Page 21 of Eden's Comfort Kitchen
‘No, I loved my first shift. Although it is about something that happened there. You know Ralph’s scheme for his leftovers?’
‘Yes…’ Livia said uncertainly.
‘I’ve been thinking about it all the time since. You said a lot of people needed it.’
‘But they won’t all use it.’
‘I suppose because it sort of feels like begging and nobody wants to feel like that. I know I wouldn’t.’
‘True, but we do what we have to, don’t we?’
‘I don’t know about that, but I was thinking how humiliated I’d feel if I had to?—’
‘I get the feeling,’ Livia interrupted, and for the first time since Eden had known her, she seemed less than patient, ‘that you’re someone who has never struggled to make ends meet. Humiliation doesn’t come into it when you’ve got two kids at home who’ll go hungry if you don’t swallow your pride and go get that food. There are some people who don’t have a choice.’
‘I didn’t mean…You’re right, I’ve never had to do anything like that before, but I don’t think that just because someone isin need, they should have to be shown less respect than anyone else.’
‘That’s not exactly what I said.’
‘In a way, it is. Yes, they do what they need to, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting. The lady who came in last night when all the food was gone…you didn’t see the look on her face. She hated being there, and she hated having to ask. She did a runner rather than have me—Never mind, it doesn’t matter, that’s not the point.’
‘OK…’ Livia caught a drip of ice cream as it ran down her cone and fixed Eden with a questioning gaze. ‘I can get on board with that, I suppose. But where is all this leading?’
‘I just think, brilliant as Ralph is, there must be a better way of doing it. A way to reach more people and make it seem like a social thing rather than begging.’
‘It’s not begging, but go on.’
‘No, it’s not…I can’t figure out how to say this in the right way, sorry. I’ll hold my hands up – I’ve had a decent life with a good job and good money. I don’t know how all this works. And I don’t want to come across like some middle-class saviour; I don’t want to patronise anyone – that’s the last thing I want. But I do want to help. Icanhelp. I just don’t know where to start.’
‘Do you even have a clue what it is you want to do? “Help” is a bit vague. I think it has to be more than just wanting to help.’
‘I know. That’s why I wanted to ask you. If you could have everything you needed to make a community thing work – like a soup kitchen or something – what would you do?’
‘I wouldn’t call it a soup kitchen, for a start. Makes it sound like a van ladling out gruel on a street corner in Gotham City.’
Eden was thoughtful for a minute. It might seem at first that Livia was being a bit brutal, but in a way, this was exactly what Eden needed.
‘How about…community café? A place where people can come and get a nice meal. No day-old leftovers from?—’
‘There’s nothing wrong with leftovers – some of us eat them a lot.’
‘Sorry, that didn’t come out the way I meant. I know there’s nothing wrong with leftovers, and I wouldn’t want people to stop going to Ralph for those. After all, you said it yourself: it’s a good way to use them up and save them going to landfill or whatever. But wouldn’t it be nice if people could come and sit down somewhere and have a plate of something fresh, have a chat with their friends and not worry about the bill? Like, not just food, but so much more?’
Livia looked sceptical as she swallowed the top from her ice cream. ‘You want to open a free restaurant?’
‘No, not…’ Eden sighed. ‘See, I was worried this would happen. I don’t really know what it is I want to do, but I know I want to do something. I just thought…Well, you said about the soup kitchen idea being a bit grim, and I just thought a café is a nicer thing. I don’t know how it’s going to work.’
‘Where would you even open it?’
‘Ah, well, I don’t know that either, but I did see a scout hut today on Shingle Street that might do the job. I’d have to phone them to see if it’s available and whether they have facilities to cook and stuff, but it looked big enough from the outside.’
‘I know it. Could work.’ Livia nodded slowly. ‘This isn’t a whim, is it? Because you’ve been here less than a week and you’re already making plans for…Well, something like this, you can’t just set it up and then get bored a week later. Once people start relying on you, that’s it, you’re in it for the long haul. Otherwise it’s just not fair. And I don’t want to be involved if this is just something to stop you getting bored while you’re here.’
‘You’d be involved? I didn’t think?—’
‘I’m not making any promises, but it does seem to me you need someone local to help. And I haven’t forgotten that you’re only here for six months. What happens to this community café of yours after that?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe I can find someone to take it on.’
