The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin Page 0,40

old; it was my grandmother’s grandmother’s.’ With a slender finger she pointed to the golden seam. ‘We value the old, so we repair things, but we embrace the repair. This is kintsugi; it celebrates the imperfection. The blemish is celebrated, made in gold because beauty is found in the uniqueness of its imperfection. An old face is lined with years of happiness, sorrow, and achievement but those lines have been earned. Wabi Sabi is to value the imperfections because they are a reflection of our reality.’

Fiona’s gaze traced the golden vein outlining the jagged edge of the repair against the pale blue china and took it from Haruka’s outstretched hand. ‘It’s lovely.’

‘Wabi Sabi is also a recognition that nothing is permanent and we must appreciate things for the here and now. The cherry blossoms are celebrated as much for their beauty as for their transience; tomorrow they may be gone and the beauty is in the moment of seeing them. That is why in Japan the seasons are so important, because nature is beautiful but you can never capture it forever.’

Fiona nodded. These were lovely sentiments and she was charmed by them.

Haruka spread out a hand towards the garden. ‘Taking time to be with nature is vital. It is our lifeforce. It recharges the batteries and it grounds us. It takes us back to the simplicity of life and away from the stresses of modern life. In Japan, work can be stressful. People work very long hours and have very little holiday, so taking this time to find oneself and appreciate nature is something important.’

‘That’s a lovely philosophy,’ said Fiona gently, ‘and I can feel the calming influence of the garden. It’s very beautiful.’ The seething irritation and annoyance that had festered under her skin earlier had been soothed away by the quiet, beautiful garden and the gentle philosophy that Haruka had expounded.

‘Thank you. Now I must go and cook dinner but Setsuko will show you around the garden.’ With that she rose with ease whereas Fiona knew that she would be a little stiff when she uncurled her legs to stand.

Setsuko led Fiona along the little gravel path to stand by one of the weeping cherries and they looked back at the teashop.

‘It is beautiful, especially the bonsai trees; they fascinate me. Do they need an incredible amount of work?’

‘Yes, and I would be terrified to touch one. They are my mother’s babies.’ Setsuko’s dramatic shudder made Fiona laugh. ‘One leaf trimmed that should have been left and I would be in so much trouble. Haha designed and created the garden herself,’ said Setsuko. ‘It is a real labour of love. She wanted the perfect setting for her tea ceremonies. Those are her real passion.’

‘And something I want to learn more about.’

Setsuko let out a light tinkling laugh. ‘Don’t you worry, she is dying to show you but … the moment has to be right and the ceremonies are not held every day, but perhaps tomorrow you’d like to come and visit the shop again.’

‘I’d like that. Although I will be going out with Gabe.’ She scowled.

‘You like him again.’ Setsuko gave Fiona an uncharacteristic nudge in the ribs and for a moment it was as if they were two teenagers.

‘I-I …’ The blush deepened and she tucked her hands into her pockets and hunched into the coat, hoping to hide the flare of colour.

‘He’s very attractive. I didn’t tell you before but I had a terrible crush on him when I first met him.’ Setsuko giggled. ‘I don’t think I ate anything the first week he stayed with us. Then my mother told me off for being a silly girl. And I realised, when I got used to him, that he’s just a man. When I met my Miro, I knew what …’ It was Setsuko’s turn to blush. ‘I couldn’t even speak to Miro. Luckily, he felt the same way. It was …’ There was her quiet smile again. ‘The way he looked at me, the very first time …’

Fiona swallowed. ‘Yes. Well, Gabe’s very attractive. But he’s not my type,’ she said hurriedly. ‘We have nothing in common. He seems … quite bored with life. Not very interested in things. And certainly not interesting in being a mentor.’ She pursed her lips thinking of their conversation earlier in the day.

‘He’s changed,’ observed Setsuko with a wistful sigh. ‘It is very sad. He used to be … quite charming. Arrogant as well.’ Fiona nodded. She knew that