{
<h1 class="main-title">What Can I Get You?</h1>
<div class="menu-section starters">
<h2 class="title">
<span class="content">Starters</span>
</h2>
<h3 class="name">
[[Bad Coffee->Bad Coffee - 1]] <span class="time">`- $6min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Mic Fok - <a href="http://twitter.com/micfok" target="_blank">@micfok</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[The Juice Thief->Juice Thief - 1]] <span class="time">`- $8min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Jonathan Levstein - <a href="http://twitter.com/jlevstein" target="_blank">@jlevstein</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Table for One->Table for One - 1]] <span class="time">`- $5min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Vicky He</p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Butternut Squash Soup Recipe->Butternut Squash Recipe - 1]] <span class="time">`- $8.5min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Kaitlin Tremblay - <a href="https://twitter.com/kait_zilla" target="_blank">@kait_zilla</a></p>
</div>
<div class="menu-section starters">
<h2 class="title">
<span class="content">Mains</span>
</h2>
<h3 class="name">
[[New Chicken->New Chicken - 1]] <span class="time">`- $12min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Kate Kadowaki - <a href="https://twitter.com/katedangerous" target="_blank">@katedangerous</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Eleanor->Eleanor - 1]] <span class="time">`- $11min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Lisa Levstein</p>
<h3 class="name">
[[The Usual->The Usual - 1]] <span class="time">`- $14min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Sloane Cee - <a href="https://twitter.com/sloanecee" target="_blank">@sloanecee</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Branching Out->The Usual Dinner - 1]] <span class="time">`- $18min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Sloane Cee - <a href="https://twitter.com/sloanecee" target="_blank">@sloanecee</a></p>
</div>
<div class="menu-section starters">
<h2 class="title">
<span class="content">Desserts</span>
</h2>
<h3 class="name">
[[It's For Melody->It's For Melody]] <span class="time">`- $9min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Jillian Wakarchuk - <a href="http://twitter.com/orbwitch" target="_blank">@Orbwitch</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Lemon Shot->Entree 1 - 1]] <span class="time">`- $12.5min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Emma Fissenden - <a href="https://twitter.com/em___dash" target="_blank">@em___dash</a></p>
</div>
<div class="menu-section starters">
<h2 class="title">
<span class="content">Prix Fixe</span>
</h2>
<h3 class="name">
My Take On a Casserole
<span class="titme">`- $24min`</span>
</h3>
<p class="author">Chris Chung - <a href="https://twitter.com/FlashForwardCo" target="_blank">@FlashForwardCo</a></p>
<h3 class="name">
[[Starter->Part 1 - 1]]
</h3>
<h3 class="name">
[[Salad->Part 2 - 1]]
</h3>
<h3 class="name">
[[Main->Part 3 - 1]]
</h3>
<h3 class="name">
[[Dessert->Part 4 - 1]]
</h3>
</div>
}"Just a coffee please, thanks"
Bad cups of coffee are more important than good ones. [[Bad cups of coffees are the ones you remember. -> Bad Coffee - 2]]A cheap, white diner cup clanked on the table. The waitress filled it up from a big metal thermos.
[[“Thanks" -> Bad Coffee - 3]]She stared into the night for a (link-reveal:"moment.")[ And (link-reveal: "another moment.")[ And then another moment after that. The whup-whup-whup of the ceiling fan whup’d through the air and drifted pass Sarah. She barely processed it. The warmth from the coffee was a nice sensation and she processed little more than that. She blinked. Looked down at her coffee and remembered what it was for.
She exhaled and unceremoniously brought it up to her lips. It clanked again when she brought it down. It wasn't even that late but exhaustion was hitting her hard. It came and knocked the wind out of her sails like an overdue debt. She grimaced, exhaled, and brought the cup up again. Drinking coffee was what other people did. Sarah had propped her mouth open and fed it the sludge. It's an action borne of habit more than anything else. Her body was on [[autopilot. -> Bad Coffee - 4]]]]"Another one, dear?"
Sarah was startled out of her reverie. She blinked and thought on the question.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Thanks"
She smiled, this time more genuine and reaching her eyes. Her wristwatch said it had been thirty minutes since she got here. Despite being later, she felt the lights coming back on inside. Her eyes ached but they darted around the room, at the nice lady pouring the coffee, at the weird fake stone pattern on the counter, at the squeaky polyester seating. There was an unnatural alertness at play, one Sarah knew well. She grinned and pour creamer in her coffee again.
The coffee was barely opaque and lukewarm to the touch. Sarah absentmindedly poured plastic creamer into it. She was staring out of the diner window. It was early. Or late maybe. Sarah glanced around the diner. Late enough that all the [[drunks went home -> Bad Coffee - 4.1]]. Only the hungover remained.
Sarah [[raised the cup to her lips-> Bad Coffee - 5]].There was a group in here earlier. Four or five carefree teens in varsity jackets. Chests filled with bravado and PBR. Posturing to the point of parody.
In the spirit of the night jeers were thrown at one another. Boys and girls playfully teased and not-so-playfully teased. Before they learn of compassion they will test one another again and again in this sterile, fluorescent-ly lit box.
Sarah noted them and hoped they'd simmer before they boiled over.
[[Sip -> Bad Coffee - 4]]Bad coffee mostly tastes the same. You mostly hope that it doesn’t taste like anything at all. It mostly tastes warm, vaguely 'not-water' and sugary.
(if: $initial is true)[Bad coffee is for the morning of a [[roadtrip to the mountains -> Bad Coffee - roadtrip]]. ](else:)[(link-replace:"Sip.")[Bad coffee is for the morning of a [[roadtrip to the mountains -> Bad Coffee - roadtrip]]. (set:$initial to true)]]
(if: $roadtrip is true)[Bad coffee is for that deadline you just can't miss. When you've been running on fumes and need just a bit more [[fumes to run on -> Bad Coffee - deadline]].]
(if: $deadline is true)[Bad coffee is the hangover brunch with friends the morning after the [[fight at the club-> Bad Coffee - club1]]. It's the dead silence of nothing to say and all too much to say. It's everyone being too fucking loud while you're slamming coffee and orange juice alternatively. ]
(if: $club is true)[Bad coffee is the hallway in a hospital. The flickering fluorescent lights mirroring your thoughts, wracked by anxiety. A nurse comes out. It's a girl. The mother is safe. everything is going to be okay.(set:$hospital to true)]
(if: $hospital is true)[(link-replace:"Sip.")[Bad coffee is Christmas night at Aunt Vicky's when you've all had too much family and maybe, just maybe, you can sneak some Bailey's in there without your mom railing on you for drinking.
[[Sip-> Bad Coffee - ending]].
]]The morning air was crisp and the sun forced shades on everyone in the car. It was 6AM and Sarah’s eyes hurt but the car was buzzing with excitement.
They were stopped at the gas station on the edge of town. Phil was filling the tank as she came out of the station carrying a tray of coffee. It could not have tasted more like pisswater but she grinned a shit-eating grin as she passed her mates their coffees.
It was a 5 hours drive to the mountains and the car was packed with snowboarding gear, snacks and tunes.
Locked in a car for five hours first thing in the morning with her best friends.
It was going to be a good weekend.
[[Sip -> Bad Coffee - 5]].
(set:$roadtrip to true)Empty cups of Fresh Joes littered the desk among the books and papers spread in front of Sarah. It was her sixth hour at this library and fifteen hours since coming to campus to study for her exam earlier in the day.
The paper was due at 10AM and it was already 3. Excessive coffee and sleep deprivation halted her brain to a slow grind while she tried to hammer words into an essay.
She paused for a moment after finishing a paragraph. Thought after thought blinked into her head. There was the nagging thought these ideas were barely comprehensible but there was no time for that now. She reached for the latest cup of coffee.
//Hmm. Okay, yeah.//
//Mmmmmhmmm. Sure.//
[[Sip-> Bad Coffee - 5]]. She put the coffee back down and laid more words to the paper.
(set:$deadline to true)It was near pitch dark but that never really matters.
The occasional strobe light flashes just enough that you recognize what’s going on even if you would never if someone presented you photos like that later. In the moment, your brain can process it all and fill in the blanks. Right then, Cass had just started dancing with a girl. Cass' dancing is so expressive, their intentions were clear.
This wouldn’t have bothered Sarah if she hadn’t been dancing with the same girl literally moments earlier. And hours earlier that night, if Cass hadn’t lamented how sad Sarah had been lately and said that they should go out to cheer her up. And if this didn’t happen every god damn time she went out with Cass.
It knocked the wind out of her.
//Great.//
She walked [[into the darkness-> Bad Coffee - club2]] without a word. Bad cups of coffee are more important than good ones. Bad cups of coffees are the ones you can't forget. You can't forget because they're the moments you can't afford to miss even a second of. They're the memories wrapped around your heart. You can't let go and you don't want to let go.
Sarah drained the rest of the sludge. She smacked her lips at the aftertaste and threw on her windbreaker. She brisked herself out of the diner and into the night.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]Sarah gripped the cup in front of her. Her muscles twitched and veins strained under the pressure she was applying.
Nobody had said anything for a minute. Part hangover. Part tension. Brunch had been in the plans so here was brunch.
Phil began an attempt to tell a story about his week, feebly making conversation. At an appropriate pause Sarah looked over at him, grinned with clenched teeth, and forced a laugh.
“Haha, that’s so ridiculous,”
Phil began again, either missing the lack of enthusiasm or choosing to ignore it all together.
Sarah took a [[swig of her coffee -> Bad Coffee - 5]] with all the warmth and kindness of a T-1000.
(set:$club to true){
(set: $passage to (passage:))
(if: $passage's tags contains 'Melody')[
<style>
@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans);
body {
background-color:#009999;
}
tw-sidebar {
display: none;
}
tw-sidebar tw-icon.redo {
display: none;
}
tw-sidebar tw-icon.undo {
display: none;
}
tw-story {
background: url('http://jillianwakarchuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/tabletwbg.png');
background-size: 597px 794px;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
tw-passage {
font-size: 14px;
padding-top: 60px;
padding-left: 65px;
padding-right: 50px;
font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;
color: white;
width: 597px;
height:794px;
line-height: 200%;
}
.enchantment-link, tw-link, tw-passage a, tw-link.visited {
color: #ccb3ff;
text-shadow: 0 0 1px black;
text-decoration: none;
}
.enchantment-link:hover, tw-link:hover, tw-passage a:hover, tw-link.visited:hover {
color: black;
}
</style>]
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Great+Vibes|Oswald|Lato" rel="stylesheet">
}My grandma came to America from the Philippines after World War II, and brought with her a set of (link-reveal: "customs")[(link-reveal: ", beliefs")[(link-reveal: ", and food")[ that were completely different than anything else going on around me as a kid. The idea of [[“going to grandma’s house”->New Chicken - 2]] was paired with an intense distrust of the (link-reveal: "food placed before me")[ (you never knew what it was you were truly eating) as well as a monstrous list of insecurities that would arise any time I was in her presence.]]]]The food for one, smelled very strongly of unfamiliarity and filled my mouth with strange textures that were completely unappealing to my young palette. I usually stuck to plain white rice and egg rolls (known as lumpia) because they felt safe, to which my grandma would ridicule me for not eating the rest of the food she had spent half the day preparing. She took it as a [[blatant expression of rudeness on my part.->New Chicken - 3]]In Filipino culture, everything revolves around cooking and eating food. If you don’t eat the food that has been prepared for you, it is taken as though you either don't love the person who made it or are ungrateful. The more you eat, the happier the cook (and the rest of the family) is. Unlike me, my younger brother would eat anything, and [[would eat multiple plates filled with food each time we visited.->New Chicken - 4]] As a result, he was seen more favorably in my grandma’s eyes—and that fact was made known to me at every possibility.There would be dishes made from goat or pig, whose smell accompanied my grandma calling me too skinny and pinching me everywhere she could reach to illustrate her point. I started wearing baggy clothes to her house to appear like I had gained weight, but [[she was always able to see right through it->New Chicken - 5]] and would then criticize my wardrobe choices.I began to associate [[Filipino food->New Chicken - 6]] with never being good enough, anxiety, and shame.As I grew older, I began branching out and [[trying more of her food->New Chicken - 7]], and found that it wasn’t all bad. I enjoy a dish called (link-reveal: "pancit")[ which consists of several types of noodles combined with chicken, mushrooms, and veggies. Served with soy sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, it’s full of salty goodness.]There are still some things I refuse to (link-reveal:"eat")[ (for example: pork with the pig’s own blood used as a sauce referred to as chocolate meat)] but I am more [[open minded.->New Chicken - 8]]When my husband and I started dating, I brought him to meet my grandma. [[I was nervous.->New Chicken - 9]]|start>[Would she approve? Would she ridicule me in front of him? Would she ridicule HIM?]
