Why I look forward to everyday.
I got into cooking because I found it interesting and something that I was good at. I got into professional cooking because I saw it as a way fulfilling my desire of creating smiles because of something that I was doing. That is a very poetic thing to say and very philosophical to be honest. But, seeing this happen in practice is a different and an overwhelmingly satisfying feeling for me, altogether.
Today, at the hotel, I was at this live cold stone ice cream roll counter(They see me rollin’, they hatin’) and a large group of guests somewhere around my age came to the restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary. A guest approached me and I gave him the usual BS of “Would you like to try some ice cream rolls?”
He declined but told me that a friend of his was in severe depression as someone in her family had passed away. He requested that since I was the only one their age, I could understand the importance of cheering someone up, which I did, and asked me whether there was something that I could do to cheer her up. So the entire group encircled my counter with the lady in the centre. The conversation went like this:
‘Namaste, Ma’am. How are you today?’
‘I am fine, thanks.’ she was quite uninterested in what was happening.
‘Would you like to try some ice cream rolls, ma’am?’ She shook her head and continued with her phone.
‘Come on, ma’am. I am not that bad at this. Do you like chocolate or something fruity?’
She considered for a while.
‘I don’t know, make something on your own.’
When you are told to do this by a guest, you should not disappoint. Especially, in this case.
‘Okay, how about this, I will make something completely new, just for you and I will not make it again. This special ice cream will be just for you and no one can deserve it.’
She looked up from her phone, saw my face and gave a nod.
So I did some hocus pocus with whatever combinations I could think of at that moment and presented her with an ice cream full of fresh fruits, drizzled with kiwi and pineapple crush and sprinkled with butter scotch crumb. I made something with so much heart after a long time. The presentation looked good. I handed the plate to the lady.
She looked at it and thanked me. She went to her table.
After about 5 minutes, she came back to me.
‘Chef.’
‘Yes, ma’am. How may I assist you?’
You know, I always believed before today that the most beautiful smile belonged to my former partner. But in that moment, I saw her smile. The smile that must have needed the bravery of a warrior. The smile was selfless. The smile that surely meant more to her and to her friends than it did to me but that smile meant something and what it meant were her next words:
‘Chef, this was the most extraordinary ice cream I have tasted in my life. Thank you so much for doing this for me.’
‘Ma’am, the honor was mine. This ice cream belongs to you and I promise that whenever you come to this hotel and this restaurant, you shall have this ice cream and no one else will get to taste it, not even me.’
She thanked me again and joined her group being her cheery self again, I am guessing.
I didn’t get a number or an instagram follow or a facebook friend request. I didn’t ask her name. I don’t even think I will see her again. Not that she wasn’t attractive or not my type, but because I simply wanted to focus on creating a smile rather than finding a potential romantic interest. But, what I will always remember because of her is the fact that something I truly believe to be the sole reason why I cook for others happened in practice. I created a smile. And in a way, that smile boosted me up a lot. To that lady, if you are ever going to read this, thank you for smiling.
Dear friends, my calling is a smile. I could go lengths and breadths to create smiles. For me cooking was never just a career. It was meditation. It was a way out for my demons. Its not a well paying profession, but who gives two bits of fucks about money! That smile that I saw today was worth more than what I will ever make in my life. But yes, I indeed have started earning. My net worth currently is 1 smile and counting. And that, my dear friends is the reason I look forward to everyday, to create smiles.
