Tea Time

Her breath came out in gasps, leaves crunched under her feet, branches reached out menacingly and tore at her hair, her clothes, her skin.

But Renee didn’t care. She wasn’t going back. Never ever.

It was dark now, but Renee felt that she had been running forever. Grandmama said that all good little girls didn’t go into the forest at night. But Grandmama never had to watch her father and mother scream at each other. Grandmama didn’t have to hide from bullies at school. Grandmama was never lonely all the time.

Renee skidded to a stop. All the trees looked the same. She turned in a full circle. Which direction had she come from? She couldn’t remember.

The wind whispered through the trees, making Renee shiver. She started to walk. Maybe, she reasoned, if she picked a direction, she could make it somewhere. Anywhere but here.

She walked for what seemed like days, yet the sky never lightened. Renee shivered harder. She hoped there weren’t wild animals in the woods. A wolf could gobble a morsel like her down in one bite. 

After all, that’s how it happened in Little Red Riding Hood. Renee didn’t believe the tale was true, but now, surrounded by dark forest, she wasn’t so sure that a sneaky wolf wasn’t hiding behind the next tree.

But wait. What was that? Renee squinted. There was no mistake, she could see a small light, dead ahead, piercing the darkness. Without thinking, she headed toward it. With each step, the light grew stronger. Renee suddenly felt the desire for that light. She needed to touch it, to dance in it, to drink it all in. It had to be hers.

She darted around a rock, and suddenly, there was the source. A small stone house was nestled in a ring of trees. The light was coming out of the windows, spilling out into the night.

Renee timidly stepped up on the porch and knocked softly on the door. Who would open it, she wondered. A witch? They seemed like the usual foresty type.

The door swung open. “Come in!” a cheerful voice cried out from inside. Renee stepped into the house. At the far window was a young girl, not too many years older than her, grinning from her seat on the window sill. “I’ve been expecting you! One lump of sugar, or two?”

“Wh-what?” Renee could only stutter.

“In your tea, of course!”

Tea? She had never had tea before. “One, please.” Renee didn’t budge.

“You can come closer, you know! It’ll be a little harder for you to drink your tea from all the way over there!”

“Who are you?” 

“A friend.” She said gently. “Now hurry on over. Your tea’s getting cold.”

Renee seated herself across from the stranger, who set a teacup brimming with hot liquid in front of her.”

Renee lifted the cup to her lips and gingerly took a sip.

“How is it? The girl cocked her head. “I’ve been trying to perfect my recipe.”

Renee smiled over her teacup. “It’s already perfect.”

“Not quite.” The girl’s grin grew wider, “There’s always more I can improve.”

“Now,” said the girl, wrapping a blanket around Renee’s shoulders. “Tell me everything.”

“But I don’t know you.”

“But you do.” The girl poured more tea into Renee’s cup. And, oddly, Renee did felt she knew the girl, but a long time ago.

So she began at the beginning. She told the girl how ever since her beloved Grandmama had died of the fever, things had changed. Her parents had left the city for the countryside, forcing Renee to go to a new school, where she was bullied mercilessly. None of her city friends had written her.

“Perhaps they’ve forgotten.” Tears flowed freely down Renee’s cheeks. “I’m all alone.”

“No one’s alone, darling.” The girl wrapped Renee tightly into a hug. “Even when life tries to knock you down, friendship and love take you by the hand and lift you back up. It’s what makes the world go ‘round.”

Renee curled into the embrace. “And tea makes it better.” Her eyes were starting to get heavy.

The girl smiled. “Tea makes it ten times better.”

Renee’s eyelids drooped. As she dropped off to sleep, she heard a whisper, “Friendship can be found in the most forgotten places.”

Renee woke to sunlight bathing her face in warmth and light. She sat up, finding herself surrounded with wildflowers, in a peaceful meadow. Where was the cottage? Where was the girl who had treated her so kindly? Where was she?

Voices filtered through the trees? “Renee? Where are you? Renee?” They were familiar. Her parents. Renee sighed.

Something was different, though. They were calling together. Days ago, they couldn’t stand to be in the same house with each other, but now her parents were together, looking for her.

There were more voices that joined those of her parents. “Renee? We’ve missed you! Where are you?” How could this be possible? These were the voices of her friends from the city. Renee shook her head.

But the voices came closer, they were louder, clearer. They were real. It was a new day, a new day for everything. A new day to mend broken relationships, and a new day to just be, under the bright sun.

As Renee leapt to her feet in joy, her shoe clinked against something. She glanced down. At her feet, there was a porcelain teacup. Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper. Renee crouched and snatched the cream paper in her fingertips. The words inside were written in curly script:

Friendship is better with tea.

Blogger's note: I've missed writing fiction. Hope you enjoyed the read!