Character Teas

CHAPTER 1

When Desmond Frog awoke he was expecting the sun to be peeking in under his curtains much like every other morning. However, this morning was unlike any other. Today it was as if the river rushing around him was trying to swallow him whole. The rain beat down hard on his tin roof and Desmond subconsciously thanked it for keeping him dry.

On a normal day Desmond would quickly hurry around his house to get proper for his day ahead and then he’d both literally and figuratively hop into his little red rowboat and make his way over to the little town of Teawyrst. Desmond, although he didn’t live directly in the town and instead lived on a large rock in the middle of the river that swept past Teawyrst, considered everyone who lived in the town to be his neighbours.

Yet, this morning he took his time, first gazing around his cosy little bedroom and listening to the raging wind and rain outside. Then when he felt the familiar rumbling of his stomach he grabbed his striped nightcap from his bedside table and pulled himself out from under his sheets for breakfast.

From his kitchen window Desmond could see the angry swelling waters at work. The current forced waves to lap against the docks of Teawyrst and locked the boats tethered there in a swaying seasick sort of dance. He could also make out shapes quickly rushing to and fro in between the houses across the river, presumably trying their best not to get wet. Desmond shook his head as he turned his gaze up to his cupboards in order to start making his breakfast. He could pretty much guess exactly which townsfolk were dipping and ducking out of the shops and houses that decorated the river's edge.

Petunia Rabbit was almost certainly rushing out to buy more flower seeds or soil for the garden that surrounded her house. She never could remember all the things she needed when starting a new gardening project until she finally set to work on it and realised she was missing the most important parts. Desmond could practically hear her breathlessly joking with Miles Jay who owned the garden shop in town. He made a mental note to walk by her house to see the new flowers she had planted when this terrible weather subsided.

Jasmine Doe was also most likely to be amongst those out in weather such as this. As much as miserable weather directly contrasted with her bright and sunny personality she didn’t let it stop her from brightening other’s days. She often went out of her way to make others smile even if that meant getting cold and wet from all the rain. Although they didn’t speak that often, Desmond liked Jasmine and didn’t mind having her around. He would maybe even go so far as to saying he would like her to be a friend.

As Desmond pondered over this he began to slice up the strawberries that he had bought at the market the morning before. Edmond Beaver, who worked the fruits and veggies stand at the market, had informed Desmond that the strawberries had been freshly picked that morning before the sun had even decided to wake up. Edmond Beaver was a jolly fellow and took great pride in the quality of the fruits and veggies he sold at the market. Desmond liked that about Edmond; the utter dedication he had for supplying the folks of Teawyrst with the best possible produce for their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners said a lot about who Edmond was, and he never missed a market day.

The Teawyrst market was one of Desmond’s favourite places. Folks from all over would come to set up their tents and sell their goods and the smells that wafted through the cobblestone streets warmed Desmond's heart to its fullest capacity. Desmond didn’t think anyone loved the Teawyrst markets as much as he did. The atmosphere was always just so full and present. Edmond Beaver’s kits were always running in between the tents and waving whatever they could find that vaguely resembled a sword high in the air. Their laughter rang out and mingled with the laughter and banter of the other folks who came to the market to shop. The smells that brought Desmond back week after week ranged from freshly squeezed grapefruit to salted beef to sourdough bread and a plethora of herbs and spices. Just thinking about them made his heart flutter and he had to bring himself back to the task at hand: making breakfast.

When Desmond was finished with the strawberries he added them to his bowl of cottage cheese and granola and thought that maybe adding a little honey drizzle would give it just the right amount of sweetness he hoped for in the mornings. He picked up this habit from his neighbour Roland Badger who, more often than not, incorporated sugary things into his meals.

Roland Badger was someone that Desmond liked more than most folk; of course not more than Jasmine Doe, but again, more than most. It was because Roland kept to himself. He preferred people watching over actually conversing with said people and Desmond could appreciate that. Desmond didn’t like conversing with others either, unless he had to. He much preferred sitting under a good tree and reading a riveting novel. However, sometimes Desmond liked to do this in the company of others and Roland was the perfect guy for the job. The two could sit together for hours, Desmond enraptured with his book and Roland contently observing each and every passerby. They didn’t have to talk to one another or worry about breaking an awkward silence because they knew both were equally as happy with sitting in the silence.

As Desmond finished up his breakfast and set his dishes by the sink to be done later after dinner he thought about this, his odd but mutually welcoming relationship with Roland, and realised that Roland Badger was in fact the only one of his neighbours that he actually considered to be his friend. 

Desmond smiled to himself as he shook a few saltines onto a plate and grabbed a few cubes of cheese from his fridge. Maybe he’d have a chat with Roland the next time they sat together, or maybe not, Desmond was sure Roland wouldn’t mind either way. This made Desmond quite content and he sat down in his cosy little chair with his cheese and crackers (his usual after breakfast snack) to read. Hopefully, Desmond thought, the rain will let up and I’ll be able to see Roland and everyone again soon!

