Chef Kiah is a cook who has been here since this restaurant first opened nearly a century ago. I always admire his extreme loyalty and his amazing cooking skills. However, I feel sorry for the guy. It is obvious that his time here should’ve been over decades ago. The owner is unfair. He exploits the heck out of us, belittles us, then expects us to work our butts off for a promotion that will become available “next month”. It is always next month, never this month.

At one point I did believe his lies. Good thing my fiancée reminded me of my worth. This will be my last month working here. After this, I’ll be working at a better and more refined restaurant with better pay, so we can afford a better life. I think I’m going to be the only one who will quit this sad excuse of a take-out, dine-in, outdated restaurant. Other ex-employees are usually fired for speaking up. The only person who tolerates this unfairness is Chef Kiah.

I highly doubt the boss kept the hundred-year-old decorations for Chef Kiah’s sake. Sad to say it, but that man is not completely here. He hasn’t been here mentally ever since I started working here four years ago. Last week I found out that his wife died due to heart disease thirty years ago at the age of sixty-four, and his child died due to a stroke eight years ago at the age of seventy-three. He had that child when he was twenty-four, the same age as me now. He has been alone for years. Never remarried and outlived his only son. I don’t know if he has any grandchildren to keep him company. If he did, they would’ve been afraid of him. 

He is basically a skeleton with pasty, mottled, brown pepper, skin. His eyes are dim and sunken, and his scalp is filled with liver spots. The only thing that comes out of his mouth are loud, shallow breaths, and the occasional coughing fit. I barely see him eat, drink, or use the bathroom. He is literally a mindless working zombie. I wish I knew what’s keeping him alive. Why hasn’t he left this place and rejoined his family? I have so many questions to ask him, but I never see, nor hear him talk. I think that part of his brain has already decayed, like his muscle mass. You can see what’s left of his tissue through his wrinkled, rice paper thin skin. I will be gone soon. I must know.

“Chef Kiah, lovely day we’re having huh? Chef Kiah, can you hear me? I always admire your cooking, it is beautiful and delicious.” I don’t think he can … oh. I think he’s trying to smile. How cute, creepy, but cute. “I always wanted to know, why do you work here for so long? Do you love it here?” His misshapen smile withered away. “Do you hate it here?” He stops cooking for once, and stares at the half diced onion on his green chopping board. “Do you love the pay?” His grip seems to be tightening. “Um, never mind that. Do you want to take a break? I can dice the rest of that onion for you.” I slide his chopping board in front of me. He begins to groan. As I reach for his knife, I think I hear him trying to mumble something. “I’ll just use my own knife since you are already holding that one. So, have you thought about retiring, taking a little vacation, or a spa day?” He mumbles something more clearly, but I still couldn’t make it out. I look into his eyes for the first time in weeks. It seems a bit more vibrant. “Do you have enough money to retire Chef Kiah?” His facial features shapeshift. I don’t know what he is trying to express, but I can feel a steam of uneasy vibes. Should I stop?

I dice up the rest of the onion and pour it into the silver, stock pot that’s in the station behind us, in this cramped kitchen. Just as I turn back around, Chef Kiah’s face is mere inches away from mine, with his hands firmly grasping a cleaver knife, and a dehydrated frown.

“I can cook on my own Muriel. I—I can do it, let me be”, Chef Kiah said faintly. 

“I’m not Muriel Chef. My name is Sammy. No one here is named Muriel.” 

“Now y-you listen here. I’m not going anywhere without that promotion. I can do it, you go back to your nap now. You go now. Y-you can leave. No! I w-won’t … I will not, cooking is my passion. I will do it until I can’t. Now you listen here! Don’t call me stubborn—”, Chef Kiah immediately raises his knife in the air. Nah, I ain’t trying to get stabbed before my wedding. I’m coming out of this kitchen. 

I think his sanity just left the building. Is it because of the onions? Did I offend him by doing his job? In the dining area, I came face to face with my boss.

“Hey! Sammy, why aren’t you in that kitchen with Kiah? The lunch rush is about to start. Don’t make me have to fire you too. Y’all new generation think you can come in here and start making demands, not doing what—”

“Sir—”

“Don’t you dare cut me off!”

“But sir, it’s Chef Kiah, he’s tweaking— I mean he is acting … unhinged.”

