Sophia had always loved eating out to her the variety of meals the convenience and the chance to explore new restaurants is greater than the inconvenience of cooking at home that evening after a long day at work she found herself in a Sleek new restaurant she had recently discovered the place had captivated her with its beautiful decor and ever buling crowd after finishing a plate of her favorite meal Sophia felt her stomach churn not out of sickness but from the urgent need to visit the restroom leaving her empty

plate behind she got up and asked a nearby waitress where the restroom was the waitress smiling politely pointed her toward a narrow hallway however upon reaching the restroom sopia quickly realized it was occupied she knocked a few times but got no response other than muffled noises from within her stomach Twisted tighter she she couldn’t wait much longer and looked around desperate for an alternative solution Sophia’s eyes drifted across the bustling restaurant eventually landing on a door swinging slightly open a small one out sign above

the doorway red Kitchen in faded letters for a moment her thoughts rest should I take a look the idea crept into her mind gently at first but then she forcefully pushed it aside no don’t be ridiculous sopia just wait for the restroom she shifted uncomfortably her stomach tightening yet again her gaze however remained glued to the swinging door she started hearing faint sound of clattering dishes and muffled voices from the kitchen the sound was more chaotic than she imagined a kitchen in such a prestigious and exotic restaurant

would have sto staring she scolded herself silently maybe it’s better not to know just as she took a step back a startling movement caught her attention two rats thin gray and B ran out of a small hole near a box on the ground they shouted noisily as they chased each other in circles before disappearing back into kitchen through the partially Open Door Sophia recoiled her brows furrowing in disbelief rats here that food the food I just ate the thought stopped her code as her mind filled with images she didn’t want to

entertain questions pelted her like raindrops was my meal really prepared in that kitchen could it be as bad as I’m imagining right now how could this restaurant so beautiful and stylish possibly have rats the rational voice in her head advised her to leave it alone don’t ruin your evening with unnecessary drama sopia just wait for the restroom finish up and go home but her curiosity bloomed like a wildfire feared by thoughts she couldn’t suppress what if there was something truly wrong what if it was more than just rats what if

before she could stop herself sopia stepped closer to the kitchen door her heart beating very fast as she carefully pushed the door open with her fingertips it swung inward without resistance revealing the scene on the other side what she saw made her stomach Chun violently it stopped her in her tracks and nearly made her to vomit her mouth falling slightly open in shock it was worse than anything she had prepared herself for her desire for the restroom was momentarily overtaken by her curiosity the kitchen if one could even

call it that was a nightmare a rotten pit of death and mess the order emanating from the kitchen was like that of a rotten poop PS of dirty dishes lean precariously on both sides of the sink some with food remnants so old that they had hardened into unrecognizable brown color and green mucus like Mo that had been growing UND disturb for weeks Sophia’s eyes scanned the room as if in slow motion everything her eyes captures worse than the last the kitchen cabinet a place that is supposed to be for food preparation were

packed with unwashed cutting boards and knives kicked in residue romit at exposed to house flies their continuous buzzing creating a soundtrack to the chaos then Sophia saw the kitchen staff and her dread stinks the women walking in the kitchen looked uncamp their hair messy with dandruffs which can be visibly seen from their dirty hair ties their faces covered with sweat their aprons once white she assumed were stained beyond belief with smears of sauce grease and who knows what spilled on the fabric like they had hadn’t been

washed in years it was then that her eyes landed on what could only be the head Coke the woman was a fat middle-aged figure with deep lines of wrinkles on her face as she stirred a Boiling Pot of soup in front of her un concern about the sweat dripping down her neck or the stain covered sleeveless gown she wore but it was what she did next that made sopia’s jaw drop when she stopped stirring the soup for a moment the cook absent-mindedly scratched her unshaved sweaty armpit her bare armpit with the very spoon she had been using

to stud the soup before Sophia could even realize it the woman slipped the spoon back into the pot continuing to stir the soup like nothing had happened a wave of disgust roded over sopia andshe clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting the oozing smell in the room a mix of rotten food sweat and wet Rags didn’t help rats running freely between the boxes piled across the dirty floor could hardly believe this was the same place serving such delicious meals to customers her brain screamed at her to look away to

walk back out into the dining area and pretend she hadn’t seen any of this but her feet were glued to the spot as if the scene was too ugly to turn away from she only snapped out of her trance when she felt she stepped on something soft and wet beneath her shoe looking down she realized she had stepped on the lettuce they want to use for salad floating lazily in the fil dirty water on the floor that was our breaking point heart pounding she stumbled back out to the dining area trying her best to look normal clutching

