At two o'clock in the afternoon, Lilia arrived at one of the biggest malls in the city. The tea making class that she participated in was located on the 7th floor of the mall, in a cafe devoted to tea lovers.
The cafe was decorated with tatami carpets and miniature cherry trees, creating an authentic Japanese atmosphere. When Lilia walked inside, the cafe waitress greeted her warmly and politely. The waitress had an Asian face and was wearing a kimono, making her look like a real Japanese.
"Welcome to the Sakura Teahouse! How can I help you?" The waiter greeted her.
Lilia explained that she came here for the tea making class. The servant checked her notes, then nodded with a broad smile.
"Miss Lilia Pangestu, is that right? Please follow me."
Lilia followed the waitress into the cafe. The fragrant and strong aroma of tea filled the cafe. The woman looked around with interest. The front of the cafe served as a cafe for visitors who would like to try the cafe's expensive and rare teas. The back was divided into several small rooms used for tea-making classes.
"This is your room, Miss Lilia." The servant stopped at the very end of the room door, "Your teacher is here. Hope you enjoy this class!"
Lilia thanked the maid, then she knocked on the door and slowly opened it. She saw a small room with floors covered with a tatami carpet. A long wooden table lay at the front of the room, with several smaller wooden tables set across it. The arrangement reminded Lilia of the classroom layout at school.
A male figure sat behind the long wooden table. The man had his back to Lilia so she couldn't see his face, but based on his sitting position, that man was the teacher of this class.
"Good afternoon, are you the teacher of this class?" Lilia approached the man while asking. She thought the teacher for tea-making generally was a woman, so she wanted to confirm the man's identity.
"Ah, apparently you have come." The man turned around and gave her a warm smile.
Lilia's steps stopped when she recognized the bespectacled man.
"Did I surprise you, Miss Lilia?" Alfred smiled even wider when he saw Lilia's reaction.
"Brother Alfred also teaches here?" Lilia asked after she recovered from her shock, "I never thought that Brother Alfred would be my teacher in making tea."
"I was also surprised when I heard you signed up to join classes here. I didn't know you were interested in the Japanese tea ceremony." Alfred replied, "Ah, please sit down."
Lilia sat behind one of the small tables available, then looked around. The other three small tables were still empty, "Aren't there any more students besides me today?" She asked.
Alfred nodded, "It turns out that only you register for class at this hour." He answered calmly.
Lilia turned her gaze to the tea-making equipment neatly arranged on Alfred's table. There was a water kettle, tea cups, porcelain teapots, powdered tea, tea filters, and so on. Lilia recognized most of the equipment.
Then her gaze turned to the figure of the elegant man. Even though Alfred worked as a lecturer and also came from a respectable family, why would that man want to teach here? Was he a tea lover too, just like Jean?
"Why is Brother Alfred teaching here?" Lilia asked bluntly.
Alfred was stunned for a moment to hear that. Then he chuckled and replied, "Actually this is the cafe I run. I like to share knowledge with fellow tea lovers. When I have free time, I go here to teach."
Lilia shook her head while laughing. Of all the tea making classes available, Merry happened to choose the class taught by Alfred. Her assistant's luck was extraordinary.
"Why are you laughing?" Alfred raised his eyebrows, "Don't you believe that I can teach you how to make tea?"
Alfred studied Lilia's figure carefully. The woman was wearing a pastel knitted cardigan and a light blue skirt that reached her ankles. Her posture when sitting remained upright and elegant. Her figure looked like a blooming lily.
Alfred sighed secretly. He began to understand why Jean was so attracted to this woman. Alfred and Jean were not that different. Both were the same age and came from rich families. As they got older, they became more attracted to women who had stable and reliable characters like Lilia. Alfred always admired Lilia's composure and intelligence. If he married such a woman, he was sure their married life would be peaceful and stable.
"That's not what I mean, Brother Alfred." Lilia answered, "I just feel that the world is really small."
After Lilia and Alfred chatted for a while about their coincidental encounter, the man was reminded of the reason they were here. Then they started the tea making lesson.
"For today, I will show you the basic process of brewing tea. Pay close attention and understand first."
Lilia nodded and her expression turned serious. She concentrated on every word that was said and every action that Alfred took.
Alfred began by explaining the name and function of each equipment that would be used to make tea. Then, he demonstrated the procedure for brewing tea according to the Japanese tea ceremony.
"For today's class, we will use tea made from lotus flowers." Alfred handed the container of the tea powder to Lilia.
Lilia accepted it and studied it carefully. The aroma of the tea powder was already strong. She couldn't imagine how fragrant the tea would become.
Alfred then took the tea powder back and started pouring it into the tea strainer. His gestures were full of confidence, as if he had done this many times. Lilia found herself mesmerized by Alfred's skill.
As a final step, Alfred placed the cup on Lilia's table, "This is the result of brewing from the tea powder. Try to smell, observe, and taste." He explained.
Lilia lifted the cup and smelled the aroma. As expected, the aroma of the tea was fragrant and strong. It reminded her of spring. Then, she shook the cup while observing the tea leaves inside. Lastly, Lilia blew the hot tea surface before taking a sip. The tea was soft on the tongue at first, but the taste got stronger as it reached the esophagus.
Lilia put her cup back down before praising Alfred, "Even though the aroma is very strong, the taste of the tea is light and refreshing. Brother Alfred is really an expert at brewing delicious tea!"
Alfred raised his eyebrows, "If I'm not good, I won't be able to teach here." He said half kidding. But his smile showed that he liked Lilia's compliment, "The process I showed you earlier is the foundation of all tea ceremonies. To master it, you need to practice a lot. Over time, you will become more proficient."
Lilia nodded with a serious expression. She was determined to learn as much as possible from Alfred and make Jean the best tea!
During the next two hours, Lilia tried repeatedly to practice the steps that Alfred had taught her. Since this was her first class, she made a lot of small mistakes. Lilia recorded every step of making tea and important things in her notebook so she could repeat them at home.
Lilia found that Alfred was suitable to work as a teacher. The man did not hesitate to point out each of Lilia's mistakes firmly. Alfred also answered each of Lilia's questions and gave explanations with great patience.
As their lesson was about to end, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Alfred turned to the door, just as a man opened the door.
The man was dressed all in black and was well built. Lilia immediately knew that this man was Alfred's bodyguard.
The guard bowed as he said respectfully, "Young master, you have a call."
"Okay thank you." Alfred replied briefly. He got up and looked at Lilia with a guilty look, "Sorry, I have to interrupt our class. I'll be back as soon as I can." The man promised.
Lilia shook her head, "I understand that Mr. Alfred has other things to do. You don't have to feel guilty. Besides, our lessons will end soon. I don't mind finishing early." Lilia assured the man.
Alfred was silent for a moment, then he finally nodded, "Then, let's end up here first. Don't forget to practice often. In the next class, I want you to demonstrate the tea-making process like I did earlier."
From what he said, Lilia guessed that Alfred would still be her teacher in the next meeting. She said goodbye to the man before leaving the cafe.
*****
After Lilia disappeared from sight, Alfred went with his bodyguards.
The guard lowered his gaze as he said in a low voice, "Young Master, the police have just contacted us. They think someone is pressuring them to further the woman's sentence.. Unfortunately, the Ricardos' influence alone is not enough to oppose that party."
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