He Threw Out The Wife Who Cooked For His Business For 6 Years, Then This Happened

PART 2:

One scrape and the burnt taste ruins everything, Ngozi. Trust me, Madam. It only needs one small pinch more. Bold words from a woman still sitting on my bench. Whoever taught you this, they taught you well. Your hands know this pot well. Where did you learn? My mother, Madam. I have cooked since I was young.

 Why is a woman with hands like this carrying a packed bag? My husband put me out this morning, Madam. Did he give you somewhere safe to go, at least? He gave me nothing, Madam. Not even an explanation that made sense. Have you eaten today? Not since last night, Madam. Then come. Food first, everything else can wait.

 I can’t ask a stranger to feed me, Madam. You didn’t ask, Ngozi. I offered it myself. Why would you help me? You don’t even know me, Madam. Whose handwriting is this? It is filled with such care. My mother’s, Madam. She wrote every recipe before she died. Come and stay with me tonight, Ngozi. Madam, you do not even know me yet. I know enough.

 Hungry, hurting, and too proud to ask. The room is small, but it is clean and warm. You keep a room ready like this, Madam, for strangers? I keep it ready for hard days, not for strangers.  Why are you doing all this for me, Madam? Someone once did the same for me, many years ago. What happened to you, Madam, if I may ask? That is a story for another night, Ngozi.

Wear this tomorrow. Your own clothes deserve a wash. Thank you, madam, for everything, truly. He said clients came for his name, not my cooking. Then why did he need you in that kitchen every day? I don’t know anymore, madam. I feel foolish for staying so long. Foolish is loving someone. It is not the same as failing.

Then why does it feel like I lost everything, madam? Because you have not yet seen what you still have. What do I still have, madam? Tell me plainly. Hands that fed a business he could not run without you. Tomorrow, come to my store. Let those hands work again. Tomorrow, madam, I will be there before sunrise.

One week, Ngozi. Show me what those hands can do. Thank you, madam. I will not waste this chance. Whatever pain you carry, leave it outside this store. Already so calm on your very first morning here. I have been waiting for a first morning, madam. It will have your name on it here, Ngozi. 40 catering trays by evening.

 We have never done this. I have cooked for bigger events than this, madam. Trust me. Four days in and you are already the calm one here. That is the last one, madam. Ready for collection. Good work today, Ngozi. Now we wait and see. That was the client. They praised the food, Ngozi. They want the same menu again next month. Wonderful. We did it.

Yes, what a relief. Then we will be ready for them, madam. Together. Four days in and you have already proven more than enough. Seven days, Ngozi. Customers returned every day because of your food. I didn’t expect it to go this well, madam. Truly. The trial is over. This stall is yours to help run now. I don’t know how to thank you for this, madam.

 When your own door opens, hold it for another woman. One day, madam, I will do exactly that. ‘ Another cancellation? That is the third client this month. Tell them we used her exact measurements, every single one. Same pot. Same pepper. The exact measurements on her recipe cards. So, why does it taste like a stranger cooked it now? ‘ Customers have complained since madam Ngozi left, Funmi. We have her cards.

Follow them exactly and stop worrying. We follow every card. The food still comes out different. Ngozi only followed these cards. Stop making cooking sound mysterious. It is not the card, Funmi. It is knowing when to stop. That was the third cancellation this month. Someone must tell Chidi. Mhm, almost ready.

Just checking this one. Here you are. Enjoy. 1 2 3 4 Ngozi, the usual, please. Ah, my regular. Coming right up. Here you are. Enjoy. Thank you, Ngozi. Almost enough, mama. We are almost there. ‘ Three cancellations again. And it is only mid-month. This has to be the assistants. It cannot be the ingredients. Funmi has this under control.

 She said so herself. It will pass. These things always pass. Three cancellations Funmi. What is happening in that kitchen? ‘ The assistants are careless. That is the real problem, Chidi. ‘ Tolu says they follow every ingredient exactly. We cannot afford to lose another client, Funmi. ‘ Give me the Adaze order.

 I will prove myself with it. ‘ That order matters, Funmi. Do not gamble with it. ‘ This is Mr. Emeka. He has served me fairly for 20 years. The peppers are excellent, Mr. Emeka. Fresher than what I had. Tell him what you need directly. He will treat you fairly, too. A catering client asked for me by name yesterday, madam.

‘ By name? Ngozi, that is no small thing. ‘ Then you will need more from my store soon, Ngozi. ‘ I have been saving carefully. I want to do more. We are behind schedule. Move faster, Tolu. ‘ It needs more time, Funmi. The flavor has not settled. ‘ The client arrives in an hour. Plate it now. ‘ Yes, Funmi.

‘ Madam Ngozi never plated anything before tasting it first. ‘ We do not have that luxury this evening, Tolu. Funmi, please. Something is wrong with this batch. ‘ [sighs] ‘ It is small, madam, but it could truly be mine. ‘ Small is where every good kitchen begins, Ngozi. ‘ I have enough saved for most of the list myself.

‘ Then let me add what is left. We do this together. What share would you want, madam? Tell me honestly. A small share only. This is your name, not mine. My name, madam, your money completed what I could not. My money goes in the books. Your name goes on the door. This is not what I paid for, Funmi. Not even close.

 I assure you, madam Adaes, the recipe was followed exactly. Then the recipe is not the problem. Something else has changed. I want a full refund, and I want it tomorrow. Madam, please let us find another way to resolve this. There is no other way. Tell Chidi I expect his call. ‘ Grace’s word is good enough for me, Nozi. ‘ Thank you, Mr. Emeka.

