The Chef, the Architect, and the College Student THERE ARE THREE OF THEM.
by M.D. Olaoye
purpose...better off this way.” He can
A chef, an architect, and a college
hear them, but he isn’t listening because
student. They take their normal seats in
he knows this argument will get them
the room: the chef in the middle, the
nowhere.
architect on his right, and the college student on his left. They sit and stare
He holds up one hand to each of them,
ahead, none of them saying a word.
palm out, and immediately the dispute
Minutes pass and still no one speaks. The
ceases.
room is empty except for the three of them, and the white walls are bare
“What if we just don’t do it at all?” the
except for the big clock at the highest
architect asks, and with that both the
point of the room.
chef and the college student stand up, flabbergasted. “Just hear me out. What if
The chef is the first to break the silence:
we just don’t do anything? Don’t you
“I vote for the little girl.” He says nothing
know how the public will react once they
after that. He is met with the confused
discover what we're doing? These things
eyes of the student.
need to be planned out!” The chef and the student both sit down and consider
“No, it can’t be her because she’s just
this new factor. Again the room is silent.
that: a little girl,” the student counters.
The three of them think for a long time.
They bicker back and forth, the chef standing firmly by his decision while the
The chef is the first to break the silence:
student tries to convince him otherwise.
“I say we don’t do anything. The public
Meanwhile, the architect sits in the
can’t criticize something that doesn’t
middle and says nothing, continuing to
exist.” And at that the student speaks,
stare into the emptiness in front of him.
“No, I choose the girl.” And again, the
In each ear, he can hear bits and pieces
quarrel starts. The architect sits in silence,
of each case. On the left:
but this time he listens carefully to each
“young...innocent...much to explore”
side. He raises his hand once more and
and on the right: “useless...no
says, “No, I change my mind. Let’s carry
Fiction 7