“Unhinged? That old skin and bones? He doesn’t do anything but work. You should follow his lead and learn a thing or two about professionalism. Now get back in there!”

“Sir, Chef Kiah is not stable. I feel unsafe around him in that kitchen, my workspace.”

“Kiah is so old you could blow on him and he’ll probably turn into dust. Kiah has worked here for years. He never stirred up any trouble. Even the previous owner would say the same thing. Just leave him alone and let him cook whatever today’s special is. While you, you can cook the other menu items with Zander and Ames. I don’t hear them complaining about Kiah.” That’s because they are in the alley, smoking as always. If I was a smoker I would join them.

“They weren’t there to see it. I saw it. Chef Kiah is too old to continue to work here and you know it. He is senile!”

“Don’t tell me who is allowed to work or who is not. You’re not the boss here, I am, and I’m telling you to go back there and start cooking before I fire you!”

“You know what, no, okay. Okay, you can fire me. I was going to wait until later to tell you that I am quitting. I don’t need to work here anymore. Another restaurant has offered me a better position and it starts next month. I am not getting myself killed by a crazy old man in a pathetic excuse of a restaurant. I have a future now, and I’m not giving it up to help you anymore.”

Mr. Badeaux, my short and meager boss looks at me with widened eyes and an agape mouth.

“W-what do you mean? You! Y-you could never get a job better than this. Other restaurants may want you to exploit you, but here. Here! We are like family. There ain’t no restaurant like this and you know that. You have been here for years. Are you really going to leave now, and forget everything about loyalty? Sammy, I always admire your work ethic and I see a promotion in the near future for you. Are you really going to give it up because you’re scared of old men?” Scared of old men? I ain’t of them, only this one. The one that is tweaking with a knife in his hand.

“Sorry Mr. Badeaux, I am not staying here—”

“Ugh! Okay Sammy, I’ll tell you what. I’ll walk with you to the kitchen and see what Ole Kiah is up to. Okay?” He gently pushes me towards the kitchen. I traipse my way back in there while Mr. Badeaux lags behind, rolling his big, frog eyes with a twisted expression on his face. I hope his eyes fall out of his head.

As soon as I walk back into the kitchen I look to the right. The first thing that I see is Chef Kiah holding a bigger knife in the air, with blood stains on it.

“Ames! Zander!”, Mr. Badeaux said.

“Hey, Badeaux sir.”

“Mr. Badeaux, nice to see you. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah yeah yeah, so what about you? How is everything going? How is Chef Kiah, is he giving you guys any problems?” Of course, Ames was the first to answer. He wears his usual childish smirk on his date-fruit colored face. His slender body stands tall with a slightly torn and imperceptibly stained apron.

“Who Kiah, Chef Kiah?” he turns his head from the pan for a quick second, hiding his freshly cut fohawk with taper fade, to look at him. He points his thumb at him, “Nah, nah, he alright. I mean he is just there, chopping stuff and just doing his thing”, he turns back around, “Pssh, he ain’t bothering no one. Well, he ain’t bothering me for sure.”

“What about you, Zander?” Zander barely turns his heavy-set body away from the soup to face Mr. Badeaux, with his moistened, pita scalp.

“Chef Kiah has been on his best behavior as far as I know.”

“So, what is Sammy talking about?” Zander raises his hands at chest level with his palms facing forward, as if he’s surrendering.

“Hey Mr. Badeaux, like I said, as far as I know, Chef Kiah was on his best behavior. I was taking out the trash. If he did something I don’t know. I was outside.” 

“Sammy said something about him acting unhinged?”

“I swear he was talking to someone named Muriel, and he held the knife in the air.” Chef Kiah let out a little grunt.

“Oh yeah yeah yeah. You see, Chef Kiah was talking about Muriel. I was like who is Muriel and he was keep on talking like … I don’t know. I didn’t think much of it. I—I thought he was talking about his wife. Like the smell, the smell probably triggered something, or he got a text on his pager or something. Like, I don’t know” Ames chuckles then continue, “He probably was talking about his sugar baby. He probably thought he saw her. You know Chef Kiah old, right Badeaux sir. He can’t see too far, you know. He probably saw something in that small little window by the door and it triggered his Muriel sense, you know—” He points to the little window over the sink at the washing station, that’s on the far-left side of the kitchen. He is doing too much now.

