𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐀 ✔︎ (ongoing)

|07| new start

"Are you ready, my boy?" Grandad asks with a smile on his face. "I knew you'd be back working with me, sooner or later."

"Yes, Grandad," I say with a smile on my face.

I'm back to working at Afonso's Tea Shop. Now, Grandad is about to flip the closed sign to the open.

It's eight in the morning and normally, at a time like this, I'm usually in bed, not wanting to part from the pleasure of sleep. But this morning, I jumped out of bed at six and had a long, warm shower before having a chat with Grandad. Now, we're getting ready to open up.

Two minutes pass and the sound of the bell ringing on top of the door signals a customer has entered. I look up from the counter. It's Cecilia, looking excited as a little kid wanting ice cream.

"Oh yes, Afonso's Tea Shop is back!" she exclaims, taking a seat on one of the side stools.

"Good morning, Cecilia!" I manage to eagerly match her enthusiastic energy. "Regular peppermint tea, as always?"

"Oh no, today I'd like to try the spearmint tea. I'm so used to peppermint, I thought I'd try something new today!"

I plaster an uneasy smile. We haven't had spearmint orders in a while.

"Morning, Cecilia." Grandad appears beside me. "I'm afraid spearmint tea has been taken off our menu."

I glance at Grandad and can make out his frown lines and glassy eyes.

"Oh, that's alright! I'll have my usual, then," she replies.

I get to the kitchen with a smile and prepare a glass of peppermint tea.

"Oh and I'd like a box of doughnuts too! The jam ones," she calls out.

As soon as I finish preparing the tea, I open the oven that Grandad kept the pastries he made yesterday and pick up four sugar-dusted doughnuts, placing them in a pink box, tying it up with a ribbon. I bring the tray over to Cecilia, setting down her tea and handing her the box of doughnuts.

"Thank you, my dear! These look delicious," she says, beaming at me.

As she enjoys her tea and doughnuts, more customers begin to trickle in. Some are regulars, like Mrs. Jennings, who always orders chamomile tea with honey, and some are newcomers, like a young couple who sit and chat in the corner with a cup of peppermint tea each and red velvet cake.

Throughout the morning, Grandad and I work and enjoy, brewing teas, making pastries, and chatting with customers. The shop is filled with the sweet aroma of tea leaves and freshly baked goods, and the hustle and bustle of the morning rush is invigorating.

At noon, Grandad decides to take a break and goes up to his room to rest. I take over the counter, serving customers with a smile and making sure everything runs smoothly.

As the afternoon rolls around, the shop starts to quiet down. The lunch rush is over, and most customers have gone back to their daily routines. I take a moment to rest, sipping on a cup of mint tea and admiring the cosy atmosphere of the shop.

Suddenly, the bell on the door chimes, and I look up to see a familiar face. It's Sam with his nana. I've never met her before; she has a posh air about her and seems well groomed.

"Sam!" I exclaim, jumping up from my seat. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't persuade my mum to come with me and try your grandad's tea, so I brought my nana instead," he replies, coming over to shake my hand.

We catch up and share stories about what we've been up to lately. Sam and his nana order a cup of mint tea each with a slice of lemon cake and Sam and I sit at one of the tables, chatting and laughing like we always do.