“Crystal-Grace, it’s lovely to see you, but what is this place?”
“It’s a seafood bar.”
“I’m unsure of whether I like this establishment.”
Crystal smiled at her mother’s stuffy comment. They often ate seafood which they both loved. However, the restaurants they frequented were normally much more upscale.
A middle aged Caribbean couple owned the restaurant. The first time she had met them, they had reminded her of her aunt and uncle. Although the place was unsophisticated, Crystal loved the eatery because it was honest and served fantastic fresh food.
“Trust me, the menu here is great.”
“Well, it would have to be because they are not going to win any awards for the décor. Maybe you should suggest that they hire you to spruce the place up.”
“Mother, do you know how snobbish you sound?”
“I apologize, but you know I’m doing my best. Therefore, I will refrain from saying another word about anything other than the food.”
Crystal didn’t believe that for a moment, but she was willing to give Gwendolyn the benefit of the doubt.
With no time to respond, Crystal looked up and smiled at the woman who stopped beside their table.
The new arrival was dressed in Jeans, a figure hugging top with a Kente cloth print tied around the front of her big afro. As she placed her hands on her hips, the myriad of wooden and silver bangles encasing her wrists, rattled and clinked with her every move
“We missed you little, Ms. Crystal. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been busy, Ms. Cilla,” she smiled at the older woman. “This is my mother, Gwendolyn Buchanan. Mother, this is Ms. Cilla. She and her husband run this lovely restaurant.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you… um…Ms. Cilla.”
“This is your mother? Girl, how comes you never told me she was a judge?”
“How do you know that?” Gwendolyn snapped with a look of suspicion.
“Because I don’t live in a vacuum that encapsulates this restaurant. You are one of the few successful black women in our judicial system. So, of course I keep abreast of what’s going on with your career.”
“You have an interest in the law?”
“Yes, I do. You and I went to university together. You may not remember me, but I remember you, and Stanley. You two were quite the couple. Actually, I met Lindsey through Stanley. Back then I looked much different than I do now. I also went by the name, Priscilla.”
That Ms. Cilla had known her mother and father all those years ago piqued Crystal’s curiosity. And Crystal was suddenly glad she had thought to come to their restaurant.
“Priscilla, of course. I remember you now. He left me.”
Crystal was shocked at the tag her mother stuck on to the end of her comment. It was almost as though she was embarrassed about her relationship breakup, and wanted to establish her marital status before Cilla inquired.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be, it was never going to work, so I’m sure my remark didn’t surprise you.”
“You’re hard on yourself, Gwen!”
Shock number two came in right on the tail of the first. Her mother didn’t immediately correct Cilla for the shortening of her name, which she hated.
“It happened a long time ago.”
“That may be, but why did you choose that version of the story rather than the one where you were both attempting to repair your marriage when my father died?”
“Because that line of events doesn’t matter!”
“Still as rigid as ever I see, Gwen,” Cilla smiled down at her.
“If you’re about to judge me—don’t!”
“I’ll leave that to you. You seem to be doing an excellent job all by yourself.” Cilla paused as though waiting for Gwendolyn to respond. When she didn’t, she gave the other woman a kind smile. “So, what would you ladies like to order today?”
Jumping right in Crystal placed her order. “I’m going to have the calamari to start and then I’ll have the lobster. Mother, how about you?”
Still looking peeved, Gwendolyn studied her menu for a few more seconds before placing her order. She opted for shrimp in tomato sauce as a starter and crab for her main. They also ordered a bottle of Chardonnay.
With their orders placed, Cilla nodded, smiled and walked away. Before they could resume their conversation, Lindsey, Cilla’s husband was standing by their table. Crystal wanted to laugh. Cilla must have broken some form of record run in order for him to have arrived so quickly. Pulling Gwendolyn out of her seat he engulfed her in a big hug.
Lindsey was around five-foot-six to his wife’s five-ten. He was dressed in his chef whites and his bald head shone from the heat of the kitchen. His lower face sported a pure white beard and mustache that contrasted wonderfully with his dark brown skin. He made a striking picture. But what stood out most was the real pleasure he was deriving from seeing Gwendolyn.
Holding her at arm’s length, he took his time looking her over. “I didn’t believe Cilla when she said you were here, so I had to come and see for myself. Girl, it’s been too long.”
“My God, Lindsey, when did you turn–”
“Into such a devilishly handsome man? I’m like fine wine, Gwenie, I get better with age,” he laughed at her stunned expression.
“Um…”
“The Gwen, I used to know would have come back at me with enough force to put me on my backside. It’s a good thing we’ve reconnected because it looks like the echelons of power have robbed you of your street chat.”
“My mother used to have, street chat?”
“Oh, yes,” breaking off, Lindsey allowed Gwendolyn to pull away and retake her seat. “She used to come up with really colorful ways of telling people where they could shove their–”
“That’s quite enough of that, Lindsey!”
