The First Meal
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The First Meal

Now the Cap'n said ye is to be our new ship cook.

10
The First Meal

“Now let’s be finding some food for your belly,” he said as we walked out of the room, and further down the hallway. “Now Like Cap’n Crawly be telling you our cook left us. So we ’aven’t been eating not much than food from a can and boiled chicken and such,” he explained with a disgusted look on his face.

“Well I can fix that, I was a cook’s help at the orphanage for five years,” I told him with a proud smile.

“Thank the Lord, I’m sure most of the men ‘ere would rather be eating wool than anymore boiled meats,” he said laughing. We both walked into what I assumed was the dining hall in a big uproar of laughter. “ ‘ere be where you will be working,” he said still laughing. The dining hall smelled of something awful, and was filthy. We walked into what was supposed to be a kitchen and it was even worse. There were dirty dishes everywhere, and what I assumed was food everywhere as well. “I know it be a mess, I can ’elp you clean it if you like,” he said in an apologetic tone.

“There’s no need for that, Seamus, I can manage. Thank you for all of your help. I know Branson said to take it easy today, but I want to start paying my dues,” I said removing my jacket, and hanging it on a hook. I found and apron and tied it around my waist. I grabbed my long brown hair and put it up in a messy bun. I grabbed some soap, and some pots and pans and got cleaning.

I started on the pots. There weren’t that many of them, but they had so much food caked on the inside it took just as long washing three times as many. I looked at the clock and found it to be nearing ten o'clock in the morning. I knew if I was to get lunch served around noon I had to start now. I could clean while the food was cooking.

I opened a massive door marked refrigerator and looked inside. It had cheeses, vegetables, fruits, dairy, but no meats. Confused I closed the door and looked around. Across the kitchen I found another door marked freezer. I went to open it and found dozens of different kinds of meats. Walking in I began to read the labels. There was steak, lamb, chicken, turkey, and many others. Wanting to make a good first impression I grabbed about three dozen steaks in a basket and carried them out putting them on the massive preparation table.

With the meat being as frozen as bricks I began to boil three of the massive cast iron pots full of water. Putting three tablespoons of salt in each to help them boil and to give the meat a little flavor. Once with water was boiling I turned off the flames and popped the steaks into the massive pots. Looking around I tried to figure out what I was going to make with the steaks. Going to the refrigerator I opened it and looked inside.

“Since they are Irish they would most likely enjoy potatoes with cabbage,” I said to myself as I spotted the vegetables. Going over to the potatoes I tried to pick up a bag and found it to be way too heavy for me. I only managed to tip it over and fall on my behind. Moving my bangs out of my face I read the label on the back “ 60 lbs of brown potatoes,” I read in dismay.

“ ‘allo, Irean?” I heard Seamus call as the kitchen door creaked open.

“I’m in the fridge,” I called back.

He walked in and gave me a strange look. “What ye be doin on the floor?” he asked.

“I fell over trying to get the potatoes,” I answered pulling myself up, and dusting the seat off my pants off.

“ ‘ere I’ll get them for ye,” he offered as he bent down and swung the bag over his shoulder and bringing it over to the preparation table.

“Thank you Seamus. What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I be checkin up on ye. Cap’n Crawly wants me to be watching ye, so that be what I be doin,” he answered leaning against the table.

I watched him for a minute fiddling with a loose string on the bag of potatoes. After watching for a few seconds I walked back into the fridge and grabbed a crate of cabbages. I brought them over to the sink and ran the washer head over them. Then I walked back over and checked the meat. I found that it was pretty much thawed so I began removing them from the water, and putting them in a bin so I could season them.

Preparing lunch was exhausting work. The whole rest of the time I was cooking Seamus stayed and watched. In the end it was around one o’clock when lunch was ready. On the three massive tables in the dining hall I put the same amount of food on each; twelve steaks, two bowls of potatoes, two bowls of cabbage, three loaves of bread, and three butter canister’s. Then came the place settings. That did not take as long. After everything was ready I looked at Seamus who was sitting in a chair by the kitchen door. “What now?” I asked.

