HAPPINESS TEA

Danielle hid herself under her blanket as the tears streamed down her eyes. Her closest friends sat on both sides of the bed and did their best to console her. This was the worst they had seen her in since they met in college. Danielle was always upbeat, they had scarcely seen her shed a tear, so they gave the situation the seriousness it demanded.

“Don’t worry too much, Danielle. I’m sure he said those things in the heat of the moment. It was a rash decision. I know Andrew well enough to know that he will soon come running back to you to ask you to forget everything he said.” Malika had little confidence in her words, but she was desperate to help Danielle out of her situation.

Danielle sat bolt upright immediately the words escaped Malika’s lips, startling both girls. “He doesn’t mean it?!” she thundered. “The last time something like this happened, he told he won’t complain or give me any more warnings! Do you understand the gravity of what I’ve done, Malika? I turned up late to an event where he intended to introduce me to his family as his wife-to-be! I embarrassed him in front of his entire family! If you were him would you come running back to me?! Would you?!"

“Let’s take a more realistic approach,” Summer said. “You will have to take responsibility for getting your relationship back on track. What do you think you could do to get him to understand that you’re serious about making a change?”

“Yes,” Malika chipped in. Summer tried to signal her to keep shut but Malika was firing on all cylinders. “You need to prove to him that you’re a changed woman. If my memory serves me right, the last time you were late was the day he proposed. According to you, you were 20 minutes late. This time, you were roughly 10 minutes late, that’s a significant improvement!" She took her time as she did some calculations in midair, Malika had never been great at math. "That's a 50 percent cut in lateness! That’s a big improvement! If you both go on a few more dates before the wedding, and you keep up with this 50 percent rate of reduction, you may even turn up to the wedding earlier than necessary! This is what you need to emphasize!” Malika’s grin gradually faded as she deciphered the looks on the faces of the other girls. “You never know,” she said, in a weak attempt to defend her suggestion. “It could work.” It was a good idea as far as she was concerned. 

Danielle hissed and turned her body away from Malika. “He’s such a great guy!” Danielle lamented. “I wish I could just get up in time to prepare for our dates. I try, I really do, but I always wake up late. By the time I’m out of the shower and ready to leave, its barely minutes to the start of the date! What do I do? I have tried everything! Alarms, medication, meditation, everything! Nothing works!”

“What do you think is responsible for the excess sleep?”

“I think it’s the stress. I work so hard during week days and so when the week ends, all I want to do is sleep. That's why I sleep too deeply. I believe it’s the stress!”

“So we need to find a solution to the stress, and then we’ll get Andrew to give you another chance.”

“How could I possibly solve this except by quitting my job? You know I can’t do that, I waited so long to rise up the ranks!”

“I’m not talking about quitting your job,” Summer said. “I am saying there must be a way around it. We just have to figure it out. The question is: how do we make you less stressed so that you can get up in time for things you need to do?”

Malika raised a finger and peeked from behind Danielle. “I have a suggestion."

Danielle rolled her eyeballs as Summer replied, “What is your suggestion?”

“There’s this herbal tea my mom and aunt always rave about, they call it the ‘happiness tea’. They say it rids you of depression, weakness, stress and more. I checked it out on the internet and it’s been getting good reviews. Perhaps, if you take it you’ll feel less stressed.” She shrugged. 

“What’s the name of the tea?” Summer asked. “I think I’ve heard of something like that.”

Malika read from her phone, “It’s called ‘Mother Nature’s Happiness Tea’.”

Summer nodded. “I saw a review on the internet, people say it works wonders.”

Danielle was excited, she turned to face Malika, but thought against it and turned back to face Summer. “Do you think it could work? Do you think this could be the solution I’ve been looking for?”

Summer shrugged. “I’ve heard many good things about it, so I think we could give it a try.”

“Can I order it online?”

Malika shook her head as she scrolled down a page with her finger. “No, it’s customized to match your needs, so we have to book a consultation with their representative here before you can get it.”

"Let's do it." Danielle said, excitedly.

***

The tea store was nothing like Danielle imagined. The lighting was dim and it gave a mysterious feel to the place, the mysteriousness was further compounded by the numerous vials and cloth-dolls arranged on the shelves running along the walls of what seemed like the reception.

The shop interior made Danielle more worried about coming alone. The lady on the phone said the consultant preferred one-on-one interactions with customers, so Summer and Malika stayed behind. 

When she was ushered into the office of the mid-aged woman the receptionist referred to as the High Priestess, the title and a quick glance at the furnishing of the office made her conclude, definitively, that the true service the shop provided wasn't the sale of tea.

The High Priestess motioned for her to sit in the chair on the opposite end of the table from her. There was only one chair there, so Danielle concluded the one-on-one policy applied to all customers.

“The spirits, they tell me you need a solution for your stress?” the High Priestess asked with a broad smile on her face. 

