The Camden Tales

44 - One Last Deal

-=₪ October 1929 ₪=-

The Mansion / Margate / 9.09am

Alfie was stood on the balcony of the drawing room smoking. Thick grey smoke rose from his shiny black pipe, his steely stare lost across the ocean to the infinite horizon.

Each morning after he woke, Alfie would make his way to the drawing room, open the doors to the balcony and enjoy his pipe with a morning water. It was the most peaceful time of day, no traffic could be heard, no bustle of people, no night life, just the early morning dew hanging in the air, the birds singing and the sounds of the ocean waves, it was tranquillity like he had never experienced.

When the family sprung from their beds and made breakfast, he would join them in the kitchen. They had taken to eating around the large farmhouse table of the basement kitchen since the day they moved in and only used the large dining room on the ground floor during special occasions.

As was common, Alfie enjoyed breakfast with the family, the boys would regale him with stories from the club, Yasmin liked to show pictures she had drawn of everyone. They often caused much laughter as Yasmin had a talent for over exaggerating key traits and features of family members which impressed and entertained. The women would generally discuss their plans for the day, and Malka would always listen to the family quietly and smile, but mostly would watch her husband. He enjoyed her eyes on him as he engaged with the excited family who often queued their interactions between one another to speak with him, keen to have his attention and opinion. The small moments between the chatter were his favourite as their eyes would meet and entire conversations would be had from their glances.

This morning, however, had been different, Malka hadn't been watching him anywhere near as keenly as usual, if anything he felt avoided. She hadn't touched her breakfast and didn't smile or share her thoughts with him once.

His son, Alfred, had devoured his breakfast avidly, as was always the case. Now four, and soon to be five in December, Alfred was talking and not just often but clearly and with confidence. The boy would still sign his frustrations from time-to-time which undoubtedly curbed his tantrums when compared to the girls who had never used such a method to express their annoyances. Alfred had become a curious child, eager to learn, quick to study, and was rarely unhappy. This was a delight for Alfie but also a source of trepidation, schooling age was fast approaching his bright Jewish son and if Alfie's school life was anything to go by, it seemed highly possible that it would be the period in his son's life that would quash all positive qualities and be replaced with a fast-growing disdain for people.

Alfie quickly shuffled the thought to the back of his mind when he heard Malka laugh from the hallway. Relighting his pipe, he heard her enter the drawing room, he felt her genuine smile from behind grace him which gave relief. However, her disturbed thoughtful breakfast unsettled him and now he anticipated her explanation. The sound of her soft embroidered slippers padded across the wooden floor, over the rug and finally out onto the balcony.

Her hands pressed on his back and ran up to his shoulders where she rounded him and gave a cheerful kiss on the cheek. He didn't outwardly respond to her affections as she hugged his arm, but instead continued his observations of a large ship that was passing the house. Her eyes moved from him to the ship. The explanation for her behaviour during breakfast wasn't forthcoming coming, her silence made that clear. To lighten his own mood, which she had surely picked up on as it loomed thick in the air, he decided to change the subject.

"What's going on between Louis and Anna? Only it's dragging on a bit, innit?" he said as casually as possible.

Her chuckle encouraged a little smile to crack from the corner of his mouth.