The Teashop Girls

by Laura Schaefer

  “All right!” I said, my perfect level of cheer returning. It was great news. All we needed to do was stick together, and the shop would be saved. I could feel it.

  EVEN MORE OF

  GENNA’S TEA GODDESS BEAUTY TIPS

  1. USE COLD, USED TEA BAGS AS EYE COMPRESSES. VERY SPA-Y AND RELAXING.

  2. DRINK GREEN TEA BECAUSE IT IS GOOD FOR YOU, AND HEALTHY PEOPLE ARE GORGEOUS!

  3. MAKE A FACIAL SCRUBBING MASK WITH CORNMEAL, MILK, AND CHAMOMILE TEA. JUST MAKE SURE YOU AREN’T AROUND ANNIE’S LIVING ROOM WHEN YOU PUT IT ON, OR HER DOG WILL TRY TO LICK IT OFF BEFORE IT HAS A CHANCE TO DRY.

  4. IF YOU HAVE A SUNBURN, PUT ABOUT SIX BLACK TEA BAGS IN YOUR BATHTUB. STEEP IN THERE ALONG WITH THE TEA FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES. IT REALLY HELPS!

  Chapter Fourteen

  Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.

  —SYDNEY SMITH

  Zach Anderson came up behind me right before the last bell of the day rang. I jumped out of the way and glared at him.

  “Hey, Teashop Girl, you know anything about the decorations in my yard?”

  “What?”

  I suddenly remembered what Zoe had said about her teammates’ plans to toilet-paper his house, but I met Zach’s gaze looking all confused. Genna wasn’t the only actress around, apparently.

  “Oh, I’m sure you know nothing about it, since you are too busy trying to beg people to come to your grandma’s shop.”

  “Go away, you mutant.”

  “Tell your friend Zoe she’s got a weak backhand.”

  “She’d kill you on the court anytime and you know it. Are we done here?” I pushed past him and walked out. I was so wrapped up in sending negative vibes to Zach that I jumped when Genna appeared and put her arm around me.

  “I’ve been thinking about Operation Save the Leaf Phase Three,” she said.

  “Me too. It’s practically all I can think about.” I sighed. “Louisa says thanks, by the way, for the Samadhi Spa visit. I guess that’s working out pretty well.” I didn’t mention that the shop was still reeeaaally slow.

  “Cool. Anyway, here’s the thing. We have to get the people here at school into the Leaf. You know?”

  “I do know. How?” I’d been wondering the same thing. It was so difficult, though, to convince kids to try something new. “I think it’ll be pretty tough to convince everyone that tea is, um, cool.”

  “Yeah. But maybe we could hand out samples and coupons and stuff.” Genna had a serious expression on her face.

  “That could work …” I smiled. It was something.

  “See, there’s this rumor that Zach’s dad wants to buy up property in Vilas for a new condo development. I’m really worried,” Genna said, a panicked expression on her face. Her parents knew all the Madison muckety-mucks, including the Andersons. I frowned.

  “Oh man, it’s true,” I said, my heart sinking. “Zach was on my street and has been making all these noises about moving to our neighborhood.”

  “Ugh,” Genna was uncharacteristically taciturn.

  It hadn’t occurred to me when I talked to Zach during my reconnaissance mission with Jonathan that Mr. Anderson might want to get his Condo King hands on Louisa’s shop. It felt like we were racing against a clock to save what might be unsavable. If Mr. Anderson was anything like his son, he wasn’t going to care one hoot about Louisa and her store … even if she had been there for eons. I felt awful, like we were just fighting something much bigger than ourselves. Zoe joined Genna and me in the courtyard. She was carrying her racket, breathless because she was a bit late for practice.

  “What up?” Zoe asked.

  “Genna’s figuring out how to brainwash the school into spending its allowance on tea,” I said, a ball of worry about the Andersons and their plans. “We’ve got to act fast.”

  “Yes, and you’re going to help,” Genna added.

  “Okay. See you girls lay-ta.” Zoe jogged off in a different direction. “I’ll call you after practice about coming by the Leaf,” she called to me. Genna turned back to me, looking very intense.

