Chapter 1
“It needs more pepper, how many times will I tell you that pepper is the spice of life?” Bisi yelled as she tasted the pepper soup her 13-year-old sister was making for her home economics project. “Sister Bisi, if I add more pepper, people won’t be able to taste the actual food” Ola—Bisi’s sister— replied with her eyebrows raised.
Looking at the two, you’d never know they were related, while Bisi was tall, curvy and dark, Ola was slender and light-skinned, the direct opposite of her sister. Growing up, the two were always inseparable despite the 7-year age difference. Bisi adored her sister and always went out of her way to make her sister happy, like driving three hours to help her prepare for her school project.
“You have to leave it on the fire for 10 more minutes before taking it down” Bisi advised her sister as she stirred the soup. “Who cares, let it burn, it’s not like I will get an A in this class” Ola replied while texting on her phone. Bisi smiled at her sister. She always wondered where Ola got her nonchalant attitude from.
Bisi had always been an overworrying and an overthinker. She would stay up late thinking about her lecturers and their marking scheme or replaying conversations with her friends. She wished she had some of her sister’s carefree attitude, then maybe she wouldn’t be the way that she is, all broken and disgusting with her disease.
With the food all done, Bisi had no reason to stay behind, she kissed her sister goodbye and told her to say hello to their parents when they returned. Unlike Ola, who had a school cooking project, Bisi also had a cooking project of her own. She raced home and almost ran a red light trying to beat traffic. In the car, she thought about James, She met James at a house party a couple of months ago, and they began their love affair.
