JOY’S CONTROVERSIAL SUNDAY CUISINE #2 (SHORT STORY)
Ernest just wanted a strong ally to persuade Joy to forgo her Sunday food fests. They could buy a new car or a plot of land if she saved some reasonable money from her paycheck every month, he figured.
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Intro:
Our short story about a young couple who seem to have a permanent disagreement about the wife’s tradition of Sunday “extravagance” stopped where she was about to join her husband in the bedroom at the end of yet another Sunday of the usual. Will the husband who is the more vocal of the two in the matter pick up the quarrel from where he left off earlier or will they find a way to resolve the issue? Let’s see how the matter plays out. Do share your impressions at the end and be abundantly blessed of the Lord.
JOY’S CONTROVERSIAL SUNDAY CUISINE #2
As Joy slipped in in order not to disturb Ernest, he was reporting her, by phone, to his elder brother, Salihu.
“Well, how do you think my Sunday went? Joy had the whole of Lagos over to the house as usual. She refuses to acknowledge that things are hard in the country and that you can’t just open your house constantly for every Tom, Dick and Harry to come and freeload.”
“Really! How about the saying, ‘There’s joy in sharing’? No pun intended.”
Unbelievable! Ernest thought. Why was Salihu, of all people, his Lausanne-domiciled, frugal brother, taking Joy’s side in this matter? He’d complained to his mum once and she’d reminded him in her tartiest tone that she’d warned him against marrying Joy but he’d gone ahead.
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“Why run to me now that she’s practising her rich girl routine on you?” she’d asked and cut the call.
His younger sister, Ake, was more sympathetic. But when he took the matter to his older sister, Cheche, she only seemed to hear that Joy had cooked nsala soup and summoned her to teach “Big Sis” (Joy’s name for her) how to do the same. Altogether, they spent a whole hour of his “hard-earned call credit” swapping recipes. The telecom company that would usually cut one’s call abruptly was on its “best” behaviour that day.
Ernest knew better than to talk to Joy’s family about this. He felt they had more money than sense and would consider him silly for bringing up the subject. He just wanted a strong ally to persuade Joy to forgo her Sunday food fests. They could buy a new car or a plot of land if she saved some reasonable money from her paycheck every month, he figured. Unfortunately, it seemed he wasn’t going to find that ally in Salihu. Perhaps, he could try his mum again.
Meanwhile, he needed to steer the conversation away from his home life and end it as soon as possible.
“Anyway, how was YOUR OWN Sunday?”
“Don’t change the subject, Ernest! Sometimes, I wish you had my wife and I had yours. For sure, we’ll never be able to lay out the buffet of Nigerian cuisine that your wife does, but I know it’s precious to have good company to warm the house once in a while. We never seem to have anyone over. Marge isn’t cut out for that sort of thing and it gets quite depressing sometimes.”
“You could go to a pub or something?”
“It isn’t the same. The atmosphere in the pubs isn’t right for me. You won’t know the value of what your wife is doing until she stops.”
“It appears that there’s really no chance of that happening. This thing has become second nature to her. But the economy is so bad …”
“If it’s the money you’re so concerned about, I’ll supplement.”
“No way! That won’t be necessary.”
Joy’s interest was piqued. “What won’t be necessary?”
“It’s none of your business,” Ernest replied.
“Is that Joy? Ernest, please put her on.”
To Ernest’s mortification, his brother was so starved of decent company that he offered to pay for all the food Joy served on Sunday afternoons, leaving her to supply only the drinks. In return, he was going to send some staff from his company’s Nigerian office to set up video conferencing facilities in their home to enable him join them to meet and chat with folks from back home across the seas every Sunday.
Ernest was shaking his head as the call ended. Joy, giggling, gave him a wink and a tickle on the side before she stepped into the bathroom to clean herself up for bed. Ernest knew the drill. Before long, she’d launch into an ill-advised attempt to mimic Whitney Houston doing, “I will always love you”. Pretty soon she was soaring on the notes of the refrain and then her overstretched voice took the inevitable nosedive. But brave girl that she was, she was going to try again and that, right away! Ernest held the pillows to his ears to save himself from another nerve-wracking listening experience.
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“Whitney, see what you’re putting us through by setting the bar so high?” he mockingly moaned facing the ceiling.
Then he began to laugh ’cause he knew the bottom line: he loved his wife intensely. Much as he hated her “excessive” openhandedness, there really was no dull moment with her. She was “it”, awesome, inventive and, well, kind (a tad too much but it still needed to be acknowledged). He was getting impatient. He wanted her to come out so he could tell her just what had been going through his mind.
“The Salihus of this world, steer clear. This g-i-r-l is MINE!”
-The end-
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2016
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nice post ma……
Ha! If only I was Joy’s neighbour. Good food Good life!
NICE ONE MA.THANKS FOR ALWAYS WOWING OUR INTELLECTUAL TASTE BUDS.GREAT READ.
nice piece, love conquers all
True.
nice
“So loving this……..”
love conquers all
Nice post. The last line got me blushing…
I don’t see a problem with her showing off her cooking skills. #team delicious# but our economy?
as the saying goes,love is blind
A nice story
‘beautiful story. i was scared it was going to end tragically
Nice story
Nice and interesting piece
Nice story Aunty Edith
`Nice story….
