門一推開，茶的味道先出來。 不是那種迎客用的濃香， 比較像清晨第一壺， 還在慢慢醒。 阿品伯坐在靠近門口的藤椅上。 那張椅子的位置很特別， 剛好對著門， 又不完全擋路。 像是專門留給「進出的人」看的。 他是 Koala 的爸爸。 也是這間茶行的主人。 但在這個早上，他只是坐著。 藤椅輕輕晃了一下。 阿品伯沒有立刻看過來， 只把手上的茶杯放到旁邊的小几上， 空出一個位置。 「回來了？」 他說。 語氣很平， 不像是在確認， 比較像是早就知道。 Koala 把背包靠牆放好。 這個動作他做了很多年， 早就不需要想。 茶行的門半開著。 外面的巷子還沒完全醒， 偶爾有人經過， 腳步聲被木地板吃掉了一半。 桌上是阿品伯的茶具。 不是展示用的那種， 而是每天用、用到顏色都變深的那一套。 他慢慢倒茶。 水聲不大， 藤椅又輕輕晃了一下。 「坐。」 他說。 Koala 在旁邊坐下。 沒有說要帶人去哪裡， 也沒有介紹你是誰。 在阿品伯這裡， 人來了，先坐下。 茶入口有點澀。 但不急著散。 阿品伯靠在藤椅上， 看著門外的光慢慢爬進來， 照到茶行一半的地板。 「外面開始熱鬧了。」 他淡淡地說。 Koala嗯了一聲。 「那也好，」 阿品伯接著說， 「茶行本來就是這樣。」 他沒有多解釋。 也不需要。 在芭樂村， 這間茶行不是用來趕時間的地方。 如果你是第一次來， 你可能不知道接下來會去哪裡。 但阿品伯會讓你知道一件事—— 在出發之前， 人要先坐得住。 藤椅又晃了一下。 茶，還在回甘。 故事，還沒急著開始。
The door opens, and the scent of tea comes first. Not the strong kind meant to impress customers, but the kind brewed early in the morning— still waking up. A-Pin Bo sits in a rattan chair near the entrance. The chair faces the door, yet never blocks the way. It’s the kind of place meant for watching people come and go. He is Koala’s father. And the owner of the tea shop. But this morning, he is simply sitting there. The rattan chair rocks gently. A-Pin Bo doesn’t look up right away. He places his teacup on the small side table and leaves an empty space. “Back already?” he says. His tone is flat— not a question, more like a statement he expected. Koala sets his backpack against the wall. It’s a motion he’s made for years, one that no longer requires thought. The shop door remains half open. The alley outside hasn’t fully woken up yet. A few footsteps pass by, their sounds softened by the wooden floor. The tea set on the table isn’t for display. It’s the kind used every day, darkened by time and habit. A-Pin Bo pours the tea slowly. The sound of water is quiet. The chair rocks again. “Sit,” he says. Koala sits down beside him. No introductions. No mention of where they’re going. In A-Pin Bo’s place, arriving is enough. The tea tastes slightly bitter at first, but it doesn’t rush to fade. A-Pin Bo leans back in the rattan chair, watching the morning light slip through the doorway and settle on half the shop floor. “It’s getting lively out there,” he says softly. Koala hums in response. “That’s fine,” A-Pin Bo continues. “A tea shop is supposed to be like this.” He doesn’t explain further. He doesn’t need to. In Guava Village, this tea shop is not a place that hurries. If this is your first time here, you may not know where the journey begins. But A-Pin Bo makes one thing clear— before setting out, you sit. The chair rocks once more. The tea turns sweet. The story is not in a hurry to begin.
