Prologue
With a Smile
Prologue
'My daddy and papa said "if you're in love write it in a plate because it symbolized cleanliness" a plate is round so that you'll live together forever. I'm Rachel Berry and this is the story of my life. My daddy and papa' s love story starts with barbeque. They love each other very much perfect combo. My daddy's is the charcoal and papa's is the heat that makes their lives full of romance how cheesy. Daddy said all things will make easy if you're hardworking that is why now they had me. If my papa taught me this is the recipes of love, he loves to experiment and used different unique ingredients and he told me that grilling is like television series there is leading ingredient, but it will not taste good if there is no contradiction and other extra. Not all the time we're happy you'll not expect when the problems come. My papa got sick and this start when everything's changed. Almost five years that my papa got hospitalized and daddy never gives up on him. And the restaurant that they built lend it to a businessman even its hard for my daddy he'll do anything for my papa just so he can be cured, that's when i saw how my parent's test their love. But my papa fixed his passport early to heaven. It's been two years since he died. Sometimes i wonder if the smokes coming from the barbecue in the grills went to heaven and he smelt of how much i loved him.'
After two years...
Chapter 1
At the grilling cooking contests at a festival...
Everyone is busy on their grills for the contest
"Daddy I'm done" said Rachel with glee on her face. "They said one minute left darling" Leroy said. Rachel looks up at the sky and prays with pleading eyes "Lord please make our barbecue be great"
Rachel prepared the barbecue to present.
"And the next contestant for the barbecue cooking contest let's give them a round of applause to the Berrys" the announcer said
The Berrys make their way to the center flat form "whooo" they said in unison and ready for their cheers lead by Leroy. "Give me a B
(B) give me an E (E) give me an R (R) give me an R (R) give me a Y (Y) what does it spell?" "BERRY! BERRY! BERRY!" said the crowd
Rachel gets the mic and begins to rap while Leroy and Nika began to dance and Jasper does the beat box. "Our barbecue oh so berrylicious with the aroma and taste you know it's pretty precious" the crowd clapped and cheers with them. "And now this is all we've been waiting for. The family who win will received total amount of five thousand dollars" pause "the most delicious barbecue and the winner is... (Drumroll) the Berrys" said the announcer
"ahh we did it" the Berrys jump hands in the air, they received a trophy, the cash prize and shook the judges hands while the crowd clapped and cheered their name "Berry! Berry! Berry!" "Thanks you Lord, thank you Lord" Rachel said "this is for your papa Hiram" Leroy kissed the cash envelope and raised it to the sky. "Daddy will you buy me a rubber shoes if there's left in the money" said Jasper "mine is bag daddy" said Nika. Rachel stands between Leroy and Jasper and threw her arms on their shoulder while looking for her siblings "Jasper, Nika let's see if it fits for our budget, you know that the money we got are for your enrollment, allowances and funds for our barbecue store. So we need to sacrifice and besides what the saying? 'If the comforter is short... "Learn how to curl" Leroy answered "No daddy! If the comforter is short give it to the baby" Rachel said laughing
"Papa Hiram said that right?" and they all laughed.
while Rachel is playing with Nika one of the judges walked to her "hi I'm chef Claire" "I'm Rachel" "congratulations to your family the barbecue is so delicious" "thank you" "we have a barbecue cook off in New York and i like you to join" "I… I'm not a chef" Rachel answered hesitantly "the contest is open for an amateur like you the important is you have passion and great cooking skills" Nika hugs Rachel waist and smile to chef Claire "yes Rachel is great cook" chef Claire looks at Rachel and said "You don't have to audition I already saw your talent, here.." she gave Rachel a ticket "Go to New York and show that and you're a guaranteed contestant" Rachel took the ticket and look at it "ok I'll think about it" "if you join you'll win a big cash and a scholarship we've already selected some people here in Lima, Ohio if you want you can go with them. So…? See you in New York?" after the chef leaves Leroy look at what in Rachel's hand "Barbecue cook-off. You have to join baby" "I don't know daddy the fare is expensive and it's not included in our budget" "Rachel if you win we get lots of money we can pay all of our debts and we can get the restaurant back please join" said Nika with pleading eyes
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There's knock on the door Leroy opened it. The lady at the door gave Leroy papers for their debt in the bank and read it. "Ma'am one month left for us to stay? Maybe you could give us a few more months "Leroy pleaded at the bank lady "sorry Mr. Berry we already gave you few months' extension
And there is nothing i can do" after the lady leaves Rachel walked in to her father "Daddy what's that?" Leroy gave Rachel the paper "when? Why didn't you tell me? We always said we're all in this together" "don't worry baby I'll find a way to fix this" Rachel hugged his daddy
RBQFRBQF
Leroy sited in their old restaurant catering a bottle of beer Rachel sits next to him placing the contest poster she's holding at the table "daddy just one bottle you know we can't solve our problems with beers"
"I just missed your father, if he still alive we don't have to sell this to Mr. Lee that we established for ten years" Leroy said looking at the restaurant "now that you're a lady this is the time where should enjoy at your age, I don't know if you can go to college or just a high school graduate. And now you're having this problem with me."