 “Okay A—”

“You know Mr. Badeaux, you know—”

“Okay Ames, yo chill”

“Oh, yeah yeah, Sammy. So yeah, like I said, I didn’t think much of it. You know people sometimes remember stuff and be like Muriel Muriel—” Chef Kiah grunts a little louder— “He must be remembering something, I don’t know. I am not old. I am only 19, I don’t know what that was.”

“See Sammy, it’s nothing. Relax man, take it easy and rethink your career choices. I’m here actually looking out for you. You think I don’t notice how hard you work. I know Sammy, I know. You might get promoted at the end of this month if we make profits, and maybe even become the employee of the month as well. Hey Kiah! You get competition, Sammy here might take your promotion.” Mr. Badeaux laughs. Frozen in place, my eyes are locked on Chef Kiah as this nearly bald man keeps rambling on, riling up the crazy carcass. “Anyways one of the waitresses just got fired, so we are going to be shorthanded in the front. Just letting you know now. And Sammy, keep up the good work—” Chef Kiah grunts again, but this time I wasn’t the only one to hear it. Mr. Badeaux hastens out of the kitchen.

Zander turns to Chef Kiah. 

“So, Chef Kiah, you’re very vocal today huh. Is today a special day?” 

“Hey Kiah, is it your birthday or something? Like what? You gonna celebrate later? Can I come?” Ames laughs.

 “If today is your birthday, well happy birthday. Another year older huh. You have been around long. You still have purpose to fulfill. It must be big. Not to mention you made it this far in life, it’s impressive. You deserve a crown, a real crown.” 

“More like he’s dragging out his purpose to stay longer. I know you love us Kiah. Maybe we can share a drink for your B-day. Can you drink Kiah?” I wish those two would stop talking to him. Only if they could see his V-shaped wrinkles on his forehead, and the corners of his mouth sagging off his square head.

“So, Sammy! You’re getting that imaginary promotion, congrats man!” I give Ames my signature awkward smile.

“Sammy, what are you still doing over there? Come, come cook.”, Zander said.

“Look at that, Sammy gets nominated for employee of the month, now he doesn’t wanna work with us no more.” Both Ames and Zander laugh. Chef Kiah begins to groan softly, continuously.

I couldn’t stop staring at him from the corner of my eyes, while washing my hands. 

“Sammy!”, Ames called out.

“Huh!”

 “Bro, I’m calling you like four five times. Are you trying to ignore us for real? Bro—”

“Nah man.” 

“What happened? Is it Kiah? You want me to rough him up?”

“No man, that’s not funny. Respect your elders huh.”, Zander said, nodding his index finger at Ames. “Sammy wat happened? You told Mr. Badeaux something about Chef Kiah? Wat he do?” I walk over to their station that’s behind mine and Chef Kiah’s. I start whispering to them. 

“Yo he was tweaking. I’m not lying. He was literally in my face with a knife held in the air.” As I was demonstrating, Ames inches closer. 

“Bro why are you whispering?”

“Shhh, I’m talking about Kiah.”

“Kiah can’t hear you from all the way over here, he is old. Why you scared of him for?”

“Sammy said Chef Kiah threatened him with a knife.”

“What? That old fart over there? That sounds unlikely.”

“Yo chill. I don’t think he was threatening me. He was acting like he was talking to somebody named Muriel.”

“Hmm. I think I know who Muriel is. That’s the name of his wife I presume. I saw him and a woman together in a picture on the restaurant’s website. He must be seeing her spirit.”

“This restaurant is haunted or something?”

“No Sammy, I think he is dying. This is the first in many years of working here that I hear of Chef Kiah acting crazy. He is old, you know.”

“Yo, I told Mr. Badeaux this man ain’t supposed to be here.” Subconsciously, my hands cover my temples.

“Nah bro, are you kidding me. I ain’t dealing with no dead body today. I already have enough on my plate. My cousin died last month, my rent due, plus I already owe the landlord money. I need to get my car fixed, and I have to pay freaking child support. I can’t afford to take time off because an old man died in the kitchen. I don’t think I can take any more BS.”

“You wouldn’t have to deal with so much if you listen to me and not waste time and money messing with that woman last year. See wat happen when you don’t listen to me—”

“Bro shut the f— hey! You ain’t my dad, stop acting like you are. So freaking annoying!”

 “I’m just saying life could’ve been easier if—”

“Yo you guys, we are getting off topic here, we need to do something about Kiah.” 

