A new tea kettle for Mama

The truth is, Mama loved that tea kettle. She used it every day. Then twice a day after Papa passed away. In the late afternoons, just before sunset, Richard would hear the kettle whistle and Mama making her way to the kitchen. Then she would have her tea on the back veranda. That is where her and Papa had tea everyday, for twenty years. They watched the sunset everyday from that veranda.

The tea kettle was extremely rare. In fact, no one knew where Papa found it. The story goes that Mama was having a difficult and troubling day. (Richard was just a toddler in those days.) So he was napping when Mama dropped her tea kettle. It was made of ceramic. It was also one of Mama’s dearest possessions.

She called Papa, and through her tears, told him about her lost tea kettle. Of course Papa knew how much that kettle meant to her. They spent every evening together, sharing tea from that same tea kettle. So it wasn’t really a surprise when Papa came home later that day with another tea kettle for Mama. Not only a replacement, but also an exact match to the previous one.

A New Tea Kettle

Richard sets the tea kettle on the counter. He can’t believe it’s still here. Furthermore, it had been years since the last time he thought about that old tea pot. It was equally as long since the last time he thought about his parents sipping tea together at sunset. His stomach seems to flutter as he remembers his parents.

The spring cleaning really wasn’t Richard’s idea. Or choice. In fact, he would be content to let the boxes remain undisturbed. They were there for years without bothering anybody. Now there was no choice but to move them. They couldn’t sell the house with everything still stored in it.

Now Richard’s stomach does more than flutter. He can feel his anxiety building. Moreover, he can feel the frustration bubbling back to the surface. He still couldn’t get over Debbie asking him for the divorce. It was two weeks ago, and they had barely spoken since. However, Richard didn’t really feel like speaking at the moment anyway. He was not okay with everything. And right now the only thing he really wanted, was a cup of hot tea.

Reverberate

The afternoon is waning toward dusk, as Debbie pulls into the driveway. She knows Richard is home, but she also knows he won’t have any interest in talking. Not with her. In fact, she hasn’t heard him speak a word since the day she asked for the divorce. She wished she could go back and change it. However, the words were spoken, and the inevitable changes began almost immediately.

They needed to talk. But they both were always so busy in their lives and their careers. The days passed, and they carried on. Each with their own life until they hardly spoke at all. In fact Debbie wonders if Richard would have even noticed, if she hadn’t finally put her foot down and asked for the divorce.

Now as she unlocks the front door and enters the house. The scent of Jasmine greets her almost immediately. She feels a slight fluttering in her stomach and a feeling of warmth fills her as she sees an old tea kettle on the stove.