Chapter 13.
Mother kept to her bed while I continued to work as a tea
lady. I was beginning to become quite
skilled at serving tea. In each hand, I
could now carry three cups of tea on saucers.
As a special party trick I could even balance a teacup, filled with tea,
on my head! Things were looking up.
People were no longer asking after my mother. Buoyed by my success I began to juggle
teacups and plates into the air. I
entertained thoughts of going into show business. But in the dead of night, away from the limelight,
the voice of commonsense spoke to me, “pack it in.”
So I
packed away my dreams.
I
focused on my career as a tea lady.
But in a spirit of defiance I became a closet
crockery juggler, and a pretty good one, if I do say so myself.
