Sister Floriana

The Tea

It was a few days after Savannah had hatched; Pacifica was literally keeping her under wraps in a warm fluffy towel most of the time. She was already getting along swimmingly with Sancho, and slept next to Pacifica every night.

Some of the girls were a bit concerned by this.

"You do know how big ostriches grow, right?" said Flori one day. "What are you going to do when she grows up?"

Pacifica shrugged. "I read about it in a book. I still have several years to figure it out."

"I hope you're right. We already have a lot of mouths to feed."

Flori, Pacifica, Eula and Isabel were all sitting together under a tree outside, enjoying the sunny weather. The days were getting colder every day, and they were feeling autumn's bite. And after autumn, came the winter.

They were suddenly interrupted that very moment by Marisol running up to them rather excitedly.

"You guys! You won't believe this!"

"What?" said Eula.

"Father Alvadeo just told me who's visiting us! The one we've been saving the fish for!"

"Really? Who is it?"

"It's an Englishman! It's a Nationalist Englishman!"

The Sisters were excited. Besides that American boy Jake, they'd never really met anyone from another country before, and certainly not one that had completely embargoed support for either side of the war. 

"I wonder if he even speaks Spanish?" said Isabel.

"He has to, if he's coming here!" said Flori.

"Is he volunteering to fight for us? Is he bringing arms, or supplies?" wondered Eulalia.

"I don't think that's the case at all," said Marisol, putting her hands up. "I think he's just a friend!"

"This is amazing," said Isabel. "We should learn ourselves some English! Maybe make him feel a bit more at home."

"Maybe Jake could teach us," Eula suggested.

"Yeah! Let's go ask him!" said Flori.

Eula cracked up.

"I was joking, you dunce!"

"Oh."

"I know some books on English," said Pacifica. "Let's find 'em."

"Let's!" said Flori.

So they all combed through the library, looking for English books and dictionaries. They had a modest selection to choose from, but an effective one. They tried to focus on the words and phrases that would help them; "hello," "how are you," "Glory to God in the Highest," etc.

"How... would you... like... your... tea?" said Floriana.

"Perfecto!" said Isabel, reading from the book. "Now just put it all together!"

"How would you like your tea? How would you like your tea!"

"Piping hot," Isabel replied in English. "That one's pretty easy. Now it's my turn. Um... how would... you... like your tea?"

Floriana thought for a moment.

"I... would like... three cups... please!"

"Quite a bit of tea," chuckled Isabel.

"That's how the British are," said Eulalia. "They drink entire ships full of the stuff."

"Entire ships?" said Isabel and Floriana at the same time.

"I think so. Diana once told me that when the Americans gained their independence from the British, they did it by sinking a ship full of tea."

If it had been any other novice or nun Eula had heard this from, they would've said something along the lines of and you believe her? But Sister Diana of all people?

"The British really are something," said Floriana. "I can't wait to meet him, whoever he is!"

"I'm sure he'll have some stories to tell," said Isabel.

"I hope he can help me with my English," Marisol opined. "I can hardly string a sentence together."

"Try it again," Isabel encouraged. "Hello, Sister Marisol! How do you feel today?" 

"Um... I... feel... good?"

"See? You'll get it!"

Marisol laughed nervously, tugging her collar. "I kinda lied."

"That's okay. This is just for practice."

"Speaking of practice, you know how the British pour their tea? There's a diagram in this book!"

Eulalia showed them the way a proper British lady poured tea for herself and others, how she held her hands, and her posture. She had a proper duck face, too.

"Seems easy enough. Why don't we practice that next?"

"Do we even have tea?" said Isabel. "Did either of you think of that?"

Judging by their expressions, they hadn't in the slightest.

"I've got some tea," spoke Pacifica. She hadn't said anything for a while, too engrossed in her dictionary. If anyone was going to get English down pat, it was her. But how had she managed to get tea? 

"I've been growing my own little supply out back," she explained. "If Eula can have her hot peppers, I thought, why not grow some tea?"

"Genius!" Eulalia praised.

So they picked some tea leaves, and went to go put a kettle on in the kitchens. Within the hour, they had a large kettle of piping hot English-style tea!

"This is exciting!" said Flori. "I can't wait to try this out!" 

"It's just pouring tea," said Isabel. Pacifica tended to agree.

But Flori was quite wrapped up in her thoughts of impressing their English guest with her cordial manners and whatnot, and started mimicking the duck face and the poised posture the woman in the book had. She closed her eyes, imagining herself speaking perfect English to a well-dressed gentleman, impressing both him and Father Alvadeo. 

Father Alvadeo probably spoke English too! Maybe they could ask him for help! Maybe-

"Sister Floriana, you're spilling it!"

"Huh?"

She'd been overpouring so much that a puddle was forming around the cup. Savannah almost waddled right through it, but Pacifica snatched her up and wrapped her up in her little towel. She looked at Floriana quite crossly. Such a waste.

"Oh dear," said Flori.

"Yeah, that's right," said Eulalia. "Now carefully pour that back in there so we can have a go."

Unfortunately, they just then heard Father Alvadeo's voice coming from beyond a window.

"Sisters? Is that tea I smell?"

Eula opened the window the rest of the way to talk to him. Benita was there too. 

"Yep! We heard that you have a guest from England, so we wanted to make him feel welcome."

"That's very kind of you Sisters," he said. "But I'm afraid he doesn't drink tea."

"What?!?" they all said at once. 

Sister Benita cracked up.

"I said," said Father Alvadeo, trying not to crack a smile himself, "he doesn't care for tea. Not in the dozen years I've known him for."

The sisters standing indoors were shocked. Floriana turned back to Pacifica.

"Then... is it okay to drink this?"

Pacifica shook her head. "No."

She took back the cup and kettle, and put them away in the larder.

Father Alvadeo's friend certainly had a good laugh when they told him this story!