Fantastic Beasts: An Extended-Epilogue

8: Help Wanted

JACOB
For the few weeks, Jacob hadn't been very concerned with the mystery of the silver eggshells in his case. He had been too busy with the bakery, because business had escalated quickly over the last few weeks. He was still working by himself, and decided it was time to hire some workers. He hung the HELP WANTED sign up on the door one day, and hoped for the best.
A day passed. Then two. Then three...he was beginning to get overworked, not that he wasn't used to that. But there was still hope, and by the fourth day, while he was kneading dough for some rolls, a young man came in. He was a lanky guy, with red hair and freckles covering his face and arms. He looked nervous, but good-natured.
"Hi, sir," he said nervously.
"Ah, can I help you?" Jacob asked, hurrying to the front.
"Yes, actually. I'm here to apply for the job," he said, clearing his throat.
"Oh, yeah! Can I ask you a few questions?" Jacob asked, his eyes lighting up. He was finally going to get some help around here!
" Um, sure," the young man said.
"All right," Jacob started. "First and foremost, my name is Jacob Kowalski, and you are...?"
"Lee Hunzman," Lee held his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kowalski." Jacob gave him a very floury handshake.
"Oh! Sorry about that," Jacob laughed nervously."Um, have you had any other jobs in the city?"
"No, sir. I just moved to the city from Jersey, and if I'm lucky this'll bey first job here in New York."
"Well, congratulations," Jacob said. "If I give you a list of things I need, can you go around town and pick them up for me?"
"Yes, sir."
"Can you cook anything?"
"Well," Lee said."I can follow a recipe, but if I have'nt got a recipe to follow it ends up so bad even the dogs wouldn't eat it."
"I got the recipes written down," Jacob assured him. "You got the job!"
"Really?" Lee asked, incredulous that it had been so easy.
"Yep. I need you to grab some stuff for me, as your first task," Jacob said, writing a list of things down and handing it to Lee. "Here. I usually get the flour at Greenpace Mill down the road, and get everything else at the wholesale market on the corner of Easton and Main."
"All right, boss," Lee said, walking out and smiling to himself.
"Oh, and Lee?" Jacob yelled. Lee looked around at him. "Get yourself an apron while you're out. We want to look professional 'round here."
"All right, boss," Lee smiled wider, and left.
At first that day, bussiness was a little slow, but Jacob didn't mind. He got creative and made the rolls into little monsters with currants for eyes, which was actually a good idea. When they walked by, people pointed at the window displays of the rolls, and came inside to investigate further. One looked like a snake with a bird's head and wings. Another looked like a cross between a platypus and a mole. No matter their shape, they sold quickly.
Lee came back after a while, sporting a deep red apron and carrying a big sack of flour, sugar, and fruit. Jacob had the other fresh ingredients like butter, cheese, and milk delivered daily at dawn. He put Lee to work making filling for pies and paczkis, and rolled the dough for them out himself.
"So, Lee. You got family in Jersey?" Jacob asked, trying to break the ice.
"Yeah, but just my aunt an uncle," Lee said."My parents left me with them when I was a baby. They didn't really want me."
Jacob thought this was a little depressing.
"What do your aunt and uncle think of you moving to New York?" He asked Lee.
"I think they just wanted what was best for me," Lee shrugged as he chopped cherries."I only had a job at the factory in my hometown, but that was about it. The pay was bad, and the hours were long."
"Ah, you're not alone in that, buddy. I used to work in a cannery, until I opened this place," Jacob told him. Lee looked at him strangely.
"How did you get the money for this place? Did you get a loan?" He asked Jacob. Jacob tensed, then decided to be honest.
"Can I trust you to keep a secret?" He asked Lee.
"Uh, sure. You didn't rob a bank, did you?" Lee added nervously.
"What? Of course not, but you're still gonna think I'm crazy," Jacob laughed uneasily. "A few weeks ago, I blacked out for a couple days."
"Blacked out?"
"Yeah," Jacob said quietly. "I mean, I guess that's what happened. I went to the bank to get a loan for the bakery, I sat down next to some guy, and the next thing I knew, I was in the middle of the city. When I went back to the bank and found my case, it was filled with silver!"
"Silver?' Lee asked, astounded.
"I swear," Jacob breathed. "The only thing that was there other than silver was a note from a fella named Newt Scamander."
"Newt Salamander?" Lee laughed.
"No, Newt Scamander," Jacob corrected. "The weird thing was, the silver looked like a bunch of broken eggshells."
"That is weird," Lee agreed.
"Do you believe me?" Jacob asked him curiously. Lee shrugged.
"There's probably a logical explanation," he said."People can be weird sometimes. The guy's probably a weirdo, even if he is a nice one."
Jacob thought. "Yeah. Bein' a weirdo doesn't always have to be a bad thing," he decided.