“Ma?”
“Come here,” Madame Agatha said sharply.
Immediately, all attention shifted to them. Ajimka froze for a second. Then she saw it.
This was her chance.
Without wasting time, she bent quickly, picked up the nylon bag, and straightened up. She walked calmly at first, then faster, then faster.
Within seconds, she was out of the restaurant.
The hot afternoon air hit her face. She held the nylon bag tight.
“I hope he is there today,” she said under her breath.
Her steps became quicker. She turned the corner. Her eyes searched ahead. She slowed down slightly and stretched her neck, looking.
Nothing.
She moved forward again. Maybe he was just out of sight.
She kept going. Her eyes scanned both sides of the road.
Still nothing.
When she got to the exact spot where she had seen him the previous day, she stopped.
He was not there.
She stood still. Her shoulders dropped a little. She looked left, then right.
No sign of him.
She let out a deep breath.
“So all this effort wasted just like that,” she said.
For a moment, she felt tired. Not just in her body, but in her heart.
She turned slowly, about to leave. Then she paused.
Something caught her attention across the road on the other side. She narrowed her eyes. There was someone sitting there.
She looked again carefully. Her eyes widened slightly.
“That’s him.”
Without wasting time, she looked left and right and crossed the road quickly. As she got closer, she slowed down.
It was him.
Ogbon was still holding that same plastic plate, still looking weak.
Ajimka walked up to him.
“Good afternoon, sir,” she said gently.
The man looked up. Their eyes met again. This time, he did not look away.
Ajimka stretched out her hand and gave him the nylon bag.
“Please take this.”
Ogbon looked at the nylon bag, then at her. He did not collect it immediately.
“For me?” he asked slowly.
“Yes,” she replied. “It’s food.”
He still did not take it.
“Why?” he asked.
Ajimka blinked.
“Why? What?”
“Why are you giving me this?” he asked again.
Ajimka shifted slightly.
“I saw what happened yesterday,” she said. “What my madam did. I felt very bad.”
She paused for a second.
“But I could not say anything. If I had spoken, I would have lost my job immediately.”
Ogbon kept looking at her, his eyes steady. No reaction.
Ajimka continued, her voice a bit faster now.
“This is my lunch, but I’m sure you need it more than I do. I will find a way to sort myself out.”
She stretched the nylon bag closer to him.
“Please, just take it.”
This time, Ogbon slowly reached out and collected it, but his eyes did not leave her face.
“You may not eat this afternoon because of this,” he said.
Ajimka gave a small, quick smile.
“I will be fine.”
There was a brief silence. Then he spoke again.
“What if helping me brings you trouble?”
Ajimka was caught off guard. She frowned slightly.
“Do not worry about me,” she said. “Right now, you need to eat.”
Ogbon nodded slowly, as if he was noting something.
Ajimka glanced back toward the road. Her eyes widened.
“I need to go,” she said quickly. “They will start looking for me.”
She took a step back, then another.
“Please eat it before it gets cold.”
Ogbon said nothing. He only watched her.
Ajimka turned and began to move fast, her steps quick, almost running. Her heart beat loudly in her chest.
“I hope nobody noticed,” she muttered.
She reached the restaurant and slowed down. She adjusted her face, took a breath, then stepped inside.
Everything was still busy. Voices. Movement. Madame Agatha was still talking to the waitress from earlier.
Just as Ajimka walked back into the restaurant, she straightened her apron and tried to calm her breathing.
A voice stopped her.
“Ajimka.”
She froze. Slowly, she turned.
It was Azuka, one of the waitresses. She stood by a table with her arms folded, a slight unfriendly smile on her face.
Azuka looked at Ajimka for a moment, then her eyes dropped to her hands. They were empty.
“Where are you coming from?” she asked.
Ajimka hesitated.
“Nowhere,” she said.
Azuka moved a little closer.
“Nowhere,” she repeated.
Her voice was calm, but there was something firm in it.
“I saw you. You stepped out with a nylon bag during the break,” she said.
She paused, then looked at her again.
“So, where is it now?”
Azuka looked straight into her eyes. Then she added, her voice lowering slightly.
“You should remember something, Ajimka.”
She leaned in just a little closer. There was a long silence. Then she spoke.
“Just so you know, I have my eyes on you.”
Ajimka did not respond. She only stood there still.
“Any small mistake you make, I will make sure you suffer for it,” Azuka said.
Ajimka’s chest felt heavy for a moment, but she did not show it.
There was a brief silence between them. Then Azuka stepped back, picked up a tray, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
Azuka had never liked Ajimka.
From the very beginning, something about Ajimka annoyed her. Ajimka was always praised for her hard work. Customers liked her. They smiled at her. Some even gave her tips.
That used to be Azuka. She used to be the one everyone noticed, the one customers liked. But since Ajimka started working at the restaurant, things had changed. Now it felt like she had been pushed aside.
She did not like it at all. She resented Ajimka for stealing her spotlight.
Ajimka stood there for a moment. Then she picked up her tray and went back to work. She chose not to think about what had just happened. She was just glad she had not been caught giving the man food.
Later that night, after Ajimka returned home, her body felt weak from the long day at work. The room was quiet.
As she sat on the mat, she heard something. A low rumbling sound came from the sky. She paused. She looked up at the ceiling.
Another sound followed, louder this time.
Rumble.
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