Chris and Rose sat side by side, opposite Craig.
Chris clasped his hands on the table in front of him. “Thanks for coming to meet me.” He picked up a menu. “Since we’re here, why don’t we have an early lunch? My flight was late in last night and by the time I reached the hotel I didn’t feel like supper. I grabbed a coffee at Wilson Airport this morning, but I need something more substantial.”
Rose and Craig looked at each other.
“My treat,” said Chris, as he opened one of the menus. He exclaimed, “Feta and coriander samosas. I haven’t had those in years.” He looked at his parents with a boyish grin between his chubby cheeks. “Shall we share a portion to start with?” His sharp blue eyes shone with delight and mischief.
Just then, the man with the Akubra hat bumped Chris’s shoulder with his bag. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry.” He stopped, stepped back and asked, “Weren’t you on our flight from Nairobi? Are you a local?” he asked with an edge of derision in his voice.
Chris leaned back in the green canvas safari chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sorry. No. I’ve just arrived from London. And I’m here visiting my parents.” He nodded towards Rose and Craig.
“Oh, well, perhaps you could help us?” The man turned towards Craig. “My wife and I are staying at the Lake Lodge in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. And we were told a car would pick us up, but nobody is here to meet us.” He wrinkled his nose.
Craig looked at the man over his spectacles and reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve heard they’re repairing parts of the road out to Ol Pejeta at the moment and there are some lengthy detours. I’m sure your vehicle is just delayed. Why don’t you sit down and have a drink, or something to eat, whilst you wait?”
The man sighed in relief. “Thank you. That’s a jolly good suggestion. I was half afraid we’d been told to get off at the wrong rustic airstrip. Come on, darling,” he drawled to his female companion, and climbed the steps onto the platform without offering to help carry her bag.
Craig shook his head and commented, “And people wonder why we lost the empire and the Kenyan’s wanted their country back.”
Rose watched the man fold himself into a safari chair and lift up a menu whilst his wife or girlfriend, she was not sure which, dropped her bag on the floor, rolled her shoulders back and gingerly sat down.
Craig turned to Chris and asked, “So what are your plans whilst you’re here?”
Chris leant forward, resting his arms on the table, and replied, “If it’s OK with you, I’ll hang around at yours for a few days, have a bit of a rest and see who else is around. I’m staying in BATUK’s tented camp on Lewa on Friday before the marathon, and I expect there’ll be a party afterwards. Apart from that, I’m pretty flexible.” He smiled broadly.
A small plane with ‘Safari Link’ painted on the side touched down on the runway.
Rose leaned forward. “Of course you can stay with us. And you can have one of the guest cottages, so you’ve got some space to yourself.”
The Safari Link plane slowed to a stop by the metal gate.
She looked down at the table and said, “And we’ve been asked to stay at a brand-new lodge on Borana over the marathon weekend. I’m sure you’d be welcome as well.”
The muscles in Chris’s face tensed.
She added quickly. “But you don’t have to decide now.”
In the silence that followed, Rose watched an elegantly dressed woman emerge from the plane. She wore a floppy wide-brimmed hat with a bright red bow and tailored red shorts, and carried a smart leather weekend bag.
Chris still smiled, but it was now a thin line. “Shall we look at the menu?” he suggested.
Craig coughed to clear his throat. “I believe there’s a specials board as well by the kitchen. Or we could ask Geoffrey.” He caught the waiter’s eyes and beckoned to him.
The elegant lady strode purposefully through the entrance to Barney’s and up onto the platform. She stopped and exclaimed, “Robert, by all that’s wonderful, what are you doing here?”
The man, Robert, pushed back his chair, stood and said hesitantly, “Why, Vivian, what an unexpected pleasure. My wife and I are on honeymoon. I don’t think you’ve met Nina.” He indicated towards his female companion with an outstretched arm.
Rose realised how young Nina was, probably barely into her twenties. She gave Rose the impression of a frightened baby antelope taking its first tentative steps on unsteady legs, whilst being aware that a predator’s eyes were watching her.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” enthused Vivian. “Is this your first time in Keenya?” She announced the last word in the colonial manner with a long ‘e’ sound. “Oh, what a lovely ring!” She grasped Nina’s hand and examined her gold rings, which glinted in the sunlight.
“Mum,” Chris interrupted Rose’s musings. “Are you interested in any of the specials Geoffrey has just told us?”
She turned back and found three expectant faces watching her. “I’d like the quiche and salad, please.” She smiled apologetically at Geoffrey. “And as we’re celebrating the arrival of my son, a glass of wine. And can I also have a small bottle of sparkling water?” Why not have a glass of wine? She was celebrating and Chris had offered to pay.
As Geoffrey departed, she heard the elegant woman on the decking above announce, “But you must have a hat if you’re going on safari. Especially with your fair complexion. Here, try on mine.”
Rose watched Nina shrink back. But it wasn’t far enough, as Vivian whipped off her hat, revealing shoulder length glossy brunette hair, and planted her hat over Nina’s mousy blonde bob. Nina disappeared under the large floppy hat.
“Perfect,” announced Vivian. “Where are you heading?”
Robert replied, “Ol Pejeta. We’re staying at Lake Lodge.”
“Oh lovely,” Vivian exclaimed. “I’ve just been staying on Lewa.”
Rose heard the blast of a car horn.
Vivian swung round. “Ah, there’s my lift.” She bent down and pecked Robert on both cheeks. “Catch you later, darling.” She skipped down the steps towards a long wheelbase safari vehicle, with its canvas sides rolled up.
Rose turned back as Geoffrey placed their drinks on the table. “So how is London?” she asked her son.
“You know, it’s a great place to be based. Increasingly my work takes me abroad and Heathrow has excellent air links. And then, when I’m at home, everything’s so convenient. London really spruced itself up for the 2012 Olympics, and there’s a real sense of pride. As I was leaving, the weather was warming up and cafes and restaurants were beginning to set up their outdoor tables and chairs. That brings an Italian feel to the city in summer.”
Craig cleared his throat again. “And is there anyone special in your life?” he asked.
Rose waited. This was a question she’d longed to ask but hadn’t been able to pluck up the courage to do so.
Chris closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “There was for a while, after I left the army. A girl called Amy, but she had a young daughter who became increasingly unsettled as my trips away with work increased. We split up, but I guess it’s for the best. Besides, I’m not sure I really want the ties of a relationship. I like being free to choose when and where I go.”