Ding dong! Ding dong! The bells rang! Everyone happily gathered at the family house up the hilltop.
“It’s been a stretchy year for me”, said Koffi. “Oh I think, I really want the year to end, like for real, am already in 2023. I love the Christmas season, it just truly reminds me of the joys, laughter, food, and good- conversations we all get to have at the table, as one big happy family”…. “Hello!! it’s dinner time”, mummy inserted happily as she strode towards the table.
Everyone rushed to the long- oval table, well-dressed with the finest of foods on the surface. Dad trolled in last and sat at the tail end of the table. He led the prayers and the eating began. Anne was sited at the edge and was a bit anxious. Mom noticed it, and called her “Anne, are you okay? “, “I am fine, mom the food really tastes yummy”.
Anne is the last born of the family and also the only one yet to get married. She had promised Dad and Mom that she was going to bring her prince charming home during Christmas. So, she had bought Kwesi home this evening, he was in the car outside.
Kwesi is a civil engineer in a multinational company in Lagos, Nigeria. He is also the founder of Yale firm. An education consulting firm. Anne met Kwesi two months ago, at a fashion show she anchored. She was overly attracted to the engaging and thought-provoking conversation he sparked up at the table.
Anne is a sapiophile to the core, she is that lady, who not once or twice had missed her bus stop because of an ongoing conversation. Oh mine! Anne! -Kwesi is painstakingly romantic, tall, and light-skinned but there was a BUT.
Finally, Anne went to Mom and whispered in her ears that her Fiance was outside. Oh! The excitement bubbled up quickly. Yes, you could also touch it in the air! Koffi her elder brother overheard and held a glass -cup up hitting the salad fork against it. “Attention family”, everyone looked up with rapt attention. “ We have someone special in on midst this evening” Everyone was still puzzled. Anne flung the wooden sliding door opened and she walked in with Kwesi the prince charming.
“Good afternoon sir & ma, I’m delighted to be here to join in this felicitation, and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!” , Kwese said cheerfully. “You are welcome!!”, everyone chorused, as he sat and joined them to eat and also discuss.
Then the BUT showed up. Mom began to feel uncomfortable at the worrisome sight every time she noticed it. It was when she was taking her favorite Christmas pepper soup. She spotted Kwesi with a tissue in his hand, wiping the excessive saliva at the side of his mouth. He was hyper-salivating, which is producing more saliva that slips out over the lip. Anne knew this BUT kept it a beautiful secret. She believes, love covers all! Love loves regardless!
You see every mouth has saliva. It’s one of the essential attributes of a living being. Saliva is a clear liquid produced by the salivary glands. Saliva is important for mouth health. It helps to keep the mouth moist and prepare food for digestion.
On average, a healthy person produces between 0.75 and 1.5 liters of saliva each day. Saliva production peaks when a person is eating and is at its lowest during sleep. At a point, Mom stood up and had to call Anne aside for a discussion. What is going on with Kwesi…. ? Anne was surprised! I mean, is he anxious or something?
To be continued…..
