Chapter Four
She had sounded confident he would be invited to fill the position, recalling her exact words “Your check will be cut on Hailiespend Financial Bankcorp, I suggest you open a savings account with your first check’. Julius could not recall the last time he felt such hope or confidence about a job opportunity. If he began working in the next three to four days, his meager purse will be more than adequate to tide him over to his first check. He was very reluctant to shift his thoughts to the moment. But as the bright midday sun showered his face with warmth mixed with damp breeze, he forced his thoughts unto the task at hand. As he approached the transit stop he began fishing for his wallet for the fare.
He decided to take the tube home. He needed to begin finding new experiences to remind him he is away from known settings, friends and family, to deflate the impending feeling of loneliness and adapt and enjoy his new home. Since this is indeed a unique city, and one of it is sitting comfortably in a pressurized container underneath the earth, insulated from dust, noise and everything else and moving faster than many sports cars. The feeling he got from riding the tube never dulled each time he got onto the tube. Julius walked rapidly down the steps to the tube station, stopping at the ticket gate to buy his ticket and on time to see or feel the gust of air and the stormy wind busting out of the tunnel as the train approached and the passengers got up from their seats forming a queue in position for the approaching train.
Gradually the trains passengers got out and the train pulled up again as it’s doors closed. Moving slowly at first, almost reluctantly, then in a gust of speed it lept forward, it’s inhabitants were thrown into their seats and those on their feet thrown forward and into the walls as they tightened their hold on the overhead railing and the train station disappeared in an instant.
It was a little after 2p.m when he slumped into his sofa in his hotel room. He kicked off his shoes and layed flat on his bed for a very long time, closing his eyes and not sleeping, he was rested when he got out of bed 20 minutes afterwards.
Julius looked at the watch on the kitchen wall, it said 2.35pm, his shift had come to an end. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, taking a moment to exhale and after a brief glance around the kitchen he headed to the crew leaders room and knocked, a voice responded immediately “come in’, and Julius pushed the door open, ‘You wanted to speak with me Daisy? Daisy the location supervisor looked up and said “yes Julius please come’, waving him to a seat at the desk, ‘we did not finish our discussion last week’. Julius looked puzzled, “I want to know how you are adjusting to your work, I know you have done very well in the last few weeks, but do you feel pressured?
Julius now feeling a little relieved said ‘if by pressured you mean do I feel I am taking o too much, too quickly? The answer is No. I feel comfortable with my work and the things I have leant so far’. ‘Good’, said Daisy, ‘my manager may have more responsibilities for you very soon. He and I believe that you have many great qualities we look for in crew leaders and you should expect news in that direction pretty soon, what do you think?
Julius, a trace of a smile forming around his lips said ‘I am glad you and Winsted noticed some value in my work, I will be excited and ready to take on more responsibility’. Daisy smiled and added “I am also happy for you, that things are working out here’. “I hope you have no complaints at your apartment? No, said Julius, “I am very comfortable with both the place and the location’. “I cannot thank you enough, the place was just what I needed’. Daisy smiled and said ‘wonderful, I hope you enjoy your evening’. ‘Thanks’, said Julius who turned to leave and saw a video volume on the shelf behind Daisy’s desk, ‘do you like theartre?
He asked, ‘Yeah, said Daisy hesitantly, and followed Julius’s gaze to the shelve, “Oh that’, she said, ‘The Twelfth Night, is a rental from the steelworker video store, I love theater, and as you saw last month I love music, you could say I have a passion for the arts’. Julius said “that I guess is something we share in common, I love everything about the arts, and one of my wish is to see every play by Shakespeare’. “Yes, absolutely the arts adds so much to us’. Said Daisy. “Good night, said Julius as he closed the door behind him.
He headed to his crew locker and changed into his own clothes stuffing the uniform into his backpack. In his mind he had found the perfect thank you gift for Daisy, William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, on Disk. A smile of satisfaction filled his face as he walked out into the warm afternoon sun.