Rachel looking to his father sadly "daddy you know it's not your fault that he died and you know papa maybe his partying in heaven now" she said smiling to his father
Leroy looks at the poster in the table "So are you joining in that contest?"
"I like to but if i think about the money, the fare to New York, my accommodation, the ingredients it's so lot to spend"
"But it's a big prize and look at this ticket you can have your training that's your dream right?"
"Yes daddy, but maybe there will be next time next year the important now is we can pay our house that is why we need to double our charms in selling our barbecues"
"Double our charms" Leroy agreed holding his bottle in the air to cheer
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Outside the Berry house Rachel prepares thier barbecues to sell when Leroy walks to her "daddy where did you go? There's a lot of customers today" wiping her forehead from grilling" ahh... here take this" "where did you get this money daddy?" "Ahhm.. I borrowed it to Susan now you have your fare and allowance so you can go to New York" "but we already owe her a lot of money i can't take this. I'm not joining the contest" Rachel said she saw Susan walking on the street and excuses herself to her father.
" ahm.. Excuse me Susan i like to give back the money that my father borrowed you"
"Rachel take that money you know Hiram is my friend and I know he'll be happy if you achieve your dreams, so before I'll changed my mind grab that opportunity"
"Thank you" Rachel said with her megawatts smile
"Just do your best ok I'll have to go"
"Thank you again"
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Rachel is packing her things when Nika and Jasper hugging her crying "oh hush there's no audition for actors here" she said wiping her tears. Leroy is sitting at the side of her bed with teary eyes she gave Rachel Hiram's favorite plate. "That's Hiram favorite plate it's lucky charm" "thank you daddy" now she can't stop sobbing
"Baby girl don't forget to call us"
"Yes daddy I'll always update you of my doings in New York"
"First time that you get away without us I don't know if i can handle that"
"Daddy you always say that if the opportunity knocks say hello this is it! I promised you when i get back all our debts will be paid this house and we will get our restaurant back" they hugged each other crying
IN NEW YORK
Everyone is busy preparing for the contest and Rachel pacing back and forth called her daddy for comfort
"Daddy I'm nervous all of my competition here went to culinary school and me.. What do i know i didn't go to school? I'm really stressed right now and I felt like i can't sleep and you know what some of them will cook stake, grilled burgers and how will my barbecue beats that?" she cries
"don't be nervous baby i know your barbecue will beat them, believed me just remember sweetness and sourness must not over power each other just like in a relationship they give and take"
"daddy I'll did experiments but nothings seems right. Tomorrow is the elimination and i feel like crying" Rachel whined
"You know Rachel barbecue is a comfort food and when they smell your barbecue i know you get their attention"
"Ok daddy thank you" and hung up the phone. She sigh "I can do this!"
The next morning Rachel and other contestant arrived at the hotel parking lot where the competition held. Rachel got her things and is looking for her lucky charm Hiram's favorite plate
"Where is it? I know i brought it with me" she said looking at her things
"Hey! Rachel we'll go ahead inside" said the other contestant
She nods "there you are i thought i lost you" she hugs the plate on her chest and pray
"Lord please even if its top five I'll do cartwheel with happiness please.. Please" she walks still praying not noticing the truck that is coming to her way from the lot and hit by it. The driver and the passenger rushed to her
"Miss" Rachel opened her eyes with blurry looking and smiling into woman's face with blonde locks and piercing hazel eyes. "Miss" the woman called again she's the prettiest girl I've ever seen she thought then she passed out...