"Sir." Ara looked up at Prince Ire when he saw him picking up the small stick she held too. "You want to pick your teeth sir?"
Prince Ire looked up with the toothpick he was holding. He knew Ara was just whining around trying to make him feel bad and change his mind, but things like that don't work on him. He was definitely going to taste that thing in front of him. The smell coming out from the stew with the cow skin in it was triggering his nose to take the whole plate away from Ara just for himself. Prince Ire inserted the toothpick he was holding into one of the biggest cow skin soaked entirely in the stew with locust bean glued to the body. "Your cow skin does need a check up." Ire looked up at Ara who was just looking dumbfounded. He knew she dare not talk and used it for his advantage enjoying the cow skin.
"Sir! Check up." Ara couldn't believe what she just heard as she watched Prince Ire picked the biggest cow skin, chew and picked another. Chew and picked another one again.
Ahhhh! Is this check up not going to end? Ara screamed in her mind. How many cow skin is even inside the plate self?
After Prince Ire had ate three out of the five cow skin served for Ara, he couldn't fathom how on earth he had never tasted something so sweet like that in his life. He would definitely try more local things. "Hi," Prince Ire tried to call the young girl that served Ara. "Hi," he called again because the girl didn't realize Prince Ire was calling her.
"Aunty o!" Ara helped him yell knowing the voice Prince Ire was using couldn't work in a place like that. They were in a place where they have to scream before they can be heard because of how noisy the place was. "Aunty two bottle water!"
The way Ara was calling the young girl made Prince Ire gave her a look to stop that, wondering why she was shouting that way in a public place and using Aunty for a girl who couldn't be more than sixteen years of age. The young girl who was serving others finally heard. She rushed down to them with two bottle water apologizing for not answering on time. When Prince Ire realized he had finally gotten the girl's attention, he spoke up. "Serve us three more plates of this please. And add more stew please."
The young girl smiled. "Yes sir." Then she left. Prince Ire was about dipping his toothpick again when he realized the cow skin had finished. He looked up at Ara who pretended like she was not seeing him putting the whole of her attention, strength and eyes on the bottle water she was opening. Prince Ire dropped his toothpick and decided to look for trouble. "I never knew opening bottle water was that hard. Need my help?"
I know. You are looking for my trouble again. Welldone. After eating my cow skin. Ara raised her brow and opened the cover very quickly, smiling. "I guess I wasn't opening it well before."
"That must be the case." Prince Ire said, receiving the plates one by one from the girl. "Thanks," he said. Facing Ara. "Because I ate out of yours, this is how you will eat with me." He picked a new toothpick. "When I take two, you take one. Then we take one, one after." They did that enjoying the two plates together. When Prince Ire was about drawing the third plate, Ara flew out of her chair and laughed to the entrance. She attracted few eyes to her but that didn't stop her from laughing. Prince Ire wondered why but when he scrutinized the third plate, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Ara had ate four out of the cow skin leaving just one for him.
Ire looked at Ara for answers but got a loud laughter in return. Ara quickly rushed out spitting the water in her mouth because she couldn't hold the laughter that erupted with force through her mouth. Two can play the game. You ate my cow skin, I took them back. This time, with interest. Ara grinned.
Prince Ire just ate the remaining one and stood up. The girl came rushing immediately with smiles all over her. "How much do I get to pay?" Prince Ire asked.
"She took one plate and you took three plates which is four thousand naira. With two bottles which makes it four thousand and one hundred naira." The girl explained.
Prince Ire brought out money from his pocket, counted seven thousand and five hundred naira to the girl. "Pack another three plates for me inside a takeaway with two bottle water." He gave her the money.
The girl came back with Prince Ire's order but didn't come back with his change. Ire collected the package staring at her to hand over his change to him. He decided to talk. "My three hundred naira."
The girl look a lot surprised. She wasn't expecting Prince Ire to ask for that little change. The reason she had been running helter-skelter for him was because she thought something would show for her. She saw the car they came in with. She sized every gadget on Prince Ire already and knew they were expensive even if he was acting like someone who couldn't afford it. "Em..change?" The girl repeated and turned about before turning to the direction she came from. She came back with the three hundred naira and gave it to Prince Ire who gladly collected it. All these Ara saw and just smiled, shaking her head. This guy ehnn!
