Chasing Stars

Counting Days

Heavy rain covered the road. At half-five in the afternoon, Laura walked out of her house to work. Arriving at Antonio's restaurant, he took off his raincoat and folded his umbrella slowly. The restaurant is still empty. The other servants usually only come at half-six. Half an hour before the restaurant opens.

Laura looked at the restaurant that had been her second home for almost two years. He didn't expect to work that long. He wanted to continue his studies, but he felt there was still a lot to learn at Antonio's restaurant, so he decided to postpone his studies for another year.

Laura began her work by cleaning the dining tables. He likes quiet moments like this. When he finished, he switched to cleaning the kitchen table. His hands touched the kitchen slowly. I don't know when he could stand there and use those tools.

Shortly afterwards, the sound of the front door opened. Several servants including Maya entered in a hurry. They try to avoid the rain.

"Don't forget," Maya reminded before they all started work. "Today at half-seven there are thirty people who will celebrate the birthday of our regular customers. I want everything to go well."

"Ready, ma'am," said servants including Laura.

When the time shows at 18:00 and Antonio is still not coming, Laura sees Maya feeling worried. Maya immediately calls Antonio and gets information that his boss is hit by traffic jams and does not know when he can arrive at the restaurant.

Hearing her boss's explanation, Maya starts to panic. He got a call five minutes earlier that their guest was coming in half an hour. The event opened with a candle blow and cake cut, followed by a menu of spaghetti bolognise made by Antonio. Antonio should have set up his spaghetti at this hour. If you wait until the guest arrives, it will be too late.

Maya stared at the other three chefs who were in the kitchen. "You can replace Antonio cooking his spaghetti?"

The three chefs looked at and shook their heads. Antonio has never entrusted the cooking of his special spaghetti to his chefs. And since her last assistant was fired last week, Maya has no way out.

"What am I supposed to do?" ask the servants. "Antonio asked to wait. But without certainty. You, chefs, no one can cook Antonio's spaghetti. I can't cancel his birthday party. Our restaurant will definitely be affected."

Maya asks the chefs again, "why don't you guys try first to make it?"

The three chefs looked at Maya as if she had lost her mind.

"I can't do it" said one chef. "Do you know how the boss's nature concerns his homemade food? no one dared to make his food. Anyway, we don't want to risk getting fired."

"So, you mean I have to cancel the whole order?" maya said annoyed.

The chefs nodded. Followed by other servants. Maya looks desperate.

"Don't cancel," said Laura suddenly. "if the chefs don't want to cook it, I'll cook it."

Everyone looked at Laura in disbelief, including Maya.

"You can cook bolognese spaghetti like Antonio's?" ask Maya to be confused.

Laura nodded. "I tried it a few times at home. The result is no different from the signor Antonio."

The other servants were astonished at the confidence Laura expressed.

"How about now I cook one serving," suggested Laura, "then Maya can try it first. If my cooking is the same as the signor's, then I can cook the same for the next thirty people. But if it feels different. Ma'am can decide to cancel the party."

"You sure you can do it?" ask Maya again.

Laura nodded. "I'm sure."

"Then" said Maya optimistically, "please use the kitchen."

Laura smiled and rushed towards the kitchen, then started filling the pot with water and cooking it. He has done this dozens of times in the kitchen of his house. This was the first time he had done it in a restaurant kitchen. The steps Antonio took to make the bolognese spaghetti were already imprinted in his memory.

While tasting Laura's cooking, Maya looks at Laura happily. "You've done it. You can mimic exactly Antonio's cooking. It tastes so good."

"Thank you" said Laura happily.

"You can make thirty more?" challenge Maya.

Laura nodded.

Shortly after, the guests arrived. Laura was ready with her spaghetti and just divided it into thirty dishes and added the spice.

Antonio arrived at the restaurant at 19:30. The guests finished eating their food. He went straight to the kitchen to ask for an explanation.

"Who's cooking the bolignese spaghetti in front?" he shouted without further ado while looking at the chefs.

The three chefs who were stared at lowered their faces to avoid Antonio's anger.

"I cooked it," said Laura honestly from behind the chefs.

Antonio turned around in disbelief. "You? You dare to cook my food?"

Laura tried to explain. "sorry. But if I don't cook it, the birthday party ahead can be off."

Antonio frowned in annoyance. "Let it be canceled. No one can cook bolognese spaghetti but me. That's a special chef's menu."

Laura remained silent. He didn't expect Antonio to be this angry.

"You," pointed Antonio at Laura, "don't go home tonight." Laura nodded slowly.

All night Laura's heart was agitated. He was afraid that Antonio would fire him. As midnight falls and the restaurant closes, Antonio steps into the dining room and asks Laura to follow him. They arrived in front of the restaurant.

"Can you read the name of the restaurant listed above?" pinta Antonio hard.

Laura answered nervously, "....Antonio."

Antonio nodded. "really. Is your name there?" Laura shakes.

"I don't like my cooking cooked by other people" he explained. "Also you don't have any cooking experience. What would happen if the people found out that the food was cooked by the waiter?"

Laura was sad. "Sorry."

