The Old Man Club

It’s 12:15p.m. In a room sit four men, around a table. On the table are a few teapots, several cups and saucers, milk, sugar, ginger and some biscuits. Light shines in accompanied by a cool breeze through an open window. The four men drink in silence until one of them speaks up.
“He’s late,” said Jagen, breaking the silence.
“He’s always late,” spoke Mycen. “We meet every Tuesday and Thursday at noon for tea. The same time, the same place, for the same reason. I cannot understand why he is late.”
“I suspect he is too busy being old,” said Gunter.
“Too busy being senile. We’re all old, it’s just caught up with him more than the rest of us,” mused Marcus, being the last of the four men to speak.
“We’re all old, are we, Marcus? Tell me, how many Lords have you served over your life?” Mycen said, with a hint of sarcasm.
“I have spent my life in service to House Pherae. It is not the amount of Lords you have served that matter, it is how many times you have saved their lives.” Marcus said, with pride filling his voice
“And how many times might that have been?” asked Gunter.
“Certainly more times than you.”
Gunter gives a quick chuckle, “Quite. More tea?”
“Please.”

Silence again falls over the room, until again, Jagen speaks up.
“This tea is simply not up to standard. Who brewed today?”
Mycen answered “One brews ale, not tea. I hardly think hot water and leaves is something that can be fouled up.”
“What is it that displeases you about the tea, Sir Jagen?” Gunter asks, “I made the tea today, the same as I make it every day.”
“He probably just wants something to gripe about other than his old bones and arthritis,” Marcus said.
Ignoring him, Jagen answered, “I am unsure. The taste of the leaves is too strong, perhaps?”
“Then put something in the tea for once,” suggested Mycen, “Ginger gives it a little kick.”
“I will sooner keel over and die before I taint the purity of my tea.”
“Yes, you most likely will,” joked Gunter, spreading laughter across the room.
As the laughter died down, Jagen asked Mycen, “How do you stomach that awful stuff in your tea?”
“I used to chew ginger root as a very young man. While I certainly grew out of that awful habit I must admit, the ginger gives an old nostalgic feeling for those times long past. It also makes the drink into something besides tasteless coloured hot water.”
“Now, see here, you old fool. You can jeer at and insult any of us at the table until we all drop dead but you will not admonish our tea,” Marcus said, entering into the conversation.
“You’re one to talk about being an old fool, adding milk into your tea,” Jagen shot back.
“Better milk to cool and temper the drink than sugar to ruin it.” Marcus said, turning to Gunter.
“I’ll have you know that such things you take for granted have been scarce all my life, the sweetness of sugar was a rare luxury that I can now freely enjoy and damn it I’m going to, and none of you fossils can stop me.”
The men at the table are not animate in their argument at all, hardly even raising their voices, yet their argument continues, a little more disorderly with two men often trying to speak over each other.
“None of us can stop you? Hah! Any one of us could stop you, handily, you brittle-boned geriatric!” boasted Marcus
“All it would take for you to be defeated is for you to stand up too quickly,” Jagen said to Marcus
“You’re saying all the wrong things, old-timer.” Gunter said to Jagen
“Perhaps the next time your old bones swing your lance will be your last,” said Mycen to Marcus.
The insults and counter-insults are slung between the men almost at the same time, causing a small ruckus. It is interrupted, however by a knock on the door. The men all turn to face the opening door and the old man entering with a tray of small cupcakes.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I apologise for being late but my best student’s lovely daughter insisted that I bring these today.”
“Sensei, you doddering dinosaur, I don’t believe that for a second,” Mycen said, giving Sensei a rather terse greeting.
“Neither do I, more likely, you overslept on your afternoon nap,” taunted Gunter.
“Yes, yes, time enough for barbs later, pour me a cup already, I’m here for the tea, not the company,”
Sensei said, taking his seat.
“Well, we’re all here. Finally. Gentlemen, to our retirement.” Jagen, said, raising his cup of tea.
Raising their cups and speaking in unison, the men around the table said “To retirement.”