The dishwasher used to carry leftover food home in bags, which caused dissatisfaction among the restaurant staff, and they reported it to the manager.
“Look, she’s dragging a bag again, see how heavy it is for her!” the waitresses laughed, who had stepped outside for a smoke break.
One of them yelled out, “Hey, dishwasher! Granny Anna, don’t overdo it, those leftovers are heavier than the food itself!”
The elderly woman glanced back, smiled, and, switching hands, continued walking briskly toward the bus stop.
“I wonder why she takes so much leftover food?” one of the waitresses asked.
“Who knows? She’s new here, but our Paul…”
“You know, I don’t care about people’s personal lives!” another waitress dismissed.
“Oh, as if I need him! He’s ugly, gray-haired…”
“Gray because he’s been through a lot. But as for ‘ugly,’ you’re wrong. Paul is quite charming and manly!”
Samantha looked at her friend.
“Are you in love with our administrator too?”
“No, I just said he’s an interesting guy. But there’s no chance for us. They want personalities, not ordinary girls like us.”
Samantha sighed, realizing that her friend was right. Paul was a close friend of the restaurant owner. If Ivan had been about forty years old, Paul was slightly younger. Rumor had it, they met in a hot spot 15 years ago and then entered the restaurant business together.
Paul was at the restaurant, and Samantha decided to approach him.
“Paul, is it okay that our new dishwasher is taking leftovers home?”
Paul looked at her thoughtfully.
“Would you feel better if the leftovers were just thrown away?”
Samantha blushed but didn’t back down.
“But think about it. If someone lives by eating leftovers, what kind of conditions must they have at home? It’s unacceptable for someone working with dishes!”
“Anna has all the necessary documents—that’s one. She’s always neat and clean—that’s two. You don’t know who she’s feeding with those leftovers—that’s three. And four: if you, Samantha, did your job half as well as Anna, you’d be irreplaceable! Focus on your work and remember: gossip doesn’t suit a young lady.”
Samantha, blushing with shame, went to the supply room where her friend was waiting.
“Well, did you get an earful? Why are you showing off where it’s not needed?”
Samantha snorted. “That soldier is defending the old lady who eats leftovers! I’m not sure she’ll last here long!”
“What did she do to you?” sighed Rita. “Let her take them, she doesn’t take them without asking! Why are you mad?”
“Just….” Samantha was on the verge of tears. “Why does he talk to me like that?”
Rita sighed heavily. “Let’s go, we closed half an hour ago, and you still haven’t packed up.”
The next day, when the girls arrived at work, Anna was already cleaning and polishing everything around. Samantha snorted, “Guess she’s working off her leftovers.”
Anna smiled and calmly looked at her. That peaceful calm only made Samantha more annoyed. She approached Anna.
“Your smile won’t fool me! I’ll still ruin your life. If you don’t leave on your own, I’ll tell the owner. Since the administrator isn’t paying attention, let the owner handle it.”
Anna looked confused. “Samantha, why are you so angry with me?”
Samantha couldn’t take it anymore and stormed out of the room, slamming the door. Anna stared at the door for a while and then turned to Rita.
“What happened to her?”
“I have no idea,” Rita shrugged. “Do you think she’ll really complain to the owner?”
Rita knew about Anna from Paul. Despite taking leftovers, Anna didn’t seem poor. She was always neat and decent, but something was clearly missing in her life. Rita felt that Samantha was dealing with personal issues. Samantha wouldn’t have minded taking leftovers in her childhood, but that was a different situation.
Samantha had grown up in a family of alcoholics, where she often had to steal or go hungry. Her father frequently disappeared, and her mother brought home various men. One day, her father died from hypothermia, and her mother soon passed away from alcoholism. Her mother’s sister didn’t want anything to do with them but still took Samantha in until she turned 18.
Samantha didn’t hold a grudge, but everything that happened in her childhood felt like a terrible nightmare. She never spoke about her past to anyone in her present life.
In the evening, Paul informed them that the owner would be returning in two days. He had been abroad studying restaurant management.
“I hope we didn’t slack off here. Everything’s clean? The kitchen in order? The refrigerators stocked? Is the complaint book empty?”
Samantha smiled. “We’ll see how Ivan reacts when he finds out some strange old lady has been taking food from his restaurant.”
Rita immediately reprimanded her, “Forget it! It’s just leftovers, nobody wants them.”
Samantha had a dream of marrying someone who would provide her with a calm life. She thought Paul could be her chance. But he was indifferent, and so Samantha decided to try her luck with the restaurant owner, Ivan. She even devised a plan to catch his attention.
On the day Ivan was returning, Samantha came to work earlier, as if preparing for a date. Paul looked at her in surprise, but Samantha ignored him.
Ivan was already at the restaurant, and Samantha decided to act. She went into his office, expressed her concerns about the restaurant’s reputation, and promised to support good working conditions. Ivan listened to her and asked:
“Are you concerned about the waste or about whether the person might be unkempt?”
“Of course, the second!” Samantha replied. “What waste?”
“Got it. Let’s go check on our employee.”
They ended up in the dishwashing room. Ivan greeted Anna, and Samantha, seeing her calm demeanor, realized that her plan was falling apart.
“Anna?” Ivan exclaimed, embracing the woman.
He began telling how he had saved her in a hot spot, and Samantha realized that her place at the restaurant was now uncertain. Soon, she found herself working in the dishwashing area.
A few days later, Paul brought in a new dishwasher, and Samantha realized her future at the restaurant was under threat. However, Paul offered her a vacation, inviting her to a resort for a skiing trip.
Samantha was stunned but accepted the offer. It marked a new turning point in her life. Later, with the administration’s consent, a collection of photos of homeless animals appeared at the resort, which Anna had been feeding and helping find new homes. Samantha apologized to Anna and invited her to her wedding with Paul. Anna forgave her, and everything ended well.