troupe of able looking young men barbecued juicy
looking beef, ram and chicken meat. The smell was marvelous!
“Wow.” Ada said.
He looked relieved that she liked it. “Wow!
Right?” He said, echoing her. “It’s magnificent.”
There were about fifteen tables, most of
them occupied with people making their way through huge dishes of suya
garnished with onions, tomatoes, peppers and so on, with ice cold drinks to
wash it down. A few people waved at Eddie and he waved back, his easy smile
sitting comfortable on his face. They all looked affluent, Ada noticed, She
wondered just how much a plate of suya cost in this place, certainly not the
same as the regular roadside suya man. She decided.
Eddie tugged at her hand, interrupting her
thoughts. She followed him as he led her up the curving stairway at one end of
the restaurant to the floor above.
Upstairs was another revelation. The stairs
ended at two dark double doors, which were again opened by attentive doormen.
What lay beyond was a traditional restaurant, softly lit, with beautiful
hanging lights. Dark mahogany tables for two or four were arranged in such a
way as to provide intimacy for diners. The floor was covered with a thick rug
from end to end. The air was cool and filled with the scent of well-cooked
traditional foods. Ada’s stomach did a small rumble of appreciation, which she
prayed Eddie hadn’t heard.
“I hope you like traditional food,” He said
lightly, “and I hope you are hungry.”
She gave him a smile. “I do,” She replied,
“and I am.”
He grinned. The dimples appeared again. Ah!
Ada thought, Even if she didn’t like the place, she would gladly have lied for
the sight of those darlings on his cheeks.
An attentive waiter in black trousers and
waistcoat, white shirt and African print tie showed them to a table. The waiter
pulled out the seat for her while Eddie stood, waiting for her to be seated
comfortably before he sat himself. Hmm. Ada thought, she was truly being given
the gentleman treatment. She looked around while Eddie ordered wine. Almost all
the tables were occupied, she observed. It definitely was a popular place.
Eddie finally decided on white wine, seeking her approval before ordering. She
just shrugged and nodded, it wasn’t as if she knew anything about wine.
The waiter who had shown them to the table
came back with the menus. Even the menu was exquisite, light and leather bound
with the name of the restaurant embossed in the leather in gold lettering. Ada
opened it, and was almost stupefied by all the choices available, there were
local dishes from all over the country. She sighed. How was she supposed to
choose from such a fabulous list?
“Can I recommend?” His smooth voice cut
into her thoughts. He named one of the native soups. “You should
definitely have that. It was the first thing I ever ate here, and I still order
it almost every time.”
Ada thought for a moment. Well at least it
was a soup she had never cooked herself. It made sense to try something new.
“Alright.” She smiled at him. “I’ll have it.”
The waiter came and took their order,
smiling attentively as he did so. While they waited, Eddie kept her entertained
with stories about his work, from the way he spoke, it was obvious that he was
very passionate about it. He asked questions about her life and she found
herself telling him more about her photography, working for Sophie, her family
than she had ever told anyone. When he asked about her parents and she told him
that her mother had died years ago, he looked so sorry that she almost felt she
had to comfort him.
His father worked a lot, he told her, but
he had always made time for family. His parents were still very much in love
and often snuck off for weekend getaways. He told her that his mother was a
professor of History at the University of Lagos. Ada realized she had always assumed
that his mother was some rich trophy wife. Shamefacedly, she listened as he
spoke about his
looking beef, ram and chicken meat. The smell was marvelous!
“Wow.” Ada said.
He looked relieved that she liked it. “Wow!
Right?” He said, echoing her. “It’s magnificent.”
There were about fifteen tables, most of
them occupied with people making their way through huge dishes of suya
garnished with onions, tomatoes, peppers and so on, with ice cold drinks to
wash it down. A few people waved at Eddie and he waved back, his easy smile
sitting comfortable on his face. They all looked affluent, Ada noticed, She
wondered just how much a plate of suya cost in this place, certainly not the
same as the regular roadside suya man. She decided.
Eddie tugged at her hand, interrupting her
thoughts. She followed him as he led her up the curving stairway at one end of
the restaurant to the floor above.
Upstairs was another revelation. The stairs
ended at two dark double doors, which were again opened by attentive doormen.
What lay beyond was a traditional restaurant, softly lit, with beautiful
hanging lights. Dark mahogany tables for two or four were arranged in such a
way as to provide intimacy for diners. The floor was covered with a thick rug
from end to end. The air was cool and filled with the scent of well-cooked
traditional foods. Ada’s stomach did a small rumble of appreciation, which she
prayed Eddie hadn’t heard.
“I hope you like traditional food,” He said
lightly, “and I hope you are hungry.”
She gave him a smile. “I do,” She replied,
“and I am.”
He grinned. The dimples appeared again. Ah!
Ada thought, Even if she didn’t like the place, she would gladly have lied for
the sight of those darlings on his cheeks.
An attentive waiter in black trousers and
waistcoat, white shirt and African print tie showed them to a table. The waiter
pulled out the seat for her while Eddie stood, waiting for her to be seated
comfortably before he sat himself. Hmm. Ada thought, she was truly being given
the gentleman treatment. She looked around while Eddie ordered wine. Almost all
the tables were occupied, she observed. It definitely was a popular place.
Eddie finally decided on white wine, seeking her approval before ordering. She
just shrugged and nodded, it wasn’t as if she knew anything about wine.
The waiter who had shown them to the table
came back with the menus. Even the menu was exquisite, light and leather bound
with the name of the restaurant embossed in the leather in gold lettering. Ada
opened it, and was almost stupefied by all the choices available, there were
local dishes from all over the country. She sighed. How was she supposed to
choose from such a fabulous list?
“Can I recommend?” His smooth voice cut
into her thoughts. He named one of the native soups. “You should
definitely have that. It was the first thing I ever ate here, and I still order
it almost every time.”
Ada thought for a moment. Well at least it
was a soup she had never cooked herself. It made sense to try something new.
“Alright.” She smiled at him. “I’ll have it.”
The waiter came and took their order,
smiling attentively as he did so. While they waited, Eddie kept her entertained
with stories about his work, from the way he spoke, it was obvious that he was
very passionate about it. He asked questions about her life and she found
herself telling him more about her photography, working for Sophie, her family
than she had ever told anyone. When he asked about her parents and she told him
that her mother had died years ago, he looked so sorry that she almost felt she
had to comfort him.
His father worked a lot, he told her, but
he had always made time for family. His parents were still very much in love
and often snuck off for weekend getaways. He told her that his mother was a
professor of History at the University of Lagos. Ada realized she had always assumed
that his mother was some rich trophy wife. Shamefacedly, she listened as he
spoke about his
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