High Tea

High Tea     by Paul Howlett

I drove a couple of miles to the house where our Avon lady lives, as I had to pick up a small order for my wife.  “M” our Avon lady had called me in the morning and said that our order was available for collection.

I said that I would “Pop in to collect the order sometime in the afternoon”.

The clock on my wall showed three pm when I drove over to her place.

 My car took up most of the small parking space, in front of the wooden house in the old eastern end of town where M lived. I exited the car and walked up the three steps to her front porch and knocked on the door.

M came out carrying our Avon order and asked me to take our next-door neighbour’s order as well.  That was ok with me.

After completing our financial transactions, M told me a funny little story about her attending a High Tea party.

M’s sister called her on the phone and invited her to attend a High Tea on Saturday morning. The event was scheduled for very early in the morning, so M had to set her alarm for 5.45am, to make sure she could be ready for her sister to pick her up. Then they would both drive over to a lovely park in the area, some twenty minutes’ drive from her place. 

M had forgotten to set the alarm, so she awoke some thirty minutes later than she had planned.  Her sister arrived before M had finished preparing herself to attend the High Tea Party.  M dressed in a pretty outfit. 

Finally, M and her sister arrived at the park some fifteen minutes late.  M looked around and did not see anyone dressed for High Tea.  Everyone was very casually dressed in loose fitting clothes.

M asked her sister what was going on.  Her sister replied, “I invited you over here for Tai Chi exercises!”  People overhead this conversation and all cracked up laughing. 

 

The Instructor said to M that she really looked overdressed to do exercises.  M remarked that this was the last time she was getting up early on a Saturday Morning. 

She would get dressed and arise early for cake and tea, but not to do exercises!

I guess the moral of this story is to make sure you get your facts straight before embarking on a trip, as you may have the right address, but the wrong Party!