The Roadside Tea Stall

I was walking in the woods, searching for the little boy, I saw the other day on the highway. He was offering tea to the travelers there. When I looked beyond the crossing, I saw an old lady, must be some 85 years of age, who was continuously brewing hot tea and pouring into mugs to give it to that boy who was probably her grandson and serving the travelers. I got out of my car, took a mug from the boy, tasted a sip from what I call the best tea ever. I looked at the old lady at the distance, still engaged in making the hot reliever to that cold. I asked the boy how much I need to pay for the tea and “Nothing”, he said. “Nothing”, I confirmed! He gave a shrug and tilted his head sideways in agreement. I was curious to know why they would have to work so hard without charging any money! But seeing the amount of task he had in hand, I simply asked him where he lived. He pointed towards the woods beside the tea stall, a small pass was leading to somewhere mysterious. Daily I came back to the same spot on the highway, not to have the tea, but to observe from a distance, the dedication by which this grandma- grandson duo was busy in their daily task of serving tea. Then one day the tea stall was closed. I could not digest why! I was curious to unravel the mystery. I started walking through that narrow pass that lead to the forest, to upturn the stones. Finally, I saw a small hut, I knocked on the door and the little boy came to open it. He recognized me and smiled. Before I could utter a word, he said, “My grandma is sick, No tea for a few days.” I smiled at his innocence. I asked if I could meet his grandma. He led me to a tiny room, where his grandma was lying on a broken cot. I asked her well-being. It was clear that working overtime in this age, made her sick. Finally, I asked her why did she do that? That too without charging anything from the people! Her reply shook me to the depths. “My husband, son and his wife went out for work to the other town. It was very cold. Their car broke down on the very spot I have the tea stall. They had no means to reach anywhere. It was very late, and it was getting colder. My husband died of hypothermia. In the morning, in a hurry of getting some help, the kids collided with a truck while rushing to take their father to a hospital.” She paused. “I don’t want anyone to die of cold.”, she added. “I work all night and all day to make people feel the warmth that someone’s there.” She hesitated. I could see her lips shaking in fright, “I am afraid for Nova, when I’ll be gone.”, she said looking at her grandson. I could feel her tormented, incomplete words. I took her hand in mine, looked into her eyes and said, “As you said, someone’s always there.” She saw the unsaid, tranquil promise in my eyes. “I and Nova are going for a walk.”, I added with a smile. She knew what I was up to. I could see the contentment of wishes in her eyes. She smiled. I smiled. Now, I and Nova go for a walk in the woods daily.