Holiday With Grandma | The Ink Well Prompt #149

Mitchell fixed her nails, her most precious assets as a young lady who wondered what her village would look like having heard her mother say a lot of fun moments she heard as a child. She pulled her Ghana-Must-Go bag from under the bed and started to arrange her new wears inside it.

This trip to the village is a well-thought-out one, isn't it?

Jordan, Mitchell's only brother and sibling said as he emerged from the doorpost.

I can't wait to be in Umu-ago.

She lined all her new clothes according to how she had planned to wear them to show that she was from the city.
On the day of the trip, Mitchell could not sleep because she was anxious. She envisaged the long journey to Umu-ago the village fun that she would enjoy and the new family ties that would be made. The night got too long that daybreak was still far when sleep carried Mitchell away into dreamland. It was the cockcrow that woke her up.
She brushed her teeth and attended to the toilet before she went to join others in the car and they all set on the journey.

Jack Winbow

Four hours later, Jordan became tired of the journey. He asked his mother:

Mom, how soon are we reaching the village?

She laughed out so loud.

Ahahaa!! We only just started.

From that moment, Jordan started to fall asleep. He just wanted to be in the village and begin to explore the entire nooks and crannies to feel what he had heard from his mother. They however reached the village around 6 pm. The whole journey took them twelve whole hours.

It was dusk when they arrived at Umu-ago. Grandma was waiting for their arrival. She had prepared a local soup as a surprise meal for her grandchildren. Ofe-akwu is made from fresh palm fruits. The soup is the favourite in the entire Umu-ago community but this particular pot of soup was made with assorted meat and dried fish.
Mama dished the soup after Mitchell and Jordan had taken a cold bath and returned to get familiar with their grandma. She had already served the soup with a well-prepared Semolina.

Hmm, this soup tastes quite different

Jordan exclaimed as she grabbed a plate of soup and munched away. Mitchell joined in and they ate their fill.

Thank you, Grandma, this soup is so tasty.

At midnight, Mitchell started having a running stomach. It was a hell of a night for her. She visited the toilet several times. Jordan too joined her as they queued at the door of the lavatory, taking turns to ease themselves.

When it was morning, Grandma had woken up early to make them breakfast. She was extra glad that for the first time, her grandchildren were spending the Christmas holiday with her.

This time, it was beans and yam porridge that she made. But Mitchell was the first to react. She pretentiously accepted her dish and then ran into the room to hide it under the bed. Jordan just went out of the house, into the small garden in the backyard to pour the food away, where Grandma will not find a trace of it.

To make up for the impending hunger, Mitchell summoned the courage to approach her mom to narrate the ordeal of last night to her.

Mom, please, you need to come to our rescue.

Their mom stopped what she was doing to pay attention to what Mitchell had to say.

Jordan and I had a stomach upset last night and we think it was as a result of the soup from last night.

Now, this morning, we have yet to receive a plate of yam and bean porridge from Grandma's stable and we fear that it could lead to another disaster.

Jordan on his part was thinking of how to sort himself before his mom stylishly took over the kitchen duties from their Grandma so that she could prepare some well-inspected meals for her children, Jordan and Mitchell.

Paul Theodor Oja

Until that was done, Mitchell was afraid the holiday was going to be one hell for her. Aside from that, she enjoyed every bit of life in the village. Young people from all over joined the masquerade dance at the village square. In the morning, before sunset, most people would go to the village stream to swim, wash clothes and dance to some city boy band. It was generally fun for the visitors and Mitchell longed to return home every holiday to spend in the village, except for grandma's disastrous pot of soup.