 I will not waste that trust. ‘ Now, that is a partnership worth having, Nozi. ‘ Mr. Emeka gave me his best prices, madam, just like you. ‘ That is what trust earns you, Nozi. Nothing more mysterious. ‘ Someone told me the woman who cooked Chidi’s food now works here. ‘ You came all this way just to find me, madam. ‘ I have an event coming.

 I want your hands on it. Then I will make sure it is worth the trip. ‘ A full refund. After every measurement was followed exactly. What did she know that this card does not say? I never once tasted anything before I served it. Perhaps that was always the whole difference. ‘ Someone explain to me what actually happened last night.

‘ Chidi, it was the assistants. They rushed the preparation. ‘ Funmi, you told us to plate it early. I said no. ‘ That is not what happened, and you know it, Tolu. I will not carry blame for decisions I warned you against. ‘ Enough. Everyone back to work. We will speak later. ‘ Your name on that door, Ngozi.

‘ I would not be signing anything without you, madam. ‘ Now sign  it, and tomorrow we secure the shop we inspected. ‘ I still cannot believe this is really happening, madam. ‘ Believe it, Ngozi. You have earned every part of it. ‘ Chidi, I have to be honest. The last three deliveries disappointed us.

‘ Please, sir, do not cancel because of these recent complaints. ‘ My decision is made. We are ending the contract today. ‘ I understand. Thank you for the years we had. That was our biggest contract, gone. ‘ I am leaving, Chidi. I cannot keep taking her blame. ‘ I understand, Tolu. You have done nothing wrong here.

‘ Madam Ngozi should never have been let go, Chidi. What should we call it, madam? It needs a proper name. ‘ It already has one, Ngozi’s Kitchen. ‘ Ngozi’s Kitchen. ‘ Just this one delivery. I will pay everything by Friday. ‘ No. ‘ You have known me for years. Please, not like this. ‘ Look at this room, Gozie. Truly look at

I am looking, madam. I still cannot quite believe it. ‘ Where did all of it go? Every single client gone. What did I actually lose the day you left? ‘ 60 kitchen trays, madam. Our largest order yet. Then we prepare it exactly the way we always do, carefully. No shortcuts. I would rather refuse an order than rush one.

 This client found us through word alone, Gozie. No advertisement. Then let us make sure the food speaks for itself, too. ‘ I gave up my marriage and destroyed my business for this. ‘ Do not blame me for choices you made yourself, Chidi. ‘ I am not blaming you. I am asking what it bought me. ‘ We could still start over somewhere, Chidi. Together.

‘ Start over with what, Funmi? Look around this room. ‘  ‘ I kept telling myself nothing had changed. Everything changed the day  she stopped cooking for me. ‘ These numbers are strong, Nozie. Genuinely strong. Strong enough that I no longer worry about next month, madam. Strong enough to think much bigger than next month, actually.

Bigger how, madam? Tell me plainly. One day, a second location, but that day is not today. ‘ [snorts] ‘ We did it, mama. Not the way I expected, but we did. Whatever comes next, ‘  ‘ this day is exactly where it started. ‘ Madam Ade, I have come to ask for one more chance. ‘ Chidi,  I already found somewhere better for my events.

‘ Please, madam. I am willing to do anything you ask. ‘ We using Ngozi’s kitchen now. Their food has never disappointed us. ‘ Ngozi? Which Ngozi, madam? Tell me plainly. ‘ Here. This is the woman who owns it, Chidi. ‘ That is her. That is my wife’s face. ‘ Your wife? Chidi, she never once mentioned a husband.

‘ She would not have. Not after what I did. ‘ What did you do to her, Chidi? ‘ Enough to lose the right to call her my wife. ‘ Welcome to Ngozi’s kitchen. How many today? ‘ Just me, thanks. ‘ Right this way, please. Here’s a lovely table for you. Good afternoon. How may I help you, sir? ‘ I am looking for Ngozi.

 Is she here? ‘ And who should I say is asking for her? ‘ I am her husband. I need to speak with her. ‘ You have some nerve walking in here. Chidi, what are you doing here? You have 30 seconds before I ask you to leave. ‘ I came to say I am sorry, Ngozi. ‘ Sorry? After everything, you walked in here just to say sorry? Say what you came to say, Chidi.

‘ The business is finished, Nozi. I have lost everything. I hoped you could come back and cook again. ‘ So, the apology was for my hands, not my heart. Now I understand exactly why you are here. I will not rebuild what you broke, Chidi. ‘ Ngozi, please. I have nowhere else to turn. ‘ Then you will start again the way I had to.

‘ There is something else I need to ask you. Could we try again, Nozi? As husband and wife? ‘ I have already filed for our divorce, Chidi. That door closed the night you chose her. I forgive what you did to me, Chidi. Forgiveness does not return me to the house where you erased me. ‘ Thank you, Nozi, for more than I deserve.

‘ Take care of yourself, Chidi. I mean that. Madam, I want to open a training kitchen. Tell me everything, Ngozi. What do you have in mind? A place for women starting over, like I once did. Oh, Ngozi. ‘ Good morning, madam. Is this the training kitchen? ‘ It is. What is your name, my dear? ‘ Chioma, madam.

 I have nowhere else to learn. ‘ Someone once let me in with far less than you have. ‘ Thank you, madam. I will not disappoint you. ‘ This apron is yours now, Chioma. Wear it well. ‘ I promise to make you proud, madam Ngozi. ‘ Hallelujah.