Another cup of jasmine tea

chapter 5

Carol fitted me out with a waiter’s uniform the next morning. She commented on how skinny I was and made me a cup of jasmine tea.
The next thing I remember was some plates that she was clearing away from the table in front of me. What had just happened? If she had been instructing me how to serve at the tables, I couldn’t remember a thing! I tried to stand up. My new trousers were a bit tight. I had not realised this before. Maybe she had given me a size too small. Maybe I should not have eaten so much last night! I asked her to show me again. Luckily, she was patient and was happy to demonstrate.

The cafe did not just sell coffee, it sold a wide variety of hot drinks, sandwiches, scones and cakes. There was always a soup of the day available at lunchtime. There were vegan options for everything on the menu. Nothing on the menu included meat or fish. I thought some of the combinations were quite unusual and innovative. They made use of vegetables and other ingredients that I had never heard of before. Carol encouraged me to taste. How could I promote the food if I didn’t know what it tasted like? Indeed, I was free to help myself to any of the food they sold, as long as it was not in public view I could eat all day if I wanted to, she joked. I laughed alongside her. That would never happen. I didn’t mind trying a few things though.

I joined the team for lunchtime service. I did not get a break until two o’clock, by which time I was starving hungry! I tried the nettle soup with a crusty bread roll alongside an egg and cress sandwich. Who knew that nettles were actually something you could eat? It had a strong ‘green’ taste, a little bitter, but not at all unpleasant. I was a bit indulgent and tried the flapjacks after that, oh and I had to try the choux buns as well! They were filled with creme patisserie, a thick creamy version of custard. Delicious! If I continued working here I might have to watch my waistline!
I decided to restrict my product sampling to my lunch. It was fair on the other waiting staff to be eating in the back when there was customers to be served in the shop. It was difficult to restrain myself. The food here was so good and tasty! Most of it was healthy too because of the missing meat and fish products.

My mornings always started before everyone else arrived. Carol would have a cup of jasmine tea waiting for me. By the time I had finished my tea, the other staff had already arrived. We would start by wiping down the tables. We emptied the dishwasher and stocked up on trays, cutlery and plates. We put the condiment racks out on the tables and such, ready to open the door for morning coffee at ten o’clock. By then, I was already hungry. I would have a quick sandwich before the first customer came through the door. That was supposed to see me though until my late lunch. At first I could resist the temptations of the food that I carried to the customers, but it became increasingly difficult to resist. If we had a quiet five minutes, I would go to the kitchen, try a cake to satisfy my hunger, then come back into the shop.
Even after eating lunch, I struggled with my hunger and found myself reaching for a tray bake mid afternoon.

Every day, I told myself off for eating too much at work. No one else seemed to be sampling as much of the food, but no one commented and no one tried to stop me. I made excuses for my greed. When I thought I'd had a particularly bad day, I starved myself in the evenings to try and balance my calorie intake.
Whatever I did, it did not stop me from gaining a few pounds. After working there only a months, my uniform was tight enough for Carol to offer me a bigger size. Only this time, she'd had elasticated panels put in the trousers to (she teased) to allow for more growth.
I had decided. There was going to be no more growth. I was determined! I didn't mind putting on one or two pounds. I had been too skinny after my winter in the commune anyway. I felt I was just right now. I was not going to get fat! absolutely not! No Way!