"Tell me," said Antonio again, "when was the last time you cooked spaghetti for that many people?"

Laura gulped. "When the school bazaar first."

Antonio smiled cynically. "Bazar school? You liken my restaurant to a school bazaar?"

"No, it's not like that." Laura tried to explain.

"I'm really sorry. I won't do it again."

Antonio looked at Laura cruelly. "Of course you won't do it again. Cleanse your things. I don't want to see you again."

Laura was stunned for a moment to hear her boss's words. His feet were trembling, his hands were limp. The worst shadow of his mind had already come true. He lost his job.

Maya, who had seen them without comment, suddenly told Antonio.

"It's not Laura's fault. I told him to make that spaghetti. Please forgive Laura."

"Don't get mad at me" said Laura slowly, "i volunteered to cook it."

Antonio looked at Laura again. "So my decision to fire you was right."

Laura remained silent. He saw Maya's teary eyes holding back tears. Then he saw the front door of the restaurant he had gone through hundreds of times. His heart did not want to leave all that.

Just as Antonio was about to step inside, Laura suddenly spoke again. "Wait," he said, gathering his courage, "give me a week."

Antonio turned around and his forehead frowned in astonishment. "What's? One week?"

Laura's heart was racing. He did not know when his courage would last. So he should take advantage of this moment to be frank with Antonio.

"If in one week I can't cook food that suits your taste, you can fire me. But if in that one week I can do it, I want you to pull back my self-discharge."

Antonio looked at the girl in front of him with a hint of shock. He did not expect anyone to dare challenge him (interesting as well), he thought.

"Alright," he said with a brief smile. "one week. I'll give you one week. Not more. You lost Laura. I'm sure I'll see you out this door in a week."

Laura's eyes challenged him. "Not if I win."

"We'll see." Antonio replied.

 

First day

Laura cooks lasagna.

Antonio looked one eye. Tasting it a glance then dumping Laura's homemade cooking into the trash right in front of Laura's eyes.

 

Second day

Laura makes fettucini.

Antonio just smelled his fate the same as Laura's cooking the day before.

 

Third day

Laura makes cheese ravioli.

Antonio took one of Laura's ravioli without interest and chewed on it. He spent one ravioli without spitting it out. Laura's expectations were slightly up by then. But then ran aground when Antonio told one of his cooks to throw his homemade ravioli into the trash.

"Sorry," said Antonio smilingly. "I can't even throw away your own food because my stomach feels nauseous after trying your homemade ravioli."

Laura began to think that whatever food she cooked would not be accepted by Antonio. But there's still four days left. He wanted to prove that he could still do it.

 

Fourth day

Laura makes spaghetti.

Antonio just looked at her as he said, "don't you give up too?"

"No." Laura shakes. "I'm not giving up."

"You're almost out of time" he warned.

"You haven't tasted my food yet" Laura said as she thrust her plate of spaghetti at Antonio.

Antonio shakes. "I don't have to feel it. I already know your homemade spaghetti isn't worth eating. Admit it, you don't have the talent to be a chef."

 

Fifth day

Laura makes pizza.

Antonio quipped Laura. "Where did you learn to make pizza? What is from the book on how to make pizza for fools? you have no talent at all."

Slowly Antonio picked up Laura's pizza and threw it in the trash, without tasting it.

 

Sixth day.

By the sixth day, Laura was already tired, both physically and mentally. Rejection for the rejection of Antonio has broken his spirit. On the sixth day, Laura made the bolognese spaghetti she had made six days earlier. 

Antonio frowned when the spaghetti was in front of him. He took a fork and tasted it. When he put his fork back down, he looked at Laura with dislike. Not long after, the fate of the spaghetti bolognesnya already in the trash.

"Why?" laura Protest. "I made it exactly the same as yours. It even feels the same."

"Right," said Antonio unequivocally. "You made it exactly the same as I did. Can you just be a copycat? You don't have creativity. As I said before over and over again, you have no talent. You better give up tomorrow and get your stuff done."

Hearing that, Laura felt disappointed in herself. Although Antonio had treated him cruelly, the man's words did have a point. When Laura serves a customer, she can't concentrate until she accidentally drops the food she's carrying in front of a customer.

Fortunately, Maya quickly overcame it. He apologized immediately, along with Laura, and gave free food to the customer.

Looking at all that from the kitchen window, Antonio just snorted. As Laura took her next order from the kitchen, Antonio said again, "How can you possibly be a great chef, if you can't do your current job properly?"

Laura apologized.

"Go home!" yelled Antonio, "you'll only add to the mess if you stay here."

Maya sees Laura's pale face out of the kitchen door. He took a deep breath and approached Laura. "Antonio scolding you again?" Laura nodded.

"But this time he was right. You better get home to rest. You're really exhausted." Maya patted Laura's shoulder slowly. "Fatigured servants cannot work to their full potential. You better not come in this afternoon. You really need a break." Laura nodded.

Before Laura left to change her uniform, Maya said again, “Laura. I want you to know that these few days I fully support you. Never before has anyone dared to go against Antonio like you. So, go home, get some rest, and tomorrow surprise Antonio with your food."

Laura smile. " Thank you for the support, ma'am."