“Oh, is it now,” he mocked mimicking her tone.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go back to your kitchen and cook our food instead of getting on my nerves!” Gwendolyn warned giving him her deadliest stare.
Spellbound, Crystal’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Her mother had just spoken with her native Jamaican accent, which was something she never did or allowed Crystal to do.
Ignoring her, he winked at Crystal. “That’s the Gwen I remember from university. Always warning people to do what she said or reap the consequences.” Turning back to Gwendolyn, all traces of his laughter disappeared. “I’m glad to see that the woman I knew hasn’t been completely buried under the white wig and starched robe of office.”
When he stopped speaking, they held each other’s gaze for a few seconds before Gwendolyn glanced away.
Getting a rare insight into the woman her mother had been in her youth, Crystal’s pleasure grew at being at this little restaurant tucked away in Brixton Village.
“I’ll have someone bring your drinks. And by the way, your lunch is on the house.”
“I won’t hear of it,” Gwendolyn retorted with determination back to her usual stiff self.
Lindsey placed his hands on his hips and gave her a hard stare. “Let me ask you a question. If you were in one of those fancy establishments in the West End, and the chef said your meal was with his compliments, would your response be the same as the one you just gave to me?”
“This isn’t the West End. Therefore, your question is moot!”
“Gwenie, you need to stop your noise and accept graciously. Don’t be fooled into thinking that our location means a lack of success. We’re in Brixton because we love the diversity of the people who eat here, and we’re exactly where we want to be.”
“I sounded like a complete snob, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. But we can start over.”
“In that case—thank you for your kind offer.”
“Good girl. I hope you enjoy your meal.” With that said Lindsey walked away.
“Say nothing,” Gwendolyn warned h
er daughter.
Unable to resist, Crystal whispered just one word, “Gwenie.”
“I thought I told you to keep quiet!”
Crystal realized her mother was struggling with something. Maybe it was memories of the past brought about by seeing Cilla and Lindsey again, she just didn’t know. Recognizing that Gwendolyn was on the brink of either losing her temper or tears, she stopped her teasing.
Attempting to sneak her mobile out of her purse to send an urgent message. A sixth sense caused her to look up at the same moment as her fingers closed around her phone.
Cutting her eyes towards her mother, she saw that she too looked in the direction of the door. Crystal had hoped she and Gwendolyn would have had more time to talk. She had wanted to prepare her. Now it was too late—Shane had arrived.
Weaving his way through the tables, Crystal spared another quick glance at her mother. Expecting her to be seething she was surprised to encounter a small smile.
“Well, Crystal-Grace, it would appear that I’m finally about to right some wrongs from my past. However, I would have appreciated you giving me a little more time by way of preparation.”
It had never been her intention to blindside her mother. The minutes spent interacting with Cilla and Lindsey had eaten up the time she had intended to use to speak to her about Shane. Now it was too late. He was already standing beside them.
He kissed Crystal on the cheek in greeting, slid into the booth beside her and looked over at Gwendolyn. This was the first time the two of them had seen each other since the argument and accusations in the car park.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Buchanan.”
“Shane,” Gwendolyn said nodding in his direction.
Making himself comfortable, Shane stretched his arm along the back of their seat and looked around.
The restaurant’s decor was in shades of blues, greens and white meant to give a sense of island life. There were tables laid out in the middle of the floor and six booths along a wall, one of which they now occupied.
A waiter arrived with their wine, and took Shane’s drink order with an assurance that he would return once he had a chance to look at the menu.
Lost in all that had been taking place since their arrival, Crystal hadn’t noticed how much the place had filled up. The restaurant was crowded, yet a silence hung over their table that was in direct contrast to the atmospheric buzz and laughter of the other diners.
The whole point of Shane joining them was so that he and Gwendolyn would have an opportunity for a much needed talk. They had both changed so much that Crystal hoped they would finally be able to find some common ground.
With his drink delivered, his choice of meal given, and the discussion of the weather exhausted, Crystal supposed it was up to her to ease them into some form of real communication. But her mother beat her to it
“Can I take it that as you are here, you and my daughter are together again?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.”
“I suppose you expect some form of apology from me?”
“Why do you think that?”
Crystal heaved and internal sigh as she realized Shane was firmly set in stubborn mode. As far as she was concerned they were as bad as each other. Therefore, they would have to find their own convoluted way toward what needed to be said between them.
“Because I believe one is due.”
“Really, why’s that?”
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“Nah, I don’t think I will.”
“Very well. I apologize.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Shane–”
“Stay out of this, Crystal. This is between me and your, mum!”
His only stipulation when agreeing to attend this lunch was that she allow him to deal with Gwendolyn in his own way. So, against her better judgment, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m saying, I’m sorry for interfering in yours and Crystal’s life. While I felt it was necessary that she know about your family—the way I went about it was wrong.”
“Go on.”