(live: 3s)[(replace: ?start)[<div class="fade-in">She had spent a good portion of the day before [[we arrived->New Chicken - 10]] cooking and the house was filled with the scents of a well cooked meal.]</div>(stop:)]
(click-replace: "meal")[lumpia]
(click-replace: "lumpia")[pancit]
(click-replace: "pancit")[chocolate meat]We sat down around the table and I watched her as her eyes followed his movements of scooping meat and rice onto his plate. She beamed as she watched him dig into his plate with glee. In fact, she barely noticed that [[my plate->New Chicken - 11]] was nowhere near as full.After the meal, she gave me a hug and told me how much she liked him already. That was the start of a slow and gradual repairing of a relationship that had been dysfunctional for twenty years. Now, I associate Filipino food with new beginnings and the possibility of relational healing.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]I wish I could tell her what my real name is. Hearing her say it out loud, hearing the word roll across her tongue, bounce out from between her lips. It would be enough to tell her my name, wouldn’t it? She wouldn’t ask me for other details, to know the whys and particulars of my attempt to [[rewrite my past ->Menu]], to reclaim myself and [[turn this life around. ->Entree 1 - 2]]Their screams, their pleas; my alarm clock from an afternoon nap between shifts.
I take a breath, try not to throw up the dry toast I ate before going to sleep. Try not to fixate on my shaking hands and tight chest. [[Try to pull it together.->Entree 2 - 2]]She came back tonight, a tiny package tucked in between her hands, a smile tucked perfectly into the crook of her mouth. She asks to see me for a moment in the backroom and I wonder if she’s found me out, if her questions about my past are ways to try and [[trick me->Entree 3 - 2]] out of my lie.I used to think it was fitting that I kill my past in favour of my future, but now I’m just sad she’ll never say my name. I’ve been watching her between serving tables today, admiring the way that she pours herself into every dish she creates. The passion she has is endless, boundless. It is childlike wonder. It is [[ everything ->Entree 1 - 3]]She laughs, flexing her bare arms, her muscles bulbous yet firm. I stare at her tattoo, an owl in flight across her arm, a wingtip gracing her wrist and imagine running my fingers across the skin there. Imagine her [[letting me->Entree 1 - 4]].She catches me staring and laughs again when I [[blush->Entree 1 - 5]], somehow perfectly flipping a pancake as she looks over at me. The spell is broken and I retreat.It’s a dream. To imagine her accepting this newness, this old but new name, without wanting to know why. Why I changed my name. And it would be too much to think she’d accept what I’ve done. Accept my wrong and make it [[right->Entree 1 - 6]] in one single breath.[[I have to get back to work.->Entree 2 - 1]] Table ten are rowdy—a group of friends celebrating a birthday—and they’re in dire need of pancakes and bacon.
(set:$readEntree1 to true)I’m working a double today to cover another of the servers, to help out so they could take their kid to the doctor’s. I thought she might be here tonight with me, but she left on account of having plans. Likely a date, I think, forcing a smile onto my face as I clean up [[table ten.->Entree 2 - 3]]A lone balloon hangs from the back of a chair, left behind in the flurry of purses and coats and chairs pushed back as the group had left to go onto their next destination. What would it be to be that loved, to be that wanted—
But [[no->Entree 2 - 4]]I do not deserve this. I do not [[deserve->Entree 2 - 5]] love, least of all yours. You asked me once about my birthday. When it was. And like a fool, I refused to answer the question, pushing you away like everyone else. Why celebrate the birth of someone who should answer the world for their crimes, for following their commanding officer’s orders, for killing so many in the name of democracy and freedom for all. Freedom for who? Freedom for the self, but [[not->Entree 2 - 6]] the other—I concentrate on [[wiping the syrup from the table->Entree 3 - 1]] and hand the balloon to a small boy. His face lights up.“You wouldn’t tell me when your birthday is, so I’ve decided it’s today.” She tells me.
She hands me the package: a tiny cardboard box with a handle.
I open it. [[Carefully.->Entree 4 - 1]]It’s a cupcake. [[Lemon frosting, vanilla cake.->Entree 4 - 2]]I’m suddenly seven years old again, excited to be surrounded by friends and family, my face a beacon of happiness, of carefree wonder to be so loved and celebrated. The [[gift of food is the gift of love.->Entree 4 - 3]] That another person wants to feed you and fill your belly means they want you to exist in the world. I fight back the tears.There’s something else in her hand. It’s a candle. She pokes it through the frosting and lights a match. It’s slightly dark in the backroom—the fluorescent bulb needs replacing soon—and her face is momentarily golden in the firelight.
She lights the candle and gestures. [[“You need to make a wish,”->Entree 4 - 4]] she tells me.I want to throw myself into this moment, into her warmth and love and caring, but I can’t. “There’s something I want to tell you.” I have to tell her. I have to tell her who I really am before she invests in someone who doesn’t deserve to be known. But she just holds [[a finger up to quiet me.->Entree 4 - 5]]“Whatever it is, I don’t care. Well, I do care. But just about you.”
[[“But you have to know what I’ve done.”->Entree 4 - 6]]“Your past doesn’t define you if you don’t let it. I care about the you now. And the you now is a good person. A person I’d like to get to know better. But right now we’re going to [[celebrate your birthday->Entree 4 - 7]].”[[Oh.->Entree 4 - 8]]She smiles at me. Big and blazing and [[safe->Entree 4 - 9]].I blow out the candle.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)][[“What’ll it be today?”->The Usual - 2]]You look up from your menu, the one you were just staring down
at aimlessly, not really focused on. You generally only get one
of two things to eat in the morning anyways. The staff knows you
here on a first name basis and you’re here most every day,
you’re surprised they even hand you a menu at this point when
you sit down.
...God, you really need to find somewhere new to eat. [[At least once in a while.->The Usual - 3]]You rub your face, blinking a few times before taking in a
breath. (live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">Your eyes dart down briefly to the menu one last time
before you hand it over to the waitress.
“You know, I think I’ll… I think I’ll mix it up today. Let’s go
with biscuits and gravy?” you ask, the waitress quirking an
eyebrow. You briefly look off to the side sheepishly.
“You haven’t gotten that in… geez, months, at least. Thought you
were going to get an omelette for the third day in a row,” she
laughs before you look back over at her, cheeks tinged red. It’s
obvious you’re feeling at least a bit embarrassed about your
choice of breakfast, and luckily [[she doesn’t say anything.->The Usual - 4]]</div>(stop:)]“Just thought I would mix it up and everything…?”
You can’t even convince yourself that you truly wanted to mix it
up, and for a second you think about changing your order, until
you’re snapped out of your thoughts again.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">[[“Eggs over medium?”->The Usual - 5]]</div>(stop:)]“Yes, please,” you say, offering a smile. You used to only eat
eggs that were scrambled or over hard, but you can’t do it
anymore. You used to be afraid of runny yolk, “Is it ok?” always
came from you if even the tiniest bit of yolk poked out when you
were younger. But now you can’t even think about not dipping
anything and everything in yolk.
“Bacon? Sausage?”
“No thanks, [[not today.->The Usual - 6]]”“Gotcha. It’ll be up in just a few,” she says before walking off
towards the kitchen. You nod silently, chin resting in your
hand, as you stare at your glass of water, slowly swirling the
straw in it.
You just [[had->The Usual - 7]] to get the biscuits and gravy, didn’t you?Last time you got it was with [[them.->The Usual - 8]]Before your life [[shattered.->The Usual - 9]]Granted, it was just a breakup, but you two were so close. It
was like you spent basically all of your time with them. They
were your best friend and your rock, your confidant.
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">[[And now they were gone.->The Usual - 10]]</div>(stop:)]“I just don’t think it’ll [[work->The Usual - 10a]] out.”But no, it was real. It happened. The two of you, after having
been best friends for a while and finally stepping into the
realm of dating, hand in hand. Now you had [[lost your partner->The Usual - 12]],
your best friend, and you weren’t even sure why.“Coffee for you?”
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">The three words snapped you out of the haze you were in, nearly
jerking awake from reliving the worst nightmare of your life.
“Huh? Oh, please, yeah. I could really use it right now,” you
laugh as the waitress deftly pours a cup of coffee for you and
sets it down in front of you, offering a smile and a pat on the
shoulder before walking off behind you to [[help->The Usual - 13]] other customers.</div>(stop:)]You take in a breath, (live:5s)[<div class="fade-in">staring down into your cup of coffee for a moment before taking a big gulp. You’re normally used to putting a little milk in it, just to dilute it the tiniest bit, but at the moment you’re nonplussed about it. It’s strong, and your eyes jolt open. It’s a temporary cure for your exhaustion that you’ve been feeling lately— all because of them.
“I feel bad for bringing this up [[out of nowhere->The Usual - 14]], I really do, but I don’t want to keep going on like this.”
You still wonder where things had gone wrong, where you went wrong with everything. Everything they said, you couldn’t help but feel as if everything was your fault— why everything apparently had crumbled, why they were telling you about this
now.</div>(stop:)]“I think I’ll leave, I’m sorry.”
It was like you couldn’t recognize anything that was going on at this point, that everything was just a blurry mess. Everything felt like it was slowing to a crawl.
“Please don’t text or call me by the way. If I’m ready I’ll get in touch.”
[[“Bye.”->The Usual - 15]]Sigh.
They really were [[gone.->The Usual - 16]]“Biscuits, gravy, and eggs for you, dear,” the waitress says with a smile on her face, setting the two plates down in front of you before tapping you on the shoulder— the thing that really pulls you out of your thoughts as you face what is the thing that causes your body to freeze.
A fucking [[plate of biscuits and gravy.->The Usual - 17]]You take in a deep breath (live:5s)[<div class="fade-in">before grabbing your fork and near stabbing it into one of the biscuits, scooping it up and taking a bite, letting it sit in your mouth a moment before you chew.
[[Delicious.->The Usual - 18]]</div>(stop:)]There’s a warmth to it that you haven’t felt in a while, at all.
There’s a gentle firmness to the biscuit, and the warmth of the gravy fills your chest. A slight kick to it from the pepper the kitchen used, but not nearly enough for you. It was always good for them, though you always made sure to pepper yours to hell and back.
[[So you decide to do just that.->The Usual - 19]]You do your best to focus on the food, the act of peppering your biscuits, to avoid falling back into thoughts about them. It’s tough, though eventually you manage to set the pepper shaker back on the counter and take another bite.
And there’s far more of a bite. A strange nostalgia, in a way, though a lot of it comes from the painful memories. Each bite brings back the memories of the breakup, of the relationship, of the friendship. The pepper almost functions as a way to mask some of the memories, to focus on that bite with the gravy instead of anything else.
The eggs too, you go between the two— a bit or two of egg, drenching it in as much of the yolk as you can, another bite of the biscuits, slowly eating— doing anything to not think about that.
You can’t help but feel that this is the first step. The first step to feeling better— getting better. Starting to face and come to terms with the world— what had happened after it seemed like the [[world ended.->The Usual - 20]]All with a [[plate of biscuits and gravy.->The Usual - 21]]It was really something.
There was one [[last bite.->The Usual - 22]]You can’t help but freeze for a moment. You two always fought over the last bite, playfully feinting with your forks before each taking half of the last bite. But not this time. This time there isn’t anyone you giggle with, you scoop up the last bits of gravy with.
Just the noise of the diner in the background as you contemplate everything.
“How was that? Just as good as you remembered?”
The voice of your waitress brings you out of your reverie as you turn to look at her, seeing her leave the check in front of you.
You pull your wallet out, placing some money down and sliding it towards her.
“Yeah, it was wonderful. And you can keep the change,” you tell her, spooning up one last bit of gravy, enjoying the heat, the spice, the bite of the gravy, taking one last drink of water.
“We’ll see you tomorrow morning like usual?” she asks with a smirk.
“Yeah, I’ll be back for some more biscuits and gravy.”
