Dearhearts
Travels and travails all done with, The Dandy has returned in time for an abbreviated Christmas Season.
One thing this time the yuletide inevitably brings with it are the visits to family members unseen or heard of for much of the rest of the year.
It is just such a figure – only part imaginary – that Illuminum’s Tribal Black Tea brings to mind.
This is an eccentric uncle of a scent.
A paisley smoking jacket and silk slippers sort of gent. Waxed moustache and silver slicked back hair.
He sits in a study lined with shelves of obscure, no doubt out of date books of ethnography and anthropology.
A map here and there of Africa, a tribal mask, a spear or other ‘souvenir’ of his former days ‘in the field’.
He knows he is a relic, an antique, a species on the brink of extinction and he revels in his own exotic curiosity.
The best, in fact the only time to call is tea.
He has a silver samovar: since there are no servants any more it waits on him instead, providing spicy, juicy liquid as required to retain an adequate degree of lubrication.
As the brew is never fresh, he forever adulterates the restorative beverage with a quartered lemon here, a pod or two of cardamom there and the odd pinch of nutmeg that has the smack of snuff.
There is fruitcake, though no one knows from where it comes, and fresh cut flowers too: perhaps, after all, there is a ‘woman that does’ that pops in now and then.
For half, maybe a whole hour, he is replete with anecdotes, some old, some borrowed, a few blue.
Then the eyes glaze, he is apt to forget the beginning of the story he has started and, just maybe, your name.
As the time for his nap comes he fades and folds elegantly into an old chesterfield armchair.
The visit over, you let yourself out with the feeling that you’re glad you came but not exactly sure why.
He is a sweet, gentle enigma, a scented riddle of a man.
An eccentric. And how the British love such things.
Until tomorrow.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy.
The Perfumed Dandy. 
Welcome home! Fantastic portrait of an ‘old Africa hand’. I love dark tea fragrances and the addition of cardamon and spices sounds delicious!
Dear Bee
Why thank you!
Oh… how exciting! I can speak!
For weeks I’ve been unable to comment and now I can.
Hurrah, the break and your welcome must have unleashed me!
Thank you.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
It’s good to see you back, Mr. Dandy. An eccentric uncle is my favorite type of uncle. Tribal Black Tea sounds nice.
Dearest Lily
Back in deed… and it seems able to speak again to boot.
It’s good to be fully restored!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Welcome back Sir Dandy. Both the eccentric uncle and the Tribal Black Tea sound like a tonic! I do enjoy cardamoms and occasionally pop 1 or 2 into the coffee percolator
Dearest Rose
Now, if I drank coffee, I should be sure to take that tip to heart, but as I don’t I might try a little in some ginger tea… I wonder how that might work!?!
Oh yes, funny uncles are the best!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Spiced tea, fruitcake, a little eccentric… Sounds perfect! A friend of mine recently discovered Oud over the weekend and was wearing Shaik Gold for Men. She kept sniffing her wrists and saying things like, “Spicy, edible, luscious, rich…” Took her to a Lebanese restaurant and on her first spoonful of dessert (ashta: clotted cream, rosewater, honey, pistachios, etc.) she had a transcendent moment at table (not unlike When Harry Met Sally) and cried out, “Oh my God! That’s it! I’m eating Oud!” True story 😉 .
Dearest Vickie
How simply lovely to read your splendid words and for the first time in weeks to be able to supply something by way of a reply! The WordPress grinch is gone!!
“I’m eating oudh!” now there is a line to be conjure with.
We have a Persian restaurant just round the corner, ther do the most sublime rose sorbert… so I know how this feels!
Almost as good as it does to be back!!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Fie on the WordPress Grinch! Welcome home, Honey!
Fie indeed. But he is departed now… and I have so much catching up to do… what fun!!!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Hooray, you’re back, and with tea and a wonderful character as extra treats! Perfect for the holiday spirit.
Cheers!
Dearest Batkitty
Hooray indeed.
This calls for a celebration… tea and cake all round say I!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I am catching up with you and this was a lovely place to start. He sounds a bit like me on a Sunday afternoon! LOL.