"Wait... what? - Tracy couldn't believe her eyes. She's been feeding this homeless man for some time, even though she knew that could jeopardize her whole career.
One day she notices this man's shoes. "That just can't be true" - she whispers to herself. Her life is about to change drastically, and it seems she can't do anything about it...
The Culinary World
Tracy was a bright woman, and she had aspirations of being a world-renowned chef. She worked as a waitress in one of the most popular restaurants in Los Angeles. For her, it was one way of getting her foot through the door.
Her schedule was a bit tricky – she would work in the mornings, then go to culinary school at night. She was always tired, but she was at peace because she did what she loved. However, it would appear that one crazy idea could cost her everything that she has worked on so far…
Working Towards Her Dream
The restaurant she was working on was like a playground for Tracy – it had everything she had ever wanted. Just looking at the chefs working there made her envision the future life she had wanted for herself.
Tracy was a hard worker, and she knew that she could do anything that she put her mind towards. Even though her job as a waitress was demanding, she always tried to keep up with her studies. She was very studious, and maybe that was what got her a place in one of the best restaurants in California.
A Well-Known Restaurant
The restaurant was not a typical restaurant – it was fine dining, and the chef who owned it has been awarded two Michelin Stars. Tracy knew that if she wanted to be someone in the culinary world, she had to start somewhere, and this place was it for her.
However, all her aspirations would be shattered by her cruel boss. This man was mean towards his employees, but he was the worst micromanager in the restaurant industry. There were times when Tracy wanted to quit, but she always reminded herself of what was in the line.
Doing What She Loves
Whenever the restaurant owner would scream at her, Tracy would simply remind herself that she was enduring this for her career. She knew that everybody in the culinary world started small like her. So this motivated her to do better.
Although she would do the best she could, her boss doesn’t seem to care. He was a mean guy, and he would always tell his employees, “You’re all here because of me. So you better work because I’m not paying you for nothing.”
Something Caught Her Eye
One day, her boss was giving his employees another lecture, and Tracy’s eyes couldn’t help but wander. Upon looking at the window, she saw a homeless man sitting in front of the restaurant. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and so she wondered what his story was…
Her boss could see that Tracy wasn’t listening, so he said, “Is there something else outside that’s more important than what we’re doing here?” Tracy was shocked, and she lowered her head and said, “No, sir.” This was the work environment she had to endure every day, but she had no other choice…
How Could She Help Him?
Tracy had a soft heart, and upon seeing the homeless man, she knew that she had to help him. However, she didn’t have the means to do it as money was pretty tight for her. She wasn’t getting the best tips, and she had to pay for her personal bills.
Although, this didn’t stop Tracy from thinking about the homeless man in front of the restaurant. Another thing that made her want to help him was that he was always sharing the bits of food that he had to stray animals. So she knew that she had to hatch a plan to help him out – but what kind of plan would this be?
A Risky Move
As she was working, Tracy had an idea that she wanted to cook for the homeless man outside. She had talked to him once, and she liked how polite and generous he was. Although there was one problem: she had no money to pay for the ingredients…
Tracy had been thinking about the idea that she had, and before she knew it, she was walking towards the pantry in the restaurant she worked in. She told herself, “This isn’t stealing. I’m simply borrowing these ingredients, and I’ll pay them back as soon as I get my paycheck.”
She Was Going to Get Caught
Tracy grabbed some food from the pantry, and little did she know, her apron was overflowing with ingredients. She thought this was such an easy feat, but her heart was about to stop as she heard someone knock outside…
She was clearly panicking – there was nowhere to go, and the only way out of the pantry was through the door where a person had been knocking. Tracy could feel her soul leaving her body as she was so scared. She stayed there motionless and hoped for the best – would she get caught?
Walking as Fast as She Could
A few minutes later, she could hear the person’s footsteps slowly disappear. She knew that she was in the clear, so she rushed outside and stuffed the “stolen” goods inside her locker. Naturally, she felt bad, but she believed it to be a Robinhood type of situation.
After her shift that day, Tracy had never walked that fast – she was so scared that she would get caught. So as soon as she arrived home, she took out all the ingredients from the restaurant, and she started whipping up a feast. She was so excited, and it was pretty evident in the food she was making.
She Tried to Find the Man
Once she finished with the meal that she had been cooking, Tracy wrapped everything carefully and put it in a bag. She knew that she cooked a great dinner, and so she wanted to let the homeless man have a taste of luxury, even for one meal.
