‎THE TASTE I COULDN'T FORGET: I THOUGHT I WAS ONLY TAKING ONE BITE. THEN I LOST AN HOUR.

With a sponge soaked in soapy water, I scrubbed my father's car. Water trickled from the body to the ground.‎The beads of sweat on my forehead rolled down my cheek and with the heel of my palm, I wiped them off. The sun was facing me directly and my eyes were glistening under my forehead.‎“Samuel!Samueli!” Mum called.‎My hand paused and I instantly dropped the sponge into the soapy water in the bucket beside me. The water splashed on my foot, as the sponge hit the surface. I hastened my strides toward her direction‎“Ma."‎“Mum Nifemi asked me to give you this,” she said, stretching a small black tangled nylon to me.‎“Oh! Thanks to her” I said, taking it.‎The Nylon pouch filled my palm, and this allowed me to press it softly. In the leather, something pricked my palm slightly and broke. ‎“What could be inside?” My heart inquired.‎I stepped outside, moving toward the car and I opened the door to the driver's seat, settling into it. ‎I lifted the nylon to my mouth to untangle the nut with my teeth, after my hands had failed. At the end, I slimmed the leather open.‎Something pale and curved sat inside. ‎“Plantain chips”‎I swallowed hard, as I let my head rest on my neck, fixing my gaze on it.‎The chips were well packaged in transparent leather. ‎The “Mide’s snack" was vividly engraved on the leather.‎I tore it open with my teeth. Although they were flexible and could break into particles, the flexibility enabled me to put the handful into my mouth. ‎The chips cracked between my teeth, and the crunchy sound echoed through my brain. My lower jaw moved, grinding my teeth with one another.‎My tongue swayed left, right to centre, as the grains of salt mixed with sugar filled its surface.‎I gulped it down, forming lumps in my throat. I let out a grunt and leaned my back against the seat, gazing up and stretching my neck, then the lump avalanched slowly to my belly.‎My stomach grumbled for more, as I rubbed my palm on my palm.‎I raked the remnants of the chips that clung to the corners of my mouth with my hand and ground them until they dissolved in my mouth.‎The leather of the chips sat on my lap. I lowered my eyes to it‎“Mide’s snack.”‎The words stared at me.‎I picked the leather and curled my fingers around it for a moment. Then I shook it and the remaining rustle inside.‎I slipped two into my mouth.‎Outside, the water was still trickling down the motor to the floor. A motorcycle roared past and its sound soon faded into the distance.‎I emptied the leather into my hand and as I raised my head. ‎“Samueli! Samueli!” ‎My head jerked forward and hit the steering wheel.‎I blink‎“Ma, Sir, Ma, Sir!” I gasped.‎The foam of saliva hung at the corner of my mouth.‎The door swung open‎“I thought you wanted to wash my motor" Dad said, frowning. “But you have been here for an hour now”‎He shut the door and left.‎I stared at my hands.‎No nylon.‎No chips. Empty.‎“Gosh! It was a dream."‎I let out a long breath and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind me.‎The bucket full of soapy water still stood where I had left it with the sponge rolling lazily inside.‎Everything was still exactly how I left it. ‎“Samueli! Samueli” Mum called again.‎My heart stopped beating. ‎For a second, I thought she was about to hand me another black nylon.‎Instead she said,‎“Come and take this pepper to the grinding machine."‎I swallowed.‎For some reason, my mouth still remembered the taste of the chips.‎And that was the hardest part.‎©️OLAREWAJU‎

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