Lavenders and Tea

The restaurant was empty like it used to be back in days when it started. It was really a surprise to how they paid their employees in full. Though it hardly mattered to Adreesa Vollen, she was busy smelling the scent of cinnamon and the water it boiled in.

The restaurant was like those you once wished to have an elite cup of tea and breakfast in. Beautiful and light structure covered in shades of white, light pink on the ceilings with a chandelier that might have cost fortunes to our beloved owner of the restaurant. It was really a matter of fact that the restaurant was about to breathe its last breaths in loneliness without customers at the funeral. And Adreesa had more compelling things to do, like dodging calls from her very prestigious family and managing money on her own. All it had taken was one jaw dropping rumor for Adreesa to run and turn her back from her riches and now the only luxury  she was provided with was the smell of various spices lingering in every corner of the empty space in the restaurant.

A new express food chain had targeted the neighborhood and alas, down the way went the restaurant.  To be honest, Adreesa did warn the old lady about the small joint at the end of the street. But what could the wrinkled beauty do else than pray to the land god.

 The express food joint was running smoothly in such a small piece of land that it stood on. Adreesa did happen to pass by that filthy crowded place, jealousy aching in her belly, and yet, she found herself buying one grilled sandwich. 

With every bite reminiscing about her golden days, her cosy bedroom, her chattering maids and how that all made her full.  Now that she thought about it, Jason Geradli was a handsome boy, with a super clear, sharp voice and manners to fawn upon. But no, the rumour was wrong, she didn’t have any intentions of being his betrothed in any manner whatsoever.

“It tastes awful”

She somehow gulped the sandwich whole and went back to the restaurant. 

To her surprise  she found herself staring at a man that happened to be having lunch at the restaurant.  It felt less awkward since other employees were trying to spy on him too. The man kindly had his lunch, bowed to Adreesa on his way back after paying the bill.

"He was asking for a lavender flavored tea. Where were you?" Asked one of the cooks.

Where was she?  Nice question. She nodded to the question and left it unanswered. She entered the spice room searching for lavender fragrance if it had any, long time anybody had asked for a lavender tea. She had forgotten a lot in passing days, she tried working on the boiling water and inducing the lavender fragrance into it. She tried fusion and simple sugar, it just didn't work. Her mind boiled again as she threw a pan filled with her failure splashing down on the floor. She felt the ache again, her helplessness, the only difference was that it was lavender this time rather than Jason.

The waiter rushed to the kitchen in panic, and soon as he found Adreesa cursing and straining her head, he called for the owner. The owner was like an old maid to Adreesa, one who would give her chocolates or toys if she were a girl. Adreesa calmed down as Lady Jona hugged her and let the silence stabilize her. 

Other employees were busy working on their best dishes, just in case the man arrived again and asked for it. Actually to be speaking, they were terrified when they looked at Adreesa' s situation and how she failed her specialty. 

Her situation was rather something many didn't understand, she had a devil's tongue, an ignorant attitude and a rage which resulted in her breaking things around. Thank goodness she wasn't asked to pay for all the glasses, and cups she had broken. But one thing about Adreesa was very clear, she only knew tea, and was passionate about it. 

Adreesa ended up overworking that day, her brew still not close to perfect. Her heart pulsing like the boiling water and her sweat dripping like steam rising in the air.

The failing brew felt like the relatives who murmured as if the rumor was true, annoying and baseless. 

Why was she doing this? She had no word against it. 

The waiter friend of hers was seated at one of the customer chairs sipping a local beer and swinging the chair next to his.

"Who was that man, anyways?"

He heard another splash of water down the sink for a reply. Challenging her anger was really a dare no man could commit. 

She came out of her tiny kitchen and swung her bag to her left shoulder. She stared at him. 

"Not that he will ask for it again."

"What if he does?"

"Say we went out of ingredients, that is."

Adreesa pitied this man who sat in front of her all high and mighty, thinking he ruled the world with such low pay.

He once asked her if she was really from a reputed family, all she told him was that she was a run away, good for nothing human. 

They managed to shut down the restaurant on their way out, while the street was buzzing with people, mostly teenagers. Sneaking out on group dates at night, how tiny their meaning to happiness was. If someone would ask her what makes her happy, the teenage Adreesa would have pointed to cakes and books. But what would the present Adreesa speak, maybe making tea. 

It would make her happy to master tea.

It would make her happy to have a better apartment,

It would make her happy to place a fine slap across Jason Geradli' s olive face and see it burn red like a bloody steak on a grill.

Back in her apartment, which was tiny like a pet house, she dumped herself on the hard bed expecting a hug like that from her old plushy bed and getting a hard hit on the nose. That's how reality wakes you up. 

She took a shower which didn't have an option of rain or relax spray,  and made herself some potato curry afterwards. 

Just as she was done with her laundry and procrastination about the fate of the restaurant, she took out the lavender buds she plucked on her way home and the artificial essence she bought. 

Though Lavender tea is not that difficult to make, it is as easy as boiling lavender buds in fine water. But the tea  Adreesa made was what she learned in her childhood from her first teacher. The teacher was a science teacher, but to Adreesa' s excitement he taught her the recipe of his hometown's cardamom base lavender tea with sweetness of honey. That particular brew was a bliss, since then she mastered fusion brews with various teas as a secret hobby. 

So, here she began from the very basics. Now, she knew, she wasn't doing this for serving it tomorrow if the man arrives again. She was doing this because it was her only solace. Maybe the only reason she felt that her wrong choice of running away wasn't wrong anymore, although, not right either.