The small candy was sour like a lemon and Desmond Frog squeezed his eyes shut tight from the sensation. Along with the candy was a small scratchy note that read, “I’ll be back for dinner, green beans are in the sink.”

Desmond crumpled the note and tossed it out as he dropped his school bag and glanced into the sink. Sure enough there were freshly picked green beans from the garden in Desmond’s back yard, and they shimmered with the mist from the cold tap water his father had washed them with.

He pushed the sour candy to one side of his mouth and sighed before reaching into the sink and grabbing a handful of the green beans. He held the dripping handful over the sink as he reached into the cupboard below and pulled out a large pot, throwing the green beans in gingerly as he set the pot on the stove.

It took him a while to light the stove but once he did it wasn’t long before the kitchen became toasty and warm. This was Desmond’s favourite part of cooking. The warm fire underneath the stove, flickering as he stirred new ingredients into his pot and the smells of dinner coming to life.

That night, Desmond steamed his green beans and boiled some tomatoes down to make a sauce in which he sprinkled each and every spice that he felt was needed. By the end of his cooking escapades, the kitchen swirled with the smell of boiled tomatoes, basil, oregano and steamed green beans. He portioned two plates, one for himself and one for his father upon his return.

The green beans were piled high on both plates and Desmond was careful not to drop any as he carried the plates to the dinner table. Then he slipped on his blue plaid oven mitts and lugged the pot of boiled tomato sauce over to the table where he dropped a large dollop onto each pile of green beans.

Once everything was finished, Desmond sat down at the table and patiently awaited his father’s return. Desmond’s father was a fisherman and a very passionate one at that. He took every opportunity he could to be out on the water doing what he loved, which explained his absence at the dinner table that evening. Desmond didn’t mind being alone, he actually found that he enjoyed it quite a lot. However, waiting up for his father each night to make sure he did in fact make it back home safe was a hard task for Desmond, who would rather be reading and slowly dozing off to sleep.

The warm kitchen was certainly making Desmond’s eyes droop with exhaustion and it wasn’t long before he decided that tonight he would eat alone as well. The green beans were warm and tasted delightful smothered in the savoury tomato sauce. Desmond hummed in delight with each bite he took. He was proud of himself. He had cooked dinner for himself on multiple occasions before, but nothing quite like this.

After he finished his dinner he got straight to work on cleaning the dishes. He half expected his father to show up and send him off to bed, saying that he would take care of the cleanup since he hadn’t been home, but Desmond knew if his father had missed dinner he wouldn’t be home for quite some time.

With the dishes done, Desmond dried his hands and took a quick look out of the small port window on the front door. It was pitch black outside and Desmond furrowed his brow as he tried to see if he could spot his father walking up the hill to the house, but he couldn’t see much besides darkness.

He wanted to see to it that his father got home safe but he was just too tired. How could he be expected to stay up to see his father come home if he could barely keep his eyes open?

So, slightly worried and drowsy, Desmond wandered out of the kitchen, down the hall and into his bedroom.

It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep and when he did he had no dreams.

In the morning, when Desmond sauntered into the kitchen rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he found a box full of freshly picked blackberries, a small notebook and a scratchy note that read, “Sorry for missing dinner, I’ll be home tonight I promise! Notebook’s for your recipes, you’ve got a knack for it kid.”

Desmond smiled softly, turning the notebook over in his hand and popping a few of the blackberries into his mouth. Maybe he would use them for breakfast, he thought, and he flipped to the first page of the notebook and grabbed a pen.

One might say that frogs are normally sticky and moist, but Desmond would say that today he felt particularly so. A hot afternoon in Desmond’s opinion, was best spent indoors in front of a fan, staring into space and waiting for the sun to set.

However, that wasn’t an option for Desmond because today was his grandmother’s 112th birthday (seventh in human years, if you must know).

He hadn’t expected it to get so hot that morning. Tumbling out of bed, he had checked to make sure the angel food cake he had made the night before was still in good shape. He noticed the morning dew glittering across the flowers in his window boxes and thought, “What a perfect day for a party!”

Now, making his way to the beach where he would meet his family, Desmond fussed over the birthday cake. He worried if the whipped cream was melting or if the mandarin slices that decorated the cake would look sticky and wilted. Begrudgingly he told himself, there wasn’t anything he could do about it now. “If only the sun and I were better friends, I might suggest a nap in the clouds for a few hours.” Desmond thought. As he approached the beach, Desmond could make out the sound of excited chatter and loud boisterous laughter.

One thing to know about frogs, is that as they get older, their laughs become more and more like a loud gurgle or honk. So, if you’ve ever passed a swamp or pond that is full of the raucous sound of frogs, just know that you have stumbled upon a joyous celebration, a birthday or simply a family reunion.

Rounding the corner, Desmond was met with the source of the laughter: His uncles Darwin and Donald. They greeted him loudly, drawing the attention from the rest of the crowd that was milling about the sand. Shouts of “Welcome!” and “How have you been?” bounced through the crowd and Desmond smiled.

It had been a long while since he had seen all of his family together in one place and many of his younger cousins had sprouted! No longer sporting their tails, they were much quicker and agile on their feet and bombarded Desmond with tight hugs from every direction.

