Winter Bakery

19. Trash

Jigi's diner shift had come to an end. She was in clean up duty today. So, she gracefully walked towards all the trash cans and diligently collected them all.

She dragged the plastic bags behind her trying to swing it over into the dumpster. Jigi managed to do so. She quickly dusted off and particles and dust from her fingers and hands.

She walk back in to wash her hands. She swiftly felt her uniform and beige apron after she wiped her hands dry with a napkin.

She repeated the action again and found nothing. Where's the phone?she thought. She retraced her steps. She checked the dining area, the washrooms, the kitchen, nothing.

She should had been closing up by now she was 10 minutes later. Her colleagues were gone. Jig I found herself in front of the dumpster. This was the last place she has been all day.

She felt so disgusted and weird. She opened the lid and struck her head in the bin. She instantly pulled out her head as the fumes of the trash hit her nose like a speeding truck.

She started to wonder, why is she so sure it in there? To answer her question, the bin began to vibrate and as she stood there in silence she heard her ringtone in the collection of filthy.

Cream puffs. She sweared in her thoughts. She was guessing she's going to be a temporary dumpster diver she should probably add it to her résumé.

She huffed and help her breath as she reached out to search the exact location of her phone. At ten minutes of fidgeting for her phone and grabbing unforeseen and revolting things and items actually had her phone in hand.

She really need a long, warm bath. She thought as place her phone in a ziplock bag and closed the diner, finally locking up the place.

After thirteen minutes of confidently walk and avoiding any scrunched noses, haughty glares or gossiping lips as well as close to forty minutes on train, she was finally at the door step of her apartment.

She kicked off her shoes after she swung her door opened. She quickly collected her shoes and placed them in the washing machine. She began to run a bath.

She passed by Fumiko's place slightly ajar. She laid on her back with her knees raised, her arms side by side her head trying to hug her head. In her sleep, her black hair was a spiral mess of art.

She had her round glasses to her left and a Japanese takeout to her right. A veiled, undone canvas stood in font of her and her phone kept ringing on the table as her phone screen kept flashing and her phone was vibrating on it.

Jigi slowly walked into the room and picked up her phone. She noticed it was her peers and classmates. She placed it back down and quietly left the room.

Jigi walked back to the bathroom to find her bath nearly done. She turn the tap, bringing the flowing water to a cease. She quickly undressed, she couldn't wait to come out of those filthy garments.

She sat in the warm water scrubbing and exfoliating her skin as she was lost in thought. She abruptly pulled herself from the bath as it turned lukewarm and wrapped her herself in a towel.

Today, she was feeling much better. Her anxieties seemed to be a minimum lately. She was grateful for that. The memorial of her father's death was this Friday. She hadn't been to her father's tomb after she left France.

She was jittery and a bit nervous about it for whatever reason, but she knew it was long overdue. She does a bit of skincare, haircare and she wore a white and beige pyjamas set. She had her hair in a mid ponytail with a the same beige scrunchie.

She walked to the towards the kitchen and pulled out her father's recipe book, his gift to her and her evidence of the inheritance.
She flipped to her desired page and began to prep for French onion soup and prep the batter for cornbread as well as tune in her cooking playlist.

After hours of cooking, Jigi would hardly get tried of doing so. She was always in her happy place whenever she was working in the kitchen.

Jigi sliced and diced her onions. She sniffed her nose as the onions' fumes forced tears out of her eyes. The sizzling sound of melting butter and heating vegetables oil filled the kitchen.

Jigi cooked their meat with her favourite herbs and spices. She got out her Gruyère for the soup. Speaking of Gruyère, she was wondering whether she had enough for a Gruyère soufflé. She mixed her batter for her cornbread.

After tasting for the how much of ingredients are in there and the balance as well as consistency, she waited as the meal began to come together.

She placed the batter of the cornbread in the oven. She had her onion soup. She had and r&b song playing in the background.

She dishes herself after she finishes her cooking as the oven pings to signify the end of the baking time of her cornbread.

She remembers the long overdue call and session with Dr. Olivia. She swiftly rushes for her laptop in the couch. She found it dead from no power she looks for its charger and plugged it in.

She messaged Dr. Olivia to tell her she was ready for her session, and roughly immediately goth a video call from the doctor.

It seem to be the late hours of her shift for the day. Jigi be her last session. Dr. Olivia had her lab coat on and she was glossy, turquoise, polyester blouse and black trouser suit. Her hair in her typically dreadlocks.

"How are we?" She asked as her voice boomed from the device and she smiled. Jigi decreased the volume and answered, " I'm okay. Yourself?"

"This is the first time you've asked for my health." Dr. Olivia said.

Jigi shrugged and clears her throat. Dr. Olivia takes is as an incentive to continue the conversation.

"How's France?" She questions.

"Fairly good." Jigi answered, gesturing an affirmative hand gesture.

"Great! And your bakery?" Dr. Olivia questions.

"I trying to do something." Jigi swiftly answered.

Despite how long, Dr. Olivia has been her psychoanalyst she still didn't always feel relaxed about it.

After the session, she knew it was time for her sleep, but her had to do something. She starts her search for a business course. She knew it was long behind time. She feel asleep from trying to battle herself for the pass ten minutes, only for her phone to ping from receiving a text.

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Thanks for reading.

The R&B song playing whilst Juniper cooked was,

We Might even be falling in love ( Interlude) by Victoria Monét.