The Red Suitcase
When it was time for Favour to leave for Delta State University, Mama Ejiro cooked up a storm bitterleaf soup, banga soup, jollof rice, egusi soup,pepper soup, and a freezer full of meat.
"You must not go and be eating nonsense in that hostel," Mama warned, zipping up the red cooler bags.
"Yes ma," Favour said absentmindedly, already taking selfies beside her new box.
In school, she stacked the containers neatly in her hostel fridge. Her roommates watched in awe.
"You dey lucky oh," one of them said. "Your mama cook like this every semester?"
Favour laughed. "Abeg! Me I no get time for all this pepper-burn hand o."
For the first few weeks, she ate like a princess. But as the soup containers emptied, her reliance on junk food and her best friend Nkechi's cooking grew.
"You sure say you no wan learn how to make stew?" Nkechi once asked, slicing onions in their shared kitchen.
Favour was lying on the bunk, scrolling TikTok. "No need. I'll marry a guy that can cook."
And she truly believed it.