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]Born of strife and uncertainty
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">He wields his sword in righteous piety</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">Clambering to his feet he shouts, “For Glory!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">The darkness awoken.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">Blade in hand, shield in stand</div>(stop:)]
(live: 15s)[<div class="fade-in">See the reflection of a man more damned</div>(stop:)]
(live: 18s)[<div class="fade-in">To serve the Kingdom and Village, “This is our land!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 21s)[<div class="fade-in">The darkness swells.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 24s)[<div class="fade-in">Sheathed in leather, protected by steel</div>(stop:)]
(live: 27s)[<div class="fade-in">This moment in time declared fairy tales real</div>(stop:)]
(live: 30s)[<div class="fade-in">He launched point first at the foe, “The mighty shall not kneel!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 33s)[<div class="fade-in">The Darkness rises.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 36s)[<div class="fade-in">Here lies the bloody outcome of this fight</div>(stop:)]
(live: 39s)[<div class="fade-in">Stars obliterate and dine on the death of night</div>(stop:)]
(live: 42s)[<div class="fade-in">“To feast we not, though your valiant effort remain, good knight.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 45s)[<div class="fade-in">The Darkness sleeps.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 48s)[<div class="fade-in">- Johnny</div>(stop:)]
(live: 49s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[Fin->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]
The clock makes a creepy buzz at every hour interval. I look over at its outdated face. 2 am.
I’ve heard that buzz for about, I don’t know.
Six and a half years?
It’s funny how I don’t grow tired of it.
I just get tired of being watched in disdain, that’s about it.
[[“Ma’am? Can I have a refill here? My coffee’s gotten pretty cold.”->Part 3 - 2]]I turn my head around to see a man in a wool overcoat, with his Ivy hat on the table, and just about to light a cigarette. (link-reveal: "I count the cigarettes in the tray already.")[ Four.]
I go and grab the hot pot of black gold from the beat up machine. The liquid drips down into the receptacle, awaiting a glistening clean vessel to once again fill, endlessly without fail.
I grab a new pot, put it under the dripper, and head on over to the patient man. [[He’s sitting at table six.->Part 3 - 3]] With a journal, and a pen. Yesterday’s news unfurled to the classifieds page.I give him a small smile as I pour his coffee.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">He wields his sword in righteous piety</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Lookin’ for a job there? You can have mine.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8.5s)[<div class="fade-in">He chuckles.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Sorry ma’am but that apron looks better on you than it would on me.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12.5s)[<div class="fade-in">I smile a bit wider.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 14.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“I take that back, we’re not hiring after all.” I said with a sly grin.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 16.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Good, I won’t have to remember to ask if ‘you’d like home fries with that’.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 18.5s)[<div class="fade-in">He’s a [[witty->Part 3 - 4]] one.</div>(stop:)]
I pick up his empty plate.
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“Want another toast and jam?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Sure. Do you have raspberry jam this time? Blueberry’s not my favorite.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“Anything for you”, I answered.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">“In that case, could I have a reference letter?” he winked.
I guffawed, and called out to the kitchenette.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 11s)[<div class="fade-in">“Table six, toast and raspberry jam, no crust!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 13s)[<div class="fade-in">“GOT IT!” yelled Johnny. </div>(stop:)]
(live: 15s)[<div class="fade-in">I don’t hear him complain an ounce. Who knows what he says on his smoke breaks though. He shouldn’t smoke, [[especially when he’s dealing with food,->Part 3 - 5]] but whatever. It’s been six years since I’ve started working here, he’s not going to learn now.</div>(stop:)]
I go and clean some of the tables, and ask the other couple of customers if they’re doing alright. Not a peep from them, just a slight shake of the head and away I go again.
Six years. Five years and nine months too long.
I go back near the friendly face.
I wonder what’s taking Johnny with the toast. I yell out to the kitchen. “It’s goddamn toast, Johnny! What are you doing back there? Trying to harvest wheat?”
The man laughs heartily, and points to the small crack in the door.
I look out to the door and to the window, and Johnny is out there with a freshly lit cigarette.
[[“Figures as much.”->Part 3 - 6]]
I sit down to the seat across from the man without his consent. He welcomes it without hesitation.
He takes a sip of his black coffee.
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">“The name’s Charles. You can call me Charlie though.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“Janice.” I grumbled.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">“Had a long day?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">“You bet. My shift starts at seven and doesn’t end till six in the morning.” I stare longingly at the clock.
Not a quarter hour has passed since the last buzzer.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">“Ouch, that must be rough. Do you have much of a social life outside of work then?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">“Well that’s a mighty personal question you got there, fella”, I smirked.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 15s)[<div class="fade-in">He grimaces. “Sorry, I’m just curious. But I have to commend you. I couldn’t survive doing a graveyard shift.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 18s)[<div class="fade-in">“Thanks, I guess. I can’t get to sleep at night, so I figured I get a night job so I wouldn’t have to sleep and I’d just go home when the rest of the city is awake.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 21s)[<div class="fade-in">“Sound logic, I suppose.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 22s)[<div class="fade-in">Johnny puts his cigarette out, steps back through the door and into the kitchenette again.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 25s)[<div class="fade-in">
“Hey Johnny, [[Charlie needs his toast!->Part 3 - 7]]”</div>(stop:)]I hear an indelible mumbling from the kitchenette, and then the toaster lever pressed down. I look back at the grinning man.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“I could’ve made that toast myself. Would’ve been blackened to perfection.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">I laughed at Charlie’s crude joke, then I yelled out to the back. “Hey, you hear that Johnny? Your prayers may be answered! This guy can make toast!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">No response, as expected. I excused myself from the table once more. I see one of the patrons has left, money and paltry tip on the table. The other is still flipping through the newspaper like he was scanning for subliminal messages.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 13s)[<div class="fade-in">“[[ORDER UP!->Part 3 - 8]]” Johnny bellowed.</div>(stop:)]I went back to the kitchenette, got Charlie’s toast, just the way he ordered, and served it to him, sitting back down.
He picked up the toast, and was about to take a bite when he looked at me while I was looking at the toast.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“Want a bite?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">“No thanks, I’m good. I like peach jam.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">“Suit yourself. Nothing like good ol’ toast.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">He munches away looking at the job ads, looking at me every so often. I know this cause I’m also looking at him, trying to read him. What was I trying to get at? I’m not sure. He look grizzled, kind of tired and worn, but certainly his character is more charming than his looks. He has a few extra pounds but I guess that’s alright.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">Johnny comes out of the kitchenette and [[takes a seat at the counter.->Part 3 - 9]] He looks around.(click-replace: "around")[looks at the clock] (click-replace: "looks at the clock")[looks back at the kitchenette] (click-replace: "looks back at the kitchenette")[around]</div>(stop:)]
He sighed. “Janny, you still workin’ here?”
(live: 1.5s)[<div class="fade-in">He gave me a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I’m still around, much to your dismay”, I retorted.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 2.5s)[<div class="fade-in">He straggles over to the clean cups, and grabs himself a cup of coffee.
I shot him a dirty look.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 3.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Better be payin’ for that.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Yeah, yeah, I’ll cough up. Sherry was nicer to me, she let me have one on the house all the time.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5.5s)[<div class="fade-in">He reaches into his grubby apron and pulls out in a few coins. Into the till they go and Johnny saunters back to his seat. Not like anyone cares that he’s not working at the moment.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">I turn back to Charlie who’s shyly snickering at my expense. “Are you guys always like that with each other?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Yeah, pretty much after the honeymoon period ended when I came here, we were busting each other’s chops every day for the past six years.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Six years?! That’s unbelievable!” He exclaimed. “I can’t even last more than a few years at a single gig. I’d be bored to death.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">I cocked my eyebrow up.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Oh yeah? What did you do before?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 11.5s)[<div class="fade-in">Charlie cleared his throat. “I’m a chef. Or at least I was a chef.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 13s)[<div class="fade-in">Johnny peered at Charlie, giving him a tense look.
Charlie could [[feel the tension->Part 3 - 10]] in the air.</div>(stop:)]
Johnny slid off of his seat, moseyed over to the table, and without a shred of fear, Charlie (link-reveal: "sat stoically.")[ He violently slammed his fist on the table, causing a few stares to look our way. Never has there been a commotion as stirred up as this before.]
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“You get your sorry ass out of here. Saying you’re not a chef.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">“HEY. None of that.” I bellowed at Johnny. Johnny gave me a stiff lip, and sneered at Charlie.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">He then said something that even I was surprised about.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“You work your whole life in a god damned kitchen, kid? You’re a chef whether you like it or not. Own up to your decisions and quit bitching about them.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">He slithered back to the kitchenette. The gazes turned away again. That was the first time I’ve ever heard him raise his voice.
I look back at Charlie, who now had a distant look on his face.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">“Hey. Cheer up. I’m sorry about that. Johnny’s been looked down because he’s working here at this crappy diner. But he’s got skills as a cook. I should know, [[he makes a great omelette on any weekends I work.->Part 3 -11]] Listen, toast’s on me.”</div>(stop:)]
“Thanks, but no thanks”, Charlie smiled. “I pay my dues. I can relate to how Johnny feels. I was gunning for the top job in one of the best restaurants in town, and I couldn’t pass the test.”
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“I’m sorry to hear that, Charlie. What ended up happening after that?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4.5s)[<div class="fade-in">Charlie looked out the window, his face was turning a bit paler.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“I sold myself out for the money. I worked at the Lone Saloon about a 15 min drive from here. Today was my last shift. I couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve been making the same damn dishes for the past while and I’m not myself at all. I lost my long-time girlfriend, and the rent’s going up soon. I’ll need to act while I can. Terry’s counting on me.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“Who’s Terry?”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“My dog. He’s a good boy. Ate my tomatoes one day, but always knows he’s the best thing going for me right now. If I was home I’d let him eat part of my toast. He doesn’t care what kind of jam it is”, he winked.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">I couldn’t help but emit a smile. [[He’s got it rough->Part 3 - 12]] for sure.</div>(stop:)]I excused myself from the table to go clean up the remaining table’s plates and cutlery. Again a measly tip. I shook my head.
I went back to Charlie’s table. He was back into his classifieds page, and circled one just as I sat back down.
“Found something there?”
“Sort of. They’re looking for a sous chef at a decent restaurant. Pay is about the same as the Lone Saloon but at least I won’t be head chef and it’s closer to home.”
[[“That’s great! Why don’t you apply?”->Part 3 - 13]]“I guess I will, I’ve (link-reveal: "got no choice.")[ Let’s hope they take a look at my application.] I tell you, the food industry is a fickle beast. You work your butt off peeling potatoes and then when you’re finally at that fry station, you feel grateful knowing that you’ve put in the effort. Your bosses look at everything you do with a fine microscope because they don’t want you to replace their top guys. They want to keep you in line, and make you feel like insignificant crap, and I went through that crap. All those one-note Fettucine Alfredos and worst of all, the burgers. They don’t want you flaunting your stuff until you master those. God knows how many times I’ve flipped god damned burgers and customers send it back to the kitchen cause it doesn’t have the consistency of a tractor tire. And when you’re finally in their good books, when you’re finally given your break cause the main guy’s leaving, you lose out to an “As-Seen-On-TV’ chef who makes nothing but overpriced appetizers. I’m sick of that shit. I need to open my own restaurant. I need to be making my food, the way I want it to be. I’ll find myself a partner. We’ll be the face of town, making food the way it should be, giving people meals instead of one-note Fettucine Alfredos (click-replace: "instead of one-note Fettucine Alfredos")[instead of Caesar salads] (click-replace: "instead of Caesar salads")[instead of burgers] (click-replace: "instead of burgers")[instead of rabbit food]. [[I— ->Part 3 - 14]]”
(click-replace: "peeling potatoes")[washing dishes] (click-replace: "washing dishes")[bussing] (click-replace: "bussing")[prepping] (click-replace: "prepping")[peeling potatoes] (click-replace:"look at everything you do with a fine microscope")[looking for every reason to give you shit] (click-replace: "looking for every reason to give you shit")[look at everything you do with a fine microscope]Charlie stopped mid-sentence. He caught notice of me slack jawed at his rant.
(live: 2s)[<div class="fade-in">“Oh Janice, I’m sorry for holding you up from your work.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“No, Charlie, that’s completely fine.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">I muster up the courage to hold his hand in empathy.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">He stared at me, awaiting my next move.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">“Being a waitress at a dingy diner was not my top job opportunity either. I wanted to be in the food industry so badly as well, but I never made it as a chef. I took any waitressing opportunity that I could and so I landed here. But over the years, ownership had turned this place from a solid diner to a dive worthy of a dumpster diver. It sucks. And I feel powerless. I have to pay my rent too. I have only this job, Johnny, and a boss or lack thereof who doesn’t even show up anymore because he’s too busy with his other ventures. He’s a self-made millionaire.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 11s)[<div class="fade-in">Charlie was puzzled.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“[[Then why would he ever keep this place alive?->Part 3 - 15]]”</div>(stop:)]
“Because he’s in love with the restaurant idea. He’s just not the best guy for it.”
