شبی در ماکسیم

Chapter one

A night out at Maxim’s

Jennifer looked at the clock on the waiting-room wall. Nearly half-past eight. The light was still on in Doctor Gibson’s room. I’m going to be late, she said to herself, why doesn’t he hurry up? The evening surgery was always busy on Thursdays but tonight was worse than usual.

She quickly put the newspapers in a cupboard. Then she took off her white coat and locked it in the cupboard too. She was turning off the lights when someone rang the front doorbell. Oh no, not another patient, not at this hour. She ran to the door and opened it.

Outside it was dark but she could see a man, his hands deep in his pockets. He moved his head and the light fell on his face.

‘Richard’ she cried in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Can I come in for a minute?’

He did not wait for an answer but pushed past her and went inside. Jennifer turned to him. She was usually pleased when Richard called, but this was the wrong time. ‘I’m sorry, but you can’t stay. I must hurry. I’m meeting my friend Claire for dinner and–’ She stopped. It was Richard’s eyes - they looked tired and worried.

‘What’s the matter’ she asked.

Just then Dr Gibson called from his room. ‘Did I hear the doorbell, Nurse? Was it another patient?’

‘No, it’s only my brother Richard,’ she called back.

She turned back to Richard. ‘Is something wrong’ she asked again.

He shook his head. ‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘It’s just– well, I had some trouble at work.’

‘Trouble?’

‘It was nothing, really. I said something to my boss and he didn’t like it. He got angry with me and– and in the end he told me to go. So I’ve lost my job.’

‘Oh Richard, not again! Why do you do these things?’ Jennifer was beginning to feel cross with him. ‘And now you have no money, is that it?’

‘Take it easy, Jenny. I don’t need very much. Only twenty pounds. I’ll pay you back next week - really I will.’ He put his hand on her arm. ‘You can do that for me, can’t you? Just twenty pounds. It’s for a present.’

‘Yes, I know, I know. A present for a very special girl - like the last one. And the one before.’ Jennifer knew her young brother well and she was often angry with him, but she could never say no to him. She opened her bag, took out some money and gave it to him. ‘But remember, I want it back next week.’

Richard smiled and put his arm around his sister. ‘Thanks, Jenny. This is different. Really! She’s very, very special. But you’re in a hurry so I’ll go now.’

‘Don’t forget,’ she called after him. ‘Next week. Twenty pounds.’

Maxim’s restaurant was busy - young men and women from offices, several older people, a group of students, and a few theatre people. Jennifer looked around for her friend. Claire usually sat near the window but tonight she was not there. Somebody was having a party and all the tables on that side were full. Then Jennifer heard Claire’s voice behind her. ‘Did you get lost? I’ve been here for hours.’

‘I know I’m late,’ Jennifer said, ‘and I am sorry. Today has been really busy. The last patient didn’t leave until eight-thirty. And then I had a visit from Richard. He wanted to borrow some money. He always wants to borrow money.’

They went to an empty table. A waiter came up to them and took their orders. At that moment there was a cheer from the party beside the window. An older man in a light grey suit was standing up. He spoke for a few minutes and then held up his glass.

All the others stood up, and looked at a young girl with large gold ear-rings, who was sitting in the chair next to him. Everyone was laughing, and then they began to sing ‘Happy birthday to you’. They were all looking at the girl, but she herself just sat there without a smile on her face.

The song came to an end, and there was another loud cheer and more laughing and shouting. Someone called out ‘Twenty-one today, twenty-one today–’, and this time everyone in the restaurant sang too.

Suddenly there was a loud crash. Then someone screamed and a voice shouted, ‘Bring a towel - quickly.’

The man in the grey suit was lying across the table. He was holding his face, which was red with blood. On the table there was broken glass.

Someone said in a loud voice, ‘What happened - did he fall?’ Several people were speaking at the same time. ‘It’s his heart, you know.’

‘Joe’s been in and out of hospital for years.’

‘His head hit those glasses’.

The man was still lying across the table. Jennifer jumped up, and both she and Claire ran over to him.

‘We’re nurses,’ said Jennifer. ‘Can we help?’

There was a cut on the side of the man’s face. It was deep and he was losing a lot of blood. A waiter ran up with a towel. Jennifer took it and held it to the cut. The man’s mouth was open and he was making strange noises.