Starting with an English tea, she boiled the water and added ingredients moment by moment as if her teacher was right behind her,

What part of the day is English tea?

She didn't know what he talked then, and now she felt herself speaking to the wall near her,

"Cinnamon is like a cuckoo singing,

Cardamom is the smell of hay

And the ginger of the spiking sunlight

An English tea is like a day, around eight to nine in the morning."

The brew smelled like day, while the moon was hitting its peak. She worked the magic which still sung through her.  If there was any reputation other than the one she inherited, other than that of her family, she felt it smiled at her.

She made her way through with earl grey brew, bubble tea, Assam brew and found content, happiness. 

Now, was her real test, fusion. She looked up at the clock. It was midway to night already. The fatigue was getting to her shoulder, so she slept instead with one prayer in mind.

Let the customer not come tomorrow.

The first person in the restaurant, the customer. Displeasure and nervousness wrecking Adreesa every moment. He smiled at her as if he was a regular here and she bowed in return. The waiter hadn't arrived yet, it was just her, the owner and the customer. Classic tragedy. The owner looked to Adreesa' with a wide smile, a reminder that she had to step up and so did she. 

"Good morning sir, what would you like to have? Maybe tea?"

Her brain was screaming and hammering her skull, just as she realized she spoke a little beyond  her wits.

"Any recommendations?"

And so he remembered,

"An English tea, with honey fusion, sir"

"As the creator wishes"

She bowed with curtsey. 

She reached to her kitchen, prayed to the heavens and wrapped the apron around her waist. She brewed the tea properly and worked her best to fuse it with honey. If honey goes more, the tea will be tasteless. If less, the tea will be nothing but boiled water.

The customer saw her return to him with a smell full of honey and cardamom. 

"Here is your tea, sir. Anything else you require please let me know"

"Oh, thank you"

She stood at one corner, her eyes indirectly at the man who sipped the brew like her father would. Judging and thinking. 

The two cooks arrived at time, one bit his lip as he controlled his laughter as he entered. Both of them hurried back to the kitchen and waited for a name, a dish he might want to taste. The waiter arrived shortly after, maybe slept late due to overdose of local beer, he waved to Adreesa'. But she stood there rock solid, like a statue. Creepy.

He went to the customer and did his job. The customer asked for some dish and she saw the cooks relaxed from the cracked opening of the door. She returned back to her tiny kitchen, back to the comfort of spices. 

Just as he was done, the customer left and her friend ran back to her like a kid to mother. 

"What is it? Did he say anything?"

"He thinks you're good."

"In what sense?"

He scratched his head in confusion as Adreesa came to senses that she asked him beyond his intellect. He nudged her.

"He is the owner of the fast food chain, the one at the end of the street."

Her eyes widened to an end of bulging out. 

She took an early leave that day, since no other customer showed up and went up to the express food court. She had a store bought ice cream, which had more ice than cream, and a cheese burger. She stared at the logo and brand name. She had been in a family dealing with numerous food chain companies, she needed to know which one she was dealing with. 

And it was pretty obvious, this one was a new horse in the race.

She went back home and slept all she wanted. At least, she perfected the tea. So, she kept the fusion practice for the next day. 

In her thoughts she realized,

Lavender tea was like deep sleep, nothing special, just necessity. 

And she dived into deep slumber.

Another day, a little more hopeful, she wanted to see the customer today out of curiosity. Was he there to mock them? To laugh at their condition or to buy them. That vast space, nobody would waste that for sure. 

She hailed to the restaurant to see all the familiar faces and another familiar face, the prestigious customer. 

The waiter winked back at her as if super excited, and let's not lie, she smiled back. The customer turned to her and nodded in encouragement. 

She waited in her tiny kitchen for a word, a tea he might want.

" One lavender brew" came from the waiter.

She started boiling the water again.

"He wants the cardamom lavender brewed tea with honey fusion." He left as soon as his words ran out.

How did he know she could brew it? And could she?

She worked her magic again. The same issue as last time, the cardamom overpowered lavender. She tried again and again, at last she did complete the brew. Perfect taste, she asked for the waiter and he came in sloping. Looking at her colorful apron he realized, it would be better if he presented the tea instead.

And then the silence.

Ever seeing, ever echoing.

The doors flung open as the waiter entered a little while after.

"The brew was boiled less."

And she was devastated, such a tiny error, and her hope whatever she earned had shattered. She peeked outside, the customer was gone.

"He bought us."

She was amazed by the news, the restaurant might live another set of years she wondered.

"Me, the cooks and Jona, we were hired,"  said his friend.

And she didn't make it. But a hollow smile came up as she hugged him. She congratulated everybody and left to never return again.

First, her family

Now, the restaurant.

A car stood outside the restaurant as if waiting. The customer stood in support of the car and looked up.

She started first.

"Apologies sir"

" It's alright, you tried your best."

She nodded and tried fleeing the roar of tears that might shed anytime soon.

"We would like to start an authentic tea chain. I was hoping, if someone was up to the risk. Not promising any security, it would be an experiment. Are you the person who will lead?"

He was right, it wasn't promising enough, risk yes. But what in her life was not on a balance. 

"Why?"

"Because only some make others understand that lavender tea is like deep sleep. And I can picture you leading the venture."

"Maybe yes. Do you have a name?"

"Lavenders and tea" The customer laughed as he spoke and what all filled the air was laughter. She knew she boiled it less, maybe enough to weave a sleep.