Before adulthood taught you that lunch is optional, there was the primary school food flask. It was a round, multi-layered stainless steel container. The bottom held rice. The middle held stew. The top held meat or fish. It was wrapped in a cloth bag and carried with pride. The lunchtime ritual was social. You opened your flask at the same time as your friends. You compared meals. You traded items. "I'll give you my meat for your plantain." The mother who packed the best food was the MVP. The child with only garri was pitied. And the flask itself was a status symbol. The plain steel one was basic. The one with colored plastic lids was premium. The one with three tiers instead of two? Wealth. What did your mother pack in your food flask? And did you ever trade your lunch or steal from someone else's?
