I Cooked It Myself: A Labour of Love: Sunday 21st September, 2025.

Last week was a memorable one, especially for the women of The Salvation Army Corps, Uyo Central Corps, Akwa Ibom Central Division. Which the church headquarters is located at Udotong Ubo Street.

From Thursday, 18th to Sunday, 21st, they gathered for a women's rally, and my wife was fully involved. She spent the days camping on the church premises with other women, and I knew she'd be returning home exhausted but happy on Sunday evening.

I decided to surprise her with a special welcome-home gift, a delicious pot of our favourite Afang soup, cooked entirely by me.

I embarked on this cooking adventure with full preparation, determined to make it a memorable experience for my wife. The journey began as I went to the market, where I carefully selected the freshest ingredients. I must admit, I did get some help with slicing the Afang leaves. I paid a kind woman at the market to do the honours.

However, that was the only assistance I received. I took charge of preparing the ingredients, washing and chopping the water leaves, and cooking the soup to perfection.

As I added the ingredients, one by one, the aroma started coming out from the pot. It was incredible. I couldn't wait for my wife to come back and taste the fruits of my labour. To complete the experience, I even made a batch of garri to accompany the soup.

When my wife finally came back on that Sunday evening, I have her a warm welcome, knowing that I had already prepared for her return. She was greeted by the savory scent of Afang soup and the sight of a lovingly set table.

With the aroma, she was aware of my food preparation. Her eyes lit up as she dropped her bag, took her refreshing bath. She walked to the dining table where I served her food and started eating. "It's delicious!" she exclaimed. "You cooked it all by yourself?" I beamed with pride, happy to have been able to surprise her with a meal that brought her so much happiness.

It was a small act of love, but one that spoke volumes about the effort and care I put into making her feel special. As we sat together, enjoying our meal and each other's company, I knew that this was a moment we will cherish for a long time. And I was grateful to have been able to say, with pride, "I cooked it myself."

Thank you for going through my post, do have a great time ahead.