Caryl Phillips - A Distant Shore

“You’ve got a visitor. You’d better come now.”

Gabriel puts the tray down on the bed and he hurriedly swallows his food. The warder waits until Gabriel is at the cell door before pointing to the tray.

“You can’t leave that there. You’ll have to give it back to me.”

“But I have taken only half of the food, and I have not finished my drink.”

“Tough. Either you stay here and finish it or you see your visitor. You can’t do both.”

Gabriel hovers uneasily.

“I don’t have all day,” hisses the warder.

Gabriel has little choice but to pick up the tray and carry it through the open door and into the corridor. The man bangs shut the door to the cell and locks it. As they move off, Gabriel gazes at the empty cell next door. Only the bottom bunk has been slept in, and the top bunk supports an undressed mattress. The door has not been locked back and it sits open-mouthed on its hinges. The warder looks at Gabriel and laughs.

“Want him back, do you?” He amuses himself with his own wit. “Bet you don’t half-miss him, right?”

Gabriel says nothing, but the warder continues to laugh to himself as he leads Gabriel past the television set that is perched on the edge of the desk.

“Here,” says the warder, pointing to a space on his desk. “Put it down there. You can grab the water if you like, but it’s the last you’ll see of that tray.”

Gabriel takes the plastic tumbler of water, swallows it in one and then wipes his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

“Please,” says Gabriel.

The warder stops and looks at him. “Don’t tell me,” he says, “you’ve changed your mind. You don’t want no visitors, is that it?”

“No, no.” Gabriel feels awkward. “It is my friend, Said, the man who was in the cell with me.” The warder waits for him to go on. “Perhaps I can contact his family? He asked me.”

The confused warder looks at Gabriel. “He asked you what?”

“He asked me if I could be in contact with his family. He was worried about them.” The warder shakes his head, but he says nothing. He opens up the door and ushers Gabriel into an empty room. “Please, what happened to Said?” The warder slams the door behind them.

“What happened to him?” the man laughs. “What the hell do you think happened to him? He died and they’ll soon be shoving him in the ground where he belongs.”

“But his family have to be told. That is what he wanted.”

The warder puts his palm on Gabriel’s chest and pushes him back against the wall.

“You think you have any right to know anything after what you’ve done?”

Gabriel looks the man in the eyes, and he speaks calmly and clearly.

“I am only saying to you that I am worried, for his family do not know what has happened.”

The warder raps his knuckles against Gabriel’s chest.

“You had better watch who you’re getting lippy with.”

They stare at each other and Gabriel decides to say nothing further, but he is not afraid. Not of this man.

“Do you want to see your visitor or have you changed your mind?”

“Yes, please, I want to see my visitor.”

The warder continues to stare at him.

“We’ve got a lot of things to work out, you and I, don’t we?” Gabriel stares back at the warder, who begins now to laugh. “You don’t understand the trouble you’re in, do you? Once they bang you up properly, your life will be hell, mate.”

The warder steps to one side and unlocks yet another door. As he pushes it open, Gabriel recognises the small woman who dresses in men’s trousers. She is sitting at a table with a man, and on top of the table there is a pile of papers. The warder changes his tone now that others can see them.

“Well, come on then, these people have been waiting here to see you.”

Gabriel edges past the warder and into the room. Katherine stands up and extends her hand, and as she does so her face suddenly brightens.

“Gabriel, what took you so long?” She does not wait for an answer. “This is Stuart Lewis, who will be your solicitor.”

The man stands and holds out his hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Gabriel. Stuart Lewis.”

The man is also short, and he wears a dark-blue suit and a bright-yellow tie. He looks like a schoolboy with his mousy hair and round spectacles, and Gabriel peers closely at him. He had been expecting an older, more intimidating man, and somehow this Stuart Lewis does not seem right. Gabriel shakes hands with the man and then he hears the door close behind him. He turns and sees the warder standing with his arms folded across his chest and staring into the middle distance. The woman notices that Gabriel seems perturbed by this and she places her hand on his shoulder.

“Gabriel, don’t worry. You must talk freely, and you must speak honestly and from the heart. If you do, then Stuart can help you with the charges.”

Stuart Lewis nods in agreement and then he sits down. The woman removes her hand and points to the chair on the other side of the table, and then she also sits.

“Take a seat, Gabriel, and let’s begin. I’m not sure how much time we have, but let’s try and get through as much as possible.”

Gabriel sits down and then Stuart Lewis leans forward and begins to speak.

“Gabriel, may I call you Gabriel?” Gabriel nods, and the lawyer smiles and then laughs. “Well, thank you. It doesn’t pay to assume too much unauthorised informality.”

Gabriel looks at the woman, who is also smiling, but her smile is etched somewhat less firmly to her face. He notices that today her short hair is pulled back and tied with a red band so that it doesn’t fall into her eyes.

“You see,” continues the lawyer, “I’m preparing the details of your case so that I can brief the barrister who will, in the fullness of time, represent you.”

Gabriel listens, but without really understanding a word of what is being said. He looks at the woman who continues to smile, as though reassuring Gabriel that he should not worry. Stuart Lewis hardly misses a beat.

“I have some questions to ask you, and you must answer as best you can. If you’re not sure about the question, just let me know. There’s no need to be frightened if you tell the truth.”

Gabriel nods, but he is suddenly aware that the eyes of the warder are on his back. The woman is quick to speak.

“Do you understand, Gabriel?”

Again Gabriel nods. Stuart Lewis glances at her, but she continues to address Gabriel.

“I’m just taking notes so that if everything goes well with this case, then I’ll be able to present the relevant facts to the immigration authorities. You don’t mind my taking notes, do you?”

Gabriel stares at the woman.

“You see, when they are making a judgement as to your suitability to remain in this country they’ll want to know everything. And this is a very serious case, which is why you will have to have Mr. Lewis plus another lawyer.”

Gabriel’s mouth is dry, but there is no water to drink. He peels open his lips, which feel as though they have been glued together.

“I am ready to answer any questions. I have nothing to hide.”

The woman is happy, and she nods and then turns and looks at the lawyer. Stuart Lewis pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and then he coughs.

“Well, shall we make a start?” Gabriel watches as the man looks at his watch and then carefully writes down the date and the time. He then turns to the woman. “I’ll also be keeping full notes, so we can always cross-refer.” He turns back to Gabriel. “I’m afraid in situations like this it’s impossible for us to have our secretaries in here. We could tape-record the proceedings, but it’s never satisfactory. This being the case, it just means that it will take a while for us to go through everything and I may have to ask you to repeat some things, if you’ll bear with me.” Gabriel looks blankly at the man. “Right, then, let’s make a start. Do you know on what day you arrived in France?”