Spring and Mesh

A stainless steel tea infuser sat angled across the edge of the butcher block this morning. I stepped up to the board without haste, assessing the resistance in its twin scissor handles. Planting my boots firmly into the oiled end-grain oak, I clamped both hands around the flat steel levers and squeezed. The internal spring fought back with crisp mechanical tension before the polished wire-mesh sphere parted down the center seam, gaping open under my grip. I held the spread steady for five measured counts, then eased my weight back, letting the hemispheres snap shut with a sharp, decisive click. The infuser lies dead-center, squared for the morning.