The Cookie That Knew Too Much
I had never believed in fortune cookies. To me, they were just sweet snacks with empty promises 😂 something oyibo people made to feel special after eating their delicious Chinese delicacies. The sweet taste of the snacks often make me forget the "fortune" in it's name. Omooo I like food oo 🤭
[Image source] (https://pixabay.com/photos/cookies-hearts-treat-sweet-dessert-6012078/)
Nevertheless, everything changed the day I walked into Dragon Garden, a small restaurant in Surulere, Lagos. My childhood friend Tolu and I planned to meet there for lunch after some months of not seeing each other and she said this place had the best fried rice in town. I reached there before her so I took a seat by the window. The waiter came smiling broadly and handed the menu over to me. However, I told the waiter I was waiting for my friend and we will place our order when she arrives, he then asked me:
"Any drink while you wait, madam?" he asked.
"Just water, please" I replied.
[Image source] (https://pixabay.com/photos/christmas-background-table-setting-791110/)
As I looked around, I saw a small blue bowl on every table, each filled with wrapped fortune cookies. It was strange because I had been to many Chinese restaurants in Lagos and none of them had these. Then I took one out of curiosity and cracked it open.
The message inside read:
"Your friend carries a secret that can break you. Today, the truth will come."
I laughed. “What nonsense is this?” I said out loud and ate the cookies.
Just then, Tolu walked in. She was smiling broadly wearing her favourite red jumpsuit. We hugged tightly, exchanged pleasantries, ordered food and gist began to flow. We talked about work, our old classmates, and how the Nigeria system keeps getting harder. While she talked, I kept looking at her face and something felt different to me, her eyes didn’t stay on mine for long and her laugh sounded a little forced. I remembered the cookie’s message and suddenly I couldn't shake it off. After we finished eating, I asked her something that had been in my heart for weeks.
“Tolu please, be honest with me. Did you ever like Emeka?”
She paused, the pause was too long.
Femi was my boyfriend, he's a perfect description of what I call "my spec", he's so handsome with cute lips and he's also romantic but few months earlier we have been having issues and I always felt there was something he wasn’t telling me so last month, I got tired and broke up with him.
Tolu looked down at her plate, then sighed.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” she said softly but in a sad tone.
My heart stopped.
“What didn’t you mean to happen?”
She swallowed hard and said “It was just once, that day you traveled to Abeokuta for your grandpa's burial. He came over to borrow my projector, and one thing led to another.....”
I felt like someone had poured hot pepper soup on my head
“You slept with Femi?” I asked, my voice was already shaking.
She nodded slowly “It was a mistake I hated myself afterward, I wanted to tell you but I didn’t know how to”
I stood up not caring that people in the restaurant were now staring.
“You were my best friend!” I shouted. “How could you?”
“I’m sorry" she whispered, her eyes wet with tears. “I don't mean to hurt you.”
I couldn’t even speak again so I grabbed my bag and walked out. My chest felt tight like something was pressing on it. Outside the restaurant, the Lagos sun was shining but it felt like darkness was covering me.
Later that night I sat alone in my room thinking about what happened then I remembered the fortune cookie again. "How did it know? Was it just a lucky guess? Or was something bigger at work?....." I wondered.
The next day, I went back to Dragon Garden looking for answers.
“Excuse me,” I said to the waiter who had served us earlier yesterday. “Where do you get these fortune cookies from?”
He smiled again. “Our boss writes the messages herself. She says sometimes the spirits guide her.”
I frowned. “Where is your boss?”
“She doesn’t come out much. But if the cookie spoke to you, Madam maybe it was meant to.”
I left confused but also… curious.
Over the next few weeks, I visited Dragon Garden again and again. I would eat, crack open a cookie and wait. The messages always came true, some funny while some scary.
One read: “Be careful with your new job offer.” Two days later, I got a call for an interview, but later found out the company had a history of scamming employees.
Another read: “You will meet someone who changes your path”. That same week, I met Fola, he's a quiet man who ran a small art studio. We became close and for the first time since Femi's case, I felt peace.
Now, I no longer doubt fortune cookies especially the ones from Dragon Garden.
I don’t know if it’s magic, coincidence, or something else but I’ve learned to listen because sometimes, the truth comes wrapped in paper looking sweet, small, and waiting to change your life.