The food though.Lol
love really conquers all
discipline in all aspect is necessary. the availability of things does not mean we should waste things. hope Ernest will have the wisdom to correct his lovely wife!
nice one. kudos!
awesome piece
Lol, wow you really don’t cherish what you have until u lose it or there is a competition for it, so interesting , I love this story with my heart, Ernest has forgotten that givers never lack, I love joy and hope to be like her…….
Really! Lol!
Wow.. Love conquers all. Nice one ma
Yes, where there is love, disagreements don’t escalate, rather they fizzle away.
I won’t blame either of the couple. Ernest was a bit right because the economy is hard. But he should not forget that such generosity always brings blessings.
Nice one ma.
Lol. I get why Ernest is upset; the economy is hard and Joy doesn’t have a job which may be of help. Anyway I love the generosity.. Bless u Ma!
She does have a job, that’s why she can fund her food fests. Bless you!
So nice. Compromise, we may not approve of all our better held likes but we can’t just make them stop. Especially if it makes them happy. You got to love them and their flaws right, besides it’s really not that bad. Joy please don’t always do it sha, maybe some Sundays not all.
The thing that struck me about this marriage is how they understand each other. The couple event hough had a mis understanding earlier, still came back to chat and smile before going to bed. To me, that is the feature of a peaceful home, a blessed marriage. I don’t wish for any less.
if there is anything i love most or that inspires me most about this couple, it is their understanding. Let me say that in the first part, they were still getting along with each other but here, they both especially Earnest have come to understand that he need to accept and support his wife’s flaws and her likes.
The story is really nice. i don’t blame the both of them(Ernest and Joy) Ernest is correct because the economy is hard and also, Joy in her own part is not wrong because givers never lack and she is also helping people that does not have.
The couple understand each other, nobody is perfect, we all have our flaws and imperfection which make us humans, earnest is right, but joy is neither wrong.
Love overshadows all wrong doings. nice ending ma.Weldone!!!
Joy is a wonderful person and her goodness has put smiles on peoples faces. Earnest, on his part isn’t wrong. Understanding is what is needed between the couple and their problems would be solved.
oh! love ?, Ernest really loves his wife…..
Aunt Cheche is funny. the truth is that Joy is kind but she need to reduce or even stop some acts, so as to save up (money) and have a happier home.
Lol… Everything turned out well at last. Both seemed to be satisfied at the end. Despite it all, it would have been wise that Joy made it not to be every Sunday, say like twice a week, or better still, cut down on the amount she spends, to save and also show that she respects her husband’s idea. Ernest on the other hand, should learn to adapt cos you can’t possibly change everything about her because she’s your wife certainly will not this great virtue…
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Joy is really a good woman by being generous. God really loves a cheerful giver and will pay her back all her good deeds.
I wish I could be like joy. Kind, jovial and kind again. I think the man should learn to appreciate what his wife does.there are actually people out there who would want that kind of wife. I also think he should just flow with the tide considering the fact that he can’t change her and since money is not even the problem.
It is obvious that Ernest cannot stop joy from her extravagances expenses she called Sunday tradition. All the Endeavour’s made by Ernest for joy to see reasons with her fell through. I think Ernest should let her be since he is not contributing anything in the Sunday tradition. Honestly I fear for the couple because the future entails what their marriage will look like.
Love,my dear over comes all things. Love acknowledges faults and flaws, but overlooks them. Thanks anty for this.
Ernest should be grateful he married a wife like JOY. There are a lot of things we see and throw away in women character one of them is Joy’s attitude on what she calls Sunday Tradition. It’s obvious he can’t stop her on that. Since in one hand she is not tapping from his pulse to do anything concerning the Sunday tradition.
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Can you imagine?
You don’t value what you have until there’s a need for it.
Wow!
He should be there naa and allow the kinds of Salihus occupy his space…
Anyways I pray to marry someone like Ernest though, who can love me no matter what.
I love the fact that Ernest loves his wife inspite of hating the way she spends. No matter what, love overcomes all flaws.
Love is a beautiful thing. The couple’s level of maturity and understanding is top notch.
Salihu commended what his brother condemned. Sometimes we don’t know the value of what we have until someone else appreciates it.
This is love, though Ernest doesn’t like the way his wife exhibit her kindness he still loves her and she is always patient with him and never flare up not minding what he does to stop her from doing what gives her joy.
In all thing he still loves his wife and that is commendable. Love they say conquereth all things. But sister cheche is funny oooooo that’s the kind of family that i would love to marry into. The one that stick up for you even when your husband seems not to agree with you. Salihu is a darling.
Men sef..!! Well to my beautiful lady, Joy keep it up because I see your actions as that of a sower… Soon u will start reading it…. I believe that man enjoys every bits of it he is just an attention seeker… Nice one ma, you a great writer… Wondering if you have any novel out already will love to buy and read too… God bless you and keep you for me ooooo love you.