Hot Oil

Yvonne had been working non-stop since 8:00 A.M. At exactly 6 P.M. The 5 foot 8 inches dark skinned beauty headed out the front door of Ted’s Restaurant where she had been employed as a waitress for the past six months. As she walked home,Yvonne thought about the events of the past year. She had just graduated from Central High school and had hopes of going to the Community College but the sudden death of her mother, the sole breadwinner of the family, had devastated eighteen year old Yvonne and her fifteen year old sister. The death not only signalled the loss of a nurturing, caring, mother who held her family together but it thrust new responsibilities on Yvonne.

She had reached out to Uncle Marlon, her mother’s only other living relative. His terse response was,”You are a pretty girl, go use your ASSets and earn a living.” Her uncle’s response was shocking but then she should not have been surprised. There was a reason her mother had severed ties with Uncle Marlon.

“The nerve of that man,” Yvonne said aloud. Tears welled up in her eyes but she quickly brushed them away. She had to be strong for her little sister. Supper was a meagre meal of boiled banana and steamed cabbage. Things could have been different if Yvonne had been another kind of girl. In fact,Ted Billings had told her she could get an unlimited supply of food. In her naivety, Yvonne was about to express her gratitude when he had whispered, “It’s meat for meat. Nothing round here is free.”

“ I may be in need,” she had retorted, stepping aside to avoid his advances, “But I have my morals.”

“The sooner you drop those morals and get real, the better off you’ll be. “Ted had a wicked gleam in his eyes and he lolled out his tongue and licked his lips suggestively. “Hang with me and the world can be yours,” he had continued, resting his hand momentarily on Yvonne’s derriere. Yvonne had dashed out the tiny office and made her way to the restaurant where she took up her position.

She was between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, she needed the job but on the other, she was not willing to put up with the sleazy scumbag who was her Boss. Yvonne was glad to have been given the job but she had not bargained for the abuse that came along with it.She had confided in Sandra, a coworker, but she was no help.

“I wish I were as pretty as you,” she had responded, “I could do with a little extra cash and if I had the body and the looks you have. I’d surely make them work for me.You have to be willing to put out if you intend to get ahead in life, that’s the way of the world.”

Needless to say, Yvonne was shocked so she never brought the subject up again. She vowed to be wary of Ted and his unwelcome advances. Try as she might, Yvonne was not able to escape the lecherous looks and the ‘accidental’ frottaging and gentle brushing of Ted’s hand across her breast. On more than one occasion she had been cornered and pressed against a wall. Ted’s wet, thick tongue had been forced into her mouth and she could feel his body awake with desire. In retaliation she had clawed at him with her nails and had kicked at his shin. In agony, Ted had released his grip on her but always with the promise of getting revenge.

It was while she was frying plantains one day that she had a thought. She recalled how her mother used to tell her that to get the best results, the oil had to be very hot. “That’s it!” she exclaimed.

“That’s what?” a voice behind her asked.

“Nothing,” she whispered, “Nothing, Sir.”

The next two months were torture. Ted insisted on being a thorn in Yvonne’s flesh. “I am worth more than this,” she thought. Her physical assets, as Uncle referred to them, were proving to be a liability. It was a Thursday afternoon that Yvonne was frying plantains to fill an order. As she placed slices of well-browned plantains on the paper towel to drain, Yvonne sensed that someone had entered the kitchen.

“You’re as hot as this kitchen is hot,” the unmistakable voice of Ted gurgled. “I have something here to cool you off. If you handle my plantain as well as you handle those you’re frying, I’m in for a treat.”

Yvonne stiffened

“I have a big plantain here for you. A big, sweet plantain.”

“I must do something,” she thought. “But what…”

She weighed her options. The scene quickly shifted and she envisioned her mother in the kitchen frying plantains. “Look Yvonne, always remember the oil has to be very hot if you want the best results.”

It was the loud screams that brought Sandra and two other workers to the kitchen. Ted Billings was holding tightly to the rectangular table and howling in pain. Ted was rushed to St. Michael’s hospital where he was treated for second degree burns. While he was away on sick leave, Yvonne continued working at the restaurant. In the meanwhile, she started searching for a new job. She doubted that she could continue working at Ted’s Restaurant.

Even if Mr. Billings amended his ways, she would still have the horrible memories haunting her. “I deserve so much more than this. I can well imagine how many other girls have suffered a similar fate at the hands of the many Mr. Teds who exist. Her anger began to boil but she did her best to control it. She had taken a stand and she vowed that come what may, she would not go against the principles she had been raised to uphold. There had to be a better way.