Tea with The Birds

Tea With the Birds

A (Sur)real Story

The sun was shining over the Tagus, making Lisbon look like it was more gracefully-bluer and yellower than ever. The city was awaking and another bright, but somewhat, tough day was peeking through the corners of Time.
Cipriano was sitting at the café, writing. He was a tall, slim man in his thirties. Before another hard, uncertain day of work, perhaps within an uncertain job, he would always sit at the second table of the most classy coffee shop downtown. Then, day after day, month after month, he would ask for the same type of tea. "Tea for two, please."
This man was, in fact, two people.
He used to call the other self "The Key Holder", for he felt stuck in his own mind, lacking freedom, and only a key would set him free. This was all of Cipriano's imagination immersing into his own daily life.
He would drink his tea and then wait for The Key Holder to finish his, which never happened. A filled up cup of tea would be left on the table, every single day.
One day, however, something happened.
While going through his daily routine at the coffee shop, he saw an old man feeding some birds. These birds had several colors and several shapes, and every single bird sang a different, sweet melody, a true ode to freedom and diversity.
"Excuse me, kind man, can't you see you are disturbing these streets by luring those birds down here?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I disagree. It depends on the point of view. What is more natural; a human being feeding some beautiful birds or a clean, gray, concrete street?"
"Those birds... they are useless...useless, I say!"
The old man sat in the same table as Cipriano and started drinking from The Key Holder's cup.
"Don't!" - said Cipriano.
"Why not? After all, this is my cup of tea. I've been watching you year after year and, upon my word, you have disappointed me throughout Time..."
"That can't be. You are the reason why I am what I am. There's always something pulling me backwards. My personal choices, my job, my daily life... You are The Key Holder."
"I am no reason of whatever you say. Come. Come with me, let's have a taste of some nature; let's feed the birds!"
The Key Holder grabbed Cipriano's hand and the two started flying over the city side by side with the birds. He was experiencing things that he never thought he would. They saw the river, the sea, the tiny people down there, living their ordinary lives. He has truly overcome himself.
"Are you still afraid?!" - Yelled The Key Holder.
"No... This is incredible. There's nothing here to be afraid of. How did you..." - Suddenly, the old man disappeared amidst a white cloud of smoke.
******
In that sunny morning, whoever would pass by the coffee shop could see Cipriano sleeping while his tea got colder on the table. The waiter decides to wake him up.
"Oh..." - he placed his fingers upon his eyelids- "It seems that I fell asleep... This new job tires me so much..."
"Sir, I'm afraid you dropped something in the tea cup."
Cipriano just smiled when he saw a beautiful golden key inside an empty cup of tea. He got out of the coffee shop and started feeding the birds, while whistling a beautiful melody, a true ode to Freedom.