Chasing Stars

Speak Six Eyes

Upon arrival, Laura headed for the kitchen. He can't rest. He started cooking again. A few hours later, fifteen dishes that began to feel cold were around. None of the fifteen plates could satisfy his tongue______let alone Antonio.

He sat on the kitchen floor and cried. Body's exhausted. He had no energy to cook anymore. When mom came home the next night, she saw her daughter was fast asleep in her room.

Mama rubbed Laura's forehead gently. She knew her daughter had been working non-stop the past week. His daughter covered him while turning off the room lights.

When Laura woke up again, it was already dark. He saw a wall clock in his room. At 22:00. "Oh no," he lamented in his heart. (i must have fallen asleep)

He rushed to the kitchen and started cooking again. No matter how hard he tried, the results were still not satisfactory.

"You're not sleeping?" Ask the mother who woke up hearing voices from the kitchen.

"Sorry,ma. Mama is awake. Tomorrow's the last day. If I haven't been able to cook anything Antonio can accept, I'm gonna lose my job." Laura started to take the spaghetti and put it in a hot pot.

Mama turned off the stove suddenly. "Rest. You won't make the food you want if you don't rest."

Laura protest. "But, ma. Tomorrow's the deadline."

Mama nodded. "Mama knows. You need to rest. What are you afraid of anyway? Are you afraid of losing your job? Is that the problem? You've saved up quite a lot over the past two years. Mama thinks you can start the college you want. Even if you get fired, there's plenty of other options you can make." "It's not so ma," said Laura sadly. "I'm not afraid of being fired." "Then what's the problem?" Ask the confused mom.

"If I fail tomorrow, I don't know if I can still learn to cook." Laura looked at her mother in despair. "I admire Antonio as a great pasta chef. If he says I'm not talented, how can I continue to study in this field?"

"Laura, cooking should be fun for you" continued the wise mama. "Mama remembers the first time you cooked for Mama. Now, mama doesn't see the look on your happy face again every time you cook. You've made fun things a workload. I want to see the smile of my daughter cooking. Now rest. Let's wake up tomorrow with a fresh body. And who knows, you could get a good idea for your cooking."

My mother's words were deeply in Laura's heart. Mama was right. Laura had already forgotten how pleasant feelings she had gotten while cooking. Laura cleaned the kitchen, then went to her bedroom.

At her bedroom table, Laura opened Niko's handwriting once again. DON'T SURRENDER. Laura smile. (I'm not giving up).

When her head touched the pillow, Laura fell asleep.

Seventh day

Laura woke up with a light heart. The clock is 07:30. Laura doesn't try cooking anymore. He even does his homework. Washing clothes, drying, cleaning the living room, and mopping the floor. At exactly ten, he left for his workplace. As usual, the restaurant is empty. He looked at his workplace for two years while taking a deep breath.

Then, his feet stepped into the kitchen, where all the food was made. He smiled, then started cooking. During cooking he smiled happily. He did not care that the food he cooked would be the last dish in this restaurant.  He doesn't care today he'll lose his job. He is currently concentrating on his cooking. Mama's right. I haven't been happy while cooking for a long time. Today he felt it again.

Today Laura does not cook for Antonio. He cooked for himself. Half an hour later, his homemade spaghetti was already on the plate and was about to be tasted by his boss.

"It looks good" said Maya from behind Laura.

Laura smiled at Maya. "Thank you, ma'am, I'd like to thank you for all the help he's had over the years."

"You said it like you wanted to say goodbye." Maya looked at Laura fixedly. While working for him, Laura was one of his favorite men. And Maya feels sad to lose Laura.

"I don't know if I can still survive in this restaurant, but I want to know that I appreciate all the help mbak mbak so far." Laura takes the remaining spaghetti from her pancake and prepares a new serving for Maya. "Try, maybe this is my last meal at this restaurant."

Maya takes the plate that Laura is offering and tastes the food. Laura's spaghetti taste made her dumbfounded. "Your spaghetti is really delicious."

Laura smile. He hopes Antonio feels the same way as Maya.

All the waiters and cooks gathered in the kitchen. Laura's spaghetti plate is in the middle of the table. Antonio took the plate and finally tasted Laura's cooking.

Laura did not expect her heart to not strain when she saw her boss tasting her cooking. Though this is the most decisive moment for him, whether he will stop or survive.

After tasting Laura's cooking, Antonio looked at Laura with a sharp gaze. His hand shifted Laura's plate.

Laura understands. It has failed. But this time he did not want Antonio to throw his homemade cooking in the trash. He wants to do it himself. Laura walked over to Antonio.

But Antonio's hand held him. "Don't throw. I haven't eaten it till it's over."

Laura was stunned to hear it. Just this time Antonio wants to spend his cooking. Laura saw Antonio finish the rest of his meal.

Antonio looked at Laura again. "Your cooking technique still sucks. But you've made a different cuisine than before. This time it feels good." Laura smiled happily.

"But, you also have to remember, good taste is not enough" said Antonio firmly.

"I see, does this mean you won't fire me?" hope Laura is worried.

"Not today." Antonio gave his tablespoon to Laura. "You can start your work in the kitchen today."

Laura takes the spoon Antonio thrusts at her and for the first time grabs her boss' hand. "Thank you, I'm sure you won't regret giving me this opportunity."

"You can start with dolce (*sweet*Italian dessert), Antonio said.

"Dolce?" Laura's confused. "Aren't I supposed to cook pasta?"

"Don't be greedy, Laura," said Antonio sternly. "you start from dolce. I gave you three months of experimentation. I'm not sure you can last more than three months." Antonio snorted slowly.

"I'll try hard. Thank you" said Laura happily.

 

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Laura stared at her eight tiramisu dishes. Each is made with a different material. For almost three months, he tried to make a wide variety of Italian desserts. He started with chocolate biscotti (bread-shaped toast cake), zeppole (a kind of Italian doughnut that can be coated in sugar or honey), and now tiramisu.

He had a bit of trouble making tiramisu, as he had to dip a sponge cake into espreso coffee. Inhaling the thick aroma of coffee has made his stomach revolve. But to get the best results, Laura tried to cover her nose during the process and survive for hours in the aroma of coffee.

After a day in the fridge, the beans are ready and ready to eat. He did not dare to try for fear of his stomach nausea with the aroma of coffee from inside the cake. He makes eight types of tiramisu and hopes you want to try them one by one.

"So how, ma?" laura asked the mother who had felt the tiramisu one by one from the eight plates of Laura.

"The taste of tiramisu number five has the most delicious taste."

Laura took a spoon and sliced a small piece of tiramisu number five, then tasted it. "I agree with your taste. Tomorrow I'll try to make this tiramisu for the dessert menu at the restaurant."

Two days later, on the whiteboard in front of the restaurant was written a special dessert menu. Tiramisu #5. And on that day, many restaurant visitors who try tiramisu made by Laura.

At the same time, Laura was called in front of Antonio. "you can start cooking pasta tomorrow."

"thank you. I will try hard to cook the food that customers like" Laura said with a warm smile.

Antonio laughed short. "Don't be sure yet. As usual, three months' worth of experiment." Laura nodded in understanding.

 

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After the three-month probation was over, Antonio told Laura he would give the probation three more months. And it went on continuously for up to two years. Antonio never praised her once during those two years, but Laura knew Antonio loved her cooking.

At the end of Laura's two-year tenure as a chef, Antonio approaches her. "You can try as my assistant from tomorrow."

At that time Laura knew she had succeeded in convincing Antonio of her cooking skills.