Chapter Forty - Four
The time the customer was done and asked for the bill, I had two more customers come in. The incident about me asking him to wash his hands had left my mind. However, the moment I went in to receive the payment, it all started to come back again.
I tried to push the thought away as I approached him. Reliving my embarrassment would not help my nervousness and nor will it change what happened. Even though Nelson had told me to forget about it, I could not help but feel stupid. I knew for a fact that it was not a big deal but what can I do? I just could not help but feel ashamed over something like this. I was feeling stupid, even though I was not sure whether it was stupid or not.
This incident was a constant reminder of my lack of experience in any work field. I did not know what to say. I did not know how to behave. I did not know how to serve. I knew nothing.
And yet, I had to do all these tasks. I had to do them all to survive and stay here, in this places. I could not stay here for free and not help around the work and the house. That won't happen. So, as nervous as I was, I had to face the things I have never done before. Even though it was pushing me away ... out of my comfort zone.
I walked over to my first customer and handed him the bill. He told me that he will pay in cash. So, he pulled out his purse and paid his bills. I told him to thank him and that I hope he comes back again next time. He smiled at me, standing up.
"Of course, I will. The food was delicious. I'm glad that I discovered this place." He said. "Maybe, I'll bring my friends next time. The food was really good." With that, he took his leave and left the place.
I felt a little joy inside me that a customer had a good time eating in this place. Even though this place was not mine. I felt a little rush of happiness that I was able to do my job successfully the first time as a waitress. For someone who never worked outside, I found it quite an achievement to myself. I knew that it was not a big deal to anyone who looked from the outside but it was a huge deal to me. My heart was swallowing up from the pride that I was able to do something other than study and cook.
Leaving the other two customers eating, I walked out of the place with a big, unfaltering smile on my face. I could not help but feel amazing at the moment. My first task and I achieved it without much trouble.
Walking in, I placed the bill book on the counter and kept on smiling. I wanted to giggle, clap, and cheer for myself but I did not. Instead, I just keep on smiling. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would do a job. Never. My parents never would have allowed it, but now that I was doing it. God! It felt liberating.
"What happened? Why are you smiling like that? What's going on?" Nelson asked me. I raised my head to see that he was looking at me, smiling in confusion.
I could not help it. I just could not. I needed to tell someone about my achievement. I needed to let out how I was feeling. If it happened to be Nelson then so be it.
"Okay. So, will you promise that you won't laugh, no matter what?" I asked him. Nelson raised an eyebrow, still smiling but he nodded his head in agreement.
"Okay. I won't. Tell me." He said. I was not sure if he was being serious or just saying it so that I spill everything without wasting time. Whatever it was, I did not care. For once, I decided to throw caution out of the window. This was for me.
"This is my first ever job and I just served my first customer well, as a waitress," I told him, grinning like an idiot.
Nelson let out a chuckle and a soft laugh. "Really?" He asked, raising both his eyebrows. I nodded my head intensely and he let out another laugh. It was not mocking laughter so I did not say anything.
"Well, wow." He said, grinning at me.
Happy as ever, I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. "Do you know that never in my entire life have I thought that I would be able to do a job or even perform one of its tasks? I always thought I couldn't do a single thing related to my job even if it is as mild as serving a meal to a customer. My brother always told me that I was good for nothing and could not do anything in my life." I told him. Reliving the moment when my brother beat me down when I did not put enough salt in the food. I remember my mother trying to calm him down when he pulled out his belt. Yeah, a belt has been his favourite weapon since always.
Suddenly, I realised that things were quiet and that there was silence. When I glanced up I found Nelson staring at me with pity. I didn't even realise that I had gone thinking about my past.
Tearing his gaze away from me, Nelson looked away from me. "I'm sorry that you got such a jerk of a brother. But, let me tell you. You could do anything. Anything you want. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise." He said.
His words stirred something vulnerable in me. I could not help but feel a little emotional. Apart from Shirley, nobody has ever made me feel good about myself.
Suddenly I realised that he was thinking about the brother that I had made my story about. I pushed myself from the counter and looked at the ground.
"Well, you have another thing to be happy about and another achievement to add to your life." I heard Nelson say. I peeked up to find him holding the bill book in his hands.
"What?" I asked. He pulled the receipt out of the book and handed it to me.
"Forty dollar tip on a twenty dollar bill. That's never happened here on my watch." He said.
I shot him a look and my expression made him laugh again.