CHINA TORI

What happened to Erija recently is what happens to most ITKs. You no go know the relationship between two people or how them tight reach, but because you were opportune to hear one of them say foul things about the other, you rush quickly and take sides. And even begin to act on it. E rora o!

For those who don’t know, ITK (meaning I Too Know) is the Nigerian nickname for people who claim a full knowledge of things and situations when, in fact, the information they have is very little. They are mostly full of themselves, blinded by pride and never take suggestions or advice well. They act as if they know everything and often talk loudly. I think Erija must be their national chairperson!

Before I left Nigeria about two weeks ago, I knew I would be walking into some serious hard work. The priority is to help my husband retain his visa and finish his MSc and only look to other things after. I knew of this restaurant thing his family had and I planned to take it up as soon as I land. So I joined in three days after. The pay is very small but it is available and it is immediate. It fits well into my plan and looks like a good first step. So I take it and on my first day, I meet Erija.

Erija is a petite woman who I reckon is in her early 40s. Wetin she go use senior my husband no go reach one year but she carries herself like the oldest woman in the whole of Hounslow. On the outside, she looks like a soft-spoken woman but when she opens her mouth, na one strong heavy voice go come out. She doesn’t cuss or swear; not heard her yet, but her voice is always laden with resentment, like she despises everyone in the kitchen and everyone else who doesn’t fall under favorite customers category.

Sometimes, I feel like na my husband cause all these wahala. On that first day, he introduced Erija as the third-in-command in the kitchen and you know, it is not everybody that deals with hype well. Once you praise them small like this, it gets to their head and places 50-50 pads on their shoulders. Erija let it get to her head and I think my husband’s “aunty” said some vile things too about my husband and I to her hearing.

What Erija did not know, however, is that first, “aunty” and my husband are like mother and son who have a love-hate relationship. Secondly, “aunty” is always talking about people; bad things, and everybody else other herself and her husband are no good. To her we are all lazy, ungrateful and not proactive. We lack common sense, strength and intelligence. Erija, she has even mentioned, is the worst. But my guess is that Erija doesn’t know that. She only heard the one about my husband and I and she is already considering herself an insider.

Anyways, no be only that one make them sack her as I start work for the restaurant. I think the major thing is that she underestimated me. To put it simply, she underrated me. People who know me know say my super power na my attitude to work. Except if I no put my mind, once I agree to work, I work with all my heart. And especially if the work is care, kitchen and home related, you will get the best of me.

So as soon as I started working, I put her in the shadows. Everything she has ever done was thrown out of the window; “aunty’s” specialty. I am faster, more polite, more willing to learn and very “proactive”. She isn’t even half of that and even if she ever showed potential, it is all thrash now.

Sister Erija was holding onto things she had heard about us and her head was so high up in the clouds that she didn’t see me take over. Very quickly, things turned sour for her. She be onye ume ngwu before and my presence made it more visible. And then she started fighting back with all the arrogance she could muster. And because they can only be one captain in a ship, “aunty” told her to go home.

Please don’t come for me. I’m not gloating or anything like that. She let her guards down and lost out. It happens to the best of us. I’m only playing the role of reporter here.