“When Finn…”
Trailing off, Gwendolyn looked over at Crystal seeking confirmation that Shane knew about his son.
“He knows everything, Mother.”
With a nod, she resumed speaking. “When Finn died, I had to take a long look at who I had become. During that time, my daughter needed her mother and I tried to be there for her–”
“You were there for me. I wouldn’t have coped without you.”
“Thank you for saying that, Crystal-Grace. However, we both know that, if not for me, Shane would have also been there for you.”
“Yeah, I would have been, but you just couldn’t mind your own business.”
“Shane!”
“I swear to God, if you butt in one more time, I’m leaving!”
The look he shot her way told her she was on shaky ground, and reluctantly she nodded her agreement.
“As much as I want to, I can’t change the past. I don’t know if I’ll ever really like you, but I accept your apology.”
“Thank you.”
When the first course of their meal arrived, Crystal could tell Gwendolyn still had misgivings. “Mother, you look as though you still have something on your mind?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. Don’t you think you also owe me an apology?” Gwendolyn asked looking at Shane
“You’re joking, right?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m completely serious.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you think I should apologize for?”
“At the very least, for the way you’ve spoken to me in the past.”
“Please don’t take this as rudeness because it’s how I honestly feel. I don’t regret a thing I’ve said to you, or the way I’ve said it.”
“Shane, you’re not helping the situation!”
“I’m not trying to,” he replied before turning back to the older woman. “You hated me from the moment we met, and I’m not going to apologize to you for that. You didn’t take the time to get to know me, you did that—not me. You wanted to control your daughter and you didn’t care who you hurt in the process. So no, no apology coming from this end!”
By the end of his monologue, Crystal was biting down on her bottom lip because she agreed with all he said. She just wished he had chosen his words with a little more care.
“I see. So where do we go from here?” Gwendolyn asked.
Not knowing what to expect, Crystal’s chin slowly lowered until she was peering at her lap. It was only then that she realized her fingers had intertwined with tension.
“I’m not finished.”
Her head popped up and her shoulders stiffened in the sure knowledge he was about to say something even more cutting than before.
“Crystal told me what you did for her and my son. She said you looked after the both of them. So, for what it’s worth—thank you, Mrs. Buchanan. I will forever be grateful to you for that.”
Gwendolyn looked so stunned she didn’t immediately respond. Crystal couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face. Shane might be difficult to deal with at times, but his willingness to offer her mother the thanks she deserved made her proud. Crystal didn’t care that her mother sat across from them, she took him face between her hands and kissed him.
“Thank you for saying that, Shane. It means a lot to me. And please call me, Gwendolyn.”
“Bloody hell, Crys, is ya mum sucking up to me?”
Tears had begun to gather in Gwendolyn’s eyes while he had offered his appreciation of her care. They disappeared half way through his flippant rejoinder and Crystal laughed. It was so typical of Shane, but she was glad she didn’t have to cope with a crying Gwendolyn. In all honesty, if she had, she wouldn’t have known where to begin.
“See, that’s how you deal with your mum, keep her wrong-footed. And if that doesn’t work—say something outrageo
us.”
The remainder of the meal didn’t pass without a hitch. In fact, there were many tense moments where either Shane or Gwendolyn said something that shot up the other’s annoyance level. But thankfully it seemed they were each giving the other a little leeway.
To her surprise, when they were ready to leave, her mother sent them on their way alone. Cilla and Lindsey had been so attentive during their meal, Gwendolyn decided to stay a while to talk about old times.
Crystal was so pleased with her mother’s decision, she wanted to do a fist pump. Her usually standoffish mother had just taken another step towards regaining the woman she had once been.
Chapter 17
Finally back in England after an extended trip to Switzerland, Shane was looking forward to his date with Crystal. As she was running late, he ordered another drink while he waited.
When she arrived he couldn’t stop the grin that split his face. It had taken him six weeks of negotiations to tie everything down, but finally all was in place. Crystal knew something was going on, but he chose not to fill her in on the details of what he had been doing in Switzerland.
He had arranged for her to fly out and spend a weekend with him at his home in Gstaad. Although their time together had been special, they both knew they still had a long way to go in reviving the relationship they once had.
Even though he was seated in the VIP area, his waiter had been giving him pitying looks for at least one of the two hours he’d been waiting.
“I’m sorry, I’m so late,” Crystal said as she came abreast to him.
Giving her a kiss before holding out her chair, Shane retook his seat before he addressed her apology. “No problem.”
“I’m truly sorry, but this was a final property inspection and my client has more money than sense. I couldn’t get the woman to shut up. Then it seemed like every cab that passed me was already occupied.”
“Forget it, Crys. I was serious, I didn’t mind waiting.”
“I’m so happy to see you,” Crystal said stretching out a hand across the table to clasp his. “I missed you.”
“Yeah, how much?”
“So much that I went shopping and bought an outfit I know you’re going to love.”
Crystals Page 18
