SAYAH HASSOUN RESTAURANT
BEIRUT, LEBANON
JANUARY 14, 2012
0912 HOURS BEIRUT TIME
Alexandra Russell tilted her chair and inhaled as the vista of pleasure and fishing boats drifting by on the azure Mediterranean Sea gradually banned the cold and damp of London.
Periodically, she closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of her mother, Nadine Achkar, and several fishermen haggling over the price of the early morning catch.
"Mahmoud, start the grills. Alexandra looks like she's been starving herself." Nadine deposited the tray of snapper, halwayoo, hammour, crabs, lobster and jumbo shrimp on the outdoor kitchen's counter. "Prepare this red snapper for her."
In full maternal tradition, Nadine swept into the kitchen to check mezze and salads preparation. A taste of the spicy hummos beyrouti served as her final inspection task before she exited the white stucco-walled kitchen and returned to the outdoor patio.
"They fed me on the plane, mom. I'm just relaxing. Worry about your lunch guests. Are you going to be busy today?"
Nadine gestured at the tables and their place settings. "We will fill the majority for at least two sittings at lunch. And at least the same amount of guests later tonight before the young people go clubbing or whatever they call it." She paused with pursed lips. "Why don't you tell me why you're really here? Is it Robert?"
"No, mother." Alexandra adjusted her outsized sunglasses and brushed her hair behind her ear with a newly-manicured finger. "We've been divorced for over four years and I haven't seen him in over six months!"
"What did he want?" Nadine demanded.
From long experience, Alexandra could hear the protective tone in her mother's voice. "Nothing much, mom."
"I should have had your brother before you! Then he would have taken care of that Robert! That man deserves you know what!" She sat down with a tray of cutlery and napkins and began assembling knives and forks into the cloth squares.
"He just needed some papers to be signed for the final settlement, but you never liked him, mom." Alexandra shifted her chair so that she could observe the wrought iron gate that served as the restaurant's entrance.
"He was too full of himself and viewed you as an exotic trophy – that's why I didn't like him!" Nadine slammed a assembled roll of cutlery into the basket. "You should never have married him!"
"You didn't like him because he was English, mom. He wasn't a bad man."
"You should have married one of our own..."
"Mom, I did marry one of my own. I was born in London! I'm English!" Alexandra stood up and strode to the bar and its water carafes.
"And Lebanese. He was not from our culture. He didn't understand us. He looked at us as if we were some strange exotic aliens!" Nadine deposited her basket of cutlery and adjusted her flowing flower-patterned skirt. She bent forward and caressed her daughter's hair. "It doesn't matter anymore. You are here and you are safe, my baby girl." She hugged her taller daughter. "You've made your father so happy. He's busy inviting all our friends over tonight for a party."
"Mom, I ..."
The ringing of the telephone interrupted them.
**
"Alexandra, it's for you. He says to tell you he owns a kitten."
Alexandra accepted the handset and walked to the seawall. "Russell."
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