A Shared Cup of Tea

Karen sat down at the dinning table. It was half past three in the afternoon and she was feeling down. She had done her best and was certain that she would ace the interview and land the coveted job of senior designer. Two weeks had passed and not a single word from the company. She had even sent a thank you email after the interview, to be in good graces. She was almost certain she would get the job. It was her dream job, to be able to bring her imagination to life with her team of designers. She knew very well, that the clients had the last say, but she had a way of going over and above their expectations which made her a very popular choice among the many clients she had worked with already. She also knew that this was her ace as a good word in this business travels a long way. This job was the next step in her career, and she wanted it desperately, but there was no communication from their side. Had she asked for too high a package? Did she come across as too eager? Perhaps they just did not think she would fit into the work culture? Her face was a picture of the doubts running through her mind. She put her head on the table and covered her head with her hands.

Her grandmother was sitting in her rocking chair in the corner of the living room and noticed her granddaughter's face. All the emotions were plain to see, for her experienced eyes. She knew why Karen was upset, it was about getting the job she wanted.

Karen knew her grandmother was in the corner, and heard her get up from the rocking chair.

"I must be terrible company." she thought sadly, "Not even my Grandmama wants to be near me."

A single tear from her left eye rolled down her cheek.

After a few minutes, she did not know why but she began to feel a bit better. She lifted her head and saw her grandmother and knew why she began to feel better.

Her grandmother had simply popped into the kitchen and made two cups of hot tea and the smell of the brew make her feel lighter.

"Come my dear child." Her grandmother said caressing her head, "Come and have a nice cup of hot tea, just the way you like it. I have added a spoonful of honey to it too."

Karen sat up a little straighter as the old woman pushed the cup towards her. "See, I will have the tea with you." She smiled holding her own cup to her nose, and said gently, "It does smell good, doesnt it Karen?"

Karen managed a smile and answered, "It certainly does Grandmama."

She took a few sips and immediately began to feel the taste to tea and honey flow down her throat giving it warmth and comfort. She suddenly realized she never tasted tea like this before, it really felt wonderful- almost like magic.

"Grandmama?"

"Yes, my dear"

"What tea is this? It tastes wonderful."

"It a special brew I keep for times just like this. My mother had given me the secret recipe of which leaves, herbs and flowers to use to make this particular brew. She told me to use it only when it was really needed to uplift one's spirits. And" the old lady whispered close to her ear, "I was told that it had a little magic in it too."

Karen's eyes opened wide with wonder, "Really Grandmama?"

Her grandmother sat up straight and looked at her with sparkling eyes "Of course! You know I am not one to tell tall tales!"

Karen grinned at her, thinking that no one could argue with the fact that she certainly did feel much better in the space of just a few minutes of drinking the tea.

Just then her mobile phone rang. She picked it up.

"Yes? I'm Karen."

After a pause, "Really? oh, thank you! I will certainly take a look at my email to check out the offer."

Karen put the mobile phone down and jumped with joy. "Grandmama! Grandmama! That tea is really magic! I just got a call from the company! They have offered me the job! Yay!"

Her grandmother smiled along with her and went back to the kitchen with the empty cups. In the kitchen, as she washed the cups, she knew there was nothing but flavour in the tea. The magic she mentioned, was there too, although she wondered if Karen will understand where the magic really was - in a shared cup of tea which relaxes of the mind to allow positive energies to flow naturally towards one's heart's desires.