Hanif Kureishi - Gabriel's Gift

‘I don’t think so.’

‘She is, then.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘You did. Is it that guy who was there the time I phoned? How often does she see him? Is he sleeping on my side of the bed with his head on my pillow?’ Dad sighed. ‘Sorry to ask you this stuff. How would you know anyway?’

‘I do know. I was under the bed.’

‘You were what?’

‘Only joking, Dad.’

Dad leaned forward, screwing up his face and squeezing his hands between his knees.

‘You’re making me crazy, Gabriel. Jesus! Will he move into my house? Will he take you, too? Christ, Gabriel, really I don’t want to know. I’m being wiped out. All the people closest to me have let me down. I’ve lost everything. Cheerio.’

‘No, Dad.’

‘I hope he’s looking after her. How old is he? Younger than me, and very active, too, I expect. She could be a beautiful lover, your mother. She’d do things to my ears, to my face, and the rest of me, for that matter, that would make your hair stand on end. That was when she bothered. But she stopped. It all stopped, and she started wearing those big grey knickers. That’s the thing about love, it’s a fire you have to feed, otherwise it goes out. This one, I’m afraid, is going out.’

Gabriel said nothing.

Dad said, ‘What a mess.’

His father turned his face away. Gabriel handed him a napkin. Dad blew his nose.

‘Oh, Dad,’ said Gabriel.

‘If you’re going to go on about how I’ve crooked you —’

‘But I’m not!’

‘Yes you are! We can always get the picture back.’

‘What? How?’ said Gabriel.

‘Speedy said I could buy it back from him if I decided to change my mind.’

‘But we’ll never get the money.’

‘We’d have to pay a bit more for it, too. Speedy’s got a good nose for a number of things and profit is the first of them. I’ve still got some of my instruments in a mate’s garage. I’ll sell them. The bike, too.’

‘You need those things.’

‘But why, Gabriel, would we need the picture back? Even if I had the ’Mona Lisa’ in the living room I wouldn’t look at it all the time. The thing is, I don’t know how much more of this I can take.’

‘More of what?’

‘These blows to the heart. Gabriel, I’m losing hope. I need all my resources but I’ve never had less. Can you believe it, you’re all I’ve got! I’ve always liked being with you too much. Why didn’t I achieve anything with my life? I’d rather spend the day hanging out with you than working or hustling. If anyone asked me who my best friend was, I’d say you. Christ Almighty!’

‘Dad, Dad — don’t cry!’

‘Let’s get out of here. I don’t want Speedy to see me blubbing.’

‘Right.’

When they’d finished their food and were about to leave, Speedy came over to the table.

‘I forgot to tell you.’ said Speedy. ‘There’s this kid — the son of a personal friend of mine, the movie producer Jake Ambler. The guy who made Timeless Saturday and all that other great stuff.’

‘We know, we know.’ said Dad, wiping his eyes. ‘ Timeless Saturday is one of the greats. The way he edited that middle section and uses music to —’

‘Jake loves the waffles in here. Have you had them? I’m not allowed to trust him with the ice-cream — it’s like cocaine to him. His kid is in a group, they’ve even got the possibility of a record contract and all that, but he can’t play that well. He’s stuck at a certain point. You know what I’m talking about, Rex. Jake and I were gossiping about Lester and your name came up. Jake saw you play a lot of times. I told him, “Rex has been coming in here on business. Rex helped me start up at the beginning.”’

‘You told him that?’

‘Yeah. You said to me, years ago, “You’ll be more successful than any of us.”’

‘That’s right. And you are, man. You’re one of the great … great multimillionaires of our time.’

‘Sweet of you, Rex.’

‘Why is it, d’you think, that almost everyone I know has got more money than me?’

‘Maybe it’s connected to the fact you don’t work, Rex.’ Gabriel tried to stop himself laughing. Speedy went on, ‘Listen, Jake knows, without me telling him, that you’re one of the best. I said you wouldn’t mind going over to his place and showing the kid a few of those chunky rock ‘n’ roll chords —’

‘I don’t know about showing him some chords,’ said Dad. ‘As it is, people don’t use instruments any more. It’s all computers. Besides, I’m pretty busy at the moment.’

‘Wow. What are you doing?’ said Speedy He looked at Gabriel and crinkled his nose. ‘I prefer gossip to food.’

Dad said, ‘There’s this opera about —’

Gabriel squeezed his father’s arm. ‘Dad, listen to him. It’s a stroke. Please carry on, Mr Speedy.’

‘Jake will pay well, there’s no problem with that. The more he pays, the more he’ll appreciate it. Isn’t that always the way?’ Speedy pursed his lips. ‘You’ll be able to upgrade your bike.’

‘Bike?’

‘I’ve seen you on it.’

Dad got up. ‘Jake can blow it out his arse. We’re not so desperate that we’re going to start working for a living.’

‘We are,’ said Gabriel. ‘Aren’t we?’

Dad stumbled towards the door.

‘Dear, oh dear,’ said Speedy. ‘Who’s pissed on his rose bush?’

‘He’s broken up with Mum.’

Speedy nodded. ‘I see.’

Gabriel said, ‘Please, Mr Speedy, what’s the number of this boy who needs the talent lessons?’

‘I’ll give it to you.’ Speedy moved closer to him. ‘But only if you promise something. I want you to come and see me.’

‘Me? What for?’

‘Oh I like a direct boy. Gabriel, we can talk. I know what it’s like.’

‘You know what what’s like?’

‘The turbulence that young guys are prone to.’

‘I see. Thanks.’ Speedy’s pen was poised. Gabriel said, ‘I will come by.’

‘So you should. You know where I am. I can guarantee that it’ll be worth it. Here.’ He wrote down the name and phone number on a piece of paper.

‘Thanks again.’

‘The pleasure is mine,’ Speedy said. ‘You have a very pleasant manner. See you soon.’

Speedy was smiling at him. Gabriel wondered if he’d smile if he knew the true history of ‘Lester’s’ picture. Luckily Gabriel wouldn’t have to see him again.

Sitting in the entrance hall of Dad’s house, surrounded by several men and clicking a long string of beads, was the man with curly slippers who had lent Dad money. Once more he nodded at Gabriel and his father.

Dad had bought several cans of beer on the way home. Before he could go upstairs and drink in earnest, Gabriel led him to the telephone in the corridor and told him to ring the film producer.

‘Now?’ his father kept saying. ‘Why now?’

‘Why not now?’

‘He’s an important man. He’ll be in Los Angeles with movie stars, or somewhere not anywhere near us.’

Gabriel extracted the piece of paper from his pocket, dialled the number and handed his father the receiver.

‘Big Picture Films. Hello, hello —’ the voice on the other end was saying.

‘Say who you are,’ urged Gabriel.

‘Rex Bunch speaking.’ Dad whispered, ‘For better or worse.’

‘Who?’ said the voice. ‘Can you tell me what it is about?’

‘Guitars. And chords.’

‘Sorry?’

To Dad’s surprise and disappointment, he was, eventually, connected to Jake, who said, ‘I’m so pleased you rang. Rex —’

Pushing his ear close to the phone, Gabriel could hear how keen Jake was. He was saying that years ago he had seen Dad on stage with Lester.