Below the Radar - Cyprus Summer of '74

Chapter 12 : Curry Night (A Family Affair)

Alex laid on his bed later that Friday afternoon in his small bedroom near the end of the long hallway of their Mullberry Mansion. As he listened to the new ultra-cool Jimmy Cliff album - The Harder They Come - he and Simon had bought jointly with their pocket money the previous week, he sang along. 'But the hotter the battle you see, It's the sweeter the victory.....' agreeing, with Kate uppermost in his head, that in the end 'you can get it if you really want'. As the track ended he mused over the week ahead, meandering between how tough the hike would really be and how he would cope? His thoughts kept drifting back to Kate. Did he have any real chance, would he be able talk to or spend some time with her or would Tristan dominate her completely?

He was interrupted as his younger brother Philip came charging into his room and leapt on to the bed. Philip was nine and all the family called him Pip. Pip was a bright, blue eyed and skinny legged live wire, who'd spurned the dark colouring of his Dad and Alex, favouring his Mum, though the almost white hair he'd had as a toddler had now turned a sandy blonde.

"Hey Alex, come on, dinner's nearly ready and mum said it's your turn to lay the table"

"Ok, you can help me, what we having?"

"I've already been helping, Mum's cooked chicken curry and I got the peanuts and crisps ready".

"Brill, wake Simon up, I think he's having a kip".

As Pip raced next door, Alex moved in the opposite direction towards the dining room, calling as he passed Georgina's room, "Hey Georgie how about you give me a hand laying the table".

Georgie, Alex's twelve year old sister padded out of her room and past Alex smiling, "Ok, I'll help, as long as I get the biggest piece mums' meringue pie."

"No way, you'll get the same as everyone else."

The two bundled along the hall into the lounge where Dad was sat in a large armchair, one leg crossed lazily over the other reading some school papers and on into the dining room. Alex headed for the drawer to get the cutlery and table mats out, whilst Georgie joined Mum in the kitchen beyond. Alex picked out six square, cork backed, brown mats plus a couple of similar but larger oblong mats for the centre.

Their effective disguise as dinner mats hid their true function as table tennis bats. Along with old Subbuteo football team boxes to form the net Alex, along with his brothers and sister would practise across the large dinner table. Though predominantly friendly, family rivalry often surfaced in these unique mini-competitions, Georgie and Pip having hand eye co-ordination every bit as good as their older brothers. Georgie had a sound but blasé left handed technique based on her unexpectedly strong backhand and met both victory and defeat in the same undemonstrative couldn't care less manner. Pip, on the other hand, had a great fluent attacking game on both wings and would probably go on to be the best player in the family. Natural talent aside and undoubtedly motivated by years of brotherly baiting, Pip was aching for the day he could finally beat his elder brothers. His frustration often won the day, when only minimal teasing, prodding or simply a disputed ruling all that was required to flip Pip's aggressive game and matching temper into all out frenzy.

As Simon and Pip entered the dining room and took their seats, Mum called out for Dad to come and get the curry out of the oven. Georgie simultaneously appeared from the kitchen with three small bowls with their favourite curry bits and pieces. Pip's peanuts and crisps took pride of place, followed by sliced banana pieces, bowls of finely chopped tomato and cucumber, plus mango chutney.

Dad carried through the large bubbling dish of chicken curry, returning for the steaming rice as Mum finished cooking Georgie's grilled chicken with chips and baked beans. Unlike the rest of the family, Georgie was not a curry fan.