The Training Season

A girl runs out of a restaurant crying. She is dressed as a chef. There is an elderly lady at the side, but she does not notice.

Elderly lady (Rose): Oh dear, are you okay?

Grace: (Turns and sees the woman) I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there.

Rose: That’s okay. Why are you crying?

Grace: I apologise. This is so embarrassing. I’m just having a really bad day.

Rose: One of those hard days at work, heh! I hope you feel better, and that your day ends well.

Grace: (Muddled speech) Ha! I won’t hold my breath on that. My boss is making my life a living hell. I do all the work, including his, but I’m never appreciated and yet he talks down on me as if I’m nothing.

Rose: I’m so sorry to hear that. That doesn’t sound like a healthy work environment. Maybe you should try talking to him. Tell him how you feel.

Grace: (sighs) As if he’s going to listen. I’ve tried that several times already. I’m really sorry, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I don’t know you.

Rose: Sometimes, it’s easier to talk to a stranger. Anyway, I wish you the best. Use your head and follow your heart.

Grace: Thanks a lot! Okay, I’ll go back in now. (Returns to the restaurant)

A voice is heard yelling at someone in the Kitchen. The atmosphere is tense.

Peter: (To Grace in a loud voice) What are you doing? You are so slow. I don’t even know why I still have you here. You are completely useless. 

The other cooks and servers look at Grace with pity and at Peter with scorn…

Grace: (Trying to cook fast) I’m doing my best here, you know.

Peter: Well, your best is not enough.

Grace: Standing there and shouting is not very helpful. You are distracting everyone. Why don’t you help instead?

Peter: Why on earth will I do that? That’s what I pay you all here for. So, do your jobs properly. (Storms out of the kitchen)

The other staff start murmuring

Cook 1: Grace, honestly, I don’t understand why you keep taking this from Peter. I can’t! He knows his limits.

Grace: Guys, come on. He’s just stressed. Let’s just concentrate on serving our customers.

Server 1: We have. There’s no new order yet. You’ve done a perfect job already and all the customers absolutely love their meals. Many sent compliments to the chef.

Cook 2: You are such a talented Chef, Grace. I’ve learnt a lot from you. It’s unfortunate that Peter doesn’t see what everyone else sees in you.

Server 2: And to think that you do almost all the management and kitchen duties as well. Yet he treats you like trash.

Cook 1: Grace, many of us are still in this restaurant because of you and you are the reason this place is still open. (The others nod in agreement)

Grace: Thanks a lot, guys. It’s nice to hear you say that. Hopefully, Peter realises that as well.

Server 2: (Scoffs) He should have if he were capable of doing so.

It’s the end of the night, everyone has left, except Grace and another staff member (Server 1) who are about to leave. They surprisingly run into Peter coming in. He has a pile of papers in his hands.

Peter: (To Grace) Where do you think you are going to? I have some work I need you to do before you go home.

Grace: But so late and I’m exhausted.

Peter: Oh, that’s bad for you because I need these sorted by tomorrow morning. (Places the pack of files into Grace’s hands) You better get to work if you intend on getting home tonight or you’ll have to sign this. (Presents a paper. On it is written Termination of Employment. Grace reluctantly takes the files, sits, and starts sorting them).

Peter: Good choice. (Walks away).

Server 1: Grace, why are you taking all these from this man? I don’t understand. (Sits on a chair next to Grace. Grace looks distraught, her eyes are teary. She wipes them off).

Grace: I enjoy working here.

Server 1: No, no, you don’t. Nobody does.

Grace: Well, it’s just that I have so many memories connected to this place.

Server 1: What kind of memories are so important to keep you living a life like this? You are so good at what you do. I’m sure there’s better out there for you. If I were half as good as you, I’d have left a long time ago.

Grace: (In-between tears) Thank you, but it’s not that simple. It’s just that… Well, it’s my Mum. This place reminds me so much of her. I see her every time I’m here and feel as though she is with me. I feel safe and happy when I feel she’s with me. You see, she used to bring me here all the time when she was…before she passed away. Away from home, we spent most of our time here together. She worked here as a chef and so I was here all the time and even when we went out on her days off, I still asked her most of the time if we could come here. I literally grew up in this place. We moved into a new house, but it wasn’t long till she passed. I barely created any memories with her there. The old house has been demolished and a shop built there. So, this is the only place I have the most memories of my Mum. I was excited when I finished culinary school, perfecting my cooking skills. I wanted to be just as good a chef as her. I applied to work here immediately after I graduated. It’s been seven years now, but it feels like yesterday.