  “Grab a couple of extra Leaf aprons tonight, and as much tea as you can. Tomorrow is going to be treat day.”

  “You want to hand out samples?”

  “Sure. Supply and demand, baby! You get the supply, I’ll create the demand.”

  Nestea introduced instant tea in 1948, when lots of companies were inventing new “faster” foods, like cake mixes and frozen orange juice. After 1956, instant iced tea drinkers didn’t even have to boil water, so the instant stuff became very well-loved, and tea companies were able to compete with soda makers. I dunno, though, I’m still partial to taking my time when it comes to tea….

  Chapter Fifteen

  Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

  —THICH NHAT HAHN

  I was very hopeful about Operation Save the Leaf Phase Three. It felt good to be back in action with Gen and Zo. I headed directly from school to the Steeping Leaf on my bike and talked to Louisa about what brands of tea the shop could spare. There were a couple of pounds of delicious ginger peach that were getting close to the end of their shelf life, so Louisa agreed that it would make the perfect sample. She suggested I print up a hundred sheets of coupons to hand out. I sat in the shop cutting the sheets into fourths and humming to myself. Louisa was busy hanging all of her old posters back up and replacing the big tea bins with her beloved multicolored jars. Jonathan confessed he’d been wrong about the corporate imitation. He sheepishly helped me put back the French soaps.

  The Steeping Leaf was starting to look more like itself again. The Isthmus reporter Louisa had talked to the other day was sending a photographer for a second story, and they were even thinking about running a short sidebar about brewing the perfect cup of tea. The neighborhood was starting to warm up to the Leaf again. The Kopinskis and their matching outfits were back, several times a week. If only we could hold off the eviction for another month or two …

  A grumpy customer came in, obviously in a big hurry.

  “Can I help you, sir?” I quickly put down the coupon sheets and gave the man my full attention.

  “I’ll take a triple-shot espresso.”

  “I’ll get that for you right away.” I hurried off; he seemed the impatient type. Louisa helped me and handed the man his order.

  “Here you go, sir. I took the liberty of putting it in a to-go cup.” He gulped it and retreated to a table in the corner, where he looked over the shop appraisingly. He seemed to be doing measurements with his eyes.

  “What’s with him?”

  “I’m not sure. He has come in only once before with his son, right after you started working, I believe. I think his name is Jeff Anderson. I tried to chat with him, but he isn’t all that talkative.”

  “Mr. Anderson? Was his son my age?”

  “Why yes, as a matter of fact.”

  I looked at Mr. Anderson fearfully. What did he want with the Steeping Leaf? Was he checking out buildings to buy and bulldoze?

  I called home to let my mom know I wanted to stay at the shop a bit later than normal and wasn’t surprised to see her pop into the shop ten minutes later with Billy in tow. She liked to check up on me when I made myself scarce around the house. They ordered a pot of green tea.

  “Hey, Mom, what’s up?” I greeted her. Billy and my mom parked at a big table. Billy looked unhappy.

  “I decided this one has forgotten what the real world looks like,” my mother replied. “He plays the guitar game like his life depends on it.”

  “Mom!” Billy said. “I want to go home.”

  “Drink your tea and look at the people for a minute. Your eyes have started to bug out,” she answered. I snickered.

  “How was work?” I asked my mom.

  “Oh, aside from the fact that our best jazz band’s rendition of
Stormy Weather sounds like a pack of cats dying, it was good.” She was tough; I knew for a fact that the university’s best jazz band was beyond amazing. “How was your day, honey?”

  “Fine. Genna and Zoe are going to help me hand out tea samples at school tomorrow.”

  “That sounds nice, pumpkin. I heard it’s going to be rainy.”

  “Awesome!” There was simply nothing better than a sip of tea on a rainy day.

  “Do you have cups?” my mom asked. She was the master of practicality. Four kids will do that to a person, I guess.

  “I didn’t think of that. Hmm. Can we stop at Target tonight?”

  “I think we have some at home, left over from when the paper outlet closed.”

  “Aren’t they, like, three years old?” I wrinkled my nose.

