The Magic Of A Cup Of Tea

The Magic Of A Cup Of Tea

by Paul McCann

After a year or two in Australia I returned home to Belfast where I had grown up .  . 

After I arrived I went to visit an old friend who lived in a small flat opposite an army barracks  . When I went into his house there was no fire on and no electric heater . Maybe it was just me but I was foundered . It was winter time and it felt like it was 20 degrees below . I’d been away too long from home and there were  chilblains  on top of my chilblains .  I sat there shivering and he sat there as if he wasn’t human wearing a tee shirt .  

“Are you feeling the cold ‘ He said .

“Don’t you “ says I .

He got up and put the kettle on and made me a cup of tea . As he handed me a cup of teacher said ,

“Here , that will soon make you feel better “

Next day I went to visit a relative in one of the troubled districts in North Belfast  .

I had only walked in the door and sat down  and the house was nearly shaken from its foundations . I jumped up and thought , what’s going on outside .

Later I was told it was a nail bomb that exploded at the end of the street .  The nail bomb was  followed with a burst of gunfire that opened up . My aunt Lily just there with her feet up and said ,

“Make us a wee drop of tea son will ye ?”

I looked at her and said ,

“Can’t you hear the gunfire out the front ?

 “Aye sure that happens all the time round here “

My auntie just sat there calm as you like and I handed her a cup of tea as then she pointed to the coffee table and said ,

“ Pass me those cigarettes  .“

She lit up a smoke as if there was nothing was going on outside  .  My aunt was so used to the sound of bombs and bullets that she subconsciously seemed to block it out and it never bothered her in the least . I hadn’t been home for a while  so I had forgot what it was like and it was taking me a wee while to get accustomed to how things were . Later that week I called to visit my cousin’s who had several children all sitting round the house screaming and crying . The dog was barking and the TV was blaring . I had to raise my voice just to talk and I looked at her and said ,

“Doesn’t this noise get to you ?”

She got up and made me a cup of tea and said ‘

“Here’s a wee drop in your hand . It always  helps “

I had never realised before the magic of a cup of tea .  

The End