"Troublemakers, where are you both going again? It's late already," Lucas called out, spotting them as they stepped outside.
"We're going out to eat," Hina replied casually.
"To eat what, at this time? Girls, it's 9:30 pm already!" Lucas said, frowning slightly. Then he brightened. "Anyways, I'm hungry too. Let's go together, and I'll head home from there." He walked inside to drop his radio, locking the door behind him.
---
"Why didn't you both eat at home?" Lucas asked as they strolled down the dimly lit street.
"I received my salary—and in double!—so I wanted to treat my baby, Hina," Zari said, draping her hands over Hina's neck. Hina responded by placing her own hands around Zari's waist, a quiet, intimate gesture as they walked side by side.
"Ah, that's great! Congratulations! And you're treating me too, huh? Anyways, thank God I came out with you girls—at least I get free food," he added, earning giggles from both.
Soon, they arrived at a small but charming diner. From the outside, it looked modest, but its cozy elegance shone through. A simple sign above the door read Mamacita Diner.
They stepped inside, but it was already packed, forcing them to sit outside. Cats wandered around, occasionally snatching morsels dropped by customers, while some were fed intentionally by kind patrons.
"So, you both come here regularly?" Lucas asked, scanning the scene.
"Yes," Hina replied.
"Wow, it's my first time here," he said, eyes wide.
"Really? You're missing out, fr," Zari teased.
"You girls will have to order for me. I don't know what's good here," Lucas admitted, picking up a menu. His eyes widened as he scanned the prices. "Oh, they have foreign foods too… wow. A bowl of soup for 80 dollars? This is crazy! I cook soup better than that. Honestly, I'll need to open my own restaurant," he said, laughing.
Both girls laughed along with him.
"No, seriously, anytime you're free, tell me. I'll take you home, skip the first market so we can buy so many things, and then I'll make it for you," he added earnestly.
"That sounds like a fun idea, Lucas," Hina said, and Zari nodded in agreement..
"So, what are you girls ordering?" Lucas asked, leaning back slightly as he glanced at them with a curious smile.
"Hmmm… we're ordering noodles, chicken wings, some biryani, and jollof rice," Hina said thoughtfully. "I've always wanted to taste jollof. I used to hear about it from my classmates—they said it tastes amazing—but it always slipped my mind."
"Lucas, can you check the menu for biryani, jollof, and tteokbokki—that Korean dish?" Hina added, peering at him eagerly.
"Yeah… it's here," Lucas said, scanning the page, his eyebrows shooting up. "But… what? 90 dollars?! Oh my God!"
"Let me see," Zari said, snatching the menu from his hands, her eyes quickly darting over the selections.
"It really does cost that much, but I'm still buying whatever you guys want," Zari said confidently, passing the menu to Hina with a grin..
The waiter approached their table with a polite smile, notebook in hand. Before he could even speak, Zari leaned forward, tapping her manicured finger down the menu.
"We need this… this… this… this… and this," she said, ticking items with rapid precision.
"So, guys, is everything I picked fine with you?" she asked, sliding the menu to the center of the table. They all bent slightly, scanning the list.
"Yeah," Lucas nodded, "but make sure the noodles are Chinese traditional noodles. I really like those ones."
"And add a bottle of wine," Hina added casually.
"Wine?" Lucas raised a brow. "You know Its not good to get drunk in this diner, and me I don't want to get drunk here. Unless you both want to carry it home."
Hina sighed. "True. Let's just get soft drinks then. How much are they?" She narrowed her eyes at the section on the menu as if it might bite her.
"Which one are you picking?" Zari asked her.
"I'm going with Sprite."
"Me? A bottle of water is fine. I don't like sugar," Lucas said, leaning back in his chair.
"I think I want Chi Exotic," Zari added, tapping her choice confidently.
The waiter scribbled down their final selections, gave a small nod, and walked away to place the order.
***
A few minutes later, the waitress returned, balancing trays with practiced ease. She set the plates down one by one until the entire table was filled with steaming dishes, rich colors, and mouthwatering smells.
"Yay!" Hina clapped softly, practically bouncing in her seat.
Lucas chuckled at her excitement as they all settled in and picked up their cutlery.
"Gosh—taste this," Hina said suddenly. She scooped a spoonful of jollof mixed with biryani and held it to Zari's lips.
Zari leaned forward, took the bite, and her eyes widened. "Mm. This is good. Lucas, you really need to try this."
Her attention shifted, landing on the golden slices on Hina's plate. "Wait—what's this? Is that fried banana?" she asked, eyeing it like it was a rare treasure.
"No," Hina laughed. "It's called plantain—the elder brother of banana. My Nigerian classmate always brings it to school and oh boy, it's delicious. Her mom is so good with their local dishes. I want to visit Nigeria someday just to taste everything—akara, kulikuli, oha soup, egusi soup, fisherman soup, keikeifia—"
She froze mid–food fantasy when she caught Zari munching on one of the fried plantains.
"Heyyy! Don't finish my fried plantain!" Hina swatted her hand playfully.
"Oops," Zari said, laughing. "The fried… banana." She grabbed another piece and dropped it on Lucas's plate. "Lucas, taste this. I swear I'm ordering more. This thing is too delicious."
Zari lifted her hand, signaling the waitress. The moment the woman approached, Zari pointed to the menu, calmly listing the extra items she wanted. The waitress nodded politely and hurried off to place the order.
"Lucas, here—take this," Hina said, scooping a generous mix of biryani and jollof and dropping it onto his plate, which was already piled high with noodles.
Lucas didn't complain. He simply took his fork and started eating, eyes lighting up with every bite.
Zari watched him for a moment, amused at how quickly he was devouring the food. "Wow… you really like it," she said under her breath before snapping her fingers for the waitress again.
"Excuse me—bring another plate of the same thing for him," she ordered with a smile. "He's obviously not sharing."