Very, very, very rare is it that I get to do the Ladies' thing and enjoy an afternoon high tea. And although many a time have I wished one upon myself, it sadly being not, when the chance does come, it thus becomes a particularly special occasion to me.
By afternoon tea, I do not speak of the food alone, or even the ambience, but of the companionship, because going out for afternoon tea means that for those couple of hours I am with a great female friend, a buddy, or a loved one.
Of course, not so romantic a reason can also be like that of this day, where on the afternoon we'd planned to meet at Marche, due to a dastardly stressful work meeting that ran overtime and which I was coming straight from, I ended up running an hour late behind our scheduled lunch appointment and thereby hit into the high tea hour.
Still, it was a very good choice. :)
Marche's high teas are pretty good. They're not the dainty type you find in hotels- forget nice porcelain pots, scones and clotted cream- but the offering is fun, the food is hearty and who is to argue with the selection of coffee and tea?
I was so excited to see her when she turned the corner pushing a stroller with adorably asleep toddler son inside. We took the lift down, two adults, stroller and asleep toddler, headed straight to the tables where the play area was, settled in happily, then off I went to make the order. By the time I returned, the toddler was awake.
We greeted each other, little boy and I, which was really more of me saying a shy hello to him and he looking up at this stranger with a tinge of curiosity in his eye. But I guess the camaraderie between his mummy and I was apparent, for he wasn't scared by me (thankfully!) and it wasn't long before he caught sight of the play area and ran straight there.
Tree houses and a fireman's pole are more exciting than hanging around with Mummy's friends.
We had a most wonderful time that afternoon, little boy, his mummy and I. His mummy and I had not seen each other for close to a year, and so, to be able to sit and catch up with each other on our goings-on, and, to be able to speak with each other comfortably on stuff that really mattered to our own selves, was absolutely cool.
Blessed is the one who has a loved one with whom one can be open and speak comfortably over chocolate brownies, smoked salmon finger sandwiches, potato rosti, and pretty little tarts.
Blessed too is the one who receives the privilege of helping to keep an eye over the little boy, offer him strawberries and raspberries from the tarts, and invade the play area like a big kid just to watch him play.
Because this is what having afternoon tea with a loved one means.
This is what sitting there for four whole hours chatting comfortably with each other and singing joyful action songs with the little one means.
It is a Time that I do not, and will not, take for granted.
And I'll say this: Even though it has been a few months now, one of the most precious memories I have of this summer is seeing her cross the road, backpack behind her, tri fold stroller slung from her shoulder, shopping bags and a box of takeaway in one hand, and the little hand of her toddler son tightly clutched in the other.
Because the road she crossed is a road that we both are very familiar with.
This is a road that we have passed through as many years of our lives has been since we were children, and at that moment when I gazed back on her, I suddenly saw all the years that had passed, I saw how our lives had changed, and I saw where we stood now.
All at once, I felt thankful for her, I felt happy for her, and I felt proud of her. :)
We had a most wonderful time that afternoon, little boy, his mummy and I. His mummy and I had not seen each other for close to a year, and so, to be able to sit and catch up with each other on our goings-on, and, to be able to speak with each other comfortably on stuff that really mattered to our own selves, was absolutely cool.
Blessed is the one who has a loved one with whom one can be open and speak comfortably over chocolate brownies, smoked salmon finger sandwiches, potato rosti, and pretty little tarts.
Blessed too is the one who receives the privilege of helping to keep an eye over the little boy, offer him strawberries and raspberries from the tarts, and invade the play area like a big kid just to watch him play.
Because this is what having afternoon tea with a loved one means.
This is what sitting there for four whole hours chatting comfortably with each other and singing joyful action songs with the little one means.
It is a Time that I do not, and will not, take for granted.
And I'll say this: Even though it has been a few months now, one of the most precious memories I have of this summer is seeing her cross the road, backpack behind her, tri fold stroller slung from her shoulder, shopping bags and a box of takeaway in one hand, and the little hand of her toddler son tightly clutched in the other.
Because the road she crossed is a road that we both are very familiar with.
This is a road that we have passed through as many years of our lives has been since we were children, and at that moment when I gazed back on her, I suddenly saw all the years that had passed, I saw how our lives had changed, and I saw where we stood now.
All at once, I felt thankful for her, I felt happy for her, and I felt proud of her. :)