‘We’re going on a gondola!’ Malini jumped up and down, forgetting her vow of secrecy.
‘You’ve given it away!’ Raj pretended to be cross. ‘Yep, that’s where we’re going.’ He pointed towards the gondola station just beyond the Rialto Bridge where a small queue had formed. Phil opened his mouth to suggest they head to the out-of-the-way spot where he and Cate had taken their gondola, gliding down the equivalent of Venice’s back streets, an experience that felt so much more exclusive than the trip Raj and Neelam had planned. He felt Cate’s fingers press lightly on his arm, reminding him that this afternoon, they’d be doing things Raj’s way.
The small queue rapidly dwindled; a gondolier signalled he was ready for another set of passengers. His black gondola with gold trim was as sleek as any Ferrari. The craftmanship Phil had the privilege to observe at thesquerowas as fascinating as any building they would pass. He realised he wouldn’t care if they were sailing down the Thames.
‘Hold back, guys.’ Raj grabbed hold of his littlest one by the neck of his T-shirt. ‘Mummy and Cate will get on first, then you lot can sit on laps; that way, we’ll fit everyone in.’
The gondolier, straight out of central casting in his black and white striped top, helped Cate and Neelam step aboard, steadying them as they wobbled, laughing, to the two prime forward-facing seats. Raj plopped the kids down one by one. He signalled for Phil to go next.
‘No!’ The gondolier put up his hand like a traffic policeman. ‘Only five.’
‘But the kids are going to sit on our laps,’ Raj said.
‘And they weigh next to nothing. Please, it’s a special occasion,’ Cate wheedled.
The gondolier wasn’t the sort of man to be turned to mush by Cate’s full-beam smile. ‘Next gondola, gentlemen.’
‘We can’t go without you,’ Neelam fretted. Cate put her hand on her arm, said something soothing.
‘Of course you can,’ Raj said. ‘We’ll meet you back here in half an hour.’
Phil watched the gondola glide away, Malini and the older boy now spread out over seats facing the two women, the younger boy balanced on Neelam’s lap. Now it was just him and Raj, alone at last. He felt as vulnerable as a child whose blankie had been whisked away.
‘Are you getting on?’ A woman in a yellow hat gestured to the next craft.
‘What do you think, Phil? You and me on a romantic gondola ride?’ Raj waggled his eyebrows.
‘Umm, if you like.’
Raj laughed, flashing a couple of metal fillings. ‘Let’s get a beer. There’s a bar round the corner.’
Phil followed his ex-friend to a teeny hole-in-the-wall place. Perched on a wobbly stool as Raj ordered two bottles of Moretti, he had the gnawing feeling that Raj had known full well they couldn’t all pile on the one gondola.
‘How’s biz, Phil? I heard you took over Evan’s uncle’s old company. It’s doing pretty well, from what I see.’
‘Yeah, turnover’s up. I wouldn’t say we’re recession-proof but there’s a pretty steady customer base for high-end, bespoke products.’
‘Cate mentioned your boys are at Hillingdon. I was kind of surprised about that.’
Phil’s face burned but he resolved to tell the truth. If he wasn’t going to be honest, he might as well get up and walk away right now.
‘It’s a different place these days. Things have changed a lot. Proper pastoral care and all that. Oli was really keen to go and of course Max wanted to follow him. Oli’s best friend, Evan’s son, was already there.’ He paused, waiting for Raj to react.
‘They’ve got the right type of friends then.’
‘Our boys, they’re not awkward outsiders like us. Oli and Max are made for Hillingdon. They’re not just academic, they’re sporty too. They get leading roles in the school plays, they’ll stand up and debate. I couldn’t let my experience stop me from giving them the best education they can get.’
‘My kids are at the local schools; they don’t seem to be doing so bad.’ Raj shrugged. He took a couple of swigs of his beer.
Phil tensed, waiting for Raj’s next move.
‘So, you still see Evan then. How is he? I often thought about him, wondering if he was okay, whether he moved onto harder drugs: ketamine, cocaine or something worse. I pray my kids never try stuff like that.’
‘You knew it was him all along?’
Raj’s brown eyes seemed to look right into his soul.
‘So did you, Phil. I woke up that night in Venice, saw both your beds were empty. I was worried that you might be so desperate for Evan’s friendship, you’d start taking drugs with him. People like us don’t detox in luxury spas; we end up sleeping on the streets.’
