Tea Time at the Village

Maria sat in the dining room at the Village for retirees with a bright orange shawl wrapped around her thin frame.

All of the residents sat around the breakfast tables filled with pancake, toast and lukewarm scrambled eggs. Sandy nibbled on toast with blackberry jam. She kept pushing her dentures back up as casually as she could. Edith prattled on about Arthur, incessantly notwithstanding, Arthur was long dead and rotting below the earth in Arkansas.

Sandy bobbed her head each time his name left Edith lips. Joe was mesmerized and sat with a napkin tucked in his wrinkled shirt. He bobbed his head in sympathy each time Edith bobbed hers.

Marie watched the clock. She wanted to be nice, but Edith's constant babbling began to wear her down. The next time Edith said his name, she picked up a sugar cube and tossed it into Joe's tea cup. Joe looked at the cup, startled, when he heard the cube hit the porcelain.

Edith stopped talking. She sucked in her breath with a whistle and stared, dumbfounded at Maria. Marie smiled at Edith. "Would you like some more tea, dear?"

Edith frowned at her cup. "Why, I suppose so."
Marie lifted the kettle and nonchalantly walked to Edith and poured a cup of steaming water into her cup. Picking up the sugar cubes she plopped one, two into the delicate china cup. Taking a silver spoon she stirred it slowly. "There!"

Edith put the cup to her lips and sipped it as ladylike as she could.

The head bobbing stopped. Marie sat down, let out a satisfied sigh and smiled at the table of oldsters.

"Nine o'clock is tea time!"

Then Joe pushed his cup to Marie who graciously filled his cup and put a fresh tea bag in. He nodded and chuckled.

Edith sat bewildered but kept sipping her tea...."Arthur..."
Immediately a sugar cube pinged in her cup. Maria smiled peevishly and set her cup on the table.

Joe let out a guffaw that made Sandy jump. Some of the blackberry jam plopped on her plate. She pushed her cup to Marie and Marie dutifully filled it with hot water and placed a tea bag in to steep.

"Every morning at nine a.m. sharp is tea time....beginning today."

Joe bobbed his head and smiled at Edith who struggled to speak. She nodded meekly at Marie and drained her cup of tea.

"Tommow I'll bring scones!" Sandy beamed.

Maybe this time Arthur would remain buried.

SRC

This is my five minute freewrite using prompt sugar cubes.
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