Legacy by Jayne Olorunda Page B

demanding a draw with the town’s hero. Gabrielle and Max were the rowdy cowboys to these people; they perceived them, Max in particular as a stranger - a threat. It would not have surprised me from the description of that night if tumbleweed had blown along the restaurant floor in front of them.
    Max must have felt the atmosphere yet acted like nothing was amiss and escorted them to their seats. It was only when couples came in after them that Gabrielle noticed a maître de clamouring to welcome the new arrivals. He boasted of the specials whilst selecting prime seating for them. Gabrielle and Max waited and waited for a menu which arrived with a kindly slam on the table, Max’s slam was given with additional force.
    No kindly maître de recited the specials to them.
    After waiting a further forty minutes for their order to be taken, Gabrielle grew increasingly agitated and pleaded with Max to allow them to leave. Max refused stubbornly insisting that they waited. Gabrielle was in no doubt angry, not only with the restaurant but also with Max; it was a miracle that they didn’t argue. By this stage all who arrived after them had been served, some were even ordering desert.
    As the situation unfolded around them Gabrielle was learning that Max was a proud man; he did not easily align himself with defeat, so it was with a heavy heart that she suppressed her anger and waited with him. When almost an hour had passed and still no food arrived, Max made his way to the maître de while Gabrielle looked on discreetly. After he had spoken to the maître de Max turned to return to the table.
    It all happened so fast; the maître de extended his right foot and hooked it around Max’s ankle. Max immediately fell to the floor with a thud.
    Gabrielle heard bone collide with the hard ground. The maître de and the kitchen staff laughed, the other diners simply looked on. Gabrielle ran to him and this time he needed no pleading on her part to leave the restaurant.
    As they left Gabrielle saw the maître de wipe their unused table; a bottle of disinfectant in hand.
    Many other deplorable incidents occurred in those months, too numerous to detail. Max’s handling of these, never complaining yet never quite accepting, only made Gabrielle admire him more.
    