  “Paper cups don’t expire, Annie.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I smiled. Louisa came over and sat down to chat with us. She hugged my mom and settled into a chair. Billy kept sighing loudly and letting his jaw go slack, his favorite expression.

  I danced around in a good mood. The Teashop Girls were finally mobilized, the shop had four customers (okay, two were immediate family, but they had left a generous tip in the jar), and when Jonathan learned about everything we were doing to save the shop, he would be so impressed with me that I was sure we’d have another romantic shoe-tying moment. He was in the back, filling out a reorder sheet. When he came out, I decided to explain to him our Operation Save the Leaf.

  “So my friends and I are going to hand out Steeping Leaf samples and coupons at school tomorrow,” I said. Jonathan was off the clock and busy spreading out his homework at the largest table.

  “Good idea,” he said simply. I could see him smile a little. It was so cute.

  “Yeah. Thanks. So …” I didn’t know what else to say. I wasn’t usually this quiet, but with Jonathan it was impossible. If only I was a little older, maybe we’d have more in common. Maybe he’d want to talk to me too. I spent the next twenty minutes paging listlessly through my science book and staring in Jonathan’s direction. He was intent on his schoolwork and didn’t once start talking to me again. My good mood fizzled out.

  Fortunately, Zoe came in then, just as my mom herded my brother out the door. Even in her signature crisp white clothing she looked a little worn out from practice, and she slouched a bit in her chair. I got her a teapot and went to look for Louisa. She hung up the phone and followed me back into the shop, scarf flowing behind her.

  “Good evening, dear,” Louisa greeted Zoe. They hugged and, between sips of her tea, Zoe explained why she wanted to learn to meditate. I listened while I cleaned up some tables and straightened the chairs. I heard Louisa explain some things about the practice to my friend. “Meditation will probably not be something you’re immediately good at,” she explained. “Just like your backhand, it takes years. But the nice thing is, there is immediate benefit.” Louisa paused and Zoe nodded. “I want you to think for a minute about what your mind is doing when you’re playing a really good match out on the court.”

  “Okay,” Zoe said.

  “What is your brain doing when you react to each shot?” Louisa asked. She was so amazing. I appreciated how she could put what she wanted to say in words that made sense to her listener.

  “I’m—I’m not really sure,” Zoe replied. She looked confused, trying to remember her last good tennis match. Since I finished with my cleanup, I sat down with them. Louisa turned a bit to welcome me to the table, and Zo offered me some of her tea.

  “Does your mind tell you where to put your racket each time? Or what step to take?” Louisa said.

  “I suppose in a way it does”—Zoe nodded—“but it doesn’t feel like it. It almost feels like my mind isn’t really there.”

  “Exactly,” replied Louisa. “Piano players often say the same thing. It’s like their brain turns off and their fingers know the music.”

  “Right! I think Genna said that happens sometimes when she draws, too,” Zoe remembered.

  “And how do you feel when this happens? Does it bother you when your mind turns off like that?”

  “Not at all! I love it, actually,” said Zoe. “I think it’s one reason I play every day. It’s, like, peaceful. Well, I mean, when I get in that zone it is. Not when I’m playing with Zach.”

  “Of course not. The zone, as you say, can be interrupted. The reason I’m bringing this up is it is very relevant to meditation. What is happening to you on the court is a form of meditation, in fact,” Louisa said. I looked at her in wonder. I never thought of it that way before. I always thought of meditation as sitting still on a pillow and being calm, something I was terrible at. I wondered what I could do that would put me in a “zone” like Zoe. I didn’t play sports or draw or even play piano.

  “Cool,” Zoe said. “I didn’t know that.”

  “The thing you want to do,” Louisa said, “is feel that sort of way at other times. Get into that state off the court. There are many different ways to do it, but the one thing they have in common is the calming of the mind. Almost turning it off. Some people say that praying is talking to God, while meditation is listening to God. It’s not the absence of thought, but instead watching thoughts go by. Today, I want us to try first a walking meditation.” She rose from our table and showed Zoe and me how to walk mindfully, with a small heel-toe step. Each foot was set directly in front of the other. Louisa motioned for us to try it. We did, but I was having a hard time keeping my mind quiet. There was just so much to think about these days. Zoe seemed to be doing better.

