Inside, there were no chandeliers, no marble floors, no forced politeness. Just wooden tables, a small television in the corner, the smell of good food, and people eating like they had earned the right to rest.
Then he saw her.
Ada.
She came toward him with a notepad in her hand, wearing a simple uniform. Her hair was pulled back, her face free of heavy makeup, but her eyes were warm in a way that felt unfamiliar to him.
“Table for one?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
She led him to a table by the window and handed him a menu.
“Take your time.”
Then she walked away.
No lingering. No attempt to impress him. No special treatment.
Okafor watched as she moved between tables with quiet efficiency. She laughed softly at something an old customer said. She refilled water without being asked. She carried tiredness with grace.
When she returned, he still had not opened the menu.
“Ready to order?”
“What do you recommend?”
She tilted her head slightly. “That depends. Are you hungry or just tired?”
The question caught him off guard.
“Is there a difference?”
“Yes.”
He thought about it.
“Tired,” he admitted.
“Then you need something comforting.”
She wrote something down and walked away.
The food arrived soon after. It was simple, warm, and honest. The first bite made him realize how hungry he really was.
“This is good,” he said.
“I know,” Ada replied, smiling faintly before moving to another table.
For the first time in a long while, Okafor sat somewhere without being watched as an heir, a businessman, or a symbol. He was just a man eating dinner.
When it was time to pay, he reached for his wallet.
His pocket was empty.
He searched his jacket. Nothing.
He had left it at home.
For the first time in years, Okafor had no way to pay for something.
He went to the counter where Ada stood.
“I made a mistake,” he said quietly. “I don’t have my wallet.”
The manager glanced over with suspicion.
