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It is not like the food of home has not been influenced from the West given her tastes for jollof spaghetti and Nigerian salad alike. Besides, Shanumi enjoyed fast food joints aplenty from allowance divided amongst sisters. That is the few naira she allowed herself that Shanumi did not donate back to charity.
Stomach like empty pit compared to home and Shanumi has not had food from home since entering the Vatican one week prior. The smell of home brews like ache.
Hours spent with Sisters back home in her chapter of Daughters of Charity pouring over pots and blending spices by hand with pestle because they were good old fashioned traditional women. It brought Shanumi closer to God, preparing home cooked meals because pantry food could never suffice an ever hungry belly.
Besides, Shanumi knew what it was like to hunger from stories of patients that came passing through. Wandering souls that she took to at least remember their stories if not memorize their names. These Nigerians seeking comfort and Shanumi knew what hunger was from patients in too late stages of AIDS.
As a gesture of remembrance on World AIDS Day, red ribbons in tow, the Iwaro-Oko Community Clinic had a free community meal which doubled as a fundraiser. They served not only Christians but people of all religions. This included Muslims and those who followed tradition. Still Christians at root however, the Iwaro-Oko Community Clinic had the option of prayer in the parish opposite of the street. Shanumi’s childhood parish into adulthood.
Kitchen that once served as sanctuary becomes the opposite when Shanumi enters the Vatican.
In the Vatican, there are nuns aplenty working at a time to fill in the rush of clergymen come to serve purpose that they are not even aware of.
There is seldom joking with Sisters when there is such a high demand to feed. That warmth given when Shanumi and her girls would pour over familiar herbs and spices is missing. Shanumi thought her work with Nigerian HIV/AIDS patients would be finally recognized when given the opportunity to go to the Vatican.
Instead she is given the tasks of the help with laundry and kitchen.
Tasks that were familiar to her in simple postulancy and as Mother Superior too. Shanumi loved to assist her girls in simple tasks that brought camaraderie in their order. It too reminded them that although Shanumi was busy in her position of power, she was still a Sister.
It is not as if she believed she was above work as Mother Superior of Iwaro-Oko.
But Shanumi Iwaro had a Doctorate in Infectology and she had spent countless years advocating for Nigerians who were gender and sexual minorities.
It was disrespect and Shanumi had felt it since she was first given her duties in this chapter of sisters.
The food served in the Vatican was handmade yet simple. But it was good nonetheless for they had to feed men serving a higher purpose that they felt did not involve women. It seems everything Shanumi did here seemed to revolve around men.
Kitchens were ever familiar to Shanumi. The fragrant bitter smell of okra stew to be poured over white rice cooking in the kitchen, hours before mealtime in childhood for okra was a staple in her household.
However, out of all foodstuffs served back home, nothing could quite compare to simple jollof rice and Shanumi’s choice of meat was always goat’s.
But Shanumi had to work with what she was given in the Vatican.
So when she finally sets up shop in the kitchens during her meager free time, Shanumi chooses her second favorite meat, fish to accompany her jollof instead of crayfish that is not afforded to her in the Vatican. Instead is tilapia that she chooses from the stock of meat in the freezer.
Iresi Eyin is simple native jollof rice. Added in with Yoruba flavor it is palm oil along with iru. The locust beans that Shanumi spent picking out of her rice in youth much to Mother’s displeasure.
Mother had spent hours pouring over that kitchen to grind and set spices, slow cooking that spiced rice to perfection only to have her handiwork meddled by a mischievous child.
Shanumi would grow to have a fondness for iru in adulthood, picking out the beans to eat herself and it is ridiculous how one grows with age.
However there is no iru in the Vatican. But there is, miraculously enough palm oil and it is ever effortlessly Yoruba.
“Sister Shanumi, it is after hours.”
“Hold on.” Shanumi extends a finger to Agnes as she adds the palm oil to the pot.
All Shanumi needed to do was add all of the ingredients needed into the pot and let it cook until perfection. The palm oil, rice, and seasoning that would make her substituted Iresi Eyin and it felt diluted but Shanumi had to work what she was given. Instead of being given the proper resources and it felt as if she had to do so all of her life.
Then Shanumi turns to Agnes and greets her with a grin who simply stands there. The Mother Superior Agnes looks so stunned that Shanumi cannot help but laugh. “Won’t you like to try some? It won’t be done for long but…”
“Sister Shanumi!” Agnes exclaims.
“I was hungry, Sister.” Shanumi mutters as she moves to grind the spices for the tilapia which she would be cooking separately. “Besides, anyone would want some jollof.”
“You do not lie.” Agnes moves to approach Shanumi. “But my family grew up eating tiep.”