Ara knew the girl actually treated them well, apologizing and rushing to meet their needs which she wasn't really doing for others. When Prince Ire came out. Ara excused herself and went in to meet the girl. Ara knew they owe the girl nothing, but she had something on her and knew the girl was just like her sister Omoh who made money trying to offer high service, acting all nice just because of what she could get. "Hey," Ara called the girl holding the five hundred naira in a way the girl could see it so she could answer her on time. The girl saw it and approached her nicely thinking they wanted to get something instead. "Should I pack another take-away?"
Ara shook her head. Grabbed the girl's hand. "He told me to give you this. He couldn't drop the change because we need that three hundred naira for something on the way. Thanks for attending to us well."
The girl was very happy. "Thank you," she happily said. Smiling and waving at Prince Ire who knew nothing from distance. "Don't worry, he won't wave back. He has a fracture in his shoulder," Ara lied.
"Oh!" The girl felt really sorry for Prince Ire, thanking Ara once again before Ara walked out of the place. Ara joined Prince Ire inside the car, resting her back. She turned to Prince Ire. "Thank you so much for today. I really enjoyed myself. I see you enjoyed yourself too." Ara teased. "Thanks for the book as well. You are really nice to me today. I hope every other day will be like this."
Prince Ire raised his brow with a little smile. The more he tried not to like Ara, the more he realized how sweet, funny and stupid she could be at times. "Ara should I suspect something?" Prince Ire returned her look. "This thank you of yours is getting too much." Prince Ire looked down at his takeaway to be sure the package was still there.
Ara saw him and laughed. "I'm okay with what have taken already. Your package is safe." She assured him but something caught her eyes. The lady who stepped out of the car was someone familiar to Ara. "Is that not Gloria?" She asked herself in a whisper. "She's back?"
"What's that?" Prince Ire traced the direction her eyes was facing and saw the slim, tall figure locking a black Toyota Camry. "You know her?"
"Of course I do." Ara said. "We finished secondary school together. Her mom lives in my area. Not far from my mom's shop. Immediately we finished our waec, her Dad who was abroad worked a visa for her to come over there and finish her education."
"You mean her Dad stays abroad and they live in that area of yours?"
That statement suddenly switched Ara's attention. She turned to Prince Ire. "You just said something now. Like you've been to my mom's shop before."
"Hmm..." Prince Ire hummed staring back at Ara. "That's because have been there several times." He confessed. "I don't know why you never stayed in shop. I was always meeting your sister. She definitely will recognize me for always snooping around your shop."
Ara laughed. "Are you kidding me! That's a lie. You are trying to tease me again right. Oya tell me, how does my sister look like?"
Prince Ire's smile was big this time around. He couldn't believe he confessed that. His guard was suddenly down and he allowed it cause he just wanted to let Ara know. He didn't know why, but he just wanted to talk. "Your sis is really tough. She seems protective actually. I've only been there three times. The first time was when I came with Ayoola to get herbs with him. The second time, I came alone and bought your mom's cake. I tried looking out for you but your sister wouldn't look away from me." Prince Ire laughed recollecting the scene. "She was looking at me like I came to pour down something in your shop."
Ara laughed. She knew her sister too well. Then she instantly realized Prince Ire was telling the truth. She couldn't believe she had never met this guy despite all the chances they had. But why would he do such? He must really like me. Ara thought to herself but suddenly felt down in her spirit realizing he knew where she came from. He had seen what her environment looked like. What her parents does for a living. Their financial status and the fact that her parents were not really educated. Her Dad finished at the OND level while her mom ended at the secondary school level before proceeding to learn catering service, small chops and how to make cake. She was suddenly ashamed realizing Prince Ire was nothing compared to her.
"Hey, Ara." Prince Ire called her. He noticed the excitement in her was gone. He knew something was wrong with the way she was no longer looking up at him with confidence. "Hey, don't tell me you are feeling bad because I know where you live?"