  “Good, girls. Excellent. Of course, it is up to you to refocus your minds as they stray. Try to let thoughts go by without becoming attached to them. Just watch what your mind does.”

  We walked some more and eventually returned to the table. Louisa refilled the teapot and smiled at us.

  “But is that really all?” Zoe said. “I didn’t feel the same way I did on the court. I kept thinking about a homework assignment.”

  “It takes time, dear. Some people have a phrase, or mantra, that they say over and over to quiet their minds. You could try that. Some repeat a sound. Others stare at a candle flame, but I’ve never done that one myself. A sitting meditation might be better for you. Let’s try that one.” Louisa disappeared into the back for a minute and returned with two square pillows. She placed them on the floor and instructed us in how to sit on them, with our backs very straight and our legs in the lotus pose. “This is my preferred way. Just taking twenty minutes per day to sit and quiet the mind is a powerful thing. One teacher of mine compared our normal state of mind to that of an unmanned fire hose, flipping around.” I giggled, remembering such an image from the cartoons. Louisa grinned at me. “To meditate is to bring the fire hose under control so the power of your mind can be used to do great things.”

  “Wow,” Zoe said.

  “Indeed. Okay, ladies. I think that about does it for our first lesson.” Louisa stood and I knew it was time to start my closing duties. Zoe finished her tea and thanked my grandmother. I could see she had taken the lesson seriously, probably much more than I had. She waved on her way out of the store, a new bounce in her step.

  To Do, May 23

  • Buy Dad’s birthday present!!!!! Soon!!!

  • Call Samadhi Spa (or have genna do it?).

  • Remember paper cups tomorrow. and coupons. and aprons.

  • Find out what’s due in math.

  Zoe’s Power Up Tea Smoothie!

  * * *

  INGREDIENTS

  1 cup black tea, brewed extra strong (use 2 tea bags)

  1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen

  1 banana

  1½ cups plain nonfat yogurt

  1 tablespoon ground flax seed

  2 tablespoons sugar

  * * *

  Place strong tea in a blender with all other ingredients.

  Blend until smooth and chug before an important match!

  Serves 3 players.
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  Chapter Sixteen

  Where there’s tea there’s hope.

  —ARTHUR W. PINERO

  The next day at school, I handed Genna and Zoe their Steeping Leaf aprons. Genna was dressed in a tiny skirt with boots.

  “Gen, are you a Teashop Girl or a cheerleader?” Zoe asked. “When are we doing this anyway? Lunch?” Zoe was looking calm and well rested for a change.

  “Okay, girls, here are the cups and the tea.” I was almost drowned out by the eighth-grade basketball captain whistling at Genna’s footwear.

  “We need hot water,” Zoe said, ever practical. Right. Hot water. It occurred to me we hadn’t really planned this out.

  “No problem. I’ll sneak into the booster club office after first period and take the coffeemaker.” Genna was so casual; I couldn’t believe it.

  “Can’t we just ask to use it?” I looked at Zoe, who shrugged.

  “What fun is that? Oh! I have an idea. We should turn up the A/C so everyone is shivery by teatime.”

  “Turn up the A/C? I’ll bet Mr. Arun has the thermostat under his desk.” Our principal was famously stingy with the heat and air-conditioning. He seemed not to notice the temperature, wearing a green cardigan even when it was over ninety degrees outside.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. Well, see you chicas at lunch. Wish me luck with the coffeemaker!” Genna pranced away with a grin before I could seriously protest.

  “Why does she insist on making the simplest thing a Mission Impossible?”

  “Boredom. Did you know Genna’s got, like, a beyond-genius IQ?” Zoe said this with complete seriousness as she smoothed her hair into a ponytail using the tie she always kept on her wrist.

  “Riiiiiiight. Did she tell you that?”

  “Yeah. You’ve got a point. Anyway, it feels good to be doing something for the Leaf, you know? That place is our spot.” Zoe looked at her yellow apron and I could see her remembering some of our finer moments there. The one good thing about the shop’s struggles was that it was reminding Gen and Zo how important the Leaf once was to all three of us. I could see that they really cared. I had the best best friends in the world.