NARRATIVE of WARD COURIER, Continued

January, 2009

RUSKIN, NY

I wanted to go right upstairs and have at it. Lys wanted to make some tea. "Tea's great," I said, without a ton of cheer.

I sat with her in the high-end kitchen, lost for easy words. This buildup had me wired. When Lys poured the tea, I noticed two different bags in the pot. One was a Bigelow herbal. The other was an Earl Grey caffeinated. High test. I had never heard of such a thing. To me, you ...