Danielle didn't know if this was really a prediction or not, but she didn't care, she nodded vigorously and sat up in her chair as she said, “I have been having some trouble with my sleep recently, and it’s starting to take a toll on my life. I’m always so stressed and it’s cost me my engagement. I need something to make me sleep a little less so I can make it early for dates with my fiance. That’s the only way to save my engagement.”

The Priestess nodded knowingly. She folded her arms in front of her and lowered her gaze to a spot on the table, she nodded multiple times, it was as if she was having a conversation with something. Danielle watched her closely. When she broke out in laughter, Danielle was startled. 

“The spirits have given me the solution to your problem, my dear.” The Priestess said as she leaned forward and widened her eyes. She whispered, “It is a very simple formula, it will work perfectly if you use it according to my instructions. Stress is something we all suffer from in one form or another these days, but Mother Nature has the solution for all things!” she moved back and reclined on the chair.

“Alright. I really need a solution, I hope Mother Nature can help me.”

“Mother Nature helps all!" She thundered, it sounded more like a warning than an affirmation. "You just have to believe!” she leaned forward again and a knowing smile spread across her lips. 

“I believe.”

***

Summer and Malika had somehow managed to convince Andrew to give Danielle another chance, they promised him she would keep to time this time and Danielle intended to keep to her promise.

Danielle rented a room in a hostel a few minutes’ walk away from the restaurant they agreed to meet for their make-up date and the night before the date, she decided to use the Happiness Tea to ease off all the stress from the week that had ended through the night. Once the stress was gone overnight, she wouldn't need to take another nap during the day as was the case in the past. 

She poured the herbs into a cup as per the instructions of the High Priestess and she mixed in some lukewarm water. As she raised the cup to her mouth, she expected the tea to taste bitter but she was pleasantly surprised, it was actually quite sweet. 

She downed the cup of tea very quickly and then she lay down to sleep.

***

Danielle woke up feeling on top of the world. She had never felt so good immediately after waking up. It was as though there was an energy bursting forth from within her. 

For the first time in years, she got out of bed without dragging her feet. Although she was worried when she checked her phone and discovered it was already 1:00PM, just 3 hours till she was to meet Andrew, she quickly set it aside. It was a Saturday and there was nothing wrong with indulging on a Saturday, especially when she was in such a beautiful room.

She put on some music on her phone and danced as she made her preparations for the date. She felt really good, she was very proud of herself for seeking out this solution to her problems. It was the beginning of new things for her, the beginning of a future with Andrew, and she was excited for it.

At 3:20PM she set out for the restaurant Andrew had chosen in a beautiful white dress. She was sure he would be stunned when he saw her, she looked stunning, she was sure of it. She strolled down to the restaurant and took a table that gave her a clear view of the entrance to the restaurant so she could see Andrew when he walked in.

***

It was already 5:00PM and Andrew was yet to show up. Danielle was worried. Was he okay? Had something happened to him on his way to the restaurant? Or worse, was he standing her up intentionally?

It was already getting late so she decided to give him a call. She switched her phone off of Flight Mode and ignored the many messages rushing in as she searched for Andrew’s number. He picked the call after the first ring.

“Danielle! Are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you.” He sounded concerned.

She wasn’t buying it. “Where are you, Andrew? I’ve been at the restaurant waiting for you for over an hour now. Why haven’t you shown up?" She tried to hold back but she couldn't. "Is this revenge? Are you trying to get back at me for all the times I’ve been late to our dates? Is that what this is? Are you that petty? Are…”

“What date?” he cut-in.

She gasped. “We agreed to meet today, Andrew. This was supposed to be our make-up date, I promised I’d change, that I’d work on myself and make sure I arrive early whenever we're to spend time together, and I’ve done just that, but you’re nowhere to be found! How could you do this to me?!” tears started to gather in her eyes.

“Danielle, I have been trying to reach you for some time now,” he sounded confused. “I waited for you for so long but you never showed up! I was worried! I...”

“Liar!” she interrupted, startling the elderly couple on the table beside hers. “You’re a liar, that’s what you are! I’ve been here since 3 o’ clock! I got here at exactly 3:45PM and I’ve been waiting since then. You’re not going to play any games with me, Andrew. I kept track of the time today!”

“Danielle, what day did we agree to meet?” she could feel the confusion and caution in his voice. Why was he so confused? Was he playing mind games with her?

“We agreed to meet on Saturday, at New Times restaurant by 4:00PM. If you forgot about it, just confess to me and we can work it out. You don't need to lie.”

“Danielle, what day is it?” 

“Today is Saturday.”

“Danielle, our date was for yesterday. Today is Sunday.”

She was taken aback. She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the top left corner of the screen. She couldn’t believe what she saw. She turned to the elderly couple on the table beside hers. 

“What day is it today, please?”

“Today is Sunday, my dear.” The lady answered.