Chapter 10

Christmas Day and Boxing Day was over.

It was back to our routine on Monday. Tim and I were up from the crack of dawn. We had to go and get supplies for the cafe as we were running low. Leaving George, the chef, to open up the restaurant, we jumped in the transit van and headed for the wholesalers. The warehouse was more busy than usual due to businesses being closed during the festive days. We got back later than we expected, finding the cafe full as we drove past the shop. We quickly unloaded everything into the storeroom before we made our way into the kitchen.

Every table in the shop was full, with a queue of customers waiting to be seated. Barbara and Tina were helping the waitresses. As soon as a table was empty, they would help Bianca and Roxanne clean it before other customers sat down. I rushed to the pot wash, but someone else was wearing my apron. Jason was scrubbing away at the plates, trying to keep up with the flow of dirty dishes piling up next to him. I eventually helped Tim and George in the kitchen.

It was after two in the afternoon when things slowed down. Tim told George and me to take a break and have something to eat. With a chicken salad for myself and George with one of his homemade steak and kidney pies, we sat at one of the tables to eat. George was worse than me when he ate. He was shovelling the food into his mouth with the fork. Once we both finished, we sat back for a few minutes with our hot beverages.

“It would be best if you ate healthier at your age, George,” I said. I was gesturing my hand at the grease on the plate in front of him.

“Tell me about it. Maybe for the new year, I’ll turn into a rabbit, like some people I know.” He gestured towards my plate.

We both laughed at our comments.

As we got up, I grabbed our plates and headed for the pot wash. “Did Jason get the chance to speak to you yet? I asked George. “He said he was going to speak to you.”

George smiled as he looked over towards the pot wash. “The little shit came and apologised as soon as he saw me this morning.” He turned to face me and smiled. “He’s a good kid.” George nodded his head at me. “Michael, you’re a good man and a good friend to have. This family is fortunate to have met you.”

I looked at George’s face curiously, tilting forward to get a closer view.

“What?” he responded?

“Are your eyes moist?” I said. “Girls, I think George is going soft on us. He is about to shed some tears!” I yelled so Bianca and Roxanne would hear me.

The girls came over to get a closer look. Once they were near enough, they were all over George. They tried to comfort him with hugs and kisses on the cheek. He struggled to fight them back, but it was a no-win situation for him. The shop’s regular customers, who knew George, had a good laugh as they saw the grumpy man they knew get pinned down by two young beauties.

The next few days went placidly as we got closer to the weekend. Jason found peace with his family as he got closer to them. He was the first in the cafe when the shop opened and the last to wipe down the workbench in the evening. For me, it was the longest week. Every minute seemed an hour for me, waiting for my mother to come to Birmingham. I was curious to hear what she wanted to tell me, but mostly to see her.

We all had a minor situation on New Year’s Eve before closing the shop. Tim decided to close at midday to prepare for the small party the family would have that evening to celebrate the New Year’s arrival. He sent the waitresses and George home early to spend the New Year with their family and friends.

We were getting ready to close the shop. Two more tables remained with customers. One of them, a couple, was enjoying their beverages romantically. The other table was an elderly couple who were regulars. They were having a chat with Tim and Barbara. Jason and I went to the storeroom to get some beverages for the party that evening. Tina was already upstairs taking care of the decorating for the New Year party. Jason and I put various drinks in a crate when we heard the shop door open then close. A few moments later, we heard a familiar voice we both knew. We stopped what we were doing and looked at each other before we rushed back into the kitchen.

It was Shark. He was sitting at one of the tables. Two of his henchmen were standing at the entrance. They were like bouncers outside of a nightclub. The romantic couple quickly got up to leave. You could see the fear in their faces. One of the henchmen opened the door as they hurried out of the shop. The elders stayed put with Tim and Barbara. All four of them, their eyes, were glued on Shark.

Jason stood next to me. He was scared. “Don’t do anything,” I said. I was trying to act as calmly as possible. “He’s probably here for me.”