her stomach with one hand and covering her mouth with the other sopia fled toward her table she grabbed her bag and moved quickly toward the exit ignoring the smiles of the waiters as she passed by it wasn’t until she had made it outside where the cool evening Bree kissed her sweaty skin that she finally lost control bending over the gutter by the side of the road sopia empted the contents of her stomach vomiting violently expelling the meal she had just enjoyed minutes ago as her mind replayed the horrors she had just

witnessed tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to catch her breath the memory of the sweating cook and that filthy spoon wouldn’t leave her no matter how hard she tried to shove it away as she wiped her mouth and stood upright again a wave of regret and anger washed over her how could she someone who thinks she is paying so much to eat good food have been so blind she had trusted the fad of polished tables beautiful decor and an impressive wine list without questioning what went on behind the scenes and now now she knew

the truth Sophia wrapped her arms around herself as she began walking home her steps slow and heavy the irony was suffocating the very convenience she treasured the comfort of eating out had betrayed her in the worst way she thought back to every meal she had eaten here and at countless other restaurants before this she shuddered sopia had always been a fan of eating out but perhaps this experience was the wakeup call she needed she reflected on her lifestyle as she walked home her addiction to restaurants and food

vendors wasn’t something she had developed on her own it was a habit she had learned growing up as the eldest of three children Sophia had taken on the role of ker at a young age yet cooking never became part of her routine her parents Mr and Mrs CH were always consumed by walk her father was a truck driver often gone for months at a time while her mother owned a busy shop in the heart of the market their lifestyle left a and her siblings Kelly and Naomi to fend for themselves a vividly remembered the day their life of eating out began with her

parents always busy she and her siblings Kelly and Naomi would wake up to an empty kitchen Scavenging for stale bread and leftovers their mother though loving will always rush out because she own a very big busy shop in the middle of the market she had to attend to customers who always call her phone Before Dawn to come and attend to them leaving her children to fend for themselves evening she would buy takeway food which initially excited them but soon became too repetitive Sophia the eldest understood why her parents worked hard but she yed

for homemade Meals one Saturday morning she decided to take matters into her own hands and cook rice for her siblings however her inexperience led to bun rice filling the kitchen with a child smell her siblings were disappointed and a felt guilty for failing to provide for them despite multiple attempts her cooking Endeavors ended in disaster killing her confidence and her siblings faith in her abilities after complaining to their mother about how they are always hungry when is not at home their mother started

giving them money for meals which often meant buying junk food and snacks with time they got tired of eating snacks so they decided to take matters into their own hands and venture out onto the streets in search of affordable delicious food let’s go find something good to eat Sophia said her eyes sparkling with excitement yay Kelly and Naomi chimed in unison their faces lighting up with anticipation the three of them set out wandering through the bustling streets taking in the sights and sounds of the vendors calling out their way

they passed by stall selling roasted corn fried plantains and steaming bows of soup but the money they have on them was not enough to get a bowl of soup and swallow their stomachs growed in response and their mouths watered at the Aromas as they turned a corner they spotted an abuki man selling suya his grill sizzling with Juicy meat the aroma of spices and ched meat wafted throughthe air making their mouths water suya Kelly exclaimed tugging on Sophia’s hand let’s get suya sopia nodded and they approached the abok man he greeted them

with a warm smile and began to expertly slice the meat how much sopia asked I the succulent pieces ostick the abiman replied sopia calculated quickly and handed over a 100 naira the vendor handed her two sticks of suya and they eagerly took their first bite but as soon as the meat touched their tongues they knew something was off the texture was slimy and the flavor was Sour this taste funny Naomi said her face crunching up in this taste is it spoiled Kelly asked his eyes wide with concern sopia’s heart sunk but

she knew they couldn’t return the suya as the fierce looking aboki man might get angry at them and they can’t afford to waste the money she also knew that if they didn’t eat it they would be hungry again soon and they might not have the money to buy more food just eat it Sophia said firmly trying to hide her own disgust we can’t waste the money Kelly and Naomi looked at each other uncertainly but Sophia’s expression broke no argument they reluctantly took another bite trying to ignore the unpleasant texture and flavor as they ate sopia

couldn’t help but feel a pan of guilt she knew she was forcing her siblings to eat spoiled food but she felt trapped by their circumstances she vowed to find a better solution to find a way to provide for her siblings without compromising their health for now though they finished the suya in Silence the only sound being the distant call of vendors and the rumble of their stomachs still hungry despite the meal by the time sopia went off to University City cooking was a foreign concept she had spent her entire life

