Cups

Monday Morning

Another Monday morning and I had a case, well not really case, just a social visit to an old couple on the other side of town. I would have to get a bus over as taxi fares across town were frowned on by accounts, but it would only take about twenty minutes to walk.

So I looked through the notes and spoke to my boss. He told me they were an old couple, in fact, they were old when he first started and there were no records of their birth so age was just what they told people but they always seemed to veer between seventy and eighty.

The council just kept an eye on them and made sure that they had all they needed, but they seemed to cope reasonably well even at their age.

I turned forty and few months back and felt that was it for my life, but I know people who dread turning thirty. my god, my next one is fifty.

I then thought that I would walk, rather than take the bus. The weather was OK and it was a bit longer out of the office, so I packed up my notes and set off.

At The House

I got there, it was a small terraced two-up two-down cottage with a wall and iron gate, with a chain and rusted padlock on it. The chain wasn't secured to anything so I opened it and went to the front door, I see a lot of gates with padlocks like that and wondered what they were for, because they wouldn't stop anyone from coming through.

The door and the house were very well maintained, so they obviously could keep their accommodation in a good state of repair. I started to wonder why I needed to visit but thought it must just be their age.

I knocked on the door and the man welcomed me in and greeted me warmly:

Man: "We've been expecting you, come in out of the cold"

Me: "This is the first time I have been. Are you both doing well? Is there anything you need or are concerned about"

Man: "No, No come through to the kitchen and sit down and have a cup of tea with us"

In the kitchen was a table and a large dresser full of cups. I have far too many cups at home, but when I see one I like I have to buy it. His wife was just emptying the kettle into a large teapot and smiled at me.

They both looked in extremely good health. The house and kitchen were extremely clean and tidy.

Woman: "Do you take milk and sugar?"

Me: "Just milk, you do have a lot of cups"

Man: "We use all of them, we will tell you why"

Me: "This place is very well maintained, do you do it all yourselves?"

Woman: "We have people in all the time, to clean, paint, do the laundry, whatever needs doing"

Me: "There's nothing in my notes about that, I thought there would be"

I took a drink of the tea, and my lips sort of buzzed, it was a really odd feeling, but the tea tasted good so I kept drinking.

Man: "Ah, our cups. They contain the souls of everyone we serve tea to, your soul is ours now. These souls nourish us and keep us in good health. Everyone at the council where you work is ours. They are the ones who maintain our house and do the cleaning and bring us our groceries."

Woman: "And now you will join them, you will come back every Thursday to clean our windows. You will also bring us a pint of whole milk, some Granny Smiths Apples and five bananas"

Man: "Your like will go on as it has, but you are now our servant. You will speak to no one about this and the rest of your life will continue as normal. You now belong to us, Now drink up and go back to your office"

I got my papers, and they showed me out. I started on my way back to the office but knew I would be back to that house every Thursday for the rest of my life.