“I don’t know wat to do about Kiah. Just let him be.” 

“No Zander.”

“Wat are you going to do then Sammy. You wan to drive him up the hill and lay him under a tree?” 

“I have no car, so I can’t do it.”, Ames interjected.

“We can’t leave him here.” 

“Bro I ain’t working in a kitchen with a dying carcass.” 

“I don’t know wat to do. I’m going to cook now. When you have a resolution, you tell me.” Zander turns around and tastes the soup.

“Bro, I don’t know about you Sammy, but at the end of the day he is on your side of the kitchen. He’s not my problem.” Ames goes back to his station and reheats his empty pan.

I shuffle back to my station. 

“Sammy, give me the stuff for the rice.” I hand Zander the mise en place bowls, one by one. Usually, Chef Kiah does this and garnishes the dishes, while I collect the empty bowls and wash the dishes. Since he is dying it doesn’t make sense to let him do it. He should take it easy and not make more mess. I snatch the rest of the already prep ingredients away from Kiah to give to Zander. He finally stops groaning. “Did the fridge stop working?” Zander asked. 

“Let me go check.” Ames heads to the small walk-in fridge that’s to the far right of the kitchen.

“86 years.” Zander and I turn our heads to Kiah. I then look at Zander. He shrugs and continues to nurture the rice pot. “I know Muriel. 86 years have passed with no promotion. B-but I know it’s coming soon. I just need to work harder. I need more time.” I inch my way towards Zander as he watches Kiah from the corner of his eyes. “I do miss you, and Ethen. I know he is there with you. Fine, I’ll try to get it i-in a different a-approach— a different way. Ethan? Life is just unfair that way. No, no they are not.” Zander and I turn our heads away from him.

“So, this is wat you’re talking about?”

“Yes! This is the same thing, but he is saying different stuff, and now Ethan joined the conversation.”

“I heard of dying people talking to their loved ones, seconds before they die. But he is still here, talking, like they are in the room with us.” We slowly turn our heads to him again. Kiah faces us with a knife in his hand.

“Th-they are just being nice. They are? Him?” Kiah points in our direction with his empty hand. “I-it’s not his fault.”, he said while eyeing us up and down. “No, I don’t— no I—I don’t want to hear anymore.” He turns back around and repeatedly slams the knife on the counter. “I don’t want to hear it! Now look here boy! Th-that’s enough!” I’m sure Mr. Badeaux can hear Chef Kiah shouting. I bet my new boss who’s ten blocks away can hear it. But I have yet to see Mr. Badeaux come through that dining room door. “Please, I don’t want to hear anymore. I can’t go anyway,” Kiah said in a sobbing manner. “I can’t leave this place. I—I need … yes.”. He stops slamming the knife. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I don’t know Ethan. I see what you mean. Yes, you’re right that’s the only way. The thought of staying longer gets me riled up.” He slowly turns back to us with empty hands. That’s a good sign, right? It seems like he was agreeing with his spirit family, only good can come out of this. I caught a glimpse of his face. His dim, sunken eyes are now bulging with fire in them. His droopy nose is flaring, and the corners of his mouth sag even lower. Crap!

Ames suddenly walks back towards us, with a joyous bounce in each step. 

“The fridge is fine. Bro, some of them vegetables are getting soft, especially the tomatoes. Do you think we could convince the boss to let us cook something different like ratatouille, or stuffed tomato with goat cheese. You know, something nice for once. We could at least cook some provencal rice soup.” Ames walks to Kiah with a jubilant smile. “Do you think you can handle it Kiah?” Ames nudges Kiah. Kiah suddenly pushes down on his shoulders, forcing Ames onto the ground. “Ah! Bro what are you doing! Get off of me!” Ames struggles a bit to wrestle him off, then crawls back on his hands and butt. Kiah slides everything off the counter-top with a swoop of his fedelini arms. Many of the items hit Ames.

“I have been working here for years. I show my loyalty, my worth, and prove that Muriel is in good hands with me. I promised her that I’ll get a promotion. I can’t leave without it. I want to see Muriel happy. I want her to be proud again. But you, you all! You all are in my way! I want to be with her and my son Ethan again.” He picks up the closest knife to him. To his luck it’s a forged knife. My God, why do we let him prep?

