Many people might argue that taking revenge is bad. Let go and forgive. But sometimes revenge is a way of making a statement to your offender, especially if the person keeps hurting you without remorse or change.
I remembered a friend of mine who was also my neighbor. We became close and she often visits me. I visit her too, though not as often as she does.
Whenever she comes around my place, I'm hospitable towards her. When I'm eating, she immediately demands hers even if I already had the intention of giving her some food. Drinks are immediately divided into half. She would go into the kitchen to take a cup and measure it, making sure mine is not more than hers.
Sometimes, I will tell her, jokingly, that she isn't supposed to be sharing my meals equally since she must have eaten at her place before coming but she would brush it off, telling me she loves eating. Well, same here. I love eating too but that doesn't mean I should be selfish.
Her family is averagely okay, same as mine. So I knew food wasn't a problem for them.
This went on for a while and I just got used to it. Though the same isn't applicable to her. I mean when I visit her, I do eat at her place as well but I noticed she doesn't allow me to be free at her place like she does at my place. I might want to take a biscuit and she would slap my hand away, insisting on giving me herself.
I once complained to her about what she was doing. I mean if she's free to eat my food however she likes, she should extend me the same courtesy but she never heeded me.
I figured it's crazy arguing about food plus I don't have strength to fight so I didn't allow it to bother me until one day, she did something that really hurt me.
It was her elder sister's introduction. It wasn't a large ceremony. As custom demands, the intended bride’s family hosts the intended groom's family. So there's mostly cooking involved, no matter how small it is.
As neighbours, I also went over to assist them, washing pots used to prepare the meals. Her mum made jollof rice and chicken, semovita and vegetable soup for the guests.
The ceremony was a short one and after both families had been introduced, we proceeded with serving.
Before serving her mum had already dished my own food and I kept it in my friend's room because I want to take it home, to have time to devour the food.
After the guests were done eating, they left and we rounded up the plates. As I took it to their backyard to assist with washing, I saw her talking to three young people. A guy and two girls, I figured they must be her classmates from school. Then I saw her go inside to bring out some food in a take-away pack. She put them in a big polythene bag, they thanked her and left.
After I was done washing, I went into her room to get my food and couldn't find it. I was surprised and asked if she moved it. That was when she started scratching her head, telling me she had given out my food.
She gave a nonsense explanation that she only expected the two girls and had packed two plates of rice for them. She didn't know they told another classmate, which was the guy and since there's no more food available she had to give out mine. When I asked why she didn't even inform me, she only said that she knew I would understand.
To say I was angry was an understatement because I was looking forward to devouring that semovita and vegetable soup. Her mom even added extra meat for me to thank me for my hard work. Now I was left with no food. I was tired and hungry. I just left her place, ignoring her calls.
That incident made me realize she never cared about my feelings and would just do anything to please others at my own detriment. What she did to me was very painful and I sought to take my revenge.
After about a month, she came visiting as usual hoping her wrong acts were water under the bridge but my attitude to her changed. I stopped allowing her to stretch her hands into my food anyhow she likes. She thought that was all but I intended to take it farther. I will eat her pain like a five-star meal.
The kick was when our parents sent us on an errand and I saw one of my distant cousins coming out of an eatery. I greeted him and she did the same and I jokingly asked him what he got for me. He handed me a nylon containing two meat pies and told me to manage it.
My friend thought I would hand one over to her but I slowly ate the two as we walked home. I could see her frowning her face but it didn't even bother me. I ate the pies with so much relish. Revenge is a dish best served cold.