Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi

happened.’
    He said as neutrally as he could, ‘I enjoyed it.’
    â€˜Has he got things organized over there?’
    â€˜Not exactly organized.’
    â€˜No. So – things are not good?’
    â€˜Not bad.’
    â€˜What do you mean by that?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ parried Gabriel.
    â€˜What’s Dad going to do, then?’
    â€˜You know Dad. He’s got a few contacts.’
    Mum snorted and laughed. ‘With the barmen in the Nashville? There was a job in the off-licence down the road. They know him there. I thought he might as well take their money before giving it back to them. But would he do it?’ She was looking at him. ‘Was Dad drinking?’
    â€˜Not really.’
    â€˜Drugs?’
    â€˜You know I’ve given up.’
    â€˜Him, you little fool!’ She pretended to slap his face. ‘Don’t joke about that subject.’
    â€˜Sorry.’
    â€˜And if he does anything like that with you around, I’ll stop him seeing you.’
    Gabriel was listening for Archie, but he had made himself incommunicado.
    After the experience of dealing with these interrogations from his parents, Gabriel wondered whether he might be qualified for work as a diplomat. Zak’s parents had recently separated and Gabriel had heard about the trials of being a divorce ‘go-between’. Generally, the code among the children, when the burning light of their parents’ curiosity was turned on them, was not unlike that of criminals dealing with the police: ‘Say nothing; give nothing away – it’ll only be used against you.’
    The last thing parents wanted was the truth; a child could be punished for telling it. He was learning, but the situation was relatively new to him.
    He found himself saying, ‘That’s not all Dad is. Lester was pleased to see him.’
    She said, ‘Lester who? Lester Jones?’
    â€˜He gave me a picture he’d done.’
    â€˜Lester hasn’t seen Dad for years. Are you making up stories? I remember when you told the teacher at school that I’d fallen into a volcano.’
    â€˜Hadn’t you?’
    â€˜Sort of. Gabriel, how do you know Lester was pleased? Don’t tell me you both went.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Where was Lester staying then?’
    Gabriel began to describe the almost invisible hotel but Mum wasn’t listening; she was looking closely at him.
    â€˜I know you’ve seen Lester,’ she said. ‘You’ve still got some of my eye shadow on. Isn’t that right?’
    â€˜Green’s our colour, I think.’
    â€˜Not that vulgar green.’ She said, ‘Nothing will come of any of it.’
    â€˜Maybe. But he said I’m talented.’
    â€˜Show business people always talk such shit. They said it about your father once. Funky fingers. Butter fingers more like.’
    â€˜I didn’t get the impression,’ said Gabriel with the pomposity of a headmaster, ‘that he was only trying to be kind.’
    â€˜Oh, didn’t you. What picture are you talking about? Show it to me. It doesn’t exist.’
    â€˜Christine!’ A voice called from downstairs. ‘We want some more!’
    Gabriel said, ‘Who’s that?’
    â€˜A friend. I should go.’
    Gabriel got out of bed and unrolled the picture. He held it out for her and she looked at it for a long time.
    â€˜It is by him. Where are you going to keep it?’
    â€˜Dad really likes it. It’ll cheer up his room.’
    â€˜Does it need cheering up?
    â€˜He hasn’t even got a picture of Archie.’
    â€˜Hasn’t he? I’m not sure he even thinks about Archie now.’
    Gabriel said, ‘The walls are so greasy at Dad’s place I doubt whether anything will stick to them.’
    â€˜You can’t put it there, then. Oh no, no, no.’
    â€˜But I’ll frame it first.’
    â€˜You said it’s