Tea Time with Julia

Grogginess: It’s all that I awake to. I’m wrapped up tight in an emotion. But I have something to look forward to: Tea Time with Julia. I gently roll out of bed. My hair is tangled into an intricate nest, and foul stenches meander from my oral cavity. I am voracious and smelly. I grudgingly tread to the restroom where I lather myself with sweet smelling soaps which brighten the mind. The steam opens up every single pore so that I may cleanse the toxic substances out.  I turn the hexagonal knobs to shut the faucet up. I pull back the mildew-covered shower curtain with lava-like members.

I take my daily dose and resume to my morning routine. Somewhat awake, I clutter about Formica floors opening the cupboard to find my Captain Crunch. Flowing milk spills into my bowl. And flowing breakfast spills into my mouth. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I listen to the pleasant melody of musicians, trying to translate the meanings of the songs. Not so easy when you only receive four hours of sleep.

I shove my three-ring binders into my schoolbag, and prepare to set sail. Clambering into the mini-van, I recollect each of the times I have had tea with Julia. I smile to myself, and await our great adventure of the day.

I get to school and dig through my bag, searching for my phone. I grasp it tightly and press the small numbers to call her. She says she is dropping her brother on the bus. She lives just down the road, so I am prepared to walk to her humble abode. I’ve never been before, but she says it won’t be hard to find. It is directly across from a quaint, carmine house.

As I approach her house, stumbling through shards of gray concrete speckled with dirt, I am overwhelmed by the divine simplicity. There are long, Oriental windows frosted with powder, which stretch from floor-to-ceiling. A cherry-red door is grandly contrasted with white walls. A diamond net surrounds the sapphire quadrangle in the front. The inside is even more appealing.

Cute furniture lines the dining room, huge and stocky, royal at least. A vintage stove is stuffed into the kitchen wall. Ornately patterned trays and canisters are stacked or filled with fruits, vegetables, teas, and spices.  We pack up for our journey.

We exit, and the alarm beeps three quiet times. Though our travel is silent, it is not awkward. All the time our quietness is not interrupted, except for a conversation with her mom on the phone. We get to the school, two minutes away. We trek from the Chapel to the area behind the softball field.

The sun has not yet rose behind the luscious scenery, but the atmosphere is luminous. Foggy clouds are all around, but our vision is not obstructed. Chirps of birds and insects pleasantly walk into our ear canals. We lay a grey blanket on the damp grass. As it ripples downward, the air is captured underneath, creating a parachute effect. We smooth out the creases, take off our shoes, and gently sit down on the damp blanket.

Next, we unfold the cloth from around the classical designed teacups. We gather hot water from a metal thermos and a waterfall of boiling waterfall crashes into our cups. We place our teabags inside: mine ginger and Julia’s pomegranate. I stir in a few teaspoons of sugar with the crystal spoon.

The orange color penetrates the water, slowly seeping throughout. The steam escalates from the mug in quick wisps, fading away as they rise. I sip. And I am ready to start the day. My core is subtly warmed, my morning meditation. Julia and I laugh for no apparent reason. This kind of comfort between people is hard to find.

The flavor of my tea is soothing. It is a spicy, sweet combination which numbs the throat and mind. It is hot on my tongue but just warm enough to be devoid of burning. It opens my nasal passage, allowing my to breathe deeply. The scent is softly sweet. And the earth is the aroma of after-rain.

The sundrops start to hit our complexion, brightening our mood even greater. We whip out our phones to take pictures. The sun peeks over the foliage we’re surrounded by. It lights up one half of our face, providing us with a golden, vitamin-D masque. The beams of bright light intensify as the sun keeps climbing higher. We have to shield our eyes by looking the opposite way.

And what a gorgeous, god-like sight! Besides the woods, there are glittering sparkles resting individually on top of green blades. A purple-trunked sapling grows from a small, dirt hill. I faintly recall the trickle of Jones Creek nearby. We finished our tea. And we were at an immensely serene state of being. Julia cleaned up this time, wrapping up mugs, screwing on caps, rolling up the blanket, discarding garbage, and shoving objects into the eco-friendly shopping bag.

We thought of another idea to make a more halcyon day: walking down to the creek. We descended onto a dirt path which led to the stream. Tall grass grew all around. We crept around the tall, wavering turf with slow footsteps. We were apprehensive about being caught. The creek was off of school grounds, so we could have been punished had we been detected. We darted from bush to bush, all the time cars passing by. We got so far with adrenaline rushing through our veins and laughter in the air. But we did not succeed. We decided it best to play it safe.

So we darted back toward the field in plain site! What a thrilling feeling: the nervousness of knowing you could be caught at any moment! But of course, this little scheme was never discovered. I put a firm hand on the bag and treaded back to the main campus, Julia following. We discussed how peaceful this was. We could face anything in the following hours. And we discussed plans of the preceding day.

Tea time with Julia is almost necessary to my function. The rich nutrients fortify my body, making me secure and at ease. I have one more thing to look forward to each day. And it just so happens that Julia and I made a pact: 1. To be good friends throughout the rest of our days and 2. To have our morning tea whenever possible. I see the world in a whole new perspective. I appreciate all the small, but baronial items in life. And again, this is greatly due to the fact of our simple Tea Time.