The Younger Tea Read online

  Age might just be a matter of the mind, ask the sixty-year-old woman who seems to be growing younger.

  Why would a handsome young new neighbor man pay any attention to a sixty-year-old maid who works in her flower garden and raises tea plants? Why are her book club members mad at her, and why can’t her walking group keep up with her anymore? Can it have anything to do with the tea she is drinking each night from the leaves the new neighbor has provided to her? Age is as old as you feel.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The Younger Tea

  Copyright © 2017 M. Garnet

  ISBN: 978-1-4874-1095-7

  Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

  Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

  Look for us online at:

  www.eXtasybooks.com or www.devinedestinies.com

  The Younger Tea

  By

  M. Garnet

  Chapter One

  Stella sat back on her heels to pick a marigold bloom. Most people would not appreciate the smell of marigolds, but Stella had an affinity for all plants, even using petals of the marigolds in her salads.

  Sitting there on the damp earth, she didn’t feel the aches and pains that age had brought to her body. Having just turned sixty, she had found that age was catching up with her.

  There were wrinkles at the edge of her eyes and gray streaking her long dark hair that she wore in a braid. She accepted growing old, as she saw the friends her in new book club all showing the same results of age. It was the way of life.

  “Oh my, Stella. How can you stand to be down in all that dirt and leaves?” This was from Virginia, Stella’s neighbor.

  Stella laughed, running her fingers through the rich dirt. She stared at the pansies that had spread out their beautiful colors of purple, the color that matched her eyes. Behind her flowers were taller plants that produced tealeaves. They made a charming background to offset the yellow, orange and purple of the fall flowers. There was magic here that she raised. She pinched leaves from the Florence Tea bush. She knew it was old fashioned to raise her own tea, but drying these leaves seemed to taste so much better and less bitter.

  “Oh my god, here comes the new guy from across the street. How come they didn’t make men like him when we were young?”

  Stella looked up at Virginia’s words and saw the new neighbor approaching. Indeed, the young man was too beautiful to be called good looking. He was the type that appeared on the front of romance books, well over six-feet, with wide shoulders and narrow hips.

  He had his long blond hair pulled back in a knot at the back of his neck, and his green eyes seemed to flash fire. The tight shirt he wore did nothing to hide the muscles that rippled down from chest to the low hung jeans.

  The long legs that filled the blue denim material moved smoothly with each of his strides. Stella felt a response that surprised her. She felt a sexual heat that she hadn’t experienced for years.

  Virginia stepped out between Stella and the young man. “Hello, Mr. Eleg, or can I call you, Micah?”

  In a deep voice that sounded like low music, he answered with a smile. “Please call me Micah. I will call you Virginia, and, Ms. Highlan, if you don’t mind, I will call you Stella.”

  Stella found him polite and strange, almost like he came from a different age or a different place. Young people didn’t seem to be polite now. They just hurried along looking at their phones.

  “You have a magic touch with the earth, Stella. Look at the blossoms so late in the year.” His voice was soft as he spoke of the flowers.

  She was surprised that he was kneeling on the wet earth beside her. She could feel something pouring from his body—was it electricity, heat?

  Virginia cleared her throat, always needing to be the center of attention. “So, Micah, you like flowers?”

  He stood back up. “I like tea. I couldn’t help but notice Stella’s oriental tea plants. I recognize many of the varieties. I have brought Stella a sample of my own blend.”

  He looked down at Stella. “I have noticed you have been feeling some stiffness.”

  He held out a hand, and Stella couldn’t refuse it without being rude. Had he been watching her as she worked around in her yard? It gave her an uncomfortable feeling. As she stood, he pulled out a brown cloth bag from a pocket in his jeans she would have sworn were too tight to hold anything.

  Putting the bag in her hand, he spoke directly to her. “Drink some each night before going to sleep. It will let you rest comfortably, and your stiffness will ease.”

  Virginia pushed around so that she was between the two of them. “I could use some of that.”

  As Virginia reached for the bag that was in Stella’s hand, Micah intercepted her hand and brought it to his lips. “No, no, Virginia. Each brew is made magically for each person. I will make something sweet for you. Ladies, I will leave you to your flowers.”

  Both ladies watched the young man go back across the street.

  Virginia fanned herself. “I need to go home and take a cool shower. Let me know how that tea tastes.”

  * * * *

  Neither woman was aware of the sharp eyes watching from the porch across from Stella’s house. This man was thoughtful and calm as he waited in the comfortable chair on the narrow stoop of his new home.

  Micah had followed the call of his heart, and more important, the call of his magic. He was an immortal wizard, and he usually kept himself hidden from the humans. There were times when it was necessary to blend in and live among them to serve his people and to serve the humans.