He smiled lifted his hand to a strange button to the right of him, and hit it with his fist. A sound almost like a fog horn, but not as loud followed. When the bell stopped Seamus held up five fingers, and began counting down. Just as the fifth melded into his fist the dining hall doors opened and dozens of men walked in. They were talking amongst themselves and didn’t even notice the food. When about twenty of them were in they all stopped and looked at the table, then looked to me.

“What be this?” one man asked. He had a poorly trimmed beard and was wearing a cap on his head. his face looked a bit unkind.

“This is lunch,” I answered back a little frightened.

“Well, it be looking right wonderful it does,.” he answered back with a smile and went to sit down at the middle table. After him all the men followed suit and sat themselves at the tables. Seamus took my arm and lead me to the first table and sat me down in the fourth chair on the left. No one had yet gotten their food.

I looked at Seamus a bit puzzled.He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “No one eats until the Cap’n sits.” Nodding my head I sat and waited. A few short seconds later the captain walked in and stopped and stared at the food.

“Well this be a sight for sore eyes. There be food in ‘ere that don’t look like it would kill a man,” he said after, and with a laugh. All the men in the room laughed and pounded the tables with their fists.

“Now men I want to be introducing ye to the newest member of me crew. Irean will ye stand up for us?” the captain said looking at me. I stood up like he asked and began to feel embarrassed about my clothes, and hair.

“Lads, this be Irean Mason. She be me new cook for the ship.” he said putting a hand on me shoulder. I gave a small smile and a wave. “Now I want all of ye to be nice to Irean, and if I be ‘earing otherwise it will be me boot up your ‘indquarters,” he finished with a laugh. He motioned me to sit down and so did he. He then proceeded to bless the food. Once he was done he grabbed his fork and took a steak from one of the plates and soon all of the men followed.

The dining hall erupted into a volley of noise, and merriment. All of the men were telling stories, and laughing. There was a sense of brotherhood in the room that felt emotionally warmer than all the years I spent in the orphanage in Singapore. It made me feel happy. Seamus sitting next to me was listening to another young sailor talk about a girl back home that he had waiting for him. Seamus seemed very interested. For what I could follow the sailor claims that she is the prettiest girl in the town.

Across the table Branson was talking to an older man who looked to be in his fifties about something he read in a new medical journal about saltwater being good for cataracts. I looked at the head of the table at the captain, and he wasn’t talking to anyone. In fact, he looked very unhappy.

The man next to me noticed me wondering about the captain and leaned over, “Don’t be worrying yer ‘ead over the Cap’n. He’s been like this ever since ‘is wife left with ‘is wee ones for another man,” the man said between bites of cabbage. “Me name be Angus by the way. Angus Connely. Ye may call me Angus or Connely, but not Mr. Connely. Me father be Mr. Connely and me not be liking ‘im enough to be named the same as ‘im.

I smiled and shook his hand. “I’m Irean Mason,” I answered back. Angus went back to eating his food, and I went back to wondering about the captain. The lunch was over half an hour later. All of the men stacked their plates at the end of the table and left. The captain was last to leave.

“Irean thank ye very much. The meal was delightful. I will be ‘avein Seamus ‘elp you with the preparations from now on. A bit old to be a ship’s boy he is,” the captain finished.

“Thank you very much Captain Crawley, but I don’t think I need Seamus,” I said a bit embarrassed because he thought I needed help.

“Nonsense me lass. Seamus told me ye could ‘ardly be lifting yer bag of potatoes,” the captain insisted.

“Alright,” I said swallowing my pride.

“Good then. Ye will be ‘ead cook, and he be yer assistant,” the captain smiled and walked away. I watched him walk out the door then turned and began cleaning up the dishes. I felt someone come up next to me and I looked to see Seamus cleaning the dishes as well. He looked over and smiled that bright grin, and I couldn’t help but smile back.That smile is what helped me start a new chapter in my life. No longer would I be the orphan on the streets in Singapore. I would be the chef on an Irish trade tanker.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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