Chasing Stars

Elephant's Belt

A few years later.

Laura is 18 years old.

Laura didn't know how much longer she could last. His feet were half dead. His hand carried a tray of used dinner plates that were of merciful weight. Soon his hands would catch up feeling what his feet were feeling. He's really exhausted.

Time shows at twelve o'clock. Laura rested her legs for a while in the kitchen chair. He saw that the other servants were busy cleaning tables and chairs. Seeing her comrades working hard, Laura stood back up and joined them.

As beautiful as she is to a new city, Laura's life doesn't go the way she wants. He never thought about how expensive the tuition fees that mom had to spend to finance it. Mama convinces Laura that she can go to college without having to think about financial matters. But Laura knew she couldn't do it. So he decided to find a job.

"But, what about your college?" ask mom disappointed.

Laura. "Until now I don't know what school to go to. Better to have the lecture postponed first, ma."

For the first time Laura and Mama did not agree.

"I know you want to help mom, but your job now is college" she protested.

Laura finally found a middle ground. "How about this. I'll be working for a year. During that time I will also save up to finance my college later."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" mama asked still 

Laura nodded. "I want to pay for my own college. I'm an adult now, Ma. I think I have a right to decide for myself what I want to do."

After hearing her daughter say so, mom finally relented. A few days later, on her way home from the supermarket, Laura passed by an Italian restaurant offering to work as a waiter. Without a second thought, Laura immediately took the offer and accepted it that day. There are two reasons why Laura decided to work at the restaurant. The first is because it is close to home. Only ten minutes walk. The second is because working in a restaurant means that every day he has to deal with food. Laura has loved it since High School.

But those two reasons, especially the second, made him rethink whether he had made the right choice. Especially when his back seemed to be broken, his legs tingled, and his hands were very sore. The first month of working at the restaurant, he could see that his boss was someone who quickly rose in blood. Every three months, there is always a new assistant chef, in the arena Antonio_____ his name is named restaurant_____ always have a reason to fire them. As a chef, Antonio is a genius who can make delicious Italian food. Laura admired that aspect, but not her temperament.

"You're fired!" his boss shouted suddenly from the restaurant kitchen.

Laura sighed back while wiping the table. His boss fired his assistant again. This time it wasn't even three months.

"He did it again, " complained maya, a senior waiter who has worked for almost five years, just as their restaurant age.

A middle-aged man came out of the kitchen in annoyance. He walked through the dining room, opened the exit, and waltzed away without a word. Laura felt a little sorry for the assistant. A former assistant, that is.

Shortly after, the kitchen door opened. An Italian, white-bearded, fifty-year-old man shouted. "Maya, find me a new assistant! I don't want an idiot like that. Understood?"

Maya could only swallow and nod. "OK, Antonio," he said in reply.

After Antonio came out of the restaurant, the servants breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know where else to look for an assistant chef" Maya complained near Laura.

Laura approached Maya. "Don't give up, ma'am. You must have found it."

Maya looked at Laura's face which excited her. Although Laura's a new employee. Maya had loved it since the beginning because Laura was a hardworking type who never gave up. "Congratulations, Laura. I hope so."

At half-time one night, the Antonio restaurant was closed.Laura paused in front of the restaurant. There's a whiteboard there.

 

Open.

Mon_Thurs: Lunch 11.30 - 14.30 Dinner, 18.00 - 24.00

Fri-Sun: Lunch 11.30 - 14.30 Dinner, 18.30 - 00.30

Laura nodded long. Eleven o'clock in the afternoon he will repeat everything he did earlier. Clean the table, clean the bench, serve customers, bring food, take dishes used food to wash, then repeat again from the beginning. The only thing that kept him from working at Antonio's restaurant was his chance to see how a great cook made raw food into fine dining. Like a work of art.

Laura put her hand in her jacket pocket. A small piece of paper was there, he took it out and opened it. DON'T SURRENDER. Niko's handwriting.

He knew, he should not keep the paper if he wanted to completely forget Niko, but somehow he did not want to throw the paper away. After reading it, Laura felt a new spirit envelop her. He placed the paper carefully in his wallet and walked home.

