The village square of Ìfẹ́gbóná was buzzing with excitement as preparations for the grand festival took over the streets. Everywhere you looked, people were setting up food stalls, decorating the space, and rehearsing dances. But there was one person who stood out from the crowd: Ìyá Tolu, the most dramatic pepper soup seller in the village.
With her signature wild hair and apron stained with spice, she knew the entire village was talking about her famous pepper soup. “When they taste my soup, no one will talk about anything else!” she announced loudly, grinning.
Her neighbor Mama Bisi called out, "Ìyá Tolu, you sure you don’t need help with anything?"
“No, I’ve got it all covered!” Ìyá Tolu said with a wink, walking off confidently. "This festival will remember me, not anyone else!"
The crowd gave a small, nervous laugh, knowing full well that whenever Ìyá Tolu boasted like this, something usually went wrong.