relying on restaurants and food vendors to eat she would spend all her pocket money on buying food from restaurants as Sophia settled into her new life in the city for her National Youth service she was assigned to share a small apartment with a roommate Jane Jane was a breath of fresh air with her bubbly personality and infectious laughter but what struck Sophia most was Jan’s passion for cooking while Sophia relied on street food and takeaways Jane spent hours in the kitchen whipping up delicious meals from scratch you should

learn how to cook sopia Jane would say as she expertly chopped vegetables and stud pots it’s cheaper safer and healthier to cook your own food plus it’s so much fun sopia would smile and not but inside she was skeptical she loved the freedom of exploring the city’s street food scene discovering hidden gems and trying new flavors she took pride in being able to find the best spots to eat in town and her friends would often joke that she had a six sense for sniffing out good food besides Sophia’s past experiences with

cooking had left her scar she remembered the burnt rice and the disappointed faces of her siblings she had convinced herself that cooking was not not her F and that it was better to leave it to the experts her stubbornness didn’t waver even when she met Joseph A charming and wealthy young man who took interest in her Joseph often took sopia to hir in restaurants for dates wiing her with expensive meals and lavish gifts it wasn’t long before Sophia fell for him but one evening when Joseph visited her at home things between them took an

unexpected turn after a lengthy conversation Joseph’s stomach growled and he laughed rubbing his abdomen sopia I’m hungry can you make me something to eat he asked playfully Sophia froze and forced a nervous laugh why cook when we can order something nice from a restaurant she suggested but Joseph insisted seeing No Way Out Sophia hesitated before admitting the embarrassing truth she didn’t know how to cook Joseph’s smile faded he excused himself and left angrily shortly after leaving Sophia feeling humiliated and rejected Jane

returned home later that evening to find sopia lying on the bed staring blankly at the ceiling when asked what was wrong Sophia lied blaming her mood on losing some money earlier she couldn’t bring herself to tell Jane the truth after all Jane had warned her so many times life went on and sopia slipped back into her comfortable routine of eating out she became a regular at a fancy new restaurant in town where she would often order takeout on busy days the convenience of online ordering and delivery to her office was too enticing

to resist before the end of the month sopia has already spent all her allowance on purchasing food and even boring from one day as she was devouring her lunch at her desk she spotted something that made her stomach t a toilet flly was on top of a food which obviously was packaged with the food as it appeared cooked and blended with the food sopia’s initial reaction was disgust and irritation but she quickly rationalized that it was just a one time mistake after all she was eating at a high in restaurant and such

establishments were supposed to maintain impeccable standards ofhygiene however as the days went by Sophia began to notice a decline in her health she was plagued by frequent bouts of stomach pain and fever which left her feeling weak and largic despite her initial reluctance she eventually ended up in the hospital where she spent 3 days undergoing test and treatment the diagnosis was not what sopia had expected the doctor informed her that she was suffering from salmonella a bacterial infection caused by consuming contaminated food

Sophia was taken AB back as she had always assumed that eating at fancy restaurants guaranteed a certain level of quality and safety the doctor’s warning was stun you need to be careful about where you eat and what you eat bacteria from unsanitary food practices can cause serious illnesses like salmonella it’s not just about the restaurant’s reputation it’s about the handling and preparation of the food but Sophia remains stubborn convinced that the doctor was mistaken she continued to frequent the same restaurant ignoring

the warning signs and putting her health at risk her friend tried to intervene but Sophia was too proud to listen everything changed after that fitful day when she pecked into the kitchen the horrifying scene stayed with her haunting her thoughts that night she took a deep breath and made a decision the real one this time with Jan’s help she cleaned out her neglected kitchen bought utensils and started watching online cooking tutorials her first meal wasn’t perfect and the food lacked the presentation she was used to at restaurants but it tasted

fresh and clean made with her own hands over time cooking became an enjoyable routine her bond with Jane strengthen as they often cook together laughing over recipe mistakes and sharing meals Joseph came back into her life apolog itic for how he had handled her confession and the two reinder their relationship to his Delight sopia proudly cooked him a warm homemade meal when he visited her again from that day forward sopia balanced her love for eating out with the joy of preparing her own meals above all she learned the

importance of knowing how food is made and appreciating what it meant to take care of herself [Music] a [Music]