Suddenly, I spot a movement by the dining room door. I bet it was Mr. Badeaux. I gradually make my way, as Zander helps Ames up. I push open the door. It barely moves. Looking out of the door’s window, to my surprise, Mr. Badeaux is stacking things in front of the door, while Vivian, a thick, chestnut-colored waitress with a high puff, is assisting customers outside.

“What the hell Mr. Badeaux!”, I said, trying my best to not blow a fuse. 

“I’m not letting that carcass come out here to make me look bad, attack me, or both.” 

“You already look bad by stacking bar stools in front of the door.”

“I’m not stacking them, I’m lining them up by the door for an inconvenient repair, caused by a repairman with poor time management skills.” I rush to the back door. Typical, it’s jammed again. I don’t have time to be playing with this door. Where is Zander? There he is … oh. Both Zander and Ames are cowering by the fridge door, trapped by Kiah.

“Kiah let me go bro! I didn’t do you anything, it was just a nudge. I was playing. Bro don’t stab me, leave me alone! I have a kid to take care of now.”, Ames said with a broken voice. Zander scooches over and guides Ames behind him.

“Please, Mr. Chef Kiah, why are you doing this? We never hurt you. If you’re going through something let us help you huh. We all have families too. I know losing family hurts, and it hurts more when you miss them. I know this, because one of my children died in a reckless car accident, my eldest son. Please Chef Kiah, don’t pass down the pain of grief to others that you haven’t met, our families haven’t done anything to you.” 

“I have been here f-for nearly a century and have given it everything I got to get that promotion a-and you give it to Billy. D-do you want me to be miserable here forever. I—I want to see Muriel. Where is my promotion?” 

“I don’t know wat you mean. Who’s Billy?”

“Wh-what do you mean by who’s Billy? Billy th-the one who’s getting the promotion I need. The one who is going to be the employee of the month.” 

“You mean Sammy?”, Ames squealed. “Sammy, Sammy! Look look look, that’s Sammy over there.” He points at me. “That’s the one who is getting your promotion and employee of the month award.”

Kiah immediately turns around and stares into my soul. God, I feel like I’m going to vomit. I can’t think of anything to say. Cold sweat starts to ooze out of my pores, and the air thickens. Kiah takes a step forward. I have to do something! I instinctively put my hands on my head. 

“So, there you are. You were the one who watched me cook, weren’t you boy. I thought you just admired my work, but all you wanted was to take my techniques. You pass them off as your own. You take my techniques and use them against me!” He takes a step forward. I try to say something, but I can only squeak. “You sneaky bastard! You then have the audacity to take my position and do my job, while I’m still here. Oh, y-you going to get what’s coming to you boy. I’m sick of everything. I—I will not let you stand in my way. I want to be with Muriel again, even if I have to get rid of ya!”

Kiah marches to the stove. He throws the food off of it, then raises the temperature to the highest and turns on the oven, leaving its door open.

“Chef Kiah you’re going to burn—”

“What, who’s that talking?” He swivels around, “Is it one of you?” Zander swallows the rest of his words as he stares at the knife that’s pointing at them. “I must be hearing things”, Kiah grumbles. Kiah continues his march towards me. Good thing I finally mustered some strength to speak.

“Hold on, hold on, I’m not your target. The only reason I got promoted was because I told the boss I was quitting. Y-you have been here for years, the boss never promoted anyone. If anyone is your target, it’s the boss. He’s in charge of everything. He is right in the dining room, through those doors. Over there.” I point to the right as I’m facing him.

“Go bring him.”

“What?”

“I said go bring him!”

“H-he trapped us in here.” Chef Kiah turns to Zander and Ames.

“Go break down these doors.”

“What?”, they said.

“I said go break down those doors, now!” Chef Kiah swings his knife around to point at the door. They both run and try to force the door open. “Come on now, I don’t have all day. Everyone together now”, he said, conducting us with his knife. With all three of us pushing for our lives, we were able to push the door open and make a path.

In the dimly lit, beige room with a cluster of light, warm colored, wooden, square tables and chairs, all the red curtains are drawn shut. In one of the red booths along the wall is Vivian. She stood up as soon as we burst through.

“Hey what’s going on. I thought y’all—”

“Hey Vivian, where is Badeaux?”

“Hey Ames—”

“Yo, where is Badeaux!”

“Damn sammy, geesh. He is in his office getting his things. What happened back there? I heard all types of noise.”

