Tea for Two

I am not weird. I am lucky. I don’t mean lucky as in winning the $60 million dollar lottery jackpot lucky but lucky in other ways. Like sometimes I find a penny on the ground or a feather. There are not birds around or anyone that can have walked past with loose change in their pockets when I find them. I know they are signs from my friend Peter. Peter passed away fifteen years ago in a tragic plane crash. He was an experienced pilot and the irony was that in that crash he was a passenger. Peter caught this flight to get home in time for his wedding anniversary but it wasn’t meant to be. Peter was not lucky that day.

He was lucky on many other occasions during his life. He was always the life of the party, charming and always got the girls until he met Sonja. Sonja stopped that luck because he ended up marrying her and I tell you they were like two peas in a pod, so still lucky I guess. I am still in touch with Sonja and she has remarried and started a family with her new spouse. No resentment or anything like that. They were both young when their story was cut short so it was inevitable she’d fall in love again. I secretly suspect it isn’t the same but I ain’t saying that to her new husband. He’s nice. I prefer my friend Peter was around still, so yeah, I am not giving rave reviews of the new guy even though he is good to her.

Despite the tragedy, I became lucky again. On the fifth anniversary of the plane crash, we had a memorial service. It was to be the last one. You just stick to the big years for such sad events…multiples of five really after the first anniversary. I guess one day there will be no memorial but little did I know what was to come of that day. After the memorial, I went for a walk at the local shops. In our town, we are lucky to have the old fashioned shops. By this I mean the narrow streets lined with shop buildings stuck to one another. Think something like Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter book series but without the magic and wonky architecture.

A shop called the Crystal House caught my attention. It looked like a new age shop filled with books of mysticism and crystals. I had never been in one before and couldn’t resist. Something was pulling me towards it. So I opened the creek door that had a lovely chime ring once the door was slightly opened. I went in and was overwhelmed by the lovely energy of the place. It had floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with every topic known to mysticism. It was filled with beautiful pieces of art and crystals, card decks and smelled so divine.

“Welcome…” said a soothing voice.

I turned around to my left and saw a young man behind the counter who had looked up from his book to greet me.

“Go straight to the back and take a seat. He’s been waiting for you.” said the young man.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?” I started. “Who has been waiting for me?”

“You’ll see.” he smiled and gestured towards the doorway at the back of the shop.

I couldn’t resist and walked towards the doorway that led to a small passage. The passage was lined with beautiful, otherworldly paintings. The passage led to the most serene garden you can imagine. A peaceful fountain, trickling water to the right. The other sides of the garden walls covered by beautiful crawling plants in bloom. In the middle was a glass ornamental table with two wrought iron chairs. The table had a pot of tea, which I could tell was jasmine tea, as it smelled divine. The table also had two tea cups set opposite each other. And in the chair there was someone waiting for me.

It was Peter.

“Peter?!” I exclaimed. ‘What is going on here. Are you alive? Is this some sick joke?”

Peter laughed and gestured for me to sit down opposite him. “Please sit, dearest Jo. My dear friend. Oh how I’ve missed you.”

I sat in the chair glaring at who was sitting opposite me. It can’t be true!

“Yes I am a ghost. Yes it is broad daylight and no you aren’t hallucinating.”

“I don’t get it.” I reached to grab his arm and it went right through him. Okayyyy I’m losing my mind. It’s from the memorial. It’s psychological right?

“You’re not losing your mind and no I’m not reading your mind, OK I kind of am. Can you please pour us some tea? For some weird reason I can’t pour the tea but I can drink it if a soul in a body has poured it for me. Please?” he gestured towards the tea pot.

“Sure,” I said as I poured the jasmine tea for both of us.

“Let’s get the weird stuff out of the way. Yes I am dead. Yes I can see everything that has to do with me like the memorial services etc, plane investigations…by the way it wasn’t pilot error, it was mechanical failure of the instruments due to maintenance budget cuts,” he slammed his hand on the table and it oddly made a noise. Peter took a deep breath and continued, “…but I’m lucky again. I get to see my old friend and have tea just like we used to. No I can’t have alcohol with you in a pub like we used to.”

I laughed, “You read my mind there again.”

“Ah dear Jo. Tell me what has happened with you since I…you know…” and so continued our conversation. I told him about everything that had happened since I last saw him alive, about Sonja, about my work, world events and oddly enough he had opinions on them all. The world events especially rather than, as he said, what he was linked to.

“And,” I concluded, “I was walking along the street and had an amazing pull to come in here and here you are!”

“Odd how some things work huh?” he grinned.

“Odd…”

“Come back when the next Full Moon is at it’s peak. The shop will be open.” He got up and walked away into the hedges.

What the? That’s it? 

“So how was it?” said the young man from the front of the shop. Where did he come from?

“Surreal. I’m not crazy right?”

“No man…you’re just lucky. Some people never get to see their loved ones again. Some cross dimensions at the risk of their own lives. You however, are just lucky man. Jo is it right? Yeah sometimes you just gotta roll with the dice man…you know what I’m sayin’?”

“No.” Is this guy for real?

“Come back at the next Full Moon, in about four weeks time. Anytime man…we’ll be here.” said the young man as he cleared the table.

“I'm sorry what was your name?” I asked as I got up to leave. I know when it is my cue to exit.

“Jo.”

“No, that’s my name.” I said.

“That’s right…me too. Trippy huh? See you at the next Full Moon man.” He winked and turned to take the teapot and cups away. I walked out of the shop still wondering if I had lost my mind.

A month later I was at work on the day of the Full Moon. It wasn’t until I saw a reminder on my phone to go to the Crystal House that I logged out of my computer and told my secretary that I was going to lunch.

I mean it’s ridiculous right? I must be dreaming but I just couldn’t not check.

I opened the familiar door of the Crystal House store and there was the other Jo.

“Hey man,” said cool Jo. “Go right through. Good to see you again…hey can I tickle your fancy about some new rose quartz crystals we go in today. They’re real pretty.”

I don’t know if this young man is a hippy and country bumpkin or on acid.

“Ah no thank you. I’ll test my luck” I said as I walked to the garden.

And there was Peter. Sitting at the table in his pilots uniform no less, with the four golden epaulettes gleaming in the sun.

“Jo!” he exclaimed. “I am so happy you came. Sit. Drink. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Ahhh….” I began and just blurted out my problems. Just like I used to do with my friend when he was alive.

And so began our monthly ritual. I would visit my dearly departed and now ghostly friend Paul for jasmine tea on the peak of the Full Moon, every month. No one else could see him he said. He visited everyone in their own special way. 

I looked at my watch and saw my lunch break was coming to an end. “Peter my friend, I’m sorry I have to go. Will I see you again?”

“Next month, peak of the Full Moon.”

I got up to leave first this time. “I’m sorry, I wish I could stay longer.”

“I have all the time in eternity. I will see you again. See you next month dear friend.”

I waved and as I turned to leave he said, “Jo! Remember to stay positive yeah? Stay positive.” And he waved good bye as if it was the last time I would see him.

Weird. He was always like that. Offering random advice and you just didn’t know why until later and in hindsight.

So how long did the meetings go? Until I died. And now I do the same and visit my beloved son and daughter in the same spot. My wife I visit in her dreams…funny how we met but that’s a story for another time. And what about Paul? Oh we still go to the pub we used to go to. Just no body can see us now…well an elderly man named Jo can.