The Brags Talk

“How will you use firewood to cook your dish in the school compound? Don't you know the rich are better when it comes to food preparation?” Monica brags so intensely, as she is not ready to see Aaliyah close to her.

Aaliyah is a gentle and wise girl from a poor background. Her parents had always wanted the best for her, but they were not buoyant enough. In high school, she always came out to be the best at whatever she did, and this made the rich girls in her school hate her so much. The only friend she had was in the same category as her, but just a little more buoyant than Aaliyah’s family. Life has not been easy with Aaliyah, especially in her school setting. Her school was a few kilometers from her house, and she always trekked to school daily.

Виктория Аксенова

In her house; her parents always use firewood to prepare any form of dish, and she is used to it. She also helped her mom in the kitchen and knows how to cook a nice dish. This was what she was taught at home, and she carried it all over to the school. She wakes up at 4:00 a.m. daily and cooks her dish, and after cooking, she dishes her food into her small food flask.

Aaliyah would be the first to get to school and open her class door. She always sweeps her classroom and gets the board cleaned up before the arrival of her classmates.

“Did you hear the home economics teacher announce earlier that there will be a competition?” Aaliyah asked, but no one seemed to answer her, as she was just speaking to herself. At last, the one who is always feeling pompous, Monica, answered, “You are not in our class to inform us about the upcoming competition because it is obvious that you are not going to win it.”.

“I was just trying to be nice, and now you are turning it into something else? Okay, I will mind my business next time because I am not in your class as I am not rich enough to be among you, the rich," Aaliyah responded.

The home economics teacher came into the class and started with her teaching. She said the best dish would always come from one prepared with a good heart.

“You can all come with your gas cooker to school when it's D-Day," the home economics teacher advised.

“You have said it all, sir. This is the reality and what we are going to do no matter what," Monica, who has always felt too big, said to the teacher. Meanwhile, the teacher ignored her words.

The D-Day came, and they all gathered in the school hall with their respective gas cookers and various forms of finely made plates and pots. Aaliyah, on the other hand, brought what she had at home. She came in with a dark pot that had been used for ages. She also bought firewood. The teacher asked them to present their respective means of preparing their different dishes. As they presented all their items, Aaliyah presented firewood, which got all her classmates to flame up: “She cannot partake in this competition as her items are incomplete," which they all rejected.

Her friend, Bisi, was cautioning others to keep quiet and allow her to try what she had to try, but the more she talked, the more she was looked down on.

“What are you saying? Advising manager and birds of the same feathers," Monica got hot at Bisi. Meanwhile, Bisi managed to bring along her gas cooker, but of the old fashion.

Aaliyah was feeling so sad and dejected, but then she had to use what she had for the competition.

Their home economics teacher said earlier that everyone must come with a gas cooker, but he also had to consider it. “I will allow Aaliyah to use her firewood. Let's see how she is going to make a fine dish out of the firewood," the home economics teacher said.

“Thanks, sir,” Aaliyah said with all gratitude.

The competition started when Aaliyah had to light up her firewood as smoke overtook every corner of the school. She has with her a blended tomato. She had used her grinding stone at home to make it smooth, while others came with tin tomatoes.

They were all timed (40 minutes).

30 minutes later, all her friends were done cooking, but she was waiting for the downfall of Aaliyah as she was still preparing hers. 35 minutes had gone by; she was not done cooking when Monica raised an alarm: “Hello, sir, it's time already. All the guests are already in the hall, waiting. I think we can go present ours and leave this crab behind.”.

“It's just 36 minutes now. She had 4 minutes left," the home economics teacher replied.

In 38 minutes, Aaliyah's food was prepared. The aromas of all the rich students' food were all in the air, making everyone feel salivating and taking over Aaliyah’s shallow, evolving aroma.

She dished her food and presented it in front of the guests, just like others. Even though she used firewood, her tray, and the cloth she used to cover her food were so neat when compared to others.

The guests started tasting each of their dishes one after the other, and when they got to Aaliyah's position, they had to pause after tasting her dish. This was somehow making her feel bad. “Does this mean they did not like my dish?” She murmured all to herself, but Monica had heard her murmuring and immediately replied to her silently, “Yes, they don't like your food; at least actions speak louder than voice.”.

The guests started giving comments.

“Monica, your food is so tasty, and I love the fine aroma coming out of your dish, but I think it is just the aroma that is fine, but something is missing that I cannot detect.” The first guest passed comments and also passed comments on all the contestants except for Aaliyah’s and Bisi's.

“Monica, your food is so tasty, as well as others. You have all tried to make us at least salivate and want to eat. I think Magi Spice is just too overloaded on your foods”, the next guest passed her comment but was not facing Aaliyah and her friend, Bisi.

They all give their respective comments on the rich kids' dishes without saying a word to Bisi and Aaliyah.

“Bisi, your dish looks delicious, and I would love to have some home for me to have more of it. Your parents had taught you well," one of the guests said as Monica turned with a faded smile.

“Aaliyah, we have put our heads together and come to the conclusion that…” Aaliyah’s heart was beating so fast, and she had concluded that she would be the loser.

“Before I finish my statement, we all knew that your dish was prepared with firewood just because of the way it tastes. We know the love attached to foods cooked with firewood. This is the aroma we were raised with when we were still little," the guest said and continued. “Your dish comes out to be the best while Bisi is the second, and with the look of things, we are only picking yours and Bisi as the winners.”.

Monica was melting where she was, as were other rich kids. They could not say a word but left with stylish tears rolling down their eyes.

Aaliyah and Bisi were given a tangible sum as a price and were promised scholarships when they finished secondary school.