least I can do for you" She said, picking up the wads of cash and quickly rushed her way back to the kitchen.
Few minutes later, she dished a nice portion of Jellof rice and moi moi bean pudding with chicken for Gbenga. But by the time she would return to serve him the food he was already gone.
She stood there staring at his empty seat with a piece of paper he left with a write up. She picked it up and read
"I wish I could stay to taste your meals again but I have other things to attend to. My joy is full knowing that Mama Sweetie's Buka will still be here tomorrow to keep putting sweet smiles on people's faces"
Mama Sweetie smiled. "Truly it pays to be good " she said.
Glossary:
Buka local restaurant
akara bean cake
Agbada native attire
Ekaaro Good morning
moi moi bean pudding
PS: This story is inspired by The Inkwell Prompt #54. The week's prompt is “Tomorrow” with the challenge being “Story Arc”.