‘He needs a doctor. We’ll have to get him to hospital,’ Jennifer said. She turned to Claire. ‘You came here in your car, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, come on - we’ll take him,’ Claire replied.

They helped the man outside and put him in Claire’s car. Jennifer jumped in beside him and they drove off. She was still holding the towel to the man’s face. The blood was not coming so fast now and he was beginning to feel a little better.

‘Where. where are we going’ he asked. ‘Are you taking me home?’

‘Just stay there and don’t speak,’ Jennifer told him. ‘You fell and hurt yourself. You’ll be all right, but you must see a doctor. We’ll be at the hospital in a few minutes.’

At the word ‘hospital’ the man immediately tried to sit up. ‘No, no,’ he said angrily, ‘I don’t need to go to hospital. I’m feeling better now. Just take me home. And who are you?’

‘I’m a nurse,’ Jennifer told him. ‘And you need to see a doctor. We’re nearly there now. Just sit still - and stop talking.’

But the man was feeling stronger now and he would not be quiet. He pulled at Jennifer’s arm and said loudly, ‘I don’t need a doctor. It’s just a small cut on my face. I’m all right now. Take me home!’ When Jennifer did not answer him, he said in a quieter voice.

‘Come on now - listen to me. I’m feeling fine, really I am. There’s no need to take me to hospital. They’ll want to keep me there - they always do, because of my bad heart. You see, I have to meet some business people the day after tomorrow - it’s very important. So just stop the car and I can get a taxi home.’

By now the car was at the door of the hospital. A nurse came to meet them and while Claire told her about the accident, Jennifer helped the man out of the car. He said something angrily to the nurse, but after a few seconds he went with her into the hospital. Jennifer and Claire drove away.

‘What a difficult man’ said Claire crossly. ‘No “Thank you for your help” or “You’re very kind”.’

‘Some people never say thank you,’ Jennifer said.

‘Don’t worry about it.’

When they got back to Maxim’s, a police car was standing outside, with its blue light on. There was a small group of people around the door. Jennifer pushed through them, Claire behind her. They tried to go inside. A policeman moved forward and put up his arm. ‘You’ll have to wait here,’ he told them.

‘But we ordered dinner.and we haven’t eaten yet,’ said Claire.

But the policeman was not listening to them. He was looking through the glass door. Something was happening inside and people were moving about. Then one of Maxim’s waiters opened the door and two policemen came out.

They were holding a young girl between them. It was the girl from the birthday party, the girl with the unhappy face and the expensive gold ear-rings. The police pushed her into the back of their car and drove away quickly.

Jennifer and Claire looked at each other. What an evening! They waited two or three minutes, but the restaurant door was closed now and the policeman was standing in front of it again.

Neither of them felt hungry anymore. They walked slowly towards the car. Claire was the first to speak. ‘Come on, Jenny, let’s enjoy ourselves - we’re having a night out.’ Jennifer did not speak.

Claire went on, ‘Do you remember Maxim’s little song on TV?’ She began to sing:

Come where the music’s wonderful,

Come where the food is fine.

Let’s all meet at Maxim’s,

We’ll have a wonderful time.

She stopped. Jennifer was not pleased. ‘All this is not really my idea of a wonderful time,’ she said. ‘I’m tired and I wanted a nice quiet evening, a good meal, and an early night.’

‘Come on,’ Claire replied. ‘Let’s go to another restaurant.’

‘No, let’s leave it till next week. I’ll just walk home now.’

They said goodbye. Claire got into her car and called, ‘See you next week, then.’

Jennifer walked slowly home. She felt unhappy and worried - worried about her young brother, Richard. She remembered his visit to the surgery earlier that evening. He was always in and out of jobs, and never had any money. A year ago he had a little trouble with the police, but Richard did not worry about it.

He never worried about anything! He just laughed, and came to Jennifer to ask for more money. Both their parents were dead, and there were no other brothers or sisters. So Jennifer, fifteen years older than Richard, worried about her brother a lot.

She went past a jewellery shop with its lights on, and stopped to look in the window for a minute. She saw some ear-rings and then remembered the gold ear-rings on the girl at Maxim’s.

They were large and looked very expensive - and they looked all wrong next to that small unhappy face. Where did she get them? Jennifer smiled to herself. Perhaps the police were asking that question now.