So she went back to the restaurant hoping that her boss wouldn’t be there – luckily he wasn’t. The man was there, though, and he was stunned when Tracy reached out to give him a few packs of food. He said, “You’re so kind to me, thank you.”
A Budding Friendship
The man said, “I’m Earl, and I don’t really know why I’m here. Maybe I’ve fallen off my path, but honestly, I don’t mind.” Tracy and Earl had quite the conversation that night, and she really felt as if this man was her friend.
Earl ate the meal on the sidewalk, and he said, “This is one of the best meals that I’ve ever had in my life. Did you make this?” Tracy simply nodded, and this remark made the stealing so worth it. She had accomplished her mission, and she couldn’t be happier.
Cooking for Her New Friend
Before leaving the homeless man, Tracy said, “I’m going to cook you some more stuff throughout the week. Just wait for me here, okay?” Earl simply nodded – he couldn’t believe why such a nice girl would bother to cook a meal for a homeless guy like him.
So every single night that week, Tracy would steal a few things from the restaurant’s pantry, and she cooked a meal for Earl. She didn’t even mind that she was stealing from her workplace because the fact that she was doing what she loved was so worth it to her. This was until an unexpected visitor came knocking on her door…
An Unexpected Visitor
It was the weekend, so Tracy didn’t have any work that day. She expected some peace and quiet, and she even thought that she might sleep in because she had been working so hard. Although she heard a loud knock from outside, she was stunned to see who was causing it…
Before opening the door, Tracy could see that it was the chef who owned the restaurant. She knew that she was done for as she opened the door. The chef said, “Don’t bother coming back to work. I know what you’ve been doing, and you’re fired. I’ll let everyone in the industry know that you’re a thief and you’ll never work in culinary again.”
Where Would She Go?
Tracy’s hopes and dreams were shattered, and she knew that it was her fault. She didn’t think about the consequences of her actions as she got a bit too distracted with feeding her new friend. There was nowhere to go, and she wouldn’t be able to pay her bills without her job.
That afternoon, Tracy walked to her old workplace – she just wanted to catch a glimpse of the life she once had. Earl saw her looking glum, and he asked her what had happened. She told him everything and how she got fired for taking some stuff in the pantry. Then, the homeless man did something she never expected…
They Stormed Into the Restaurant
Earl took her hand, and they both walked into the restaurant. Tracy was frantic, and she was so scared about what was to come. She didn’t want the whole thing to escalate, but maybe it was too late.
The chef saw her old employee and a homeless man enter his restaurant, and he was furious. He said, “You have some nerve coming in here after what you’ve done. Don’t you see that this place doesn’t have a place for a thief and for a homeless man? If I were you, I would go before I call the cops.”
A Massive Confrontation
Tracy told Earl, “Let’s just go. It’s not worth it.” Earl refused, and he said, “You really don’t realize who I am, do you? I was just here a few weeks ago.” The homeless man removed his shabby coat, revealing that he was wearing a very nice suit – everyone’s jaws dropped.
The man said, “I’m a food critic, and I actually came here a few weeks ago. Your food was disgusting, so I’ve decided to buy most of the shares of your restaurant because I know that this needs to be under new management. So guess what? You’re fired.”
Revealing His True Identity
The chef realized that he had made such a massive mistake – he tried to apologize to the food critic, but Earl’s decision was final. He said, “If you were even a tiny bit nice to your employees, I would’ve considered your pleas. But you weren’t, so it’s time for you to go.”
The whole commotion had been surreal, and Tracy had no idea that this man was a food critic. Then he said to her, “Now this place needs a new chef, and I think you would be an excellent choice. The food you’ve been cooking was outstanding, and I think you have a bright future ahead of you.”
She Couldn’t Believe Her Luck
Tracy simply couldn’t believe her luck, and she had no idea that this homeless man was going to change her life forever. She said, “I would love to be a chef, and I would be honored to manage this restaurant.”
Earl nodded his head and said, “That’s final then.” This was only the beginning of a partnership that would last a lifetime, and Tracy was over the moon. She had landed the job of her dreams, and she met a life-long ally in the food critic – she couldn’t be happier.
Kindness and Passion are Everything
This story goes to show that kindness and passion are everything. You may be a successful person, but if you treat people badly, this will come to bite you in the end.
Tracy proves that you don’t have to be rich to help, and you could help even the poorest person. After all, you never know who you might end up helping in the first place. If that were you, would you risk your job to help a stranger?