I came back from my days off feeling more optimistic, as I had a lot of nice events coming up. Firstly it was a nice afternoon at the Munro inn where Moira Kerr were going to sing, to which I was invited, then it was Hanna's seventieth birthday party the next Saturday, and as the villagers do, they were going to make this a memorable affair. This party will of course start at about ten in the morning, and could end three days later! The Scottish just know how to make every occasion count!
So I went down to do breakfast with a song in my heart, and indeed, it was so nice, as there was only six guests in, so I was doing it on my own. I loved the interaction with all the tourists and missed it now that I only do the cooking. My big love came in looking for the little cowboy, and my legs went all lame, but I kept a straight face, as I had no intention of letting him know my feelings.
Then Lorna waltzed in, eyes roving all over to detect any irregularities, then she skittled off to the diningroom to see if all was well there, and I stood with the big knife, and felt like pinning her to the door like one of those knife throwers! But I just went on with doing the prep, and as Lorna didn't come back, supposedly having gone up to do the rooms, I was at one with the world, a wee little cold wind blowing in when the little cowboy started prowling around.
At about eleven Susan also arrived, and very importantly started to go through the fridges and freezers, as she had to come in that night, a big party of twenty four having booked, and I could not manage that alone, and Mary wasn't working, she only doing waitressing over the week-ends. I just laughed, as every bit of baking and cooking in that place was done by me, but Lorna and Susan discussed the serving up and all that was going with it, without once consulting me about the specials that was very South African, and, like the Bobotie, is served with special rice cooked with spices and raisins.
I must apologize, as Susan asked me all about my special dishes after her mum left, and I realized that she was actually very scared of her mum's sharp tongue, as I have heard a few times before how the poor girl was raked down by Lorna.
Then Lorna came back with the little cowboy in tow, and he asked me if he could use a stove plate, as he wanted to cook himself some breakfast.
Suddenly all hell broke loose, and the little cowboy went quite beserk, shouting in a voice to rival Lorna's thinnest, that he was sick and tired of waste, and who the ........ had taken out two boxes of matches, and all the while his wild eyes that resembled two shiny black pebbles were on me, a look of almost hatred in them.
As I have been off for two days, and definitely did not take out an extra box of matches, I gave him back eye for eye, but I did notice a stricken look on Susan's face, telling me clearly that she was the culprit. What really had me dumb-founded was that she didn't tell her dad that it might have been her, neither did Lorna tell him that I was just back from my two days off! Indeed a disfunctional lot!
But I just went on with my prep, not taking any further notice of any of them, but I was trembling with suppressed rage, and kept on telling myself that my wonderful days off made up for all this stupidity,and boorishness, and I felt quite proud of myself for not showing the lot that I was actually upset.
This just strngthened my resolve to go home if I did not get another job soon, a possibility, as a lot of chefs just can't cope with the small Highland hotels.
Apart from all this I still have Katka to cope with, and as she can't or won't understand when I tell her what I wanted done, there was many a day that I could easily have floored her with a spatula or pot!