Chapter 13
Tea Time
They walked into Peacock Alley and took their seats at a table already waiting for them.
“This is glorious!” Nora looked around, admiring the chandeliers and beautiful floor patterns. Oran noticed the floor patterns as well, concentric circular rounds, prepared for this particular tea this particular afternoon for Nora and himself, he knew it.
“This is called The Crystal Room Oran, they have it ready just for the performers today! Isn’t it beautiful!”
“Yes, special for today…” Oran recognized the meaning of the floor, the crystal lights…
“Its Ceremony.” he stated factly.
“Well ,sure, there is a celebration going on, the ball I, we, all of us are performing for tonight!” Tea was being served to them by formally dressed servers, each table had tea pots and treats brought to them. Oran looked hopefully for muffins- but was satisfied to try new delights on the 3 tier curate, with sandwiches on the bottom, scones, jam and cream in the middle, and sweets on top.
“Hmm...dig in Oran, we usually start at the bottom and work our way up but do as you like!” Oran gratefully put a sweet and a sandwich on his plate and drank some tea. It was delicious- different from what they had had at Nora’s break the fast.
“Mmm, this is so good! I love high tea time!” putting another sandwich on her plate and sippng the tea. Trying a scone Oran remarked that it wasn’t sweet like the muffins-
“Thats what the clotted cream and jam are for. You put it on the scone just like you did the honey on toast!”
“Ah! Will do. Much better! I like this, too, Nora! Although, you’re muffins are much better!”
“Shh...don’t let them hear you say that here! But, thank you.” she laughed, happy he was enjoying the mix of savory and sweet treats, but delighted he liked her muffins better. “I’ll make more when we get back home, I promise.” They were busy with their foods when Nora started hearing a humming sound.
“Do you hear that Oran?” Oran looked up briefly
“Its Ceremony.” he stated again, looking back down at his plate.
“What is Ceremony?” thinking that the humming was not a normal occurrence, it was was getting louder, and the people around her didn’t seem to notice. She looked at Oran who didn’t seem to be disturbed at all by it, he kept eating. Looking around, the lights above the tables seem to dance and grow brighter, and the tables themselves began disappearing one by one-
“Oran! What is going on?!” she almost frantically screamed at him
“Nora, relax. Its Ceremony, this is done for you, today, for us. Enjoy it! I’m right here, no harm will come to you. See? Our ancestors are coming in!” She looked around and there were people, a lot of people, moving around the concentric circles as the humming grew into a song, a chant. It was both beautiful and alluring- and they reached out to her smiling as if to say, “Join us!” She was mesmerized by it all. The lights shined so brightly, the dancing movement was so intriguing, and the song was so lovely she found herself getting up from her seat, which disappeared along with the rest of them opening up a large area that everyone had joined together for the dance. Everyone but Oran- he still sat where the table had once been, sighing for the absence of treats and tea that were no longer there. Nora went to the center of the circle where they had made an opening in the dance for her, and Oran followed close behind. She was amazed and astonished at all the beautiful faces she was seeing, and felt an over whelming urge to hum with them. The tune resonated from her throat like an old song she knew very well, and Oran took his place beside her, grabbed her hand, and joined in. He, too, sang as if it was a very familiar song, one he had been waiting all of his life to sing- to her. Their voices blended in harmony, and they began to dance in the center of the room with all their ancestors around them.
“I love this! This is wonderful!”
“Its Ceremony Nora. It is wonder full!”
They stayed like this, singing and dancing for a long time, Oran shape shifted into many animals, birds, little creatures and danced around her. She laughed with delight to see him do this, and sang louder directly to him. He responded by taking her hand again, and pulling her into a ballroom type dance. Their clothes changed into elegant garments, as did everyone’s around them. Nora had never known such happiness. She could feel the love from everyone in the room as they celebrated this moment. She no longer cared if it was “real,” she fully immersed herself in the moment.
Then, as quickly as it had all began, the chairs and tables returned, the ancestors faded one by one, and people began to return to their seats and tables.
“We will always be with you Nora, you are loved…” she heard as they faded from sight and she was once again sipping tea as if nothing had happened.
“How did that just happen?” she asked with a happy gleam in her eyes, sparkling like the chandeliers a moment ago.
“It was Dreamtime. Anything is possible in Dreamtime.”
“Anything?”
“Yes. Whatever you want.”
Nora reflected on all that had just happened,
“I loved dancing with you Oran. It was lovely!”
“I can’t dance” he replied, looking for more scones...