Close to the end of the third month at Caterers Unlimited, Julius’s roster included an additional duty. He was to, in addition to his regular duties to shadow his supervisor. And for the next two weeks he learnt almost every detail of store supervision, from assuming crew leadership in the morning to making sure minor maintenance requirements are logged and that scheduled maintenance during the week was satisfactory. He saw and noted issues from crew absence and how to shuffle crew members, to maintaining a clean, efficient and calm restaurant floor.
Asking relevant questions and making notes on his ever-handy clipboard whenever possible. In the third week of supervisor shadow training his badge was altered to allow an all-access pass he got introduction crew leader desk. And then he had access to all areas of the Aldrich location of “Caterers Unlimited”. The following month, the fourth month he was handed a crew sheet with the words “crew leader” in bold letters.
Julius was getting really good at his Caterers Unlimited job, and in the last months had become to him “like a puzzle that a child vowed to know and master”, in his first month as a dishwasher had earned him the respect of his fellow crew members, not only because a clean utensil was always available, but after his shift the resuming crew lead always found his dishes clean and orderly stacked. He had a record of less breakages in the entire district. Within three weeks he had developed a technique for cleaning dishes that allowed him to complete his task along with the end of shift cleaning crew, so that he always assisted in smooth shift transition all the time.
The dishwashing machine could always be depended upon to wash tiny items like coffee and tea cups, cutleries and other miscellaneous items, but even then his desire to do well gave him such zeal that his supervisor was thoroughly impressed.
During the fourth week his roster included in addition to dish-washing and restaurant cleaning, to join the kitchen crew, and in the seventh week he was required to attend a four day classroom training followed by a four day on the job training all during his regular shift hours so he received his regular pay.
He was to arrive at work and be transported in company bus all four days of the classroom training. His training scheduled included: Kitchen Hygiene, Use of Kitchen Equipment, Basics of Baking and Techniques, Fundamentals of Cooking, Stages of Food Preparation, Temperatures, Chemical properties of Food Ingredients, Food Classes, Eggs, Sauces, Meats, Application of food components to Menu Creation, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Cocktails and Beverages, Restaurant Supervision, Business Law, Patents, Branding and Branding Infringements, Employee Relations and Labor Law.
Julius’s workload increased within the last two weeks to about 50hrs per week and his crew member duties shrank by about 15% . and as he trained to lead his shift, he got a chance to fill in for anyone who did not show up or who got overloaded with work. As he worked with fellow crew members he became an acquaintance and it gradually became normal to respond to his directions, to receive bulletins from him and to trust his resolution to any issues arising during their shift. His additional income resulted in almost 100 extra pounds in the following month. It was not quite enough to do anything extra with, so he decided to open a savings account specifically for such leftovers.
It was about 6.30am, when Julius pushed open the doors at Caterers Unlimited. He arrived 30 minutes early for his shift, it was necessary to have extra time as shift crew lead to make sure that the restaurant was ready for the first shift starting at 7am. He went first to the locker room and changed into the restaurants uniform, then looked into the manager’s office, Siscurd the night crew lead was pouring over some paperwork, time sheets, food delivery logs, kitchen storage audit, work list and individual assignments, he looked up as Julius stepped into the office, “You seem busy, what do you have for me?
Siscurd stretched his arms sideways and upwards, massaged his eyes and squinted, “I am not busy at the moment, It was a very busy night, I had 10% spike in sales, compared to last week’, a slight wrinkle appeared on Julius’s forehead, “What’s new? “Midweek game’ “said Siscurd, folks didn’t go home after the game, the game ended about 10.30 pm”. Julius thought for a second, “do we need to restock to make up for the additional sales? “we do, but we have deliveries today, said Siscurd, I am making an adjustment to the requisition going out today so we will have the make-up stock in a week”, concluded Siscurd. “So there should be no further surprises, anything else?