“Vivian, you need to leave now, and call the police, okay.”

“What? Why? Zander what happened?”

“Vivian, just do it! And lock the door behind you.” 

“The f— okay fine Sammy. I am leaving.” She gathers her things and starts to leave. “All of you are acting goofy as hell, especially you, Sammy. I’m not going to deal with whatever drama you all got going on.” Finally, she slams the door behind her and locks it. At least she is safe, we don’t need Kiah to have all of us as a hostage, or have him harassing the locals if he gets out. The office door abruptly swings open. Oh look at what we have here, it’s Mr. Badeaux with his overstuffed duffle bags.

“What are y’all doing here, where is Vivian?” 

“Mr. Badeaux sir, Chef Kiah wan to speak to you.”, Zander said. 

“No no no. No he does not. He must be meaning something else. I have to go. I have an important errand.”

“Where is he?” Kiah emerges from behind the kitchen door with his knife. Ames points at Mr. Badeaux. 

“See him over there Kiah! We stopped him for you. That’s Mr. Badeaux, the boss. He is the one in charge of the promotion. See, see him there, with all his bags and stuff.” 

“What, who is that? Where is Otis Badeaux?” 

“He is gone”, said Zander. “He is the new boss, the founder’s grandson.” 

“What? Where is Otis Badeaux then?”, Kiah said while stomping his way to Mr. Badeaux.

“I’m afraid he is dead, from old age, I assume.”, Zander replied. Kiah stumbles back, then loudly grumbles. Every step closer he takes, the more aggressive Mr. Badeaux’s heart beats out of his chest. His hands begin to tremble and the grip of his bags loosen. 

“Since Otis Badeaux is at rest, his grandson is going to feel my wrath. I have been working here before you came into existence. Billy hasn’t worked here his whole life, I have, but you are giving him the promotion?”

“Sorry Kiah, b-buddy. I took a sworn oath to not give anyone a promotion. I—I wish I could b-but I can’t.” This man is full of it.

“What do you mean by not being able to give anyone a promotion? So, you lied about your managerial power. Are you trying to tell me my years here are fruitless! No, I want my promotion! I want to see Muriel. Where is my promotion!”

“I’m sorry I—I can’t, uh. I don’t have that power, yeah. You see … I—I love your work. I do, like I really do recognize your worth, um. Sadly, I can’t promote you because …” Mr. Badeaux’s eyes instantly shift to me “be-because someone else has to promote you officially.”

“Why, are you not the boss?”

“What?”

“Who is the boss!”

“I-it’s Sammy.” What! My eyes nearly popped out of my head. That lying pile of turd.

“He is the boss. Sammy loves to cook. Sammy is always in the kitchen a-and I, I do the paperwork. Th-that’s how—” he clears his throat “that is how it works here. So yup yup yup, you will have to deal with Sammy and … I will be on my way. This has—” he clears his throat again “this has nothing to do with me.” Kiah stops walking towards him, and looks around. Mr. Badeaux, who is a few feet away from him, slowly shuffles towards the door.

“What’s your name again?”, Kiah asked.

“I-it’s Huxley Badeaux.” Kiah grumbles. “Um. S-so anywho, let me get out of your fancy cooking top hat and be on my way.” Mr. Badeaux chuckles nervously.

“No, you are the boss. I see your name on them there certificate and deed. You are always in here bossing everyone a-around and, you also fire people left and right. Are you lying to me again? Huh, you hog! Don’t you dare lie to me again! I’m going to gut that promotion out of you!” Kiah charges towards Mr. Badeaux. He drops his bag as he watches an angry carcass running towards him. He turns to run away, but one of his leg’s trips over the bag. His chest hits the back of one of the dining room chairs. Mr. Badeaux instantly turns around, trying to stand up straight.

“Hold on, hold on, wait! I seriously can’t give you that promotion. It is forbidden by the founder to give it out, e-especially to you Kiah. His dying words were basically that. I—I have to honor his death. Not just as the new business owner, but as his close relative too.” 

“That is some crap.” I agree with Kiah. “Well, I’m here, you’re there, he isn’t anywhere. It doesn’t matter what Otis said back then.”

Mr. Badeaux starts to sob. “It’s true! He told me not to promote you. I didn’t know how to tell you, and you were working fine without it. He said it was pay back from taking Muriel and making her force him to allow you to work here. He said he will never allow you to be the executive chef, not even if he dies. Please, he has been through so much, all he had was his dignity, and this is how he wanted to retain it.”

