Wednesday 26 July 2017

THE FIRST SOUP I EVER COOKED.....AND WHAT IT TAUGHT ME



I recall very vividly something that happened to me in my teens. I was fresh from secondary school and, like my peers, was at home waiting on my results. With plenty of time on my hands, I spent most of it dreaming of many things, going out to play football and, of course, eating as much as I could.

Things weren't that easy in those days and I belonged to a polygamous family, with each of my father's wives having a timetable to cook weekly for the entire household. Sometimes it was a peaceful house and sometimes it wasn't; but that's not the reason I write.

On one of those weeks that it was my mother's turn to cook, she called and told me that I must learn to cook. That it was wrong for me to just be in the house and do nothing but be engrossed in fruitless ventures. She said cooking was not the exclusive preserve of women/girls only and that all her sons must learn it, beginning with me. I was annoyed and a wee bit cocky because I felt she was impinging on my personal space and time, but I agreed to not to be stubborn that day. She said we'd get to it once she returned from the market. The smiles on my sisters' faces were teasing but I told them I would surprise them.

When Mum returned from the market she informed me that she would be preparing Okro soup that afternoon and that it would be my first cooking lesson. So I stayed with her all the time in the kitchen staring at what she was doing and listening to what she was saying. My cockiness was all over me as I behaved as though what she was cooking I could repeat easily in my sleep!

I should have paid attention!

Days later, it was my turn to prove that she had taught me well. My sisters literally refused to leave the kitchen entrance, eager to see what I had to offer. My Mum had to chase them away repeatedly. When I took a look at the ingredients before me with the pot on fire, my brain froze. I couldn't recall a thing. Actually I did, I just didn't remember the sequence in which my Mum had prepared the soup some days earlier. With my cockiness still in charge of my being, I went ahead and poured everything all at once into the boiling pot of water on the cooker, oil,  pepper, salt, fish, meat and vegetables! Then I stirred and stirred and stirred. My heartbeat increased and I could feel it literally ringing in my ears! The aroma from the pot after a while tried its best to calm me down but I could tell by merely looking at the contents of my cooking pot that something just wasn't right!

After a few minutes the soup was done. The result of my arrogance was about to be displayed. And voila! I had managed to prepare what my Mum famously called okro peppersoup!

My sisters laughed uncontrollably, some falling on the floor and others either colliding into the wall or into each other. Even my Dad didn't know what to say to me. I thought I saw a smile but who can interpret whether it was a smile of wonder or of pity for his firstborn? My shame was sure and I disappeared into my small room for hours, tears flowing and my cockiness broken. Later that day, my Mum came to console me and then painstakingly took her time to again show me the steps to preparing that delicious okro soup.

So what did I learn that day?

1. Pay attention to what you're doing and what you're being taught. Don't ever assume that you can know it all. Just drop your ego.

2. You may have all the tools you need (gifts, talents, education) at your disposal, but you will still need the skill on how best to utilize them.

3. The right timing makes all the difference and your efforts worthwhile.

4. Always be open to learning.

5. You will always need someone to guide you in the right way to go.

6. Don't be afraid to fail, it's only a learning curve.

7. There comes a time in your life when you should stop pushing responsibility for your life unto others and instead take responsibility yourself.


The next soup I prepared after that was a whole lot better! My confidence rose and now I can cook the okro soup as though I've been doing so all my life!



(Did you like this post? Do please let me know what you think and also if you've ever had a similar experience. Also kindly subscribe to my blog so that you don't miss out inspirational posts. Thank you.)













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