Charlie thought deeply for a minute.
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">“Let me work here.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“WHAT?!” I cry out in disbelief. Did he really say those words to me? Is he crazy? This place is a dump! He wants to work here of all places when he could be at a three-star restaurant!</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“I can change this business. Tell me what it takes to become the head chef here. We’ll need to do some major work restoring the place, spruce it up a bit, give it some brightness, and change the hours to ones that are for sane people. I’m owning up to my decisions, and this is the best decision I’ve ever made.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">I can’t believe it. He’s gone off the deep end. There’s no way he could turn this business around.
And yet I have to believe.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 11.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“And how are you going to convince my boss of this? He’s not hiring!”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">And as soon as I said that, [[Johnny comes out of the kitchenette->Part 3 - 16]].</div>(stop:)]He comes to the table, takes a long look at me, and then to Charlie. He unties his apron, and throws it onto the table, covering the half-eaten raspberry toast.
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“All yours, kid.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“Wait! Johnny! You can’t!” I jumped out from the seat, grabbing Johnny by the scruff of his apron, and pleading to him to reconsider his brash decision.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">“No, I can Janny. I’ve been at this place for 8 years. I’m turning 62. I need a break. Maybe I’ll take up poetry.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">He starts heading towards the door, grabs his coat from the coat hook and puts it on, and then looks back at Charlie.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">“You piss off Janny? I’ll come right back and shove [[your toast->Part 3 -17]] where the sun don’t shine.”</div>(stop:)]I try my best to wipe my tears away and start running towards Johnny, and I embrace him. Tears flowing down my cheeks. Charlie gets up from the table as well, but distances himself from us, knowing the severity of the situation.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“I’ll do my best, Johnny.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5.5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Johnny nods and gives out a smile. The first smile I’ve seen in a long time from Johnny.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">We said our farewells, and I close the door behind Johnny. We watch as he leaves in his car out the window, right beside his usual smoking spot.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">I start crying uncontrollably.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">“Why…why [[have you come here?!->Part 3 - 18]]”</div>(stop:)] I wanted to slap the expression right off of Charlie when I looked at his face, and it looked the most pale. He’s staring out at the door, just like he’s seen his past disappear. It was the diner’s past as well.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was going to happen. I’m just, I-I don’t know…”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">And he looked back at me, my eyes caking from the makeup and the tears.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">“I will turn this around.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">He grabs my arms and hugs me. I can’t help but hug him back.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">He lets go and [[looks around the diner->Part 3 - 19]].</div>(stop:)] “This place has some character, and we won’t lose that character. I know a little bit of business and I know some guys from my time at Danny’s House. We’ll get (click-replace:"these lights fixed up")[these tables and chairs upholstered] (click-replace:"these tables and chairs upholstered")[these lights fixed up] and we’ll do a (click-replace:"good")[great] (click-replace:"great")[amazing] (click-replace:"amazing")[good] paint. I hate wallpaper. Sorry. What’s your boss’s number? I’ll call him tomorrow and set up a meeting to go over a game plan. I will turn this place around. My head chef skills should come in handy foodwise but I’m also hiring staff for the kitchen and front of house. This is a great location. I’m sure we’ll get out some local advertising. And isn’t there a farmer’s market around? We could make a weekly special with produce found there. Janice, I don’t know a goddamn thing about what’s going to happen and I hope you’re ready for whatever’s coming next. One thing’s for sure, though. [[I’m not making a goddamn casserole here.->Part 3 - 20]]”I brace myself for what’s coming next. I’m terrified, anxious, excited, and hopeful. I have to tell Sherry about this plan. I’m ready for a change. I don’t want to hear that goddamn clock buzz anymore.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">Wait a minute.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">What casserole?</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]Seven steps to becoming a great waitress in a fine establishment
[[1. Keep your head high at all times—Always serve customers with a smile, even if you yourself are having a bad day.-> Part 2 - 2]]
The clock reads 12. It makes a loud buzzing sound at every hour interval. Midnight. The place is still quite lively for a Thursday evening. Do people not have work in the morning or something? Coffee’s only going to keep them up. I give myself a few moments to breathe, and remind myself that my next smoke break’s in only a few minutes.
[[2. Remember your tables and what each customer ordered. If you show professionalism, customers will be glad you’re paying attention to them and come back for the same great service.->Part 2 - 3]]
(link-reveal:"Table 2")[ ordered coffee, with a bit of milk and cup of sugar on the side.]
(link-reveal:"Table 5")[ ordered a western omelette. Kind of late for a full meal but I’m not judging. Johnny makes a pretty good omelette.]
(link-reveal:"Table 9")[ is Sherry’s. She’s kinda tied up at the moment with them, because she’s trying to parse through the customer’s heavy accent. Oh well, her shift is ending soon. Her shift is pretty great compared to mine. I’m 7 to 6. She’s 5 to 1. I bet she’s pretty happy to come home to a full house and still be able to say goodnight to her son. He’s a cute one. He’ll grow up to be something one day.]
(link-reveal:"Table 10")[ ordered a tea—Earl Grey, and a coffee. Two spoons of sugar. We have cane sugar here, which is better for you as opposed to refined sugar.]
(link-reveal:"Table 7")[ just wanted a cup of water. I hope he orders something. I’m not getting paid to serve water. [[I just smile and bear through it all.->Part 2 - 4]]][[3. The cook is your friend. They will make the food as best they can, and call out when they’re ready. Be prepared to take out their dishes quickly as food can get cold fast.->Part 2 - 5]]Johnny’s been here for eight years. He’s in his 60’s. Must be in love with the place. He’s older than the wallpaper here. Not as old as the upholstery though.
“Hey Sherry, the tables are fine, (link-reveal:"wanna step outside for a few moments? I need a smoke.”")[
Sherry shot me a dirty look. “Honey, two things. First off, smoking’s bad for you, you shouldn’t do it, it’s bad when you’re serving food and hacking up a lung. Second, you know better than to go outside when we have a packed restaurant.”]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">I look around, a table’s watching me in disdain because of our audible conversation. </div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">“Sorry. I’m just pretty tired and I need a moment outside. I was hoping to share it with you.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 12s)[<div class="fade-in">“That’s mighty fine to think of me but go ahead, I’ll cover the tables, but get back in five. I can’t do this alone, ya know.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 14s)[<div class="fade-in">I thank her then grab my coat with my pack of cigarettes and head out the door, to [[Johnny’s usual spot of smoking.->Part 2 - 6]]</div>(stop:)] How long since I said I was gonna quit the stuff and never did? Must be a few years ago. I started because of Johnny, both smoking and this job. I remember coming to this place because I’m close by and their coffee was pretty good. I’d never imagine (link-reveal:"I’d be working here")[a few years later but as a desperate college grad I took the job. I needed to pay my rent and my food, and I was a pretty girl so I knew I could attract high tips.] Johnny recognized me as I came through the door with my job application. I was gonna finally make it (link-reveal:"in the food industry")[and once I got enough experience, in a few months I could leave and maybe work at a place where I can actually make food instead of [[just serve it.->Part 2 - 7]]]“Hey it’s Janice! Janice, we’re hiring, need a job?”
Sherry came running to me and hugged me. “Yay! We’re gonna be working together!”
“Hold on, I don’t even know if I have the job yet!” I retorted.
“Don’t worry about it. Jeff isn’t going to care who I hire. If he wants to make this place 24 hours, he needs more staff because I need my beauty sleep.”
(live: 7s)[<div class="fade-in">“The name’s Charles. You can call me Charlie though.” Looking back then, the owner Jeff was crazy to make this place 24 hours but at least it’s survived this long, so it was a good business decision. He was never really in the food industry, he just had a sense of where the money is. Good home cooking, excellent location, and non-stop service.
It’s also great for me cause I’m not much of a people person.
[[Still not really to this day, but I forced myself to adapt to get higher tips.->Part 2 - 8]]</div>(stop:)]Fast forward six years. And (link-reveal:"I’m still here.")[ Gotten used to the sights and sounds, but I’d like a little bit of change here and there, I just can’t muster up the strength to speak to Jeff about it cause I don’t want him to fire me for no good reason. He’s not really a proponent of change, but he doesn’t realize that we could be doing so much for this diner.] It’s been so dilapidated for so long, and the tastes of the clientele are shifting to the better restaurants in town. We’re only surviving cause we have a few (link-reveal:"faithfuls who come in every weekend for Saturday dinner.")[ It’s been quite the establishment for meals as Johnny quietly does his job 14 hours of the day. Been retired from the naval forces and went in the culinary industry thereafter, but couldn’t hold a candle to the up and comers who opened up the main attractions. But he does well here. I hope he stays here for the [[long haul.->Part 2 -9]]][[4. Time management is everything. Make sure you’re not rushing tables, nor forgetting tables. Always be punctual as well.->Part 2 - 10]]I was only late (link-reveal:"a few times.")[ Or three.] Jeff never scolded me. Did he really write this thing? He could’ve paid a corporate monkey to write this and it would be better than this piece of shit. [[Makes you wonder who really cares what happens in HR.->Part 2 - 11]][[5. Consistency is key if you want to manage great expectations. Make sure all your duties are accounted for to the highest degree.->Part 2 - 12]]I spilled a bowl of [[minestrone->Part 2 - 13]] on a customer’s lap once.[[6. Problem resolution can be solved swiftly by reporting to the manager. If customers are unhappy, we will make sure they will be compensated to their liking, through added value.->Part 2 - 14]]I slept with him as [[compensation.->Part 2 - 15]][[7. Representing the Diner is of upmost importance. The clientele expect nothing more than you being the best employee you can be at the best diner ever.->Part 2 - 16]]What a load of baloney.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]My take on casserole.
[[Basics->Part 1 - Basics - 1]]
[[Ingredients->Part 1 - Ingredients - 1 ]]
[[Directions->Part 1 - Directions - 1]]
(link-reveal:"Prep time:")[30 min.]
(link-reveal:"Cook time:")[2 hours.]
(link-reveal:"Wait time:")[Next day. It tastes better.]
(link-reveal: "Side Wait time:")[If you’re hungry right now, I’d find the nearest ladle and go to town.]
[[To main recipe.->Part 1 - 1]]
[[To ingredients.->Part 1 - Ingredients - 1 ]]
[[To directions.->Part 1 - Directions - 1]]4 and ½ cups of dry pasta. Preferably (link-reveal:"penne")[ as it soaks up a lot of the sauce. And it’s a good bite when you get some of the sauce inside of the penne. Like a mini savory cannoli.]
1 cup of mushrooms. You can (link-reveal:"use")[ fancy ones like chanterelles or porcini. I just use button mushrooms. Don’t cost as much yet gets the job done.]
1 and ½ cups of ground beef. 80/20 if you can. (link-reveal:"Beef, you’re grounded.")[I crack myself up sometimes.]
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, (link-reveal:"sliced.")[ My garden in the yard had a tomato plant but had a shortened life as Terry got a little hungry one day.]
1 cup of carrots, celery, and onions each. (link-reveal:"What do they call that again?")[ Mise en place?]
A few sprigs of rosemary, some basil, oregano flakes. I just (link-reveal:"eyeball, really.")[ Anything too overpowering like star anise or cumin just ruins the plain flavor that I’m looking for.]
Cheese. Lots of it. Mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar. Whatever’s in the fridge will do. (link-reveal:"Utility cheese.")[Though I do have a taste for the good stuff, I just don’t think these customers are worth it, really.]
[[To main recipe.->Part 1 - 1]]
[[To basics.->Part 1 - Basics - 1]]
[[To directions.->Part 1 - Directions - 1]]1. (link-reveal:"Boil the pasta.")[ You should know how to do it by now. And you can’t judge the readiness of penne by throwing one against the wall. [[Trust me.->Part 1 - Directions - 2]]]2. While you’re doing that, get the rest of the ingredients ready. First you can sauté the…MIREPOIX! That’s what it’s called. Okay yeah. Get that nice and ready, and if you’re really feeling adventurous, you can add some chicken stock. (link-reveal:"No bouillon cubes though.")[ For the love of God those things look like dice made of vomit. I tried a nibble once and I had the equivalent of an ocean full of [[salt in my mouth.->Part 1 - Directions - 3]]] 3. Next, sauté the ground beef in with the veggies. You want to develop the flavor of the beef, so now’s a good time to add that into once you have [[the veggies and the stock.->Part 1 - Directions - 4]]4. Wait. No, go back a few steps. You should sauté the beef first, THEN add the mirepoix, and then add the stock. Yes. That’s a better plan. Sorry if this came later in the recipe than expected. Your family won’t know the difference, and (link-reveal:"my customers don’t know either.")[ I don’t care for them really. I just do my job.] [[Salt and pepper to taste->Part 1 - Directions - 5]]5. After that’s all done, put a lid on it. Like the lid on the coffin of my dreams. Okay that got dark fast. [[Forget I said that.->Part 1 - Directions - 6]]6. Go get yourself a nice big casserole dish. Make sure your mushrooms and tomatoes are at the ready, cause we’re about to kick it up a notch.
