Tea For Two

22

Disclaimer: This is part of an original piece of fiction. Please don't steal it. Love you. Enjoy.

~~~

On the way home on Sunday night, I let my thoughts drift away from my mother's never ending discussion of how Jacks' dress blah, blah, blah...

One thing I can never stop marveling over with tea is that there is a tea for every occasion; every single day of the year, every possible emotion, every meal and snack and empty stomach- each and every one has a tea that is perfect for it. While I have picked favorites over my few years with it, I still love trying new ones and coming back to them later, soaking in the memories that I associate with each one.

Daddy's mom, my grandma Jean, is incredibly fond of ginger tea. I will forever think of her drinking it from a jelly jar in her messy house in a suburb of New Orleans. There are other things I will remember of her after she's gone- not that that will be happening any time soon, rest assured- I'm sure: her loud laugh, how she loves to play poker and hates canasta. But one of my favorite memories about her is of the first time we visited her and I had finally discovered tea, so I drank with her on the porch.

It's a bitter tea with a bite to it, no matter how much sugar you mix in or how you water it down. It refuses to be completely sweet or weak, no matter what you do. It's a constant surprise, the way you can mix in sugar and still have a slightly bitter drink. But it isn't bad; in fact, if it wasn't like that, it would be so nondescript, it would be like drinking hot sugar water. So you drink it, letting it sting mildly at the edges of your tongue, and having it disappear after it has been swallowed.

It is Emily in a cup.

It is surprising and lovely and it tastes like late spring and laughter and loyalty.

Plus, you know, the whole 'ginger' thing.

I did get to spend time on Friday night with Grandma Jean. We stayed at her house, and she and I had a cup of tea together on her porch like always.

She asked me about how school was going and if I had any idea yet what I wanted to do; no big rush- I've still got a year to think.

I surprised her by mentioning my friends; she had learned not to ask because there wouldn't be any news in that department. I told her about Kyle and Aiden and Jonathon. The other guys got mentioned too, just because. And I told her about how if it weren't for Emily moving in next door, and for her being so nice and crazy and playing baseball, I'd still be alone.

Grandma Jean stood up and told me to go get her keys from the kitchen; we were going out. I didn't ask where we were going, or why. She drove to her grocery store and took me to the tea aisle.

"Pick one out for this Emily," she said.

"Why?"

"Because you can only get friends like her once in a lifetime, girl. I want you to pick out a tea for her, give it to her, and tell her thank you from me."

I bit my lip and stared down at my Vans.

"What am I supposed to say, grandma? 'My grandma says 'thanks for being this degenerate's friend''?"

And girlfriend. Girlfriend works too.

"Yes."

So I thought for a moment and picked out a box I knew each party involved would approve of: ginger tea.

~~~

When I get back home, there is absolutely nothing I would rather do than have a cup of tea with Emily. I've missed her so much, and I wouldn't mind a few kisses to go with the tea, to be honest. I boil enough water for us both, and pour out two mugs. I plop a bag of my new tea into each mug and walk through the living room.