A Warm Rainy Day in Tokyo by Kana Wu

Author:Kana Wu
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781735767659
Publisher: Kana Wu
Published: 2022-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

My day was similar to riding in a crammed train. Regardless of how many times I repeated the steps for making foam milk, only one staff member could make it correctly. The other nine couldn’t. My face was hot as I blinked back tears of sheer frustration that threatened to fall. My hair and the front of my shirt were slightly wet because whenever the staff didn’t put the pitcher properly under the steam wand, the milk sprayed on me.

“Don’t put the pitcher too low for the steam wand, Chizuko-san. Move it a little bit.” I put my hand on her elbow and gave a small push to make it higher while Sato-san translated my instructions. “There, yes, that’s better. Yes, keep it until you see the foam begin to form.” I pointed. “Then lower the pitcher slowly from the wand.” But the foam didn’t form well.

I ran a hand over my hair and wanted to pull it out in frustration. My expression must have been grim because Chizuko’s hands started shaking. Closing my eyes briefly, I took the pitcher from her hand and dumped the milk into the sink. Chizuko took a step back, tightening her shoulders. The rest of the staff lowered their eyes.

“I’ll show you one more time. Please observe.” I turned to Sato-san, who gave me a concerned look. “Please don’t translate it, Sato-san. I want them to focus on watching me.”

He nodded and instructed them in Japanese to observe me.

I poured a good amount of milk into the pitcher and cleaned the steamed wand with a rag. By not letting Sato-san translate, I was taking a gamble. But I had no choice. I’d lost my wits on making the training move forward in the right direction. My reputation was at stake if they couldn’t make the drinks properly before the soft opening. I would be seen as a failure, and never would I be chosen again for another international business trip or even a domestic one. My chest became tighter at that thought. Taking a few deep breaths, I signaled the staff to focus on the pitcher.

“Ichi.” I spoke in Japanese the number “one.” I submerged the tip of the wand just below the milk’s surface.

“Ni.” I positioned the pitcher straight up.

“San.” I angled the pitcher slightly.

“Shi.” I pressed the button on the steamer and held it until the milk became hot, bubbly, and the foam began to form.

“Go.” I slowly lowered the pitcher and turned off the steamer.

I took a spoon to scoop the foam from the pitcher and showed it to the staff. “You have to make the foam this thickness.”

A soft hand touched my elbow when I signaled Sato-san to translate my words. It was Nao.

“Why don’t you take a break, Bella-san? Let me and my assistants take over.” She spoke gently. “You’ve worked hard since yesterday. If you want, you can leave early and rest. So tomorrow, you can come fresh.”

Heat swelled behind my eyes. I turned away and blinked hard, fighting off tears.

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