Bam.
[[My apologies.->Part 1 - Directions - 7]]7. Strain your pasta into the sink, and be careful, you don’t wanna lose the pasta nor your face to the hot water that’s about to come out of there. Layer about a third of the pasta into the casserole dish. Then, you start scooping up your meat and your veggies in. Repeat with the pasta, repeat with the veggies. Final layer of the pasta, you put the tomatoes and mushrooms in with the cheese. Did I mention the cheese? You’re gonna need a lot of it. Don’t matter how it’s cut, it just melts anyways. [[Like how my mind melts at this mindless job.->Part 1 - Directions - 8]]8. Top it off with some basil and rosemary, and whatever herbs you’ve congregated. No spiciness though. [[Folks complain about the slightest hint of spice.->Part 1 - Directions - 9]]9. I can make a damn mean curry though. They’re missing out, really. If I was head chef here, I could really shine. But whatever. [[I pay my bills making blooming onions and cornbread.->Part 1 - Directions - 10]] Hoowie.10. Once you have your casserole ready, slap it in the oven. (link-reveal:"Did I mention your oven has to be preheated at 410?")[ Sorry about that. Not good at writing or following directions.] If you winged it up to this point, you could be (link-reveal:"great at my job too.")[ Actually, did you want my job? I’m looking elsewhere. Maybe moving to [[a classier restaurant.->Part 1 - Directions - 11]] One that doesn’t have a mechanical bull as a main attraction.] 11. While you wait, if you’re really a keener, apply to [email protected]. I’m sure they’ll be happy to replace me, especially if you say you’ll work for minimum wage and don’t wretch when you’re on the fry station. I still got scars from a few years ago. [[Fried pickles be my nightmare.->Part 1 - Directions - 12]]12. Sorry, sidetracked again. (link-reveal:"If you’re jonesing for a side")[ I’d suggest a quick side of garlic taters. Cut some potatoes, blanch’em, then fry them up in a pan along with some garlic, oil, oregano, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You’ll only need a few minutes to make this really, so feel free to daddle around cause your casserole needs about an hour and 55 minutes by the time you’ve gotten to this paragraph, or an hour and 35 minutes if you’re done with a job application. They don’t care about references. My teacher was Danny Alfred. One of the top chefs in the region. I could’ve landed a job with him had it not been for Caleb. Damnit, it was us two in the last round of interviewing and testing. And the last course we had to make for the final test was a dish straight from the heart. He’s one of those touchy feely chefs you see on TV. [[Caleb made a raw fish ceviche with a beet reduction and pickled julienned turnips, drizzled in olive oil, orange zest, and lemon juice.->Part 1 - Directions - 13]]]13. I made steak with mashed potatoes and a garden veggie medley. Straight from my garden, before Terry got to them. [[That was the best goddamn steak I’ve made in years.->Part 1 - Directions - 14]]14. [[Caleb won.->Part 1 - Directions - 15]]15. [[Straight from the heart, my ass.->Part 1 - Directions - 16]]16. I asked Danny [[why he chose Caleb.->Part 1 - Directions - 17]]17. He responded with a stern look on his face. “Charlie. I know you’re a fine cook. But this is where I want to take this restaurant. All the blowhards and the shishi folk, they don’t want peasant food like we’re accustomed to. They want the $25 dollar plates that barely fill their stomachs cause they wanna fit in their size 2 dresses. I can turn over so many tables with (link-reveal:"Caleb.")[ He’s better [[for business.->Part 1 - Directions - 18]]”]18. In that moment I winced. [[Better for business?->Par 1 - Directions - 19]] More like better off dead. I’m sorry, that was dark.19. I shook Danny’s hand, headed back to the kitchen, [[packed my knives,->Part 1 - Directions - 20]] and headed out the door.20. Straight for the bar a few doors down. Had myself a couple of whiskies. [[No chasers.->Part 1 - Directions - 21]]
21. I left the bar a little tipsy, and headed home. Terry was frantically trying to welcome me home as I opened the door. I rustled the fur on his coat a bit. [[“You’re not bad for business, Terry.”->Part 1 - Directions - 22]]
He stuck his tongue out, and panted in glee, his tail wagging 25 miles an hour.
22. I put my knives on the counter in my kitchenette. Sandra was home. [[I could tell by the keys on the counter.->Part 1 - Directions - 23]]23. [[“Hey honey, you home?”->Part 1 - Directions - 24]]24. Sandra called out to me from the living room. [[“Hey babe, yeah.”->Part 1 - Directions - 25]]25. I hear the TV. She’s watching her [[late night->Part 1 - Directions - 26]] drama.26. I go into the living room, [[unbutton my chef’s suit->Part 1 - Directions - 27]] revealing my sweaty undershirt, and flop right down on the couch next to her.27. “[[Let me guess.->Part 1 - Directions - 28]] Didn’t get it.”28. [[I nodded.->Part 1 - Directions - 29]]29. “Aw baby, you’ll find something soon, I know it. You make the [[best curry->Part 1 - Directions - 30]] I’ve ever had!”30. “Thanks, but curry ain’t winning me a job [[anytime soon.->Part 1 - Directions - 31]]”31. She curled up to me, and gave me a small kiss on the cheek. I could feel (link-reveal:"a tear")[ or five] coming down [[pretty soon.->Part 1 - Directions - 32]]32. “Charlie, [[I know you’re an awesome cook.->Part 1 - Directions - 33]] You have my support to do this as a career, to make your dream come true. That’s all I want.”33. “Thank you Sandy, it means a whole lot to me. I guess I’ll find something temporary in the meantime while something opens up, and who knows? [[Maybe I’ll open up my own place if we scrounge up enough money.”->Part 1 - Directions - 34]]34. “That would be great honey bun”, she smiled. [[I smiled back.->Part 1 - Directions - 35]]35. Fast forward 21 months. (link-reveal:"I lost that smile.")[ And I lost [[Sandra.->Part 1 - Directions - 36]]]36. Sorry, [[I guess I still need this job.->Part 1 - Directions - 37]]37. Don’t check on your casserole too often, cause if you open up the oven, [[you’ll lose the heat.->Part 1 - Directions - 38]]38. Feel free to help yourself to a little potato in the meantime. It’s great when you add a little of that [[olive oil->Part 1 - Directions - 39]] on top.39. I really never meant to lash out at her. I was feeling frustrated. Job application turned down, one by one, and her work never stopped compiling. We were spending less time together as the days went on. Terry didn’t mind, as he had both of us at different times of the day. I was stuck at home, and played with Terry, watching the food network and scoffing at how much [[butter they use.->Part 1 - Directions - 40]]40. At night, Sandra would come home, slack-eyed and [[drowsy.->Part 1 - Directions - 41]]41. [[We had a talk.->Part 1 - Directions - 42]]42. I knew my time with her was coming to a close. We finalized the breakup, and she moved out. She’s now living in an apartment closer to work. [[I guess that’s more convenient for her in a way.->Part 1 - Directions - 43]]43. Go check on your casserole. Should have an hour left, really. It can be a little underdone. Better underdone than overdone. [[Burnt cheese is acceptable but anything that doesn’t look burned turns more tips.->Part 1 - Directions - 44]] I feel bad for Michelle and Dolores. More so Dolores as she’s been here for about 4 years, Michelle a year and a bit now. I hope they’re not lifers. Mechanical bulls are disgusting. Needs about a full bottle of cleaning solvent each week.44. I’m the head chef at Lone Saloon Grill now. Been at it ever since Jeff left for a higher paying job as a [[sous chef in a hotel.->Part 1 - Directions - 45]]45. Are you kidding me? [[A sous chef in a hotel pays almost double what they pay here per hour.->Part 1 - Directions - 46]]46. But I can’t leave. Blooming onions pay for my rent. Pays for my food. Pays for Terry’s food. That’s a good boy. [[Ate my tomatoes,->Part 1 - Directions - 47]] but he’s a good boy.47. Still with me so far? Good! If I lost you, you’d have [[raw casserole.->Part 1 - Directions - 48]] Just kidding, you’re doing great.48. Looking back, I should’ve made the jump to open my own place. I have the expertise in the kitchen side, so all I need really is the financing. I’d make a great partner. I’ll learn new dishes to incorporate. I’ll highlight local produce. I’ll bring back flavors that I only get to try out at home, and [[I’ll never stop improving.->Part 1 - Directions - 49]] I have the connections from Danny. I can convince him to give us some contacts about interior design and refurbishing.49. [[Why didn’t I do that?->Part 1 - Directions - 50]]50. [[I guess I was scared.->Part 1 - Directions - 51]]51. I guess Sandra left me because she couldn’t bear to see me struggle. [[Well, part of the reason at least.->Part 1 - Directions - 52]]52. I didn’t want to work under Caleb and Danny. Not when I made it that far only to play second fiddle. [[I’m better than that.->Part 1 - Directions - 53]]53. [[Or am I really?->Part 1 - Directions - 54]]54. I’m head chef of a dump. [[With a mechanical bull inside.->Part 1 - Directions - 55]]56. I’d give up anything [[for another chance->Part 1 - Directions - 56]] at redemption.56. [[Which is why you won’t see me here for much longer.->Part 1 - Directions - 57]]57. Consider this my [[resignation letter.->Part 1 - Directions - 58]]
58. Once you’re done baking the casserole, be careful when taking it out. Use oven mitts. Then, let it rest for for a few minutes before serving as the cheese is still bubbling. Cut pieces three inches by three inches for a healthy portion. Add some potatoes if you haven’t eaten them all already, and there you have it.
Enjoy.
Charles “Charlie” Beuvalier
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]''//CW: Weight and dysphoria//''
[[Continue->The Usual Dinner - 1a]]It had already been an early enough day, starting at about eight, and I had finally just gotten off, at seven. I took one thirty minute break to eat quick, but aside from that it was just [[work.->The Usual Dinner - 3]]I’ve started to put myself on a bit of a diet in order to start losing weight. A focus on finally eating (link-reveal:"healthier")[, limiting calories a bit]. (link-reveal:"More vegetables")[, less fast food] where I could. It was a process, but (link-reveal:"slowly,")[ surely,] I’ve been able to start to get some results. First I was at 150, and now I was down to 145 about— discounting a little weight fluctuation. God, that was always [[bullshit.->The Usual Dinner - 4]]Food has always been a big part of my life. A few years ago I unironically called myself a “foodie”, which, looking back, was really just the most insufferable thing imaginable. I’ve always enjoyed food, both incredibly greasy, garbage fast food, and fancier, five star dining type of fair. Granted, for the longest time when I was young, my tastes were always super peculiar.
Pasta with just butter.
{(click-replace: "Pasta with just butter")[Chicken nuggets]
(click-replace: "Chicken nuggets")[Peanut butter and honey sandwiches]
(click-replace: "Peanut butter and honey sandwiches")[Plain cheeseburgers]
(click-replace: "Plain cheeseburgers")[Pizza with light tomato sauce]
(click-replace: "Pizza with light tomato sauce")[Plain hot dogs]}
Looking back, I have no clue how I was able to even live like that. It was all so boring. I mean, sure, I could still eat all that now and probably not have too many problems with it if I was in a hurry, and just because I like eating in general. Food is just delicious, and while I’m still expanding my (link-reveal:"tastes")[ (because, god, I still can barely stand broccoli)], doing that in the first place has been the biggest benefit to [[me.->The Usual Dinner - 5]]You’d probably laugh, but my first Caesar salad was like, not even a year ago.
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">[[Right?->The Usual Dinner - 6]]</div>(stop:)]But, a love of food always led to bad habits, especially when me and my family had such a penchant for going out, whether due to lack of time or for any birthday, celebration— any type of occasion. I always went for the unhealthy stuff, and even engaged in more than my fair of stress eating as I entered high school and college. [[Especially college.->The Usual Dinner - 7]](live: 2s)[<div class="fade-in">“Oh, let me just get a snack between class.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“Oh, it’s late, I’ll just go get some fast food while I drive home.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">“Well, I didn’t eat anything before I left this morning, I guess I can just grab a bagel quick.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">It was all just excuses to eat, something I enjoyed doing, but not too long ago, I’ve decided to make that jump to trying to improve myself, bit by bit.
