Stella strolled into the grocery store, one hand clutching the cell phone glued to her left ear, while the other hand fiddled with the contents of her handbag.

Where was the list?

Rummaging among receipts of past purchases and other pieces of paper, she finally emerged triumphant.  In her right hand, she held the prize: a short, handwritten list of items she absolutely had to buy that evening.

Not that she couldn’t remember three basic items without a list.  Far from it.  But for whatever reason, writing it down, just the process alone, all that fuss made the goal a little more special: a home-cooked meal of plantain pottage with bits of nchuawun* added to give it a little something extra.

In place of nchuawun, or ahimu as some people called it, which was clearly unavailable in this small town, she would have to make do with basil.  This pottage recipe was one a friend had sent her earlier in the week, after Stella had casually mentioned that April was her “month of plantain.”

“What do you mean?” Etunu had asked in disbelief.  “Other people are declaring that April is their month of supernatural abundance, but na plantain you dey face. Why?”

Stella chuckled and her reply was: read more…