Server 1: Oh, Grace. I’m so sorry to hear about your Mum.

Grace: I am too. It has not always been like this, you know. Peter was really great when I started working here. He was this really sweet guy. He gave me and all the other staff compliments, and bonuses, whenever the restaurant did well. I practically managed the kitchen and entire restaurant like I do now, and he was ever so grateful. I don’t know what suddenly happened. Bonuses were no more, compliments reduced and slowly turned into scolds and complaints. It’s been really hard these last few years and it appears to be getting harder to work here by the day. I think he noticed my emotional attachment to this place and decided to take advantage of it the wrong way because he knows I won’t want to leave. He might be right, you know. I really still want to be here. I feel like leaving this place is letting down Mum and leaving her behind.

Server 1: Oh, no. I don’t think so. You are a great success, and I am positive that you have turned out to be just as brilliant a cook as your mum. And I’m sure that she is so proud of the lady you’ve become. (Grace is sobbing, her face buried in her palms) Listen to me. If your Mum were here and sees you being treated like this despite all the potential you have and all you’ve sacrificed for this place to be what it is, would she be pleased?

Grace: (Shaking her head) No, she won’t. She always asked me to do what is right but not let others minimise or use me. I guess I’d forgotten that.

Server 1: Listen, Grace. You have the potential to run your own restaurant. You’ve acquired all the skills you need to do so. You just have to believe in yourself and do what is right for you. Do what your mum would want you to do. If you don’t try, you’ll never know. (Grace looks at her and nods) Okay. I have to go now. See You tomorrow.

Grace remains behind till late at night doing all the work Peter had assigned to her. She ends up going home very late and sleeping for just a couple of hours and returns to work feeling exhausted and ill.

Morning, in the restaurant. Grace walks into the kitchen. She doesn’t look well.

Cook 2: Grace, are you okay? You look like you didn’t get any sleep.

Grace: No, not really. I’m just tired and I have a really bad headache. But it’ll go.

Cook 2: Oh dear, sorry! Have You taken any meds or called your GP? You really don’t look good.

Grace: No, neither. I think I can manage, and Peter will not be pleased if he doesn’t meet me here. You know how he is.

Cook 1: Don’t worry about Peter. We’ll explain to him that you are not feeling well. You need to go home and have some rest.

Server 1: Speaking of the devil, here he comes.

Peter: (In a loud voice) What are you all standing idling about here? I don’t pay you to stand and do nothing. Get back to work! (They all leave and return to their duties) Grace, why don’t you have your uniform on yet?  And why are you still with your bag?

Grace: I’m Sorry, I don’t feel so good today. Can I take the day off, please?

Peter: Take the day off? Definitely not! Is it your usual day off? And who will do your work here?

Grace: The others said they will be okay with managing the restaurant today. And I had to stay up all night trying to complete the bulk of work you gave me. I didn’t get any sleep and I have a banging headache.

Peter: Well, I don’t care. That’s not my problem, is it? You better get to work.

Grace: I’m sorry, Peter. I can’t work today, I thought I could, but I can’t. I really don’t feel well.

Peter: Grace, I’ll say it one last time. Go to that kitchen, get dressed, and get to work or else… (Brings out the dismissal paper and shows her. Grace looks at it, and then at Peter. She turns to go into the kitchen and locks eyes with the rest of the staff. Their expressions seem to say, ‘don’t take this from him anymore’).

Peter: (Believing she was returning to the kitchen) I thought as much (turns and is about to leave).

Grace: (Turning back towards Peter) You know what? I’ve taken enough from you. I can’t keep letting you treat me like rubbish. I’ve worked here for years, and I’ve been faithful. I’ve done all my work and yours and I’ve never complained. Yet you never acknowledge my efforts, nor anyone else’s. You don’t need to fire me because I quit.

Peter: (Laughs hysterically) Look at who is talking. You’ve been watching a lot of movies. You are nothing without me. I’ve made you. Well, because I’m a really nice person, I’ll pretend you never said all that and this conversation never happened. Now, run along and get back to work.

Grace: No! You are not going to change. I’m not letting you destroy my life anymore. This restaurant is successful because of me. I’ll go out there and start my own business and I’ll be a great success.

