The Musafir

Finding the Meaning of the World in a Cup of Tea

NOT long after, a waiter came carrying a warm meal with a change of clothes. Of course all that is what the Mantingan needs at this time. Counted days he had not bribed food, although not hungry due to internal energy but he still missed the taste of food.

The mother of the inn owner seemed to have known the young man very well. Every waiter who worked in this inn should wear a little clothes, but the waiter who came to him actually wore full clothes without a single lack.

“If there are other things that you need, please call yourself a peril. Whatever you command, Hazard is ready to obey.” The female servant looked down deeply.

Not reaping a reply. Manten was silent for a while until the servant almost left the room, but suddenly he let out a voice, “Baw one of the best cups of tea you have. Daku will pay for it at any price.”

After nodding, the servant left the room to fulfill Mantingan's request.

It was not without reason that he asked for tea even though the mother of the beautiful shop owner had given him warm fruit food that was more than enough to make his body not cold. In fact, he does not need warm food, because with prana energy can make his body stay warm as it looks. He wanted the drink just to meet the demand of Kiai Guru Kedai which is still not realized until now.

The teacher once said:

“The wisdom of the martial world is in a cup of tea. I'll never tell you, look for yourself.”

Not only Mantingan who was asked to find the meaning of the martial world from a cup of tea, Tapa Balian also received the same request, as well as, but until the end of life it seems that the iron forging parents have not managed to find it. Mantingan did not want to suffer the same fate so Kiai Guru Kedai could be disappointed in nature there.

Shortly after, the maid came back to her room. But he did not bring a cup of tea that had been cooked and ready to drink, but all the ingredients and tools that are usually used to make tea!

Taking a sitting posture with both feet bent back, the waiter then placed a tray containing the equipment on the floor of the room.

Mantingan immediately went down from his stool before sitting cross-legged in front of the woman because he knew very well that her request tea would be made in this room and at this very moment.

“Master need not humiliate himself by sitting parallel with sahaya.” The servant's body twitched as he said that.

Of course the treatment he got was much different from what he got from Mantingan. Most of ‘customer’ do not consider him a human, even lower than a pet.

It is not uncommon for servants to be asked to suck by their customers when entering the room. It is not a guarantee that they will not get harsh treatment. So, a mantingan who does not mind himself entering the room with his feet fixed firmly on the floor is a very rare luck.

However, after he deliberately went down and sat down with the maid on the floor, could it still be called luck? It was impossible for the servant to resist his prejudice against Mantingan. In an inn of nightlife like this, there was almost nothing to believe.

“Continue.” Unexpectedly, Mantingan just welcome.

So then the waiter continued his work even though his hands trembled because of a huge nervousness.

He said then, “The Lodge of a Thousand Cups has the most famous tea concoction in all corners of the city, for this place almost never sleeps even though it is actually an inn. The usual tea concoction can be done by other servants in our inn, but for special tea there are only a few who can concoct it. Sahaya is one of the servants who if able to satisfy the Master, this lowly self-harm does not deserve to have the name Puspa if the Master is not satisfied.”

The female servant who had the name Puspa began to introduce all the tools as well as the materials that were on top of her tray.

There are two big teapots. One teapot was filled with hot water, while the other was empty without filling. The empty teapot will then be used to brew tea.

Then, there is also pottery that Puspa said came from the Land of the Roof of Heaven. The pottery had the carving pattern of a flying goose he had on the lotus foliage, which in the stroke was coated with an impressive gold powder.

While the container to hold the dried tea leaves is a small plate made of jade rock. Pula Puspa said the object came from the Land of the Roof of Heaven.

The tray he was carrying was no ordinary tray. The object is made higher with reed nets on the top, so that if there is spilled water directly accommodated in it, and the nets become anchors for the things that are on them. It's like a filter.

“How to concoct this tea also comes from the Land of the Roof of the Sky, Sir, because it is basically tea drinks come from the country thousands of years ago, before then entering Dwipantara through trade.” Puspa explained.

Agilely, the woman opened the package on the tea leaf slab, then cut it a little bit before placing it on the jade plate container. After that, he poured hot water on the teapot without filling, only to throw it back.

“All the tools to be used must indeed be cleaned first with hot water,” said Puspa while continuing to pour hot water on the pottery, as if understanding the astonished gaze of Mantingan.

After that, the woman poured the tea leaves from the jade plate into the empty teapot, before then filling it back with hot water.

The mantingan initially thought that his manufacturing ordinance would end up there, but his conjecture was gravely wrong. The tea inside the teapot was then poured back onto the tray, which was tantamount to throwing it away!

“The taste of tea on the first brew is not the best taste, Sir,” Puspa said with a smile.

“Why is that so?” tanya Mantingan, hoping to find the meaning of the martial world of the action.

“Because there is a lot of dirt raised from the tea leaves when in contact with boiling water, Mr.” The female servant replied.

The mantle went silent again. Can he find the meaning of the rising dirt after being touched by the boiling water? He could not find a conclusion, because he did not want to take the possibility of a conclusion so easily. The meaning meant by Kiai Guru Kedai must not be just any meaning that can be found with just any mind as well.

Puspa poured hot water into the teapot containing the clean tea leaves once again. Then the pottery was filled with tea water, but then dumped the tea back into a tray.

“This is the point to keep the taste of tea in its essence, Sir,” said Puspa. “It won't feel like drinking pottery.”

Seeing that, Mantingan again shook his head. Kiai Guru Kedai never wasted his tea. The way to brew tea is very very very different from what Puspa did. So, of course the meaning of the martial world in a cup of tea intended by Kiai Guru Kedai will not be found in the way of making Puspa.

The maid returned to pour the tea water into the pot, but this time she was no longer thrown into the tray, but so his wisdom was given to Mantingan with the small wooden platter underlying the pottery.

“Please taste this Puspa-made tea even for a little,” said the woman with a face bowed deeply.