I didn’t have body issues really, not for a while, that all changed within the [[past year or so.->The Usual Dinner - 8]]</div>(stop:)]I started hormone replacement therapy, and it was around that time that I started to feel more and more uncomfortable with my body. At first it was things like my (link-reveal:"shoulders being too broad")[, my Adam’s apple being too noticeable, things like that. Things I wouldn’t be able to [[change->The Usual Dinner - 9]]].
Then the focus went to my body and my weight, which was something I actually could try and change. For a while, I would try and better myself, but quickly fall off and go back to my old habits in a few days— at most. Now I’ve decided to be serious about things, though. I’ve gotten a calorie counting app, I weigh myself, and I’ve been cutting back on the bad and adding more of the good.
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">[[Well, at least a little bit.->The Usual Dinner - 10]]</div>(stop:)]Though, at this time of night, I figured I actually needed something to eat. No breakfast this morning, and a small sandwich for lunch— I would actually need ''something'' at this point.
Eating was great but also had the propensity to be a pain. Especially since I don’t always have someone to eat with or remind me to [[eat.->The Usual Dinner - 11]]There was a diner nearby that I had been too more than a few times. A nice little place to sit, not have to worry about being too bothered, and eat some greasy diner food that’s always been a guilty pleasure of [[mine.->The Usual Dinner - 12]]So I finally decided to go in. It would be a better option than picking up Chinese, or ordering a pizza as soon as I stumbled back to my apartment all exhausted. I could probably find something decently healthy, even at a diner… [[right?->The Usual Dinner - 13]]I waved to the waitress at the counter, one who had taken my order plenty of times in the past and increasingly less in recent months. I had made a conscious choice to start going here less and less— really only for an occasional cheat meal at most, or if I was in a rush and really needed to eat in a hurry.
A booth in the back corner, near one of the windows, was what I opted for. It was away from people, I could look outside, and, it was just a little corner of silence for myself for the next half hour or so. It was always what I tended to prefer lately when I [[ate.->The Usual Dinner - 14]]The waitress— a bit of an older woman— came over, setting down a glass of water and a menu, offering a [[smile.->The Usual Dinner - 15]]"Well hello there, dear. It’s been a while since you stopped on by. How have you been?" she asked me with a warm smile.
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">"Oh, I’ve been fine. Just been busy, is all," I told her with a sigh. It was true, but also, I didn’t really want to talk about how I had been avoiding coming in because I was trying to lose weight and just wanted to eat healthier foods.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[<div class="fade-in">“Well, glad you had the time to stop by. I’ll let you get a once-over of the menu and I’ll be back in a few to get your order,” she said to me. I responded with a simple smile and nod before burying my face in my menu, trying to think of what to possibly get.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 15s)[<div class="fade-in">Because, shit, why did diners always have to have so [[much food?->The Usual Dinner - 16]]</div>(stop:)]
Instantly, my eyes went to the greasy stuff: (link-reveal: "burgers")[(link-reveal: ", sandwiches")[(link-reveal:", breakfast foods")[, everything sounded so delicious. God, this was going to be a difficult choice.]]]
There were really [[two routes->The Usual Dinner - 17]] here, as I saw it.The first was that I get some big, greasy, delicious burger with a [[mountain of french fries.->The Usual Dinner - 18]]The second was that I could try and find something healthy— the menu did have some salads. Of course, diner salads didn’t sound nearly as good as diner burgers, but it would probably be at least relatively [[healthier->The Usual Dinner - 19]] than that.…Or there was the third option of go back home, eat some yogurt, and [[go to bed.->The Usual Dinner - 20]](live: 2s)[<div class="fade-in">[[Nah.->The Usual Dinner - 21]]</div>(stop:)]I figured I should have some restraint and look at the salads. I’ve never had a diner salad before, surely they can’t be that bad.
There was one salad, in particular, that [[caught my eye.->The Usual Dinner - 22]](live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in">(link-reveal: "Chinese chicken salad.")[ It had been one that I had plenty of other places before. Some (link-reveal: "chicken,")[(link-reveal: " cabbage,")[(link-reveal: " carrots,")[ (link-reveal: "wonton strips,")[ dressing.]]]] This one was basically the same. Granted, it probably wasn’t the healthiest salad, maybe, considering there was some kind of peanut dressing and mostly cabbage as opposed to the dark, leafy greens I had heard were what you were supposed to eat. But, healthier than a burger, that was what [[mattered.->The Usual Dinner - 23]]</div>](stop:)](live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in">“Make up your mind, dear?” I heard the waitress say as she stepped over next to my table, smiling at me yet again.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[<div class="fade-in">“Chinese chicken salad, please.”</div>(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[<div class="fade-in">The waitress quirked an eyebrow, as if confused, but jotted down my order anyways.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 6s)[<div class="fade-in">“Can’t say I ever thought you’d order that. Eating light now?” she asked with a small laugh, finding it [[funny.->The Usual Dinner - 24]]</div>(stop:)]
Those comments always came. Mostly from my mother, but always about how my eating habits had started to turn. How I started to step on the scale. I told her how I just wanted to see, that I only wanted to lose a bit of weight, but she kept [[pushing it.->The Usual Dinner - 25]]
(live: 9s)[<div class="fade-in">''“Are you sure you’re full? You should eat more.”''</div>(stop:)]
(live: 10s)[<div class="fade-in">''“You don’t need to lose weight.”''</div>(stop:)]I hated it. And I couldn’t explain how I saw things, how my brain worked in this sense. I never ended up trying to explain it. Half of the time when I tried to explain things, my mother never got it, she wouldn’t get this either.
Hell, I knew I’d probably be hungry after this salad. I still got way too hungry for my own good, I always did ever since I started doing this. I had to resist ordering french fries with the salad. [[That’s how bad I am sometimes.->The Usual Dinner - 26]]I’ve had the fear that I might get too obsessed with it. With the focus of losing weight. I didn’t want to lose my love of food, the enjoyment I got from the act of eating, all just to lose weight. The thought of it was and is a struggle: what’s more important, a body I’m more comfortable with, that I’m happy with, or enjoying eating, and floating near a weight that wasn’t [[what I wanted.->The Usual Dinner - 27]]I was stirred from my thoughts, snapped back into the world as the waitress set the bowl in front of me.
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">“Hope you enjoy, dear. You should like it,” she said, smile still wide on her face, as she walked away, humming to herself. I thanked her quietly, looking at the salad in front of me for a few moments before picking up my fork and [[stabbing->The Usual Dinner - 28]] it into a bunch of greens and chicken, bringing it up to my mouth.</div>(stop:)]At this point, right as I was about to eat, I didn’t really want to think about this stuff. The very idea of thinking about a potential eating disorder kind of terrifies me. Thinking about what I potentially was doing just to feel more comfortable with my body, it freaked me out— [[freaks me out.->The Usual Dinner - 29]]I know I don’t have one, and it hasn’t been something I’ve ever really thought about, even in general, until lately. Part of it is avoiding it, not wanting to think about it because then it can’t be real. Then I [[can’t have one.->The Usual Dinner - 30]]Once again, I try and chase the thoughts from my head as I chew, simply trying to enjoy my dinner as opposed to frightening myself with my thoughts that tended to get more out of control than not.
I figure that losing weight safely, healthily, will be a long process. I figure for now, I should just try and not go too far, take my time, and hopefully I’ll be able to [[have that->The Usual Dinner - 31]] body I want some day.Also, the salad ''is'' pretty good.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]The head-baker hands me a tablet with a new recipe on it for Space Rock Cookies. I grew up eating these, and the recipe is fairly simple, but I know we're out of squash nuts. Actually, sugar seeds would be an easy substitute, and would be my go-to if I was making these for [[Melody|RecipeA]].{(if: $Unlock3a is true and $Unlock3b is true)[[[Space Rock Cookies|SRC]]](else:)[Space Rock Cookies]}
☆ //A {(if:$Unlock2a is true and $Unlock2b is true)[[[neo-vegan|nv]]](else:)[neo-vegan]} take on an old favourite// ☆
* 1/2 cup [[moon flower|mf]] paste
* 1^^1/2^^ cup {(if: $Unlock3a is true and $Unlock3b is true)[[[amber crystals|ac]]](else:)[amber crystals]}, ground
* 2 tsp {(if: $Unlock1a is true and $Unlock1b is true)[[[honey stem extract|hse]]](else:)[honey stem extract]}
* 6 tbsp {(if: $Unlock1a is true and $Unlock1b is true)[[[red lunar algae|rla]]](else:)[red lunar algae]}, mashed
* 2^^1/4^^ cups flour
* 1 tsp baking solids
* 1/2 {(if:$Unlock2a is true and $Unlock2b is true)[[[tsp|TeaSP]]](else:)[tsp]} salt
* 1^^1/2^^ cups of {(if:$Unlock2a is true and $Unlock2b is true)[[[sugar seeds|ss]]](else:)[sugar seeds]}
* 1^^1/2^^ cups of dehydrated fruit
* 1 pinch of nutritional powder
**Directions:**
- [[Combine|C]] crystals and moon flower paste in a large bowl
- Add algae and honey stem extract
- In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking solids, salt, and nutritional powder
- Slowly add dry ingredients to large bowl, and stir until no lumps remain
- Add dehydrated fruit
- Roll dough into two-inch balls and place on greased baking sheet
- Place cookies in solar oven for five minutes or until golden brown
This is the first thing I’ve ever gotten to grow.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(set: $Unlock1a to true)
I didn’t excel at languages when I was a student. Just science. But because most scientific careers rely on interplanetary relations, there is a mandatory language component in the certification process. So now, I’m a baker at this diner, which is food [[science]] if you think about it. Growing up, I always wanted to get off-world and see a solar garden in person. Now I’m working up to be head baker because that might mean controlling the menu and using my own recipes.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
I started modifying recipes even before I got the job here. Back in school I worked at the student food center, and I’d experiment with leftover food that I was supposed to throw out. You would not believe all the things you can do with anacardium root.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(set: $Unlock1b to true)This word can be offensive in the wrong context. Self-identified aliens are reclaiming the word for personal use.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(set: $Unlock3a to true)The first time we kissed, we were at the Earth History Biosphere. There was a holographic tropics exhibit on. I’d been researching chocolate so much that I wanted to show Melody where it came from. We wandered around an ancient dense wood until I found a cacao tree. Melody, being as tall as they are, reached up and touched a large holographic pod. It fell with a thud, which scared us both. And then they burst out laughing and it was a sound of such joy that my heart leapt and I couldn’t help but kiss them right then and there.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(set: $Unlock3b to true)I call them Amberdroids. One time, Melody and I snuck into the factory to watch them work. We were chased around by security but hid out behind a crate of packaged crystals. Melody stole a small package without me knowing. Later, when we were back at their place, they made me close my eyes and stick out my tongue. Sweetness. We fed each other crystals until we felt sick. After work, when I’m cleaning up, I often pocket a few to keep for special occasions.
{(if:$Unlock4b is true)[[[Back|RecipeFinal]]]
(else:)[[[Back|RecipeA]]]
(set: $Unlock4a to true)}
Actually, the mainstream has never helped me much. I can put my recipe mods out there myself. Well, most of them. Some of the ingredients I get from Melody aren’t for sale anywhere or at least not yet. Actually, a cookbook would be the perfect birthday present for them!
{(if:$Unlock4a is true)[[[Back|RecipeFinal]]]
(else:)[[[Back|RecipeA]]]
(set: $Unlock4b to true)}
[[Credits]]
//It's For Melody// is a story by <a href="http://twitter.com/OrbWitch">Jillian Wakarchuk</a>
Please tweet her if you liked the game and want more ecopunk outer space adventures in your life. #itsformelody
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]Melody is a plant biologist. They work on developing new kinds of plants that can provide better nutrients to small colonies. Not all moons have responded well to terraforming efforts, and solar gardens aren’t valued by a lot of communities (like mine). The diner gets some special ingredients, like dehydrated fruit, from the people Melody works with so that even a cookie can get someone most of their daily vitamins. Actually, a lot of folks like using sweets for nutrition because not everyone has historically been comfortable with genetically modified food, but based on my own very scientific research, cookies and the like are objectively delicious and non-scary.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(set: $Unlock2a to true)//Amsonia Lunaris// - A tall plant with fuzzy flowers. It thrives with small, intense bursts of sunlight, perfect for the orbit where I live, and it was engineered by my girlfriend. Well, girlfriend is an old word that isn’t really used anymore. Gender isn’t what it used to be, but Melody picked the title themself. They also gave me a [[seedling]] for my bedroom window!