Did anyone call in absent? :No”, said Siscurd “No you should have nothing to worry about on your shift”. “Great”, said Julius as he picked up his crew leader packet, prepared by the exiting crew lead, at the end of every shift including shift roster and changes, reminders, safety issues, alerts from the manager’s office, Menu Changes, maintenance and repair appointments, expected deliveries, new and expiring special menu announcements.
Julius flipped through his list and saw all the expected items, “Okay, very good”, I will get to it then”. Siscurd raised his hand in a wave to say Okay and added “I will let you know when I leave”. Julius had 20 minutes before his shift started, but the supervisors agreed it was a good habit to ensure a seamless shift transfer for the exiting crew and the resuming crew lead to be in the restaurant and actively at work together a few minutes before shifts end and beginning, so that there is no discernible changes especially was this required during peak and busy seasons.
He began by a quick inspection of the freezers, the storage shelf’s, then the kitchen, the restaurant, then he struck his head into the restrooms, the ladies first, asking anyone in there? And the men’s restroom, then a quick inspection and back to the kitchen, as the clock struck seven and the night crew left. The smell of fresh coffee filled the restaurant as morning customers made their way through the restaurant. The first order of breakfast began arriving at the kitchen as waffles, omelets, pancakes, coffees, scones, muffins and assorted fruit bowls made their way to the dining area and the morning shift went into full swing.
Julius picked up the phone after the second jarring sound, this is Julius he said into the phone cradle. “Hello Julius’, said Estella, “I am sorry I have not returned your calls, I have been very busy’, are you okay? “Yes’, Julius hesitated, ‘I know you have been busy, when is your term exams over? ‘In a few days’, “Do you like your new place? “Yes I can now furnish my own space as I wish, are you coming to see it? Estella hesitated and said, “I would love to, oh I almost forgot, my uncle is visiting Liverpool this weekend’, “Oh great, do I know him?
“You probably do, he works for Nugueriol Petrochemical’s, he is based in France, he will be in Liverpool for a week. He has asked me to come see him, I will be gone for the weekend, and I will be back on Tuesday, “Call me when you return? asked Julius, “Yes, of course’, said Estella
Julius walked hand in his coat pocket without any meaningful knowledge of people milling around or the slight drizzle that was beginning to descend. He was engaging in one of London’s favorite pastimes, window shopping. He had walked about a block, he enjoyed the vibrant colors, the exquisite tasteful displays as he slowly made his way through crassburry street he saw a cute gift shop tucked between a jeweler and a shoe store, he turned around and stepped into the store.
Its welcome bell jingled a unique sound that sounded like a phone message, it jingled twice as the door closed. Julius looked around until he came to a candy shelf, the extensive selection, included dark, white, creamy, sweet, tart, hard and soft. In the form of squares, oblong, round, rolls, flat, spiced, mint, all delicately arranged in the it’s section. Julius picked out a box of hearts, an assortment of chocolate, white, dark, and milk centered, then headed to the greeting card section, he found a rectangular shaped card with black and gold edge. It said “If the minutes in my day represented my friends, the hours would be you! he went to the cashier, paid and left.
It had been eight months since Julius stepped off the boat, yet it seemed as though it was yesterday, they were getting close to the end of fall and along with the changing landscape came boredom, anxiety and restlessness. Julius had a goal, and he did not see any real route to achieving it. He had painted many images in his mind, all had the same outcome, he would be in that job he was fortunate to have and perhaps he would become supervisor and he would settle inn, and gradually he would lose sight of time. He picked up the brochure he received from Estella and flipped it through it. The cost of the tuition was not within his reach.
He closed his eyes and laid back on the head rest . His thoughts flowed easily. He was in this undisturbed position, motionless as though he would never move. Then he opened his eyes a slight smile was quickly replaced by a blank look of concern, he looked at his watch, the evening papers should be out. Without hesitation he picked up his house keys and went into the cold busy street.
