Prosy: Steam Therapy
Sep. 20th, 2011 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clare_dragonflyTitle: Steam Therapy
Word count: 341
Rating: G
Prompt:wyld_dandelyon's: Melissa (also known as Lemon Balm) and Mint with Rose Petals.
Notes: I've never had this tea (in fact I don't think I've ever had tea with rose petals in it) so I sort of guessed what it would look, smell, and taste like. Also, I should get a tea icon!
“Sit down.”
Felicia usually argued with her mother’s dictates before, almost inevitably, complying with them. But when she used this voice—her nurse voice—there was no dissent. Felicia sat.
Her mother walked away and into the kitchen. Felicia fidgeted, rubbing her thumbs and fingers together. She’d just started to wonder what her mother could possibly be doing and why she was taking so long when she heard the electric kettle start to whistle. Of course. She was making tea.
Felicia leaned forward from where she sat in the living room, trying to see into the kitchen, though this was far from the first time she’d done so and she knew she couldn’t. Maybe she could get out before her mother returned with the tea. Then she wouldn’t have to drink it. She wouldn’t be seen. She tried to come up with someplace to go—her mother would hear the front door open, but she’d find her if she went into her room.
She hadn’t quite managed to get up yet when her mother came back with the tea tray. She set it down on the little table between the two armchairs and calmly poured the tea into two delicate china cups adorned with flowers—Felicia’s pink, her mother’s purple. To Felicia’s surprise, the tea was a light golden color, and the aroma wafting from the cup was delicate and almost sweet. There was no sugar or cream available on the tray, so she simply took the cup and blew on it gently. “What is this?”
“Lemon balm, mint, and rose petals,” her mother said. Was she smiling? No, that couldn’t be a smile. “And my secret ingredient, of course. Drink it.”
Felicia nodded and, obediently, drank. It was probably medicinal—it usually was. But it didn’t taste medicinal like it usually did—it was light and sweet. It settled her stomach and, somehow, relaxed her tense muscles.
When she had finished her tea, her mother set down her cup as well. “Now,” she said, “we can talk about the baby.”
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Word count: 341
Rating: G
Prompt:
wyld_dandelyon's: Melissa (also known as Lemon Balm) and Mint with Rose Petals.Notes: I've never had this tea (in fact I don't think I've ever had tea with rose petals in it) so I sort of guessed what it would look, smell, and taste like. Also, I should get a tea icon!
“Sit down.”
Felicia usually argued with her mother’s dictates before, almost inevitably, complying with them. But when she used this voice—her nurse voice—there was no dissent. Felicia sat.
Her mother walked away and into the kitchen. Felicia fidgeted, rubbing her thumbs and fingers together. She’d just started to wonder what her mother could possibly be doing and why she was taking so long when she heard the electric kettle start to whistle. Of course. She was making tea.
Felicia leaned forward from where she sat in the living room, trying to see into the kitchen, though this was far from the first time she’d done so and she knew she couldn’t. Maybe she could get out before her mother returned with the tea. Then she wouldn’t have to drink it. She wouldn’t be seen. She tried to come up with someplace to go—her mother would hear the front door open, but she’d find her if she went into her room.
She hadn’t quite managed to get up yet when her mother came back with the tea tray. She set it down on the little table between the two armchairs and calmly poured the tea into two delicate china cups adorned with flowers—Felicia’s pink, her mother’s purple. To Felicia’s surprise, the tea was a light golden color, and the aroma wafting from the cup was delicate and almost sweet. There was no sugar or cream available on the tray, so she simply took the cup and blew on it gently. “What is this?”
“Lemon balm, mint, and rose petals,” her mother said. Was she smiling? No, that couldn’t be a smile. “And my secret ingredient, of course. Drink it.”
Felicia nodded and, obediently, drank. It was probably medicinal—it usually was. But it didn’t taste medicinal like it usually did—it was light and sweet. It settled her stomach and, somehow, relaxed her tense muscles.
When she had finished her tea, her mother set down her cup as well. “Now,” she said, “we can talk about the baby.”
Did you enjoy this story? You can see all my fiction posted at Dreamwidth!
Wow!
Date: 2011-09-21 08:38 am (UTC)>>I've never had this tea (in fact I don't think I've ever had tea with rose petals in it) so I sort of guessed what it would look, smell, and taste like. Also, I should get a tea icon!<<
Roses are related to apples, surprisingly closely. So rosehips and rose petals have strong fruity notes. They often convey a pinkish or peach tint, though yellow or white petals don't. Rose flower water has a sweet floral scent but almost no flavor -- the best I can describe it is that it tastes furry, a texture more than a flavor. Dried rose petals in tea tend to be fruity, sweet or tangy, with dusty and musky notes. They're quite delicate and easily overpowered by other ingredients. The combination listed makes sense, though: all of those relatively light flavors that could be balanced in a blend. Fascinating.
Re: Wow!
Date: 2011-09-21 05:05 pm (UTC)And thanks for the interesting tea information! I had no idea roses were related to apples. That's really quite interesting. Roses in tea sounds delicious from your description.
Re: Wow!
Date: 2011-09-22 04:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-22 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-22 07:36 pm (UTC)Tea from My Garden
Date: 2011-09-26 05:45 am (UTC)You guessed well about the tea too--color, flavor, and effect. Lemon Balm tea has a mild muscle relaxing effect, I've used it for menstrual cramps and those weird calf cramps that come out of nowhere. I find that spearmint (not my favorite mint, usually) blends best with it, and I add rose petals for the delicate taste. I sometimes also add thyme, when I want a spicier flavor.
Re: Tea from My Garden
Date: 2011-09-26 04:20 pm (UTC)I will certainly have to try making that tea someday. The spearmint and roses both grow in my yard.
Re: Tea from My Garden
Date: 2011-09-27 01:59 am (UTC)