Tea, Coffee, and Sugar (synopsis)

Tea, coffee, and sugar are the things introduced by my parents. It has been many years that I always see my father drinks tea in the evening and my mother drinks coffee in the midday. When I was a child, mom used to make two cup of tea. One for dad, another for me. At that time, mom also introduced her taste of tea, including intensity of the flavor and measurement of sugar. After that introduction had transformed into habituation, another introduction happened. Introduction to coffee happened when I have been ready for more caffeine. In the same way with tea, mom’s taste of coffee stuck on my tongue.

Mom always adds four teaspoons of sugar to a cup of tea. Mom will say it’s less sweet, if she tastes a cup of tea with three teaspoons of sugar. It might be not her own taste. Her parents probably also habituated that. Until she moved to her new house, she still brought her standard of sweet. Even until now, she always serves very sweet tea to a guest. It could be acceptable in Yogyakarta. Her neighbors and her friends perhaps have the same standard of sweet. Contrary to them, our neighbors in Jakarta have various tastes. Few neighbors can accept very sweet tea, the others cannot.

Contrary to mom, dad has changed his taste of tea. Mom told me a story that granny used to serve light and less sugar tea (even sometimes without sugar) and dad liked it. Then, he has new family and he didn’t mind to start drinking the opposite taste of tea.

Even when mom is not at home, dad asks me to make dark and sugary tea. I could not understand why he could change his taste. He was born in Tasikmalaya and he grew up in Ciamis. He had tasted light and less sugar tea for many years. How could he change his taste?

Another surprise came when I read granny’s full name on dad’s file. Granny’s name is Raden Roro Sri Kiswati. Granny is Javanese too. Dad also told me that grandpa is also Javanese. Grandpa married granny, moved to Tasikmalaya, and moved again to Ciamis. I guess Javanese woman who lived in Solo was always surrounded by sugary food and drink. It means granny changed her taste since she moved.

That is my family. How about me? Do I have a change of taste? Let’s take a step back. Although mom’s taste stuck on my tongue when I was a child, many places outside my home offered instant tea in the bottle. Every time I ate in a restaurant with my family, I ordered Teh Botol Sostro. It became my favorite drink for several years. Not only in restaurant but also in my friend’s house I drank The Botol Sosro. When I was in Junior High School, there are many group home works. My friend’s parent probably didn’t have time to serve ten cup of tea and serving instant tea could be easier. I saw The Botol Sosro everywhere. I drank it when I went back from school because I used to be exhausted on my way to home. It was also habituation. I also have a change of taste.

The change is not over. I went to Sumedang to get higher education. I cannot buy The Botol Sosro every day, it’s expensive. I go back to loose leaf tea with three spoons of sugar. I do the same measurement of sugar to my cup of coffee until I met my best friend who doesn’t like sugary coffee. My taste changes again.

I drink a cup of tea and a cup of coffee every day. I have my own taste now. Tomorrow, it may be different.