We all love to spill the tea every now and then, even if you're not really having tea at that exact moment.
Over here though, before you spill the tea, you must also have a cup of tea present in front of you, as you "go-ssip" and sip away haha. Whether it's a family get together, a meetup "adda" at a street corner tea store, or just a rainy cool evening, a good cup of tea has become quite necessary for the majority of Bangladeshis.
They say, whether it's red tea or milk tea, without a sip of it, the day is incomplete. I used to agree with that thought, until I lost my tea partner.
My grandmother(paternal grandmother) used to be my tea partner, she's the reason my family members and relatives used to call me the little tea guzzler.
I got into the whole daily tea sipping routine after I hit the age of 4 or 5 I guess. I used to see my grandmother have a big mug full of milk tea every day, it was a part of her daily morning routine. A big stainless steel mug full of tea, with maybe some Energy biscuits, sometimes white bread, or rotis(flatbread).
While everyone else in our house changed things up for breakfast every now and then, my grandma would stick to her old tea routine.
Sometimes she'd pull me closer and offer me a bite, I denied her offer countless times, but one day I just decided to give it a try. And after that little bite, there was no going back. Soon after, I started to join my grandmother on her daily tea routine. I'd grab a little mug and a few biscuits, and we'd be all set.
From there the story of the little tea addict began.
My relatives say that I was a bit fairer during my infancy and early childhood days, and as soon as I started guzzling down milk tea every day, my skin tone started to look more like milk tea haha. And even though tea isn't a daily thing anymore, I still hold onto that light, yet darkish shade of milk tea somehow.
I guess it's true, you really are what you eat, or what you drink lol.
That little tea ritual with my grandmother lasted for close to a decade, the only reason I'd have tea every day was because of my grandmother. It was an order, if my grandmother would have tea, then so would I.
But, the tea was just an excuse, the main reason was being able to spend more time with her, as she carried on with her stories. She would listen to some of the classic songs from the 50s to 70s, while talking about her upbringing, describing my grandfather in as much details as possible.
I've never seen my grandfather, I only saw a picture. He died when my father was just 8 years old, after that my father had to take care and look after my grandma and his 5 other siblings. She'd also talk about how my grandfather was an insanely angry man, and how all that anger had transferred to my father and then onto me. Nowadays whenever I look back, I do see a connection.
Those stories were the reason I kept coming back daily, running towards her with my little tea cup. My uncles would do the same, they couldn't get enough of her stories either, whether it be reality or fiction, we'd all surround her whenever we could, just for a little story time.
Alas, it's been 15 years since she left us. She did take her stories and her expression with her, but the memories, the tea, and those little snacks, are all still here. For my family and I, milk tea isn't just a beverage, it's a little ritual, a ritual that takes us back to those nonchalant days.
That's why even to this day, I always buy these little packs of Energy Plus biscuits, and have them with my tea. These were my grandma's favorite, but these biscuits are also loved by many around the whole country. It's a classic combo, and you can never go wrong with it. Just make sure you don't dip them for too long, or you'll be left with half a biscuit.
That's about it I guess, that's my little tea story, the cherished memories of that little tea addict and his tea partner.
This right here is a special piece indeed. It's one of those posts, you know, and me sharing it here is just an effort to store my memories safely on the digital realm of WEB3. So that one day I can come back and scour through all these posts and find my favorite ones.
Because who knows? I might not remember all these memories so vividly after a decade or so...
