Hanif Kureishi - Gabriel's Gift

‘What about me, Rex? I’m on Pat’s floor. Can’t even afford a pint.’

‘Jesus, what am I now, a charity? Let me get to work then I’ll sort you out in a week or so, when I’ve been paid.’

‘Sort me out now,’ said the man.

‘Later,’ said Gabriel quietly.

‘Now!’ said the man. ‘Look at me!’

‘Is everyone in this pub a vulture?’ said Dad.

‘You think you’re better than us! All human beings are equal even if —’

‘Funny you should say that, man. I am better than you. That’s one thing I do know! Better in every way! Handsome, too, and famous and —’

‘Dad —’

‘Whatever you do, don’t end up like these people, Gabriel. They’ve got no hope of —’

‘You’re arrogant,’ said the man. ‘You’re a fuckin’ stuck up wanker has-been —’

Before the mood could turn even uglier, Gabriel got up, pulled his father to his feet, and got him to the door.

‘But I haven’t finished my drink!’

‘Out, out, out!’ said Gabriel, giving his father a hard shove.

‘What a dump,’ said Rex, on the street. He was banging on the window and giving his former friends the finger through it. Gabriel was perplexed to see that Dad hadn’t grown out of these ‘fits’.

‘Up your arses, mates! Losers! Kiss it, mothers!’ shouted Dad. ‘Gabriel, don’t they look like corpses ready for the grave? I won’t be going in there again! The whole atmosphere is rancid, hopeless, violent! I can’t believe I was ever like those men —’

‘You’re not. You’re working.’

‘Yeah. Maybe. Maybe I am working. I was feeling great until I went through that door!’

‘Look out!’ said Gabriel. ‘You haven’t got your glasses on but I’m telling you, he’s after us!’

‘What are you worrying about, boy? The fucker’s got no legs!’

‘No, it’s Pat, with the cripple’s crutch!’

‘Oh yeah … right —’ Dad shaded his eyes and leaned into the window. ‘I can see now! That’s his yellow teeth all right!’

Gabriel ran across the road, with his father jogging and cursing behind.

At the bus stop Gabriel said, ‘I want you to ask Jake Ambler if he knows anyone who’ll let me have a cheap 16mm camera.’

‘Jesus, I’m not sure about that. You know I don’t like to seem more grasping than I am naturally. You’ll get me fired!’

‘He might be pleased to help us.’

‘I’ll see,’ said Dad. ‘I don’t even know if I’m going to get to this dinner without being carried in on a stretcher.’

‘You will go,’ said Gabriel. ‘And it would really help me out if you spoke to Jake. After all, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be teaching at all.’

‘Thank you for pointing that out, Angel. But who will I take to the ball?’

‘What am I — your pimp? Don’t you meet any girls?’

‘You might laugh at your old and knackered dad, but actually, one of my pupils’ mothers has been taking an unprovoked interest in me. Whenever I go round there she’s about to take a bath. She’s rich, too. But that’s premature.’

The bus drew up beside them and Dad got on.

‘I’ll think about it,’ said Gabriel. ‘I reckon I’ve got a good idea!’

‘Who?’

‘Wait and see!’

Because he felt like it, Gabriel stood there waving until the bus had turned the corner.

Dad had gone, but to get home Gabriel had to pass the pub, unless he went over the road, which would be humiliating. Crossing the pub window he could easily have ducked down but he didn’t want to. When he went past, Pat caught his eye. Pat came to the door and Gabriel didn’t flee but stood there.

‘Yeah?’ said Gabriel, trembling.

‘You’re not him,’ said Pat. ‘He’s a bad, bad one. Borrowed money and won’t pay it back. Make sure you don’t turn out that way.’

‘Rather him than you, mate.’

Pat was shaking his head. ‘Later,’ he said.

‘Fuck you, loser!’ said Gabriel. Pat raised his hand. Gabriel forced himself to laugh.

Hannah was waiting at the door.

‘Welcome home, Master Gabriel.’

‘Thank you Hannah.’ He was pleased to see her.

‘Your breath is out.’

‘Too right. Prepare the sofa please and don’t forget to plump the cushions. Certain circumstances have exhausted me. I need to reconvene my energies.’

‘Sorry your thoughts are interrupted, but Mr Speedy’s on the phone for you.’

‘Now?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Thank you, Hannah. I’ll take the call in private.’

‘I’ll prepare your tea, Master Gabriel. Same as yesterday?’

‘Don’t forget the marmalade, Hannah.’

‘No, Master Gabriel. Marmalade coming up! Will you be having that with the cream?’

‘Chill on the cream, Hannah — for now.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Hello, Mr Speedy.’ said Gabriel into the telephone. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Good afternoon, Gabriel.’ said Speedy. ‘Sorry for the delay. How was school?’

‘No worse than normal.’

‘Can you talk? Are you prepared?’

‘Yes, sir!’

‘So am I, baby. Now, listen. This is what we’ll do. This is how it’s going to be …’

It would take her a long time to get ready. He would help.

He knew it was an important occasion because she was playing ‘Ride a White Swan’. In the morning Mum had taken her Ossie Clark dress — the one Clark made for her in the seventies, when she worked for him — out of her wardrobe and hung it from the curtain rail, where they both stood and admired it. The day was designed to get her into this dress, which was now a little tight at the waist. She kept patting her stomach, or ‘pouch’ as she called it. Nevertheless, the party had started at that moment.

That night she was going to dinner at Jake Ambler’s house with Dad, who had become so agitated over the whole thing he had asked his own wife — at his son’s suggestion — to accompany him.

‘Funny, ain’t it.’ In the bathroom Mum was drawing her face on. Not far away, in his room, they knew Dad was also getting ready; he kept running downstairs to ring and say what he was doing. ‘When Rex lived here, he wanted me to stop talking. Now he’s taking me to this party in order to have me talk. I wonder what’s made him so keen on me suddenly!’

She was going first to a fashionable bar to meet Rex, check his look and ensure he didn’t have too much to drink. They would go on to the dinner party. She didn’t know what time she’d be back. She was delighted to be going out, and in a few days would start work in Splitz. It had been a long time since he’d seen her so excited.

It was a relief after the previous night, which had been the first evening Gabriel and his mother had spent together in a long time. They had gone to the cavernous, bright twenty-four-hour supermarket that had opened near by, where you could buy movies, books and computers with your bread, have lunch or buy a whole fish. At home they cooked and ate; she let him drink sparkling wine. Then the phone rang. George was saying he wanted to come by.

‘Please, later,’ she begged in a low voice. ‘When he’s gone to bed.’

George must have been almost outside because within a few minutes he was banging on the front door.

Gabriel had gone to sulk in his room, presuming George would stay the night and they wouldn’t want him around. But Mum and George had had a tremendous row. She tried to persuade him to talk to her in the pub at the end of the street, but George, who was drunk, strung out, and in a beige suit with a taxi waiting, wanted to get away. He ‘chucked’ Mum by repeatedly saying it was too ‘complicated’.

‘George, please tell me what you’re talking about! Just give me a chance! I thought we were doing something good! You wrote to me every day!’