  He was more than ready to serve when he was called to the Council in Ireland and told that a shooting star had been found.

  Chapter Two

  That night, reaching for her own tea mix, Stella looked at the cloth bag sitting on the counter. She opened it, and a smell like mountain berries drifted up. Okay, Mr. Micah Eleg, let’s see if you know your tea.

  She dug out her metal tea infuser and put a teaspoon of the finely chopped dried leaves in it. She filled her cup full of hot water and dropped the metal strainer in, leaving the chain and handle over the outside of the cup. Going up the steps, she got a strong smell of the rich tea, an aroma like mountains and berries and fresh snow. Now that was something that was appealing.

  She took her first sip and almost spit it back out as a shock hit her body like a spark from scuffing on the carpet, only stronger. But it passed, leaving the soft taste of berries and something she couldn’t name. So sleepy that she couldn’t hold her head up, she was surprised to find the cup empty. She had actually lost track of time for a few minutes. Getting old must also mean forgetfulness.

  The next few days were a standard repetition of her dull life. She worked in her garden, shopped, and attended her book club meeting. Th
e books they were reading had seemed interesting last month, but now they were dull. The choice of a story about Eisenhower’s affair seemed boring and out of style. It was also out of step with present day politics.

  She was looking out the window at the streetlights when someone got her attention. She turned to smile at their hostess, who Stella labeled in her mind as the local gossip. Stella often tuned out the information this woman passed on about whoever missed a meeting.

  “Virginia tells us we have a new neighbor on your street. She also tells us that you have already met him. What is his name? It seems foreign.” The woman said this with a slight sneer.

  Stella looked at the women sitting in comfort around the coffee table before she answered. “I think what we got from Eisenhower’s book is that most of us were foreign to this country unless we were Amerindians. You know, I am not feeling well, I think I have to excuse myself and start on home.”

  Stella knew they would talk about her after she left, but she was beginning to feel foreign to this group and to the people she had known for the last few years in the town. Maybe it had been a mistake to move there from her old family home in Maine. But there was no family left at her old area, only strange stories and a town that didn’t like her family. So she’d moved and made friends in a new town.

  Stella went home, but she looked over at the dark house across the street. She shrugged, thinking Mr. Eleg must be out for the evening. Such a handsome young man must have a lot of ladies that demanded his attention.

  Stella unlocked her front door, then after entering, just leaned back against it. What had her life become after all these years? No husband, after her one lover died before marriage. No children to fuss over to lead to grandchildren. Just this quiet house with some old antiques passed down from her mother and a father she never knew. Her mother would never talk about her father, so she didn’t even have memories of him.

  At last she pushed herself to get ready for bed. She checked her house and headed for her kitchen. She hesitated about drinking his tea, but each night she carried his concoction up to her room. It was the third week when the dreams began. When she awoke she couldn’t remember all the details, but she could remember the flashing green eyes of Micah. She was tangled in her sheets and had dried sweat on her body with an ache between her legs.

  She joined her friends for their early walks, but there came one morning when things changed.

  “Hey Stella, this isn’t speed walking. What’s the hurry?” Virginia was stooped over in the middle of the paved path, holding her side.

  Stella was a little confused, as she was comfortable. She looked over at Janet, the other walking partner. Janet also looked a little flushed.

  Stella smiled. “Maybe we better call it a day. I have a couple of things to pick up, and I want to get my nails done. I think I have ruined them working in my garden.”

  Her friends gratefully agreed, as they all walked slowly back to the parking area.

  Stella relaxed as her hands were being messaged. She tuned out the nail attendant’s chatter. The deep chair let her sink down comfortably with her head held by a soft high cushion covered by a clean towel. She dozed off and heard the deep warm voice of Micah.

  Star, sometime you will be mine. You are eternal, like those that shine above us. It was his eyes that mesmerized her, even in this short dream.

  “Ms. Highlan, when are you going to let us do your hair?”

  Stella jerked awake as a girl was touching her head.

  “Hey, you’re dying your hair already.” Now the girl was pulling at the few loose strands that always escaped her braid.

  Stella pushed the hand away from her hair, and the nail tech complained about the interruption with her work. The hair salon girl left as Stella sat up straight to get her nails finished and left the shop.

  At home she went up to the bathroom and turned on all the lights to look at her hair. She examined herself closely in the mirror and could see the new soft hair, dark brown to match all that was in her heavy braid. She undid her hair and pulled out her brush. She stopped and looked at the brush—it held several long gray hairs within the bristles. Her gray hair was falling out, and she was growing new dark hair. What was wrong with her?

