Addie sipped her cup of hot green tea. She asked, “Emeline, did you get your hair done?”
Emeline reached her hand up and fluffed her pewter hair. “No, not recently.” Soft waves framed her pale face. Makeup caked in her crow’s feet. Her cheeks blushed like ripened peaches. Emeline reached for her cup of steaming chamomile tea. Her right hand trembled. She placed her left hand on her right hand to steady it. Clink. Her cup sat askew on the saucer.
“Are you all right?” asked Addie. She had asked Emeline that question many times over the years. At age twelve, both girls signed up for horseback riding while attending a summer camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. On one trail ride, a shiny piece of aluminum foil at the base of a tree, probably blown there from a nearby campsite, spooked Emeline’s horse. Her horse reared, and she tumbled off. Thud—she hit the dry ground hard. “Are you all right?” asked Addie.
“I’m fine,” Emeline said. She dusted herself off and insisted on remounting her horse, but Addie saw her grimace as she slipped her left foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up into the western saddle. The camp counselor shortened the ride. When they returned to camp, she asked Addie to escort Emeline to the camp nurse. Emeline held her left arm close to her body. From the swelling and pain, the girls figured she had broken her arm.
Addie had taken another sip of tea. “Are you sure you’re all right? Maybe I should call 911.”
“Really, I’m fine, just like the night you stayed up with me after my Charles passed away.”
“You nodded off several times when we were telling stories and looking at old photos,” said Addie.
“Well, Dr. Reynolds did give me some medication to help me sleep,” Emeline said. She rubbed her hands. “Last night I worried…” Her voice faded.
Not wanting to stare at Emeline’s hands, Addie looked out the window of the café on the corner of 4th Street and Independence Boulevard. A siren blared. Addie hugged the porcelain cup with her twisted, arthritic fingers. The warmth eased her pain. “Emeline, what’s wrong?”
Her voice quavered, “I have Parkinson’s Disease.”
Addie touched Emeline’s hand. “I’m here for you.”
“I know. You always have been,” said Emeline.
Emeline nodded and smiled. “My doctor told me about a boxing program…”
“I’ve heard about that,” Addie said.
“To help me with my coordination and balance,” said Emeline.
“Emeline, remember when we took tap dance lessons?” Addie tapped her spoon on the saucer. “You were right on the beat, and I was always one step behind.” Their eyes twinkled, and they giggled.
The bells on the café door jingled. A young woman wearing a navy blue suit approached their table and asked, “Excuse me. May I join you? This seems to be a very popular place.” The woman scanned the cafe to make sure she hadn’t missed an empty seat somewhere.
Addie said, “Why yes, dear. My best friend Emeline and I meet here every Tuesday afternoon for tea. The owners reserve this table for us.”
As the woman pulled out the wooden chair across from Addie, she explained, “I’m here on business. My two-hour meeting was rather intense with discussions of upcoming deadlines, so I thought a nice, hot cup of tea would help me relax before catching my return flight to Chicago.”
Addie nodded. “I find hot tea soothing.”
“How long have you and Emeline been friends?”
“We met in second grade.” Addie dug around in her oversized, leather handbag.
“That’s a long time,” replied the woman. Addie looked up. “Today’s special. See.” She held out a photograph of a baby. Addie grinned. “My first great-grandchild; her name is Emma.”
“She’s adorable,” said the woman, “that’s exciting news. Will Emeline be joining you soon?”
“What, dear?” asked Addie. She stared at the photograph for a moment and pointed to her great-granddaughter’s smile before she placed it back in her handbag. Then Addie took another sip of tea.
“Will your friend be joining you soon?” She repeated.
Addie took a silk handkerchief from her pocket and patted her eyes. Then she took another sip of tea. “I come here every Tuesday afternoon for tea. I talk. Emeline listens, somewhere.”
Very sweet, and thoughtful.
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed “Tea Time.”
Loved this! Done this, too, with absent friends but, sssh, don’t tell anyone.
Ephra,
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed and could relate to “Tea Time. Surely, talking to oneself and to lost friends can be therapeutic.
Touching story, Suzanne. Thank you for sharing.
Think I’ll make some tea now 🙂
What a lovely gift God has given you! Your word scapes create search clear and relatable sites! I’m so happy that we’re still friends all these years😍
Lauri,
I, too, am glad we’re still friends. Thank you for your kind words, support, and encouragement.
Take care,
Suzy
NJ,
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. I, too, think I’ll have a cup of tea.
Take care,
Suzanne
NJ,
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. I, too, think I’ll enjoy a cup of tea.
Take care,
Suzanne
NJ,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. I, too, will enjoy a cup of hot tea.
Take care,
Suzanne
Lovely story. Perfect ending. Thank you.
Penny,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. True friends always remain in our hearts.
Take care,
Suzanne
Such a beautiful story, Suzanne! Sad and heartwarming at the same time.
Cadence,
Thank you for your kind words and all your support. Your writing is inspirational.
Take care,
Suzanne
I love this story. This situation is something we can each imagine as we get older and start to lose our nearest and dearest friends. Thank you for bringing this to life. it speaks to the most tender part of a longtime friendship.
Phyllis,
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I’m so fortunate to have you in my circle of friends and my writers’ group. I appreciate all your support and encouragement.
Take care,
Suzanne
I cannot add anything more to the other comments except to say this story touched my heart.
Sue,
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. We can never hold too many people in our hearts.
Take care,
Suzanne
WW I love the story. The language is easy. The story is thought provoking. It brought back to my mind my old friends, some of them are suffering too.
Benzahra,
Thank you for your kind and supportive comments. Maintaining friendships, especially during the current pandemic, is so important. We all need support.
Take care
Suzanne
A beautiful story of friendship. Thank you.
SB,
Thank you for your comment. Friendships, no matter how long they last, are to be cherished.
Take care,
Suzanne
How the ones we lose are never lost. They continue to live inside us. Thank you for reminding me.
Andre,
So true, loved ones are always in our hearts. Thankful for memories to cherish. Glad you enjoyed my story.
Suzanne