The silent tea set

Despite struggling with constant fatigue, Kata visited her mother today, as she did every day, after she closed their craft bakery. It was always reassuring to come in. In response to the knock, her mother's smile came from across the window, and within seconds the door opened. After she had spent her entire childhood then her diligent years in the bakery, her legs couldn't take her 
 so far anymore, bur she really missed the bakery, so she couldn't wait for Kata to report every day what had happened at the bakery and the shop.  

- Come on, tell me! Were there any queer shoppers today?

- There was really nothing worth mentioning today except this new bundle of orange honey nuts. Come, taste it, and tell me your opinion!

They sat down at the kitchen table and her mother opened the package hiding the novelty with sparkling eyes. She took a look, smelled it, and finally bit it, closed her eyes, and tasted it.

- I was expecting the taste of lemon peel, but that taste hurled me into an orange grove. Nice work, son. Did people buy it?

- They took it. Will we see if they buy it next time?

Suddenly Kata's eyes caught on the empty shelf.

- Mom, where's the tea set?

- Kamilla dropped in today and took it.

- What do you mean she took? How could you give it to her? Didn’t you always say it was a family relic and a symbol of love and togetherness within our family? It has to stay at your place!  Anyway, wasn't it that she will come home only on the fifth of January?

- I gave it to her because I had a good reason. She had something important to deal with anyway, so she came home, but she already went back.

- Didn't she even look into the bakery? Didn’t she even have the time to ask how I could run the business alone? She has no idea that I barely live out of fatigue so that she can travel around and develop herself professionally! Doesn't anyone here care what I wish for? I know the bakery is a generational inheritance, but I can’t stand it alone anymore. The two of us, along with  you the three of us, continued to run the bakery after Dad’s death, and now Kamilla has gone out indefinitely because she is taking courses abroad and she is studying herself. Sometimes here, sometimes there and enjoying the life. In the meantime, I don’t even know how many pieces to split to, my child and husband can barely see me. She’s slowly stepping on the whim of my whole private life. She asked for some time, but it's been half a year now, and no news on when she intends to work full-time again in our FAMILY bakery!

- Be a little more understanding with her. You know, our bakery is very important to her, but while you have a nice family, she wasn't given it. Give her some time to recharge from her professional success. Let her enjoy a little while that she can conduct bakery courses in the world while studying. This will benefit our bakery in the long run. You can see for yourself that since she won the best sourdough cinnamon roll maker award, the number of our customers has multiplied.

- Mom, I understand, and you're right, but in the meantime, I have to cope alone with the increased number of customers.  Not to mention that it’s getting harder to find a reliable workforce, think about it if one of our colleagues suddenly quits, what am I doing? Will Kamilla fly here to replace? Yeah, forgive me, I forgot, she sent a Pinocchio from Italy, which has a push in and out nose, saying that this toy will make our colleagues understand that honesty is important to us. What can I say, it was a useful idea! Since then, it has been an excellent stress-relieving game for colleagues, they are happy to push its nose, even if they are busy with taking care about customers. But surprisingly it didn't make my life any easier! If that weren’t enough, she also sent a huge Turkish eye amulet. It may protect the store from evil spells, but I feel like its constantly staring at me that how long I can last! And this set of tea has crossed every line. Yet, does she think she can do whatever she wants she is entitled to everything? It was the last straw, it is either I or she who will carry on the bakery. As for me, there is no other solution. - Kata stormed away.

The days and weeks have passed. Kata continued taking care about bakery but she was exhausted all the time, and their mother spoke less and less, a smile on her face disappeared. Kamilla didn't know anything about what happened because Kata didn't talk to her after the incident, and their mother didn't want to upset her while she was away.

What was the compelling reason why their mother gave to Kamilla the tea set? Kamilla jumped home because she had a dream, she has to hide the family relic, because if she doesn’t, it could cost Kata’s life. Hearing this, their mother asked nothing more, but packed it in a paper box and handed it to her.

Kata found her mother drawing at the table every night, but she didn't find it suspicious, as she often bound herself to it at other times, but there was no smile on her face, and she barely replied if Kata asked something. Kata realized that she wanted her to forgive Kamilla, but that didn't really work for her right now. One evening she knocked on the window in vain, no one answered. She entered the apartment with a heart pounding with concern, but she was relieved to see their mother sitting at the table, folding a notebook wrapped in newspaper into a tablecloth. She wraps, unpacks, then re-unpacks and re-unpacks it while not looking up and responding.

It was one of the saddest Christmases of my life. There's a problem, Kata thought to herself in despair. Kamilla should be called. Why, wouldn't anything happen anyway, maybe she would send a very useful gift that would solve exactly nothing. She'll be at home in ten days anyway, and then she'll have to face what she’d left behind.

So it was, on the tenth day, Kata entered their mother's apartment and seen Kamilla sitting at the table with tears in her eyes and watched their mother folding the notebook silently.

- Why didn't you say there was something wrong with our mother? - Kamilla asked.

- Why did you leave us alone for so long? How could you take the tea set without even asking? - Kata exclaimed.

- So, the tea set caused so big issue?

Before Kata could speak, Kamilla ran away. Meanwhile, their mother continued to pack the notebook with a shaky face.

After a short time, Kamilla returned with a paper box in her hand, she placed it on the kitchen table. Then she asked Kata to go over to the living room and discuss things there, not to upset their mother any more.

Even before they got at each other's throats, their mother went after them with a paper box in her hand, setting it on the tea table and saying:

- Open it!

The notebook wrapped in a newspaper emerged from the box. They looked up but could only see their mother's back as she left the room.

The notebook was a very old diary written in ink, with a bookmark in it drawn recently by their mother. There was no question of having to turn to where she placed the bookmark.

January 4, 1917.

I haven't written a line in seven years. You left us here seven years ago, my dear Piroska. A lot has happened since then, but nothing can replace You. Your twin sister, Jolan, has married. I have two grandsons from her, not twins, there is a year difference between them. The tea set is the most beautiful decoration in our living room. I know how much you loved it. Every time I look at it, I always remember the accident that claimed your life. While no piece of the tea set had injured, unlike your precious body. I am sure all your love has passed into the tea set, so we keep it as a symbol of family togetherness and love.

Interrupting the reading Kamilla voiced her recognition.

- That's why I had that weird dream! Jesus, yesterday was the fourth of January!

Kata didn't understand a word of the whole thing, she was staring at Kamilla with eyes wide open. Then their mother joined them, rolling in the cart with steaming tea on it. The evening was long, they had to share so much that there be love and togetherness between them again.