**Chapter Three: The Morning Shift**
The morning sun filtered through the windows of The Loft, casting a warm, golden glow across the café's front end. Hospital staff bustled in, forming a steady stream of patrons seeking their morning caffeine fix. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the comforting scent of pastries and breakfast treats.
As the front end buzzed with activity, I found myself in a vastly different world, tucked away behind the swinging kitchen doors. This was where the real magic happened, and I was part of it, albeit in a humble role.
Joe, the head chef from the Philippines, stood at the helm of our kitchen. He was a man of few words but immense skill, his every move a testament to his culinary expertise. With a white apron wrapped around his waist and a toque blanche perched atop his head, he commanded the kitchen with an air of authority that demanded respect.
My duties as a kitchen hand kicked off promptly at 7 a.m. It was a routine I had grown accustomed to, and I approached it with a sense of purpose. The morning shift was a whirlwind of tasks, each one crucial to the café's operation.
My first responsibility was food preparation. I sliced, diced, and chopped with precision, turning raw ingredients into the building blocks of our breakfast menu. From crisp vegetables to succulent meats, I worked efficiently, knowing that every dish we served had to meet the café's high standards.
Stock management was another integral part of my role. The café's success relied on the availability of ingredients, and I ensured our supplies were always well-stocked. From dry goods to frozen produce, I hauled crates and boxes into the storeroom, organizing them with the meticulousness of a librarian arranging books on a shelf.
Amidst the controlled chaos of the kitchen, I found my rhythm. While the front end buzzed with conversations and laughter, the back end was a symphony of sizzling pans and clattering utensils. It was here that I felt most at home, hidden from the prying eyes of the café's patrons.
Little did I know that beneath the surface of this seemingly ordinary café, a different narrative was waiting to unfurl. The secrets that simmered in the background would soon reveal themselves, altering the course of my journey in ways I could never have imagined.