Bernie Drinks Tea

Bernie was tired after the long flight from America. His parents insisted he come with them to England to connect with their relatives, but he wanted nothing more than to stay at home and play video games. All of his friends laughed at him when he told them about the trip.

“So you’ll become a limey if you’re not careful.“ laughed his friend Joe.

           “You will be able to meet your cousins,” said his mom when he complained about the trip. ‘They are the same age as you and you might have something in common with them.”

           “Well, okay, mom, if you insist,” Bernie finally replied. Maybe it would not be too bad, and it was only for two weeks. He packed his laptop, and some comic books to make the time go by quickly.

           Bernie’s dad tried to cheer him up. “England is great place, except for the weather,” he joked. “I met your mom there, so it can’t be all bad. Sorry I have to work; I would have loved to go with you and mom.”

           It was raining heavily when they arrived at the mansion in Chester. Bernie’s mom Clara chattered excitedly when she saw the old place.

           “Why, everything looks the same!”, she exclaimed. “It’s been fifteen years since I’ve been back.”

           “I guess time goes by fast,” replied Bernie. He glanced at the walls with textured wallpaper and felt the expensive rug under his feet. He felt that he had gone back in time.

           “It’s so lovely to see you,” said Bernie’s uncle Arthur, extending his hand to Bernie, and then giving Clara a hug.

 “Come and sit by the fire and warm up. Jackson is out now, but I am sure he will be so happy to meet you when he arrives. Serena will be here shortly.”

At his words, Serena, Bernie’s cousin walked into the room. She was short, with dark hair and luminous blue eyes. Bernie could not help seeing the resemblance to his mother.

           Serena regarded Bernie thoughtfully and greeted him. They sat by the roaring fire and made small talk. Serena could not help smiling at Bernie’s pronounced American accent. At fifteen years old, it was a little difficult for her to be tactful. Bernie took it in stride; what he was most interested in was when they were going to eat dinner. He was really hoping that they had Pepsi-Cola to drink, as it was his favorite; along with maybe a hot dog and some fries.

           The clock chimed four times; it was four o’clock in the afternoon. On the left side of the room, a door opened and Mrs Pearce rolled a cart into the room. It was laden with cups and saucers and a teapot. There was a large tray with all kinds of delicate pastries. Bernie’s eyes widened when he saw them.

           “Just in time for our guests,” said Arthur. “It’s been a long time since we had tea together.”

           Mrs Pearce poured cups of tea for everyone and invited them to try the pastries. Serena held her cup, with one finger extended, as if she was trying to seem cultured. Bernie suppressed a smile looking at her. He felt awkward, as though his hands were all thumbs.

           Jackson entered the room and exclaimed “just in time for some cake!” He paused when he saw Bernie.

“Jackson, dear, this is your cousin Bernie, “said Clara. “My, how you have grown! You were just a child the last time I was here. You and Bernie are just about the same age.”

It seemed odd to Bernie that anyone would want to drink tea, yet here it seemed to be a special event.

 It happened that Bernie’s high school class had been studying English history, and the only thing that Bernie could think of was when the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. He mentioned that to Jackson and said, “You guys must not have been happy about that.”

Jackson gave Bernie a funny look and then glanced at Serena, who let out a giggle.

“Do you play checkers?” he asked Bernie. “We can have a game after dinner if you want.”

In an effort to be kind, Bernie agreed to that, but what he really wanted was to just maybe relax in front of the television, although he did not see one anywhere.

“We are not used to drinking tea in America”, said Clara. “I’m sorry I got out of the habit of it. There’s nothing like a good cup of tea to help you relax and take your mind off your worries.”

“We have a special blend of tea that we use here,” said Arthur. “It’s very relaxing. I designed it myself.”

Arthur noticed that Bernie seemed to be getting tired. “Seems like the jet lag has got to you,” he said to Bernie. “I’m going to fix up a special cup for you tonight so you will be able to rest well.

“Yes, try it,” said Jackson. “Works well for me.”

           Bernie was at the point of just agreeing to everything. Yes, he was quite tired and it still seemed that dinner was far away.

They continued their small talk, with Clara and Arthur sharing memories. Arthur went to the book shelf and took out a photo album, as Bernie’s heart sank. He managed to seem interested, but it was not easy.

Arthur, who was a history buff, went on about the family history and shared details about everything.

           The roast beef dinner was quite good, Bernie had to admit, and the apple pie with ice cream captured Bernie’s heart.

           As bedtime approached, Arthur remembered his plan to make a special cup of tea for Bernie. By now, Bernie could hardly keep his eyes open. As he settled into his bed, Mrs Pearce brought him the steaming cup of hot tea, with a small biscuit.

           “I hope you have a pleasant sleep,” said Mrs Pearce. Bernie held the warm cup of tea in his hand and nodded gratefully. Everything was good, and the tea was perfect.