Fiction: Group 4
centre, to keep me company perhaps. I cringed at my lonesome thoughts. Maybe it’s the fatigue finally
setting in.
“Pretty lady?” I looked up and I saw a petite waitress dressed in traditional grabs that was more layered and
well-endowed than that of the girls at the door, holding a teapot with an impossibly long spout at one hand
and a fancy towel draped over her right forearm. Her eyes were thickly lined with a dark shade of brown
and her lips painted bright red. I couldn’t judge her age properly behind the make up yet I had a feeling she
was far too young to be working here.
She twirled the pot around her sleek frame twice and over her shoulder tilting it over the table, poring the
brew into my china. I noticed faint marks under her sleeves as she stretched forward and then back, only
exposing it for a second. But I saw it, marks too old to be recent but new enough to not have faded back. I
thanked her and quickly drank the tea, willing her to pour some more. She looked surprised, probably
because the tea was hot enough to burn a bit but complied just as quickly. I saw them again. I then
proceeded to repeat the process again till the pot was empty.
Poor girl looked quite flustered due to her confusion and her little teapot tricks but looked more pleased. I
smiled and asked her to lead me to the restroom which only succeeded in making her even more confused.
“Che shuoo?” My sorry attempt at making her understand.
Her face slowly brightened with realization and she nodded vigorously, turning so that she could lead me.
We slipped into the back of the room and we crossed the empty courtyard. The mini trees were more than
exotic but sadly weren’t natural and had to be trimmed quite often.
The smell of incense grew stronger as we reached the rear corridor. The multiple doors along it were shut
tight. The only light coming from the filtered light that entered for the window at the end of the corridor.
The petit girl shuffled forward and I followed her to the end of the corridor and into our destination. We
returned to my table and she disappeared back into the courtyard much to my discomfort. Now I had to
wait alone for my husband who’s always busy running around with clients. I learnt long ago to never expect
him early so I waited.
But I was pleased that I was wrong and that I didn’t have to wait entirely alone.
--
“Sandra!” I looked up from my tea and I tried to refrain myself from looking too upset.
“David. It’s nice of you to finally drop by.” I looked around the teahouse. There were just as many
customers as there were when I had arrived earlier yet the faces had changed and the lanterns were lit. The
atmosphere had gradually shifted into something akin to that of a pub back home, stuffier and a bit dimmer.
I sighed. “Just sit down.” He did so without complaint, as if to avoid further dispute that may occur
between a husband and wife should the husband make a wrong move. With the soft glow of the lanterns
hitting his face at the right angles, he was oddly charismatic as he tried to apologize and I forgave him before
he even uttered the words.
He suddenly looked as if he had an epiphany and excused himself to the restroom. Seeing the young
waitress form earlier, I called out to her. “MeiLing! Could you get some sweet buns and two cups of tea?”
She paused and realizing our barrier, I used hand motions to pick up a round, imaginary bun and proceeded
to stuff it into my mouth. Then I picked up my empty china and took sips out of it. Some of my neighbours
looked at me oddly. Her expression brightened like it did so often during our previous interactions and she
nodded, her looped braids swaying with her actions. She turned and swiftly made her way to the kitchen.
Soon after, David came back looking quite relieved- no pun intended. We sat in comfortable silence, I was
about to tell him about the damaged cargos until some
ol’
friend interrupted me. “I thought I saw you,
ol’
friend! Greetings mam’.” Tipping his hat, Calvin or Kelvin or whatever he called himself slowly dragged
David away to the other side of the teahouse where another
ol’
friend was sitting at. On second thought I
think it was Alvin. I was slightly too irked to mind this
ol’
friend’s name. Having nothing better to do, I
started prodding the ornamental flower, a few bruises was already visible from my earlier meddling. I
frowned. Flowers were pretty, fragile things, something that deserved to be treated with caution and utmost
care yet here I am shamelessly tormenting it.
“Miss, tea and bun!” MeiLing gracefully twirled the plate of buns and placed it on the table. She then
proceeded to do her teapot trick. It seemed as if her little tricks got more and more complicated and the
performance even grander each time she served me tea. I noticed she only did so with me and I admittedly
felt special and warm. That might have shown on my face because she flashed me a toothy smile while
pouring the tea and at that moment she looked more her age. A thought that struck a chord in my heart.
During our previous conversations, she had mentioned that she was twelve. Pride was oozing out of her