When the flowers are blended with water, it creates a thick fat-rich paste with a “buttery” taste. I mean, I’ve never had butter, but that’s what Melody said.
[[Back|RecipeA]]An ancient egg substitute from what I’ve read. When our ancestors discovered water on certain planets, they also discovered lunar algae growing on rocks. It’s full of protein. When mashed it gets sticky and works great as a binding agent for baking.
[[Back|RecipeA]]
(Set: $Unlock2b to true)During their contract with our fruit supplier, Melody was stationed in my community for several months. They came in for pie almost every day (quality control, they said blinking several of their eyes in what I know now was a wink). After it became clear that they were going to be a regular, I started giving them the same ornate spoon every day (the diner cutlery selection is rather eclectic because it was started by a historian). When the contract was up, I, um, permanently borrowed that spoon, used a laser pen to make a hole, and turned it into a necklace for Melody.
I’ve never been [[kissed]] so hard in my whole life.
[[Back|RecipeA]] This recipe could be my head-baker application if I was braver. If I could show my boss how good my recipes mods are, then maybe I’d get a promotion, or fired. Who knows. We use so many non-vegan products here because the bulk prices are low, but a lot of the plant alternatives would be cheaper if we could [[mainstream]] their growth with...
Realistically, I can’t tell my boss any of this.
[[Back|RecipeA]] An upgraded take on the lifestyle favoured by many. Neo-Veganism advocates for all sentient life in the galaxy, and access to fresh, cruelty-free nutrition for all. While it is understood that resources can be limited, neo-vegan activists are trying to convince colony leadership to put more effort into ethically sourced protein and nutritional supplements. Some powerful beings have (finally!) publically adopted this lifestyle as a means to strengthen inter-species relations. There’s a lot of alien politics involved, but I mean, I’m dating an [[alien]], so I shouldn’t be eating them. Pretty easy choice if you ask me.
[[Back|RecipeA]] Amber crystals are a synthetic sweetener made by [[androids]].
[[Back|RecipeA]] Sugar Seeds are Melody’s favourite. I’m trying to find a cake recipe for their birthday but nothing seems good enough. I might modify the crater cake recipe I have if I can find transportation to 3045alpha for some chocolate. I’ve been saving up all year but working here doesn’t pay much.
[[Back|RecipeA]] The head chef introduced us when I was starting out as a baker here, because Melody had a contract with the fruit suppliers. Melody is not their real name. I can’t pronounce their real name yet but I practice every day. It’s a musical collision of sounds not native to my language or species, but they’ve been so patient with me as I try to learn. Melody picked up my [[language]] with ease because it’s commonly used to trade.
[[Back|RecipeA]] In the time it takes to bake a batch of cookies, I wash the bowls, and reset my workstation. I think about Melody and allow myself to feel a little sad. Missing someone all the time is too hard, so I do it in bursts.
I'll see them soon.
When the timer goes, I wash my hands, and start on [[another batch]].Space Rock Cookies
☆ //A neo-vegan take on an old favourite// ☆
* 1/2 cup moon flower paste
* 1^^1/2^^ cup amber crystals, ground
* 2 tsp honey stem extract
* 6 tbsp red lunar algae, mashed
* 2^^1/4^^ cups flour
* 1 tsp baking solids
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1^^1/2^^ cups of sugar seeds
* 1^^1/2^^ cups of dehydrated fruit
* 1 pinch of nutritional powder
**Directions:**
- Combine crystals and moon flower paste in a large bowl
- Add algae and honey stem extract
- In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking solids, salt, and nutritional powder
- Slowly add dry ingredients to large bowl, and stir until no lumps remain
- Add dehydrated fruit
- Roll dough into two-inch balls and place on greased baking sheet
- Place cookies in solar oven for [[five minutes|fm]] or until golden brown
//Grape, apple, orange, strawberry, kiwi, pineapple, peach, lychee, pear, watermelon, lemon, lime, and banana.//
If it's a fruit and it's sweet and it's in juice form, then I [[like->Juice Thief - 2]] it.Today feels like an [[prune juice->Juice Thief - 3.1]] kind of day.
No, wait, it's definitely a [[prune juice->Juice Thief - 3.2]] kind of day.(set: $juice to "apple")"You don't like this juice." he says. I'm baffled.
"An ''$juice'' juice for my little one." he orders. The waitress smiles and notes down his slight [[against->Juice Thief - 4]] me.(set: $juice to "orange")"You don't like this juice." he says. I'm baffled.
"An ''$juice'' juice for my little one." he orders. The waitress smiles and notes down his slight [[against->Juice Thief - 4]] me.He is my nemesis.(click-replace: "nemesis.")[<span class="fade-in">father.
But I try not to hold that last part [[against->Juice Thief - 5]] him.</span>]My father takes me to the diner across the road every Sunday morning. "To the church of hashbrowns and eggs!" he jokes. And so we go. Every Sunday morning we go to the diner.
Every Sunday morning my father transforms |ancestor>[from ancestor.]
{
(click-replace: ?ancestor)[<span class="fade-in">to adversary in less than a [[block.->Juice Thief - 6]]</span>]
}We go through the same [[routine->Juice Thief - 7]]. The same smiles, similar jokes, the same food order.We go through the same [[routine->Juice Thief - 8]]. The similar smiles, similar jokes, the same food order.We go through the same routine. The same smiles, similar jokes, the same food order and then the [[kibosh->Juice Thief - 9]] comes slamming down."What can I get you to drink?" she says.
"Prune juice, please." I say.
"You don't like that juice." he (link-reveal: "starts.")[<div class="fade-in">
"An ''$juice'' juice for my little one. But a prune juice for me." he [[ends-> Juice Thief - 11]].</div>]Now, don't get me wrong, I love ''$juice'' juice. I love all juices in fact (pretty sure I've made that clear). But the one that I have yet to sample is the juice of prunes. I'm not even sure what a prune really is, but I know that I want to sample its juices. Just a taste. I am so sure that I will enjoy it that I have devised a plan to take what is [[rightfully mine->Juice Thief - 12]].Whenever my father goes to pay the bill, I am given exactly 1 minute and 11 seconds to (steal? pocket?) stow away as many straws as my little hands can grab (about 8 per hand).
After the usual exchange, he leaves.
[[Time to Grab Straws->Juice Thief - 13]]{
(set: $counter to 71)
(set: $straws to 0)
(live: 1s)[
(set: $counter to it - 1)
(if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Juice Thief - 14b")]
(if: $straws >= 40)[(go-to: "Juice Thief - 14a")]
(replace: ?amount)[$counter]
]
}
|amount>[$counter]s until he returns!
Straws grabbed: |straws>[$straws]
(link-repeat: "Grab a straw")[(set:$straws to it + 1)(replace: ?straws)[$straws]]Dang it!
I'm going to have to try again [[next week->Juice Thief - 13]]Kait's //(famous)// Butternut Squash Recipe
//Best enjoyed in a blanket fort.//
[[Ingredients->Butternut Squash Recipe - 2]]Ingredients:
2 large (link-reveal:"butternut squash, about 4 1/2 pounds")[ or 4 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash]
2 medium onions
3 (link-reveal:"cloves garlic")[ (optional)]
3 tablespoons (link-reveal:"butter")[ or vegetable oil]
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
8 cups (link-reveal:"chicken broth")[ or vegetable broth for those not of the meat-eating persuasion]
(link-reveal:"To add warm spices:")[ Add a combination of 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, and/or black pepper along with the garlic.
//Spices are a guideline. More cinnamon is always a good thing.//]
[[Directions->Butternut Squash Recipe - 3]] Directions:
1. Halve (click-replace: "Halve")[Seed] (click-replace:"Seed")[Peel] (click-replace:"Peel")[and cube the butternutsquash.]
(live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">[[Set aside->Butternut Squash Recipe - 4]], for later use.</div>(stop:)]
2. Halve (click-replace: "Halve")[Peel] (click-replace:"Peel")[and chop the onion. (live: 5s)[<div class="fade-in">Mince the garlic, [[if you like.->Butternut Squash - 5]]</div>(stop:)]]
3. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the (link-reveal:"butter")[ or oil, //if you prefer, although you can't remember which one has less calories//] and the chopped onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook, (link-reveal:"stirring occasionally.")[ //Sometimes you just stir to feel like you're doing something, and always clockwise, and always making sure to scrap the entire bottom of the pot.//] Cook until the onion is soft. [[About 3 minutes.->Butternut Squash Recipe - 6]]4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. [[About 1 minute.->Butternut Squash Recipe - 7]]5. Add the squash, and the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a (link-reveal:"simmer.")[ You always forget what temperature it should be set to in order to simmer.] Cook until the squash is very tender.
[[About 20 minutes.->Butternut Squash Recipe - 8]]
8. Wait the 20 minutes. You try not to (link-reveal:"stir it.")[ You definitely stir it. A lot. You've been told this ruins the way the soup cooks, but you need to keep busy. This is the worst part of cooking. The waiting.]
(live: 15.5s)[<div class="fade-in">You stir it a little bit more.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 18s)[<div class="fade-in">Fuck.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 21s)[<div class="fade-in">You should just set a timer.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 24s)[<div class="fade-in">Fuck this.</div>(stop:)]
(live: 27s)[<div class="fade-in">You [[stir it->Butternut Squash Recipe - 9]], again.</div>(stop:)]9. This is dumb. Soup sucks. [[Who even likes soup?->Butternut Squash Recipe - 10]]10. After the 20 minutes, transfer small batches to a blender. //Hold a kitchen towel over the top (to prevent burns).// Whirl (click-replace:"Whirl")[Blend] (click-replace:"Blend")[Crush] (click-replace:"Crush")[Pulverize] until completely and utterly smooth. [[2 to 3 minutes per batch.->Butternut Squash Recipe - 11]]11. Return the soup to the pot. Add more (link-reveal:"salt")[ to taste.]
(live: 5s)[Enjoy.
<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]
Eleanor, the short order cook during the evening rush is an older woman. Short, stocky, vaguely Eastern European, and coiffed with a graying bun, Eleanor has a warm and generous nature.
Her food is the regular fare... soups, hamburgers, meatloaf, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and such... but prepared with such care, such respect, that it nourishes the soul as well as the body.
Diners often remark that Eleanor’s cooking feels like home, to which Eleanor replies,
"I try my best"
(click-replace: "\"I try my best\"")["I try mine breast" (Her English is sketchy but her Hungarian is [[great->Eleanor - 2]]).]Eleanor grew up in Alesd, a Transylvanian town that used to be in Hungary. Her parents ran a casual restaurant in the middle of the town. It was not elegant (there was a dirt floor and wooden tables without cloths). Yet, at her mother’s side, Eleanor learned to cook, to please the palate, to transform simple ingredients into the sublime. Cooking became her passion.
{ (click-replace: "Hungary")[Romania] (click-replace: "passion")[[[salvation->Eleanor - 3]]] }When a wealthy widower asked for Eleanor’s hand in marriage, she was thrilled. At the beginning, they had a good life together. She raised the children from his first marriage and with the birth of Clara, life became perfect.
(live: 5.5s)[<div class="fade-in">And then, the downslide [[began->Eleanor - 4]].</div>(stop:)]Business was bad and money became tight. Servants were let go. Properties were sold. And finally, Eleanor’s husband departed with his first two children for Israel in search of new business opportunities.
Eleanor followed shortly afterwards with Clara. The business opportunities did not materialize, and Eleanor was forced to clean homes in order to put food on the table for the starving children.
Her husband drowned his disappointment in alcohol, lurching home every night to beat Eleanor for being able to do what he [[could not->Eleanor - 5]].And then, the little boy, Clara’s half-brother, died of typhoid. Everyone was devastated, and her husband became even more drunkenly belligerent.
Finally, his relatives arranged for him to emigrate to the United States. He departed, taking with him the remaining child from his first marriage, leaving Eleanor and Clara to [[cope->Eleanor - 6]] on their own.When tickets arrived for Eleanor (and Clara) to join her husband in America, she was overjoyed, certain that this was the new start that would make everything good again.
Unfortunately, her husband was drunk when they arrived and the happy reunion never happened..
A short time later, Eleanor [[sued for divorce->Eleanor - 7]] and sole custody of Clara, both of which were granted by the courts.To make ends meet, Eleanor turned to the one thing that brought her joy, and could sustain them... cooking. Her first job was in a mountain hotel where she learned American cuisine.
