CHAPTER 3: A NEW LIFE
Blessing Peters@petersblessing440800
5 months ago
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The humid air hung heavy, thick with the scent of frying plantains and the sharp tang of sweat. It was a typical afternoon in Imo State, Nigeria, where the sun seemed determined to bake everything to a crisp. Inside our cramped two-room apartment, the air was thick with tension, the only relief coming from the rhythmic clacking of my mother's mortar and pestle against the stone. She was making Egusi soup, the rich, earthy aroma a familiar comfort in our chaotic world.
My mother, her face etched with worry lines that deepened with each passing day, muttered under her breath, her focus entirely on the mortar. She had a knack for making even the simplest act of cooking feel like a battle.
"Just make sure you don’t spill a drop of this, Marygold," she said, her voice laced with exhaustion. She was referring to the palm oil, which she carefully poured into the pot, a vital ingredient in the soup.
"Yes, Mama," Marygold muttered, her eyes fixed on the flickering television. The drama unfolding on the screen, a melodramatic soap opera about a woman whose husband had fallen for a younger woman, was a mere distraction from the real-life drama playing out in our small home.
My father, his face flushed and his eyes bloodshot, was slumped on the rickety couch, a half-empty bottle of gin beside him. The scent of his alcohol-laced breath was a constant reminder of the constant turmoil in our lives. The man who once swept my mother off her feet, the charming one with a twinkle in his eye, was now a shadow of his former self, consumed by his demons.
This was the world I knew. The world of endless chores, my mother's whispered anxieties, and my father’s unpredictable rages. A world where the sound of raised voices and broken furniture was a familiar soundtrack.
As Marygold opened her eyes, her eyes stung a bit from the memory, she was once again glad for the mornings and the new change. God was really looking out for her and she was grateful for it. She was in a new place and things were going to get better.
*THE UNRELENTING STORM......*
Twenty-two years old and standing tall in her kitchen, Marygold gazed out the bustling restaurant from her corner, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Twelve years had passed since she arrived at the Macrov's mansion, a wide-eyed and feisty 10-year-old from Nigeria. She had grown up with every privilege imaginable, and yet, as she stood at the helm of her own culinary empire, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the world bearing down on her.
The restaurant, aptly named "Saffron & Spice," had been her brainchild, born from a passion for cooking that had only intensified with time. She had graduated from culinary college at 20, and with the Macrov's backing, had launched her own business. But being a "chaebol daughter" – a term she had picked up from her favorite K-dramas – hadn't made things as easy as she thought it would.
As a woman of African descent in 1823, Marygold had faced a full share of racism and prejudice. The culinary world, in particular, seemed to be a bastion of traditionalism, where innovation and diversity were often met with skepticism. She had encountered her fair share of scowls and gossip, with some patrons questioning her ability to run a successful restaurant.
The fact that she was the first female chef to make a name for herself in the city's culinary scene only added to the scrutiny. Some critics had labeled her a "novelty" or a "token," implying that her success was due to her exotic background rather than her actual talent.
Marygold's eyes narrowed as she thought about the latest review that had been published in the city's leading food magazine. The critic had praised her dishes, but had also made a point to mention her "unconventional" background, implying that her African heritage was somehow a liability in the culinary world. How could she make them shut up, Marygold pondered...
She felt a surge of anger and frustration, but she pushed it down, focusing instead on the bustling kitchen in front of her. Her team of chefs and waitstaff were working in perfect harmony, plating dishes and serving customers with ease.
Marygold took a deep breath, letting the chaos of the kitchen wash over her. She knew that she had come too far to let the haters bring her down. She was a chef, a business owner, and a woman of substance. And she was determined to prove it to the world, one delicious dish at a time.
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