  The next morning, as she turned to straighten her bed, there was a small amount of dark blood on her bottom sheet. She went to the bathroom, and she found indeed she had a small amount of seeping blood.

  Damn. At her age, this could be a sign of colon problems, tumors or even cancer. Why else would a woman of sixty begin to bleed?

  Hunting under her sink she found a box of old sanitary napkins. After cleaning herself, she got dressed and called her doctor. Thank god her doctor got her into the clinic immediately.

  One whole day of exams, blood taking, x-rays and a full body MRI included a request to come back. She began to curse the fact that she had a doctor whose office was part of one of the best hospitals in town.

  She laughed and made a joke about how glad that she was she had extra insurance, but she was worried. There was always bad things like that could affect a woman her age.

  Chapter Three

  Another day of worrying about cancer and blood infection problems, and she at last she was sitting in her doctor’s office listening to his words in shock.

  “So there is nothing wrong with me, except I am starting to have my periods again after going through my change years ago. Doesn’t that mean that there is something wrong with me?”

  Her doctor looked up and smiled. “Well, it means you can be in the record book as being able to get pregnant at your age. Still, there have been cases of women having children who are much older than you.” He pointed at the many reports on his desk. “In fact, you are in amazingly good health. Everything checks out for a woman much younger, so let’s take you off your meds for a while. I want to see you in another month to make sure you are still okay without the medicine. Any other questions?”

  What questions could you ask your doctor when he said you were very healthy? She went home in a daze and worked in her garden.

  Stella spent the next night in a dream that she refused to acknowledge the next morning. There were flashing green eyes that were hard to forget. She woke to a bright fall morning and ate lightly, dressed warmly, and went out to make sure she had enough mulch around the roots to protect her tea bushes.

  She didn’t braid her hair, just tied a ribbon on it and let it hang down her back over the heavy sweater. Using her back door, she picked up the bucket with all the small gardening tools.

  As she came around the corner, her morning had its first downturn. She ran into a wall that normally wasn’t in her way.

  Micah stepped back as he caught her upper arm, stopping her from falling from the impact of running into him.

  “Sorry, Stella. I didn’t mean to surprise you. Are you okay?”

  Stella couldn’t even speak, trying to catch her balance as she pushed away from the tall man. She had a strange need to put distance between them, to remove her hand from his chest and get his hand off her arm. She was actually embarrassed to be in contact with a young man she was seeing in her dreams.

  She was grateful that he didn’t move when she stepped back, but she was shocked when he spoke, so low that the words were for her ears only.

  “Ah. You are in menses. You know your name, Stella, means Star in a lot of languages, especially the old ones.”

  She stared at him, frozen with her bucket in her hand. She heard another voice, a high screech that was the second downturn for her morning.

  “Yoo hoo, Stella. I guess you aren’t going for a walk again today. Did the doctor say you should stay off your feet, dear?”

  It was Virginia, in her usual bright purple walking clothes. Virginia was out on the sidewalk in front of the house, yelling and scaring the birds out of the trees. “Oh, wait, I will be right over there. I see Micah has joined you also. Do you have my tea, Micah?”


  Stella was looking at Micah closely, and it seemed like there really was fire in his green eyes. She could feel a pull that made her want to reach back out and touch him again. What was she thinking? She was old enough to be his mother. She was disappointed when he turned away from her. Gads, she was really mixed up. Maybe she should have seen a shrink instead of her regular doctor.

  Micah moved over to Virginia, who had pushed through Stella’s bushes, breaking down a couple and making Stella sigh.

  “The lovely Virginia. I am sorry, I forgot your tea. I will go home right now and work on your special brew.” With these words, the large fluid body of the blond neighbor was down the sidewalk and across the street.

  Stella took a deep breath and eventually made her feet carry her out to the long flowerbed covered by the multi-colored fall leaves. The large oaks were letting the world know that winter was coming.

  Virginia turned from watching Micah and came up next to Stella. “So, tell me. What did the doctor say? What was the result of all those tests you said he put you through?”

  Stella sat her bucket down and turned to Virginia to explain that she was fine, but before she spoke, Virginia squeaked.

  “Oh my god, you didn’t go to the doctor. You had a facelift. You look half your age. I understand you wanting to keep this a secret.” Virginia began to giggle.

  Stella sighed and dropped down to her knees. How could she explain to Virginia that she had not had plastic surgery performed? How could she tell anyone what was happening to her body when she didn’t know or understand herself?

  Virginia continued to pry. “So who did the work? Where did you go? I have a cousin in California, and everyone out there has work done on faces all the time. It kind of scares me, but if you have...”