Darwin plucked the cake from Desmond’s hands before he could drop it and waddled off to place it in the shade with the rest of the party food. His cousins tugged at his shirt and Donald layed a heavy hand on his shoulder, leading him towards the rest of the family.

Kisses and hugs all around, Desmond’s cheeks hurt from all the smiling. He couldn’t remember who he said hello to and who he had missed, so many frogs churned around him in a chorus of greeting.

But, as quickly as he had been pulled into the fray, he was pulled out. His cousin Diane pushed a glass of mango lassi into his hand and led him down the beach. “Goodness, he’s only just got here, let him breath and cool down before you kiss him to death!” She called back to the group as she pulled him along farther into a shaded area.

Desmond and Diane had grown up very close. When they were still tadpoles, Desmond taught Diane how to read. They would spend hours sitting in Desmond’s room reading stories to one another and even making up their own. Then Diane’s mother got a new job in the big city and they moved. The two kept in touch through letters and the occasional family event but as they grew, it became harder and harder to spend time together.

“Grandma’s been looking for you, what’s took you so long?” Diane asked, shoving Desmond down into a beach chair.

“The reluctance to come out in this heat I suppose.” Desmond chortled. Diane lightly shoved the back of Desmond’s head and laughed.

“You’re so dramatic. Maybe if you didn’t sport tweed trousers to the beach you’d feel a bit better.”

“Well, I’ve got to look decent for gran of course!” Desmond teased.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll fetch her for you.” Diane rolled her eyes and sauntered off, her milky yellow sundress swishing behind her.

Desmond took a sip of his drink and felt the cold liquid travel to his stomach, instantly refreshing him. He looked out at the beach and the calm ocean waves. Much of his family had migrated out into the water to cool off. He was glad for his drink, melting in the hot sun was not on his list of things to do today and he’d prefer to stay a whole frog rather than a puddle of one.

Desmond gave a snort of laughter at the thought and took another drink. The sound of shifting sand drew Desmond’s attention away from the water. Diane and their grandmother were slowly shuffling towards him.

Desmond’s grandmother had not lived in Teawyrst for quite some time and the bright smile on her face told Desmond that she was very glad to be back. Having lost most of her vision, she held tightly to Diane’s arm to steady herself on the uneven sand and allowed herself to be lead to where she needed to go.

Desmond twisted his glass into the sand and stood to greet her. Gingerly she reached her hands out until she found Desmond’s and squeezed. “Oh! Is that my sweet boy Desmond?” She crowed, her eyes scrunched cheerily.

“Of course gran, wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Desmond lead her to his chair and encouraged her to sit. He knelt down in front of her on the cool sand, still clutching her weathered hands.

“Desmond, my boy. Diane has told me so much about what you’ve been up to, so much about your recipes! She’s even tried to make a few for me, although I think she would benefit from a few in-person lessons.” Diane gasped in mock offence and they laughed. “Which is why I wanted to speak to you.”

“I don’t know gran, sometimes there’s only so much you can do.” Desmond joked, earning a swat from Diane. His grandmother bubbled with laughter and squeezed Desmond’s hands tighter.

“Yes, while I do tend to agree, I’d like to invite you to come and stay with Diane and I for a spell. It’d be nice company for me to have you around, you remind me so much of your father after all.” Desmond’s eyes widened and he glanced at Diane. “Of course, any of your friends from town could accompany you, I’d love to meet knew people and I so miss the talk of the town.”

Diane was also surprised by this invitation, and her eyes shot back and forth between Desmond and their grandmother. “Goodness gran, I’d love to. Wh-” But Desmond was cut short by his grandmother shaking her head and rising from her seat.

“We don’t need to discuss the details at present, I’ve got a delicious cake from my favourite grandson to try!” Desmond and Diane glanced at one another and laughed.

“Right, well that is much more important.” Desmond smiled. He looped his grandmother’s arm through his and Diane took up her other side as they walked back across the beach.

Later that night, Desmond waved goodbye to his family. The sun had finally set after scorching the beach for hours and the sand was still warm. Desmond’s younger cousins were snuggled around a bonfire roasting marshmallows. He could see Diane squished in between them, eating a gooey marshmallow of her own and waving vigorously back to him.

The rest of the day had gone swimmingly. The cake wasn’t a wreck when it was finally time to eat and his grandmother couldn’t keep herself from singing its praise. Roland Badger and Petunia Rabbit had dropped in to say hello and Desmond introduced them to everyone. Although, he wouldn’t be surprised if neither remembered anyone’s name, there were just too many frogs to keep track of!

Desmond’s walk back to the dock was peaceful. His little red rowboat waited patiently for him there and he loaded his cake plater into it and then himself.

His grandmother and Diane had agreed to send for him in the fall and they encouraged him to invite Roland and Petunia as well. Desmond made a mental note to mention it to his friends the next time he met them in town.

A visit to the city would be exciting, Desmond thought. “Until then, I’ll have to try my best not to melt into a puddle of frog stew!”

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

COMING SOON