Food Relevance from a Drunken Cook

"Head line"- Local Chef Kicks the Bucket!

Ok, the set up is a small restaurant in the down town core of Saskatoon Saskatchewan.  The Chef we’ll call Chef JS. The time would be around 2001 or 2002, right in the climax of my addictions experience. My brother and I are both helping out a friend as he was understaffed and need some well rounded cooks.

         As we arrived at work I was with out sleep for around two days so naturally I was feeling a little goofy and was not quite there in reference to my mental abilities. It’s the late afternoon and the dining room is booked full, seating around 50 covers, service will begin within the hour. As we wait for the guests to arrive my brother and I are beet and decide to catch a quick nap by the back prep table. Using 3 buckets each we stretch out sitting on one and using the other two for our feet and head (the classic kitchen cot). Chef JS wakes us up as the first table arrives and I move to the salad table as my brother moves to the hot, plate up area.
         Service begins and all is well, maybe half ways through one of the servers begins to crack. Chef is beginning to be irritated by the actions of this girl and moves back to the prepping area about 15 feet behind the line to take a little venting moment. When he returns the waitress is standing there waiting for him and going through his bills he notices her just standing their still. Shortly after that he notices the 3 plates of entrees sitting between her and him.
         “What?” he says in a grumpy tone as the server begins to inform him.
         “This is table 5, I need two more steaks.” As chef rechecks his bills he sees table 5 at the head of the rest and table 5 is 5 covers.
         “Where’s the other two from 5, they were right here!” As his face slowly takes on a red color she looks down and tells him the news.
         “I took them to 14, sorry.”
         “14 just got here, did I say they were 14! What the fuck, god dam it, how the fuck am I going to cook two fucking steaks in 30 seconds! Devin, drop two steaks. Jesus, fucking, Christ!” he shouts. 
         As he storms off to the back again I’m already having trouble keeping a strait face and my brother and I look at each other with smirks and just keep to our selves. For those of you who don’t know this, a pissed off chef is one of the most dangerous creators to ever roam the lands. If you ever encounter one, absolutely under no circumstances should you ever begin to laugh or let the beast know you are amused by the situation, this will only bring you to confrontation with the snarling chef no doubt.
         On his way to the back he approaches the pails left from our naps earlier. In his rage he kicks one of the buckets with all his might. The bucket fly’s towards the back wall, bounces off as if controlled by destiny, pings off the roof and collides full force into the face of the already really pissed off chef. He stumbles back a few steps and realizes what had just transpired. Immediately he turns to me to see if anyone saw what had happened to him.
         This moment was a real test of mental will power as I was at a front row seat for the funniest moment I can ever remember. I swung my face away from him to hide my laughter and see my brother already drooped on his knees and crippled by the site, I couldn’t help it, I broke. The ego bruised chef had enough at that point and was not seen for the rest of that night. The crew their completed the service throughout periodic attacks of uncontrollable laughter and all was well, on our side of the situation of course.
         I’ve seen and talked to chef JS many times since that night but I have never brought up the moment he kicked the bucket. It’s probably for the best I think.