Mr. Sam walks into the room, and the room becomes like a grave. He smiles and tells everyone to take their seat.
Mr. Sam is 6 feet tall, has broad shoulders, and has a husky voice. He looks like a villain from a movie. "I do not like the tension in the room," Mr. Sam says with a smile on his face.
Ken stands, bowing his head. He says, "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Ken. Seated close to me on my left is my father, Mr. David, and on my right is my mother, Mrs. Rose." "Good afternoon. I am honored by your presence," Mr. Sam said with a smile on his face. "Glory, bring a bottle of wine from the shelf for our visitor."
Clearing his throat, Mr. Sam asks Ken, "So young man, what brings you to my house?" Ken rubs his palms and stands with a smile on his face. Ken understands that when an elder clears his throat, he is in for a serious discussion. Ken picks up the bottle of wine by his side and places it on the beautifully decorated table in the living room.
"Sir, this is for you," Ken says. "Thank you; I accept this drink," Mr. Sam replied.
"Sir, I came to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage," Ken says with a smile. Everyone in the room laughs, and Ken wonders what he might have said wrong. Mr. David stands and says, "Forgive my son; he doesn't understand our culture; the younger generation needs to learn from the elders. We came to introduce ourselves to you and tell you that we have found a beautiful young woman in your house, and we would love to come back at a later date and begin the marriage rites."
Mr. Sam stands. "You have spoken well. I have many young ladies in this house. So which of them have you seen?"
"Grace, Mr. David replied. Mr. Ken smiles and calls for Grace. "Do you know this young man?" Mr. Ken asks. "Yes,I do," Grace replied. "You can leave," Mr. Ken says, shaking his legs. "It's okay, Mr. David; you can come on Sunday so we can begin the traditional rites.
Ken and Grace have been dating for a year. They met each other at a cinema, and it was a weird encounter. Grace stepped on Ken's leg and slipped. Ken helped her up, and that was the beginning of their journey. It's the story of two hard working young people who are determined to make the most of the opportunities that life presents them. They are planning to open a restaurant after they get married. They have a passion for cooking. Ken believes he is the better cook, while Grace thinks she is better than Ken. But they are all great cooks.
After meeting at the cinema, Ken and Grace exchanged contacts and have been seeing each other. Their chemistry is great, as it seems as if they have known each other since birth.
It was a chilly Sunday evening. Ken and his family members walked into Grace's family house, and they all exchanged pleasantries. This time, it was warm. Mr. Sam asked Ken and his family to join him for dinner. "Thank you, sir,Mr. David said. Mr. Sam was surprised by this response. "It is part of our culture to offer your prospective in-laws food," Mr. Ken said. "I know, sir, but our family does not eat any food that is not prepared by a member of our family," Mr. David replied.
"That is an insult to me and my family, Mr. David." Mr. Ken expressed anger in his voice. "There is no need to be angry; it is a family tradition that cannot be broken," Mr. David said. Standing, he looked at his wife, and she nodded to signal her approval of what he just said. Ken nodded to signal his approval too. Mr. Sam stood and pointed at the door. Ken and his family walked out without saying a word.
Grace was shocked by this event; she could not say a word. She wondered how the person who prepared a dish would be such a big deal to Ken and his family, or if she ever meant anything to Ken. Tears rolled down her face. Mr. Sam walks into her room. "You know, since your mom died, it's been me and you fighting for each other. It's disrespectful for them to have rejected a dish we prepared out of love. You told me about how you and Ken were planning on opening a restaurant; was he going to run it alone or wasn't going to eat the meals prepared by you?" Grace looked at her father and couldn't say a word. All that he said was the same question running through her mind.
Grace's phone rang, and she was excited when she saw that it was Ken calling. She thought at least he would explain what happened earlier. Ken coughed and said, "Grace I don't think it is a wise decision for us to not continue with this relationship because I see us having a lot of conflicts. It's better to part ways now before it's too late." Grace replied, "Ken, it's better for you to tell me what the real problem is and not use a dish as an excuse. Well, I won't argue with you because I can see the future; it's better to end it here."
Mr. Sam held his daughter and said, "You are going to get past this stage; it is better to bear the pains now than walk into fire with your eyes open."
Grace was energized by the words of her father. And she said to her father, "Thank you, dad."
Dish ends relationships 😂, a lot of relationships would have ended since.
Sam and grace had connections but it wasn’t true feelings that’s why it ended
Haha, funny but we have to consider the time and effort put into preparing the meal
Hi @kinganny
In your story it seems that customs and tradition outweigh love but it is possible that the relationship was not strong enough to continue in spite of this.
The father's advice was wise
Good message
Thank you for your comment, yes in some communities they don't joke with their customs and traditions
Hi @kinganny, it seemed strange to me that the relationship was broken by such situations, however, I think it is part of the culture and the cultural vision of each people.
Mr. David should have been more subtle because his attitude was seen as an insult and Sam's position, in the call at the end, showed that there was no real love or interest in him, so the wisest thing was to end that relationship.
Interesting, to see that cultural insight.
Thanks for sharing.
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In most African cultures rejecting your would be in-laws meal is seen as a sign of disrespect
Hi, thanks a lot for sharing, it's good to learn about other cultures.