Aw, thank you love.
Youre a good kid.
I hope you enjoy the food and c’mon come again soon!
Im thirteen now and old enough to man the deep fat-fryer.
I plunge chicken balls into the bubbling hot oil below.
This taught me how to put on a brave face, stand my ground, and be fearless.
Mum grabs a poly lid and presses down the four corners.
I grab a white plastic bag hanging from the silver island and begin bagging it all up.
Were in a production line working against the clock, trying to fulfil back-to-back orders.
This taught me to value my co-workers, the importance and efficiency of good teamwork.
We did it out of love and necessity, not because we wanted to.
I never had a job doing paper rounds, waitressing, or most enviable of all working in retail.
I got paid cash in hand, never on a payroll, let alone with benefits.
I never had a work email address, and we certainly didnt have any office parties.
But that was the way things were.
We all put the Chinese takeaway before ourselves and our own needs.
I look back on those memories (even the painful ones) with immense nostalgia.
All skills and experience I would need and rely on in the future.
I can still recite the numbers of our most popular takeaway dishes with ease.
But the lessons I learnt from the takeaway also shaped the person I am today.
I wouldnt have had it any other way.