Clara played in the kitchen, fed with scraps. She was often hungry but learned not to let anyone know.
Eleanor worked in different types of kitchens, and eventually earned enough money to open her own restaurant.
But times were tough, and although everyone loved her food, Eleanor could not make ends meet. [[The restaurant closed->Eleanor - 8]].Eleanor is now the short-order cook in the diner. She struggles, often denying herself to give Clara the best of everything.
Her daughter, she vows to herself, will have a better life. She makes sure that Clara sees her father regularly, although she will never set eyes on her former husband again.
She teaches Clara to cook by giving her a taste of what is cooking and asking her what seasoning is required.
Clara becomes a good cook in her own right, but never develops a passion for the process.
Every once in a while Eleanor makes a Hungarian dish.
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]“Table for one, please,” I say to the hostess at Imperial Crown, a well-known (link-reveal:"dim sum restaurant at the heart of downtown San Francisco.")[ For those of you who do not know what dim sum is, it is a style of Chinese food that originates from the Canton region of China. Dim sums are small bite-sized portions of food. They are served in small steamer baskets or on small plates; like Spanish tapas, if you will. Elder ladies will push carts with different types of dim sum around the restaurant, and all you have to do is point at what you want and the ladies will place the dish [[on your table.->Table for One - 2]]]After waiting for 30 minutes for a table, the hostess sits me down at a [[table for two-> Table for One - 3]] and places a pot of hot tea on my table with an attitude. Some of the tea spills out of the spout onto the once cream-coloured tablecloth that's now stained with red and brown sauces. Ah, the typical signs of a good dim sum restaurant — rude waitresses and table cloths that look like they've been used to wipe the back of a homeless person.From my table, I look around the room. I (link-reveal:"see")[ families, young and old, laughing and eating together. I see two elderly couple sipping on their teas while reading the newspaper.] It brings back memories for me. My partner of 53 years passed away two years ago. We have three kids and five grandchildren together. After my partner died, I felt so alone in their world. My kids stopped visiting me and I barely see my grandchildren anymore. My partner and I used to come to this dim sum restaurant every Sunday. Dim sum on Sundays was our own little tradition. Ever since she left me, I’ve been coming to this restaurant by myself in hopes of (link-reveal:"keeping our tradition alive")[ and thus, [[keeping her memories alive->Table for One - 4]].]
(set: $hargow to false)
(set: $cheongfun to false)
(set: $chickenfeet to false)
(set: $eggtarts to false)I get comfortable at my table and I start zooming in on the ladies with the carts. Perfect! I see a lady pushing the cart straight towardme. I wave at her.
(if: $hargow is true)[I've already had har gow.] (unless: $hargow is true)[[[Ask her what she's offering.->Table for One - 5a]]]
(if: $chickenfeet is true)[I've already had chickenfeet.] (unless: $chickenfeet is true)[[[Wait for another cart->Table for One - 5b]]]
(if: $cheongfun is true)[I've already had cheong fun.] (unless: $cheongfun is true)[[[Or a different cart?->Table for One - 5c]]]
(if: $eggtarts is true)[I've already had egg tarts.] (unless: $eggtarts is true)[[[Or another one?->Table for One - 5d]]]
(if: $eggtarts and $chickenfeet and $cheongfun)[[[Check, please.->Table for One - 6]]]On her cart, there are stacks upon stacks of steamer baskets, all filled with goodies. Before she even lifts open one of the lids, I could already smell the savoury aroma, filling my nostrils with a warm mix of sweet soy sauce. The lady lifts open the steamer lid and I see four little dumplings, shaped like dice. I knew immediately that she was offering (link-reveal:"shu mai")[, a steamed pork dumpling with an egg-wrapper.]
She opens another steamer basket and reveals four plump-looking white dumplings, with an opaque skin and a rose-coloured filling. Those are called (link-reveal:"har gow")[, little shrimp dumplings with the skin made out of tapioca flour.] The lady looks at me impatiently and yells, [[“What you want?”->Table for One - 5ab]]
I point to the baskets and signal that I would like one of each. She haphazardly places the baskets on my table, fills in my order card, and pushes her cart away to another table. I take a shu mai and put it my salivating mouth. Without chewing, I could already taste the savoury meat filling. I could taste a hint of ginger and soy sauce. When I bite down, I bite through the contrasting texture of the firm ground pork and the soft egg-y wrapper. The meaty flavours fill my mouth with delight. I swallow the last bit of the shu mai and I move onto the har gow. I carefully pick up a har gow with my chopsticks and my chopsticks sinks into springy wrapper like a body falling into a soft and warm bed after a long day. I place the dumpling into mouth and my teeth sinks into the chewy and springy dough, revealing a mixture of shrimp inside of the dumpling. The shrimp is fresh and salty. I can taste the freshness and bounciness of the shrimp. Har gow was my partner’s favourite dish. We would order this dish every time. As I finish the last bite, I remember how her eyes would gleam with joy when she saw the cart with these tasty little morsels.
[[Look for more food.->Table for One - 4]]
(set: $hargow to true)Out of the corner of my eye, I see another lady pushing a cart towards me. Like the last one, this cart is full of steamer baskets. Excited to see what yummy surprise I will see once the lids are lifted, the lady lifts open a lid and a blow of steam envelopes my face, like I was sitting in a luxurious steam room. I immediately see claws. Wait, no; fingers! I see one, two, three, four fingers staring at me! What are they, you might ask. They are chicken feet. They are deep fried and then coated in a sweet and savoury sauce, and then steamed. The feet are tender and juicy. This is my favourite item to order at dim sum. You can judge the quality of a dim sum restaurant by how well they prepare their chicken feet. I order a basket and I put a feet into my mouth. I suck on the digits and the soft cartilage around each joint falls apart and I slurp down skin and tendons around the bones. I spit out the bare bones on my napkin. My mouth is sticky from the collagen in the chicken feet. I use a napkin and wipe away stickiness. My teeth aren’t as strong as they used to be. It takes me a while to gnaw though the cartilage now. I probably look very clumsy while I’m eating and spitting out the bones. But I don’t care. I used to be self-conscious whenever I ate chicken feet. I was afraid of people judging me when I spit out tiny bones onto the napkin. My partner taught me to not pay attention to what other people think. Eating is an enjoyment and no one should take that enjoyment from you.
[[Look for another cart?->Table for One - 4]]
(set: $chickenfeet to true)(live: 2s)[<div class="fade-in">A short awhile after, the cart I want comes by. I order steamed rice noodles called cheong fun. They are made out of tapioca flour and steamed, producing a translucent-looking sheet of thin paper, which is then rolled into a log. The rice noodles I ordered are filled with shrimp, similar to the shrimp found in the har gow filling. I take a rice-noodle roll and I put it in my mouth. The velvety rice-noodle roll melts in my mouth and slither down my throat. A drop of soy sauce dribbles down the corner of my mouth and I use my tongue to catch it. I wouldn't want to waste a single droplet of this delicious creation.
[[Look for another cart.->Table for One - 4]]</div>(stop:)]
(set: $cheongfun to true)(live: 2s)[<div class="fade-in">After a few carts pass by, I see a cart with a tray of egg tarts on the bottom. This will be my dessert, the grand finale to my dim sum brunch. I ask for an order. The tarts are still warm. As I hold a tart to my mouth, the warmness of the tart seeps into my fingers and the sweet custard filling jiggles. The flaky pastry falls apart in my hand as I take a bite. The buttery pastry crumbles in my mouth and the rich and velvety egg custard coats my mouth like a luxurious paint. The hint of saltiness of the crust balances well with the sweet filling. It brings out the natural flavours of the sugar in the custard.
[[Wait for another cart?->Table for One - 4]]</div>(stop:)]
(set: $eggtarts to true)As I polish off the last egg tart, (click-replace:"egg tart")[har gow] (click-replace:"har gow")[chicken feet] (click-replace:"chicken feet")[cheong fun] (click-replace:"cheong fun")[egg tart] I sit back and I look around the room again. I feel so lonely amongst all these happy families in this room. All of a sudden, I hear familiar voices yell, “grandpapa, grandpapa!” I turn my head and I see my grandkids that I haven’t seen in months. They come running down the restaurant and they embrace into my stretched out arms. Behind them, I see my three kids and their significant others. I couldn’t believe it! My kids and grandkids are here! When my kids approached me, I asked them what they are doing here. My eldest said, “Dad, we know that you and mom used to come to this restaurant every Sunday. Now that she’s gone, we don’t want you to eat alone. We’re sorry that we haven’t seen you in a while. We promise that we will eat dim sum with you every Sunday from now on, as a family.” Tears came to my eyes when I heard this. That’s all I’ve ever wanted — I want to eat with my family and share these foods with my family. That’s what dim sum is. Dim sum is meant to be shared with friends and family. It brings people closer and it makes us appreciate our loved ones. That’s what food is about. Through the sharing of food, we can all unite. I smiled to myself as I realized that from now on, I will never have to say, “Table for one, please.”
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]Great success!
During the time between school and The Church of Hashbrowns and Eggs was my prep time. I would take the straws and fasten them together by fitting one inside the other. Making sure that the bendy bits connected to the straight bits. I had created a collapsible spile that would be used to tap my father's prune juice [[glass->Juice Thief - 15]]."Something on your mind, kiddo?" he asks, snapping me back into the present.
"Nope. Just thinking about juice." His juice.
He spots me eying his glass and gives me an arched [[eyebrow->Juice Thief - 16]]."Well ok then. Are you full? We'd better get this show on the road if we're going to make it to your piano lessons in time."
"Yep! Full as can be!" Get out of here so I can steal your [[juice->Juice Thief - 17]]!"Alright. I'm going to go pay then. Stay put."
I nod and give him a thumbs up. He smiles, gets up, and starts to make his way over to pay for our food.
1 minute and 11 seconds.
[[Time to shine->Juice Thief - 18]].I unfurl the spile from inside my pants' pocket, directing it toward its goal. Longer and longer and longer it goes.
1 minute and 20 seconds.
(link-reveal: "keep going")[<div class="fade-in">
The spile continues its journey.
1 minute and 5 seconds.</div>
(link-reveal: "KEEP GOING!")[<div class="fade-in">
It's becoming cumbersome.
1 minute left.
[[Almost there!->Juice Thief - 19]]</div>
]]A short straw snags on my pants and loosens itself from the rest. It'll have to do. All battles have their losses. I dip the straw into the glass of purple juice and begin moving the straw towards me. It's too short though. I hate being 8. I move my body towards the straw, climbing up onto my knees and leaning across the table to [[drink.->Juice Thief - 20]]30 seconds.
I start to draw air from the straw. I can see purple victory filling its lungs. Soon to fill my [[stomach.->Juice Thief - 21]]15 seconds.
I feel the juice's cold making it's way past my lips. It's bliss. It's a triumph over my ancestor. It's... gross?
"Euuuuuuugh!" I fall back into my seat. Back into my role. Back into my father's [[law.->Juice Thief - 22]]0 seconds.
"Hey kiddo, whatcha getting up to over here? Looks like quite the mission." He knows what I've done. He knows why I did it. But he wants to hear me say it all.
"...I wanted the juice. I wanted to try it!" I admit.
"My little juice thief. All you had to do was ask." he smiles. He always smiles when he wants to make me feel better.
"It's gross." I admit.
"And that's why I never let you order it. Next time, I'll let you order prune juice if you want." he smiles [[more.->Juice Thief - 23]]"...I'll stick with grape".
(live: 1s)[<div class="fade-in"><h4 class="ending-title" title="Back to menu">[[What else can I get you?->Menu]]</h4></div>(stop:)]It had come out of nowhere. The two of you had come back from
breakfast on an early Saturday morning, to watch a movie in your
apartment. It was about thirty minutes in and they turned to you
and just said that.
“I know we’ve been dating for months now— I know we were best
friends. I just… you know, this isn’t working.”
You just couldn’t understand. Everything had been absolutely
perfect! There was nothing wrong!
You didn’t want to [[believe->The Usual - 10b]] it.“We can always, you know… maybe work on being friends, in a few
months? This really isn’t working out right now.”
You’re still not sure if anything has hurt that much.
“You’re a good person, don’t get me wrong. Like I said, this
isn’t working. I don’t think it’ll work.”
How did things get to this? You didn’t know. In a way,
everything still felt unreal. Like some bizarre dream, or to be
more accurate, an awful nightmare, that you were bound to wake
up from at [[any moment.->The Usual - 11]]Finally, work was over, and I could [[leave.->The Usual Dinner - 2]]