Ara shrugged. "Just thinking about so much. I'm just here. I'm twenty two already and I'm not yet in school. Like, look at her. She's my mate and she's already doing fine." Ara almost cried. Her eyes were filled up with tears and slowly, it came down. "Sometimes, I wish my parents are very educated. May be they will know the important of education." Ara wiped her tears trying not to cry but she already did. "Mom just want me to learn this catering stuff. I mean it's not bad. It would be an added bonus for me. I can't even tell her I want to study French. Being a nurse and doctor of a thing is totally into her. And I don't even like them. Especially all these male doctors. Arrghhh!" Ara had stopped crying. "I want to crush them for being so arrogant." Ara demonstrated with her hand.
All Prince Ire could do was laugh. This time, he couldn't express himself with a slight or little smile at all. The laughter had compiled and finally they released into the air.
"I'm crying and you are laughing. Are not suppose to be petting me." Ara raised her brow at Prince Ire.
This time, Prince Ire managed not to laugh too loud, replying Ara. "Do girls not like to cry? I mean, I have three sisters but I'm only very close to one and she can cry just like you. You all look cute when you cry though. So, I guess I should encourage you so I can laugh more." Prince Ire grinned.
Ara almost smiled but she rolled her eyes instead. So, that's all he will say.
"Hey, look here." Prince Ire raised Ara's chin with his hand to get her full attention before securing his hand back. "You need to know growth is an essential thing to happen in life. Not just physical growth but letting people grow in their space and time. We definitely won't grow together because with time, you will separate from some of these friends you think you will spend the rest of your life with. Some will get admission before you and leave you behind. Some will start working before you and move to another place. Some will get cars before you because they are already ahead of you. Some might become successful before you because they started early. All you need to do is to be happy for them. Be happy with their growth because you are growing too." Prince Ire said and continued.
"You might be far away from where they are now, but you will also get to where you want to be in time. Don't make them feel uncomfortable with you because you might still need them while climbing your ladder up. All you need to do is grow well. So when your time comes, you will get to say, it is better late than never. And stop wishing your parents are this or that. Just make them proud. Proud to have you as their child. I can't believe those people gave birth to someone as pretty as you."
Ara was wowed. She wished Prince Ire would continue but he was done talking. She couldn't believe something as beautiful as that could come out of Prince Ire. Ara smiled. All her insecurities were gone. This man doesn't make her feel less of herself. "Thank you. I wish I can hear this every day."
Prince Ire started his car. "I'm not a speaker by profession. I will let you down." He then look around and noticed one of his phones was missing. "I can't find my IPhone."
Ara quickly searched where she sat. "I think you left it there. Let me check."
"No, don't!" Prince Ire stopped her before she could get down. "It must have been taken."
"Just let me check." Ara insisted.
"Ara I just said no." Prince Ire's voice was firm and immediately Ara sat back into her seat. "The IPhone is old actually. We can't go there and start shouting about a stolen phone. Just forget it."
"Aunty... Aunty..." A knock hit the tinted glass close to Ara. Prince Ire quickly helped her with it getting the glass whined down. "My love." Ara smiled at the girl whose hand was holding what they were looking for. Thank God I was nice to this girl. Ara thought.
"Aunty you left your phone. I was the first person to see it and quickly picked it thinking you've left. I was going to call a number from the phone, but mom saw your car when she came out. That's why I rushed down here." She handed Ara the IPhone which actually surprised Prince Ire. He expected the girl to keep the phone to herself and brag about owing an IPhone. He stopped trusting young boys and girls seeing how desperate some of them were.
Ara thanked the girl. "God bless you. What's your name?"
"Ifeoluwa."
Prince Ire brought out a one thousand naira note and told Ara to give Ifeoluwa whose excitement was instantly doubled. "Thank you sir."
Prince Ire just waved his hand, started his car and signal to Ara he was about leaving. Ifeoluwa left and immediately the glass came back up and was shut back. The air-conditioner was back and immediately, Prince Ire hit the road.