Peter: (Chuckles) You? Start a business? Please don’t make me laugh. You will never be successful without me. And when you fail, don’t come running back to me.

Grace: I will be successful, just wait and see.

Grace storms out of the restaurant. She starts working hard to open her own restaurant. She runs out of the little money she has, and things seem to be a lot more difficult than she had imagined. She has difficulties getting a loan and finding potential investors. After several applications and rejections, she begins to feel downcast, but her mother’s memory encourages her. One day while returning from an office, where she had just received yet another rejection, Grace was low-spirited. Walking with her head down, she accidentally bumps into someone on the road.

Grace: Oh! I’m so sorry, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t intend to… (Raises her head and recognises the face) Hey, I know you… You were the lady standing outside the restaurant the other day.

Rose: Oh, Hi. Yes, that was me. How have you been and is work a lot better?

Grace: No. I had to resign. I couldn’t continue working there. It didn’t get better.

Rose: I’m so sorry to hear that. So, what are you doing now? Where do you work?

Grace: I don’t have a job yet. I’m actually trying to start my own restaurant, but I’m facing a few difficulties. I’m short of money and I’m finding it difficult to get someone to invest in it. So, …

Rose: You know, I think I know someone who can help you out. He has a panel of investors who listen to people pitch their ideas and products and they invest in those they like. Here, (hands Grace a card) that’s his card, call him.

Grace: Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.

Rose: You are welcome, and I wish you the best.

Rose leaves and Grace takes her phone and calls the number immediately. She is asked to get ready to pitch her idea and a sample of any of her dishes the next day. Grace is excited. The next day, the investors are extremely pleased with her plans and skills. One offers to cover the entire start-up budget for just 5% of the shares. Grace is ecstatic and accepts. She sets up her restaurant and it begins to do really well and expands into several other branches. Meanwhile, Peter’s restaurant starts crumbling. The other staff get fed up and quit. Peter is equally unable to manage the restaurant nor kitchen as well as Grace had done. It finally crumbles completely and a new company, called ‘Graceful Satisfaction’ buys it. One day, Peter goes into a branch of the restaurant company that bought his former restaurant. He orders and enjoys the delicious food. A lady dressed as a chef is walking around ensuring all the customers are satisfied and happy with their meals. She walks over to Peter’s table.

Grace: Hello, Sir. I hope you are enjoying your meal.

Peter: Yes, I am. You cook really well. I… (raises his head and they recognise each other) Oh! (sighs) Grace.

Grace: Hello, Peter.

Peter: (Chuckles) So, what are you doing here? I thought you wanted to start your own restaurant. I told you that you will never succeed without me because you are nothing. I made you.

Grace: It’s interesting to see that you have not changed. Well, I hope you enjoy your meal. (Turns to leave).

Peter: You will lose everything. I’ll make sure I’ll speak to your manager to fire you. You will never be successful.

Grace: (Turns back to Peter) Oh, I see. Well, since you are asking for it, let me make you understand something you do not know. I never needed you then and I don’t need you now, because you know what? I am already Successful. (One of the servers comes over to see if the customer or Grace needs anything).

Server: Grace, is everything okay? Is there anything you’d like me to get?

Grace: No, all is good, thank you. You can…

Peter: Well, when I’m done with you, all won’t be good. (Turns to the server) Where is your manager? I need to report this rude chef. She deserves to get fired.

Server: Uhm… I don’t think the manager can do that.

Peter: What! Why not?

Server: Sir, Grace is the CEO of Graceful Satisfaction Chain Restaurant.

Peter: What!? (Stammering) But I thought… I don’t understand.

Grace: (To server) It’s okay, thank you. I’ll handle this. (Server leaves. Grace turns to Peter) You see, all those many years I spent working like a slave with minimum pay and showers of insults and unappreciation, God was training me. I didn’t understand then, but I do now. All I went through was a season God was training and preparing me for this better phase of my life. When I left your restaurant, I was able to start my own chain restaurant. It wasn’t easy, but God has blessed me mightily. So, you see, treat others who work for you rightly, because you never know what tomorrow holds. They might just end up being CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. (Places her card in front of him and smiles).

Peter: (Picks the card and looks at it) I can’t believe this. So, you are the one who bought my restaurant.

Grace: Excuse me, former restaurant. It is mine now. Well, enjoy your meal and have a great day! (Grace leaves, leaving Peter in utter surprise, dismay, and shame).

The season you are in is training you for your next.