“I see we are doing the jollof wars in the Vatican.” Shanumi jokes but Agnes does not laugh.
“Would you like it to be one?” Agnes quips back.
Shanumi moves to set the stove for her fish. “I have always enjoyed indulging in other food from the continent.”
“I suppose I can-” Agnes begins but is interrupted by Shanumi’s, “Wonderful!”
“It will take up all of our free time and you are much ahead of me.” Agnes mutters.
“Then all the better! Jollof wars. In the Vatican!” Shanumi laughs.
Agnes works in silence, grinding spices in pestle before stuffing fresh tilapia then placing then frying them. Shanumi works at finishing up seasoning her fish which is to be cooked separately.
“We have not had a fresh shipment of okra in yet, that is to arrive when the other African cardinals arrive.” Agnes sighs as she sets aside the ingredients for the rice. “It would taste better with okra. Oh, Mother would have a fit!”
Shanumi sucks her teeth. “It seems that we are always catering to the needs of our men while they ignore ours.”
“Tell me about it,” Agnes sighs.
Shanumi laughs, “Back in Nigeria, it is the men submitting to our will, after all us Sisters run the pantries and the clinics!”
“You are Mother Superior of your chapter, are you not?” Agnes inquires to which Shanumi responds with, “Only Iwaro-Oko.”
Shanumi continues, “It is a mystery why you all have me working as if I were a housemaid!”
Shanumi suddenly stops doing what she is doing, near frozen in expression as she says, “I miss my girls.”
“I would too as well.” Agnes says grimly.
“I am glad you treat me as Sister and not superior.” Agnes says and Shanumi smiles with, “As do I.”
“Come try my rice!” Shanumi says and Agnes moves from her array of ingredients to try the Iresi Eyin.
“It is not party jollof but…” Shanumi begins but Agnes interrupts with, “It is wonderful.”
A warmth within Shanumi at the softness afforded to her at Agnes’ compliment.
“They say tiep comes from Saint Louis.” Agnes adds as she continues to poke her fork into the rice and eat, not before abandoning Shanumi’s rice to check on her own rice.
“We come from Saint-Louis, the port city of Senegal.” Agnes suddenly speaks as she moves to place the cooked fish inside her own pot of rice. “I do not often speak of it but…”
“Oh, but you must! I’m afraid I’m just a small town Iwaro-Oko girl from Ondo State.” Shanumi laughs and says, “As do many say jollof comes from Senegal!”
Shanumi makes her way over to Agnes’ station which is kept clean despite the excess of ingredients used. There is fish, spices and vegetables that Agnes clears away with each use and Shanumi can tell this is a woman that likes to keep organized.
Agnes allows her to peek through to see the rice cook together as she opens up the foil. The stove is on low and the food is simmering. Shanumi can tell the rice is almost done because there is no excess broth.
“Your fish is wonderful, but isn’t it a bit excessive, the vegetables?” Shanumi asks as she pokes at the tomato with Agnes’ spoon. There is full carrot and even sweet potato in the rice.
Agnes jokes, “You could use more vegetables yourself!”
To which Shanumi responds as she moves to pack her food in tupperware, “They're all in the spices!”
“Have some rice with the carrot and the fish.” Agnes says as she prepares a plate for Shanumi. “It’s not snapper but it will do.”
Shanumi’s eyes widen as she is hit with a myriad of flavor from the prepared fish and cooked rice and vegetables. From Shanumi an exclaim of, “I love it!”
Followed by that, a soft smile from Agnes.
The stoves are turned off and the excess food waste has been put into garbage bins and into storage.
The two women eat in silence from their plates of respective rice and meat. Once they have had their fill, into tupperware the food goes.
Lid cracks against plastic tupperware and is labeled by Shanumi and Agnes to be put in the mini fridge in Agnes’ office.
“I guess it’s all the matter of how we grew up on jollof rather than who is the best,” is what Shanumi ends up with.
A sudden envelope of embrace from Shanumi to Agnes who accepts her. It is sweet affection from words and touch that Shanumi has ached for. Shanumi has missed her girls.
“Thank you, really for this.” Shanumi murmurs in Agnes' arms and then pulls back from her embrace almost immediately in secret shame.
But into those eyes, amongst a moment of weakness, Shanumi says, “I feel I have not been fulfilling my purpose as nurse or as Sister when I only serve the purpose of cleaning and cooking.”
Those words are solemn yet true.
But Shanumi continues on saying, “Yet tonight we were able to cook as Sisters joined by the embrace of the Lord!”
A lingering kiss on the cheek from Agnes and a soft hold of hand from Agnes.
“I will see to it that you are able to fulfill your duty as a nurse like Sister as much as my power will allow me to,” is what Agnes promises to fulfill to Shanumi.