AKANNI POV
I woke up late that morning. The sun was already peeking through the curtains, brushing the room with its soft light.When I finally walked into the living room, I saw Mira already busy — cleaning the tables and dusting the shelves."Oh no, you don't have to do that," I said, heading toward the kitchen.She looked up immediately. "Good morning, sir. Thank you so much for your help and support. God bless you and—"I sighed, cutting her off. "It's fine. You don't need to stress yourself. I'll hire a cleaning service. That's a lot of work.""I can't just sit down doing nothing, sir," she said, wiping down another table. "So I decided to clean."I shook my head. "You're too stubborn. What are you even going to do with the TV?""I was going to wipe it," she said, blinking innocently."I told you, you don't have to do that," I repeated, sinking into the chair. "You should probably go and freshen up. I'll order breakfast; it's already late.""But I checked — there's foodstuff in the kitchen," she said, turning toward me."Yeah, I know. But there's no time to start cooking now.""I can do that immediately. What would you like to eat?" she offered quickly."You don't have to—" I started, but she was already dropping the napkin in her hand."Wait— that's my napkin, oh God…" I groaned.She froze. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to—""No, no, it's fine," I said quickly, trying to ease the awkward moment. "Okay, let's make it easy. I'll have fried eggs and bread, nothing fancy."Her lips curved into a small smile — genuine and warm. It softened her face, making her look even more beautiful than yesterday."You too," I added. "What are you going to eat?""The same thing as you, sir," she said, moving toward the cupboard — exactly where I kept the pots.I raised a brow. "You know where everything is already?""Yes, sir. I figured it out while cleaning."Oh," I muttered, half impressed, half curious. "You seem to know your way around here too well."She giggled lightly. "I just checked."
Before long, she had the eggs, pepper, salt, onion, and seasoning arranged neatly. She mixed them in a bowl and turned on the gas.She even did it right — one spark, steady flame."Weldone," I said, leaning on the counter."Thank you, sir."I walked to the fridge and pulled out the bread. "You prefer Oyato or Nao?""I'll take whichever one you take, sir.""Alright." I dropped one loaf on the counter, then brought out some leftover meat. "I'll just reheat this.""I can do that, sir. Drop it there," she said with surprising confidence."No, you dish the food; I'll handle this," I said, turning on the microwave.
Minutes later, the room was filled with the rich scent of fried eggs and toasted bread.We sat down to eat."You really did well with the eggs," I said, finishing my last slice."Thank you, sir," she said shyly.I pushed the plate aside. "So… are you ready to talk about yourself now?"She hesitated. "Yes… I just don't know where to start from.""It's okay," I said, relaxing back in my chair. "You can start anywhere — maybe from why you were out on the street that night."She nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I lived with my aunt after my parents died in a car accident." Her voice trembled slightly."Oh… sorry about that," I said — not because I caused it, but because it felt appropriate."Everything was fine until I finished secondary school," she continued. "I told her I wanted to start a small business, to save for school. I asked her to get me a phone, but she said she couldn't afford it. So when she was saving for her friend's son's wedding, I took some money from her — about a hundred thousand — and bought a phone."She sighed deeply. "When she found out, she beat me, took the phone, and chased me out of the house. That's when you found me that night."I blinked. "So she chased you out because you used the money for her friend's wedding to buy a phone?""Yes, sir.""She refused to buy you one at your age. You're… how old?""I'm twenty, sir."I chuckled. "Ah, in this generation, a twenty-year-old lady got thrown out just for buying a phone. She tried, though."Her face scrunched up in confusion. "Tried? How?""She fed you, clothed you, and took care of you till you finished secondary school. That's not small," I said."They were all my parents' money," she murmured defensively."Oh," I said quietly. "Didn't know that. Sorry.""It's okay, sir," she said softly.I leaned forward. "So what are you going to do now? Any plans?"She looked down, silent."It's fine," I said. "I know you don't have anywhere to go. I just wanted to confirm."She nodded faintly."You can stay here if you want. There are plenty of rooms. I only use one."She froze for a second, then her eyes widened as tears rolled down. "Thank you, sir. You won't regret this. God bless you, sir. Thank you!""Please, don't kneel," I said quickly. "You already thanked me enough."
That was three years ago.Now, she had just finished her HND, yet still refused to leave — insisting she would remain as my maid to repay the kindness.
"Is there anything else you need me to pack before you go?" Mira asked, taking off her apron."Nothing much," I said, chewing my fried potatoes. "You can just help take my briefcase to the car.""Yes, sir.""You should eat too," I said."I'll eat when I'm done," she replied, as usual."How many times have I told you to join me when I'm eating?" I scolded lightly.She smiled faintly. "Sir, I can do that in the evening — not now, when it's just two minutes past five."I was about to respond when I suddenly choked on my water."Sir!" She rushed to me, giving me another glass and gently patting my back. "Easy."I coughed and finally caught my breath. "Thanks.""Be careful next time," she said softly.I grabbed my briefcase and stood up. "Alright. I'm off, then. Take care of yourself."She nodded. "Yes, sir."