“Huh? All he had was his dignity? That is a lie, everything you said is a lie.”

 “I swear that’s what he told me.”

“That man was the richest in the family, but he wouldn’t help us financially. Muriel loved me and I loved her, so we got married. I was the best chef that he had ever hired so he allowed me to stay. He wouldn’t admit I was important to the restaurant. All I did was give that man years of me working at my best ability and making sure Muriel and our son are happy. I promised her that I will get that promotion no matter what. I had made so many sacrifices to please that man.” Chef Kiah starts to shed some tears. “There were so many things I could’ve done with my life, but I gave it up for him. I even made a serious promise that could bring us together, son-in-law and father-in-law. I didn’t know that it would take this long. Living to please a person that doesn’t appreciate you hurts so much. At this point, I’m only doing this to make Muriel proud the next time I see her. I don’t want my last few decades to seem like a waste.”

The smell of burnt food fills my nostrils. Smoke seeps from under the kitchen door. Damn, we forgot about the stove. It seems like I’m the only one who notices. Maybe I can signal Ames and Zander to sneak to the front door, since he only cares about Mr. Badeaux.

Out of nowhere, Kiah begins to shout. Mr. Badeaux pulls the chair from around him, trying to push him back with its legs, as Kiah swings his knife at him. 

“Help! Someone help me! Please! Help!” I face Ames and Zander.

“Yo the kitchen is on fire, we gotta get out of here!”

“No no no, bro! My God, what type of day this even is bro!”

“We can only get out the front, but those two are blocking the way.”, Zander informed. 

“Can we jump Kiah? I mean that old man can’t get all three, four of us.” 

“No Ames, he has a knife. That thing is extremely sharp. One wrong move and you can risk a serious injury.” Ames then drops on to his knees, holding his balled-up hand to his chest, shaking his head slowly as a stream pours down from his eyes. Zander holds Ames’s shoulders while constantly wiping the liquid despair off his own face. With my hands on my head, I pace around. I honestly and truly can’t die today. Too bad my cheap boss never bothered to get them fire safety junk.

Like a lion tamer, Mr. Badeaux tries to protect himself with a chair, as Kiah attempts to stab him. He still manages to get light cuts and scrapes. Mr. Badeaux cries while Kiah maniacally smiles with his gums and waterlogged eyes.

“Yo Mr. Badeaux, just give Kiah the promotion.”

 “W-what? No.”, he said between each breath. Kiah growls. 

“Yo, give him the goddamn promotion so we can get out of here. This place is on fire! Come on!”

“B-but my grandfather—” a gush of fire engulfs the kitchen door. “Okay okay, Kiah you’re promoted. There, now stop.”, he sobbed. 

“No, I want an official promotion, with a bonus and my picture taken.” Come on! You’re killing us Kiah. All of us have begun a coughing fit. 

“Yo, just write Kiah a check, and take a picture on your phone.”

“Okay”, Mr. Badeaux whimpered. Kiah steps back. “We may not have enough money to make profit. This check might—”

“Shut the hell up and write Kiah the check.” This man can not be serious. Mr. Badeaux hurries and empties out his bag to find his old, barely used checkbook.

“My grandfather would be so mad—”

“Yo your grandfather is a petty jerk. Just write the check and take Kiah’s picture.”

Ames and Zander all of a sudden collapse.

“I want an extra five hundred. That should be fair.”, Kiah said. Mr. Badeaux groans, then coughs. 

“Hurry take his picture.”

“M-make sure you get my good side.”, Kiah said as he posed with a wide smile. Mr. Badeaux takes his picture with his phone. “I’m promoted, I’m free! I am finally an executive chef and free!”, Executive Chef Kiah said, as he looked at his check. He then lies on the ground with a bright smile and squinted eyes. “Muriel, I’m coming to see you now.” He faces me. “You’re an okay cook Billy— I mean— Sammy. Goodbye.” With that he closes his eyes and exhales the smokey air.

Finally, some firefighters burst through the front door. Just in time too, my vision is getting blurry. Poor Chef Kiah. He stayed here longer than he should have, allowing his flames of anger to grow and slowly roast him from the inside for nearly a century. He was a carcass, overcooked and under-appreciated. I watch as the firemen extinguish the flames from the kitchen.