Hope’s Journal
January 19th, 1999
Today, I turned sixteen, and there’s something magical about being 16. I’m officially old enough to date, in America. I wish Daddy can be more understanding when it comes to that. Well, I had lots of fun today – it was a school day, so I couldn’t do much. I baked a cake and brought it to school. Daddy has said for every A we get, he’ll give us a thousand naira. I’m not bothered – I’ll just work hard to get all my A’s through, and with the money, I’ll buy myself something nice. Sixteen is a wonderful age, and I am tickled to know that somewhere, out there is my Mr. Right, waiting for me. I can’t wait to meet him. Mummy says something about God preparing the perfect person for me, and I don’t know when that time will be, but I can’t wait. She keeps saying I have the tendency to stray and run wild, I don’t know what that means, but I know that I want to get married, so much! Do I really have to wait so long?
February 27th, 1999
I just met Mr. Right. It looked like him, you should have seen those adorable eyes, and the way he looked right through me, I thought I was going to melt. He’s in my school and his name is Gerald. He is the new boy, and he has an accent. I went up to him, and somehow, we got talking. It was all Jumoke’s fault, she introduced us – how could she do that? Especially when she knew I had a crush on him? Well, we got talking, and I told him I could bake, and he said he wanted to taste a piece. Well, I didn’t tell him that technically, I mixed the dough while Mummy and Kay-Grace did the rest. There wasn’t much to making a cake, was there?
February 30th, 1999
The story of my cake adventures ends before it has had a chance to begin. I knew I was going to be in trouble before the day even ended. Smoke covered everywhere, and I thought I had burnt down the house. Mummy was outraged, Dolly-Dee looked like she was going to strangle me herself. But Daddy, well thank God for Daddy. He was the only one who saw my real potentials as a chef. He just told everyone it was okay. I sighed a sigh of relief. I had just learn another way how not to bake a cake. Mummy banished me from touching the gas cooker, and I could only be in the kitchen when Kay-Grace was there. This is not just fair one bit!
March 3rd, 1999
Officially, I have a boyfriend. That’s what he is, isn’t he? We are dating, and it’s so much fun. The thing is no one knows. Dolly Dee thinks I’m too young to know the difference between right and wrong. I feel like I’m floating in the clouds, it is a beautiful, carefree feeling that the world is moving fine and dandy for me. I should be studying for my exams, but it gets difficult as the days wear on. I am still thinking about the A’s and I’m aiming for them, but I also have him to think about.
March 12th, 1999
I get into BIG trouble. Mummy finds out about him, and she threatens to tell Daddy, unless I break up with him. That’s not fair! Why do they think they should rule my life? Am I not old enough to know what I want, who I can be with, and what is good for me? Why do they treat me like a child, and not an individual with a full grown brain? Mummy thinks I’m letting this slide, I won’t do it!
March 15th, 1999
I call up Gerald, and I tell him – it’s over. My mother will report to the principal if we don’t break up. It’s pretty sad. Mr. Right is just by the corner, and I can’t even see him. There ends my relationship.
March 30th, 2001
I’m special, I’m lucky – so Dad says. Out of all my sisters, I was the only one who got a scholarship to study in Ghana, and everyone seems to think I should make the most out of it. Catering in the university? What’s the big deal? I know this is Nigeria, but hey, there are people out there who are making lots of money from catering – there’s Tosan, who’s into baking, and Roberts, the doctor turned baker. Why does my case exactly have to be different? It’s not fair. I don’t want to study Banking and Finance. It’s a great course, don’t get me wrong – but all my life, all I’ve ever wanted to do was cook. And while everyone thinks it’s okay – at least it’s something I’m good at, they seem to suggest that I get a career in something else. Well, I pack my stuff and I’m headed to Ghana.
Hope Sassi: 27 year old caterer, loves to cook, but is constantly on a diet. Known to come up with ‘crazy schemes’.
Hilarious…