"Ma I make really good pancakes do you want me to make some for you I can add anything you want me to."
"Have you had lunch."
"No ma."
"Okay make some and we'll eat together I have to tell you something."
"Okay."
Erica was done making the pancakes she served mrs. blaze. "Enjoy your food ma."
"Please join me."
"It's okay ma I can always eat mine later."
"Please." Erica smiled and sat with her after eating she took the plates away and sat with mrs. blaze.
"How old are you."
"Twenty five years old."
"Give me your palm I read palms."
"Okay." The old woman looked at Erica's palm smiling "Your life is a very complicated one, bitter sweet but at the end you'll find love."
"Ma will I be rich famous and successful."
"Even more than that, you make delicious food."
"Thanks a lot Ma, tomorrow I won't be seeing you but I'll make sure to come on Saturday I'll do anything you ask me to do."
"Okay bye dear." Erica left smiling. On the street, she kept on twirling around she sat on the bench. "I am jobless the only thing that keeps me from being bored at home is charity in other people's homes I need to fix myself."
Erica stood up "my charity ends here I must rest at home just as aunt wished."
Erica went home her aunt wasn't at home "I wonder where aunt went to she didn't call me to tell me." Erica sat watching a commercial about Edison and his restaurant on TV.
"I wonder why he didn't hold the competition at his restaurant he is a very strict person and I wonder how decorum will be observed in his restaurant, one mistake and you're fired for life."
Veronica went to meet Edison at work. Edison was in the kitchen preparing a meal. "Hi babe." Veronica said and other chefs looked at her. Edison smiled to Veronica and kissed her on the cheeks.
"I can see you are busy I can help you and also learn something from you." Veronica said.
"This is a kitchen and personal hygiene is highly observed first your hair, secondly apron and thirdly your hands."
"I can do that I'll quickly fix myself up."
"Right now I'm busy I can teach you later at home."
"Okay I'll wait for you outside hurry up." Veronica left, other kitchen staffs murmured.
COMPETITION DAY 2
The next day was the competition and Erica could flex her fingers. The shooting started but today's own was different, a food was right in front of them. Judge Elena spoke "contestants on each of your table there is a food right in front of you, you have to taste the food and make the exact same type you will pick your ingredients based on the taste you got from the food, you are allowed ten minutes to taste the food. Your time starts now."
Erica looked at the food in front of her, "What a strange dish she examined the food with her eyes, she smelled the food with her nose and finally she tasted the food the food. Others were writing the ingredients they got from tasting the food while Erica was still tasting the food.
James and Edison got all their attention on her. Erica went and started picking her ingredients. James smiled and looked at Edison. "Our super cook is at it again I think she is so determined to win already she got 26 points out of hundred from the first competition already."
After Erica had finished picking her ingredients she stood waiting for the time to elapse. She didn't pick much things while everyone's basket was filled with ingredients.
"I wonder what magic she'll do again." Edison
thought.
The time elapsed and some of the contestants were not done. Judge Elena spoke again "You have forty five minutes to prepare the exact same type of dish your time starts now." Erica started preparing her dish Edison wanted to stand up to confront her again James stopped him.
"This time around brother you'll listen to me, you've hurt her badly in the trial and the first now you'll let her be or a fight will break out."
Edison saw how serious James was and sat back Erica was wonder why Edison has not come to ruin her cooking.
"Maybe he has realised that he was acting like a fool and embarrassing himself now my cooking can go easily without any hitches." Erica was rounding up her cooking, twenty minutes left. She tasted the food but couldn't get the taste from the other food "what is wrong did I make a mistake with the ingredients why don't they taste the same."
Time was going Erica still added some things she thought she missed just then the bosom went off. "They didn't do countdown?" It was a surprise to everyone and they knew the competition was becoming tough. Everyone presented their food. Erica squeezed her hand tightly, James gave her an eight,Elena gave her a seven and Edison gave her five total of twenty over thirty.
Erica wasn't happy with the score she got, at least the average was fifteen over thirty if you are below fifteen you have failed.
The competition ended James went to Erica.
"Was the food bad?" Erica asked him.
"No it wasn't it was tasty but you really didn't get it all but you tried it was better than some the other contestants made."
"Sir if you keep on praising me even when I did wrong then I won't progress I deserve a scolding."
"No miss Erica you got twenty and twenty is a good score you are making great progress."
Erica nodded and James left. Edison saw Erica leaving he went to her.
"Miss Andrews." Erica turned she was surprised to see Edison "Yes sir." She said.