Arriving at home at about one in the morning, Laura sat on the sofa for a while, then took a bath and slept. His working hours at the restaurant made him rarely meet with mama in the afternoon. When mama came home, Laura was still at the restaurant, and when Laura came home, she was asleep. But Laura was still used to waking up early, so she still had time to meet her mother before leaving for the office.

The first weeks of working at Antonio's restaurant, Laura was not used to it. His eating and sleeping schedule changed. Laura had to eat before the restaurant opened, which was before lunchtime, while her dinner shifted to lunchtime. At first it all makes her languish, especially as a first year waitress Laura has to work every day. He only sleeps for five to six hours every day. But over time, he got used to it. His spare time before he goes to restaurants he utilizes to cook Italian food at home. Laura often noticed Antonio cooking in the kitchen, then practicing it at home. Sometimes other chefs help Laura by giving tips on cooking Italian food in between their breaks.

During her nearly four months working there, Laura learned a lot about the art of cooking Italian food. After saving enough, Laura decided to learn to become a pasta chef.

On the bed, Laura smiled with satisfaction at the thought of it.

 

***

In the morning, Laura met her mother in the dining room.

"Morning, mother," she said.

Mom kissed her daughter. "Morning, dear."

Laura took the rice and vegetables she had cooked.

"Mama's asem is the best," Laura said as she tasted it again.

Mama laughed. "Thank you, baby. "More than your restaurant's cooking?"

Laura smiled knotingly. "Yes, of course."

"Mama can't believe it" said Mama jokingly.

"That's right" said Laura. "Where are the vegetables in Italian restaurants?" Mama laughed a lot.

***************************************

There is a huge difference between a customer and a waiter. A customer looks at the menu and orders food, whereas a waiter must memorize the menu and record the order.

Every customer has their own nature. If you get a customer who is not fussy, the waiter is lucky. But if it gets the opposite, the servant must be able to hold back his emotions.

Today is not Laura's lucky day. The day started with a very chatty customer. It takes about ten minutes for the customer to finish ordering. Then when Laura brought her order, the customer was dissatisfied and shouted at Laura. "I told you not to be spicy, why are you still giving me spicy spaghetti?"

Laura just gulped. "Sorry, I'll replace the new one." He could not reply to scold because however the customer was king.

Laura goes into the kitchen to ask Antonio to make a new spaghetti. His boss glared in annoyance. "What's? Create new? Why can't you record the order correctly?"

"I've recorded it correctly" said Laura trying to explain. His feet stepped onto the order table and showed Antonio the writing of his order. The order is written not spicy.

"How could I possibly see such a small piece of writing?" yelled at Laura again.

Laura gulped. "I beg you, signor(lord) Antonio. Please make a new spaghetti. Which is not spicy." (And next time, I'll write with a large capital letter if there is a special order from the customer).

"This is your first warning, Laura" said Antonio in annoyance.

Laura can't fight. Because after all the boss is always right. He also realized something that day. A cranky customer and temperamental boss are a deadly combination.

"Patience, yes" said someone, touching his shoulder.

Laura turned and saw Maya smiling motherly. Maya is the only person who can make Laura calm down. Laura smiled as she nodded. But Laura's anger at Antonio ends when her boss serves a new dish on her tray. Antonio's spaghetti always fascinated him.

This fostered a new spirit in Laura's heart.

"I'm sorry, it's been a long wait" Laura told a nagging customer. "this is her new spaghetti." Laura presented the spaghetti carefully. "I hope you enjoy it".

The customer tasted first.

"Does the spaghetti suit your taste?" Ask Laura to make sure.

The customer nodded. "Yes. Thank you." Thank you."

"Good fun" Laura said with a smile. "If there are still some who are not satisfied, you can call me again."

During her time as a waitress, Laura learned to hold back emotions and be friendly in all situations. Sometimes it's not easy. But luckily Laura tried to think positively on even the worst of conditions.

The next day, Laura sees the same person she served yesterday in a cooking magazine. Laura was surprised. It turns out that this person is a food critic. In the magazine, the man explained that he ate the most delicious Italian food he had ever tasted. He can't wait to try it again and recommends Antonio's spaghetti to other food lovers. At the end of his article, he thanked a servant who had served him patiently.

Laura's eyes glazed over as she knew the customer had thanked her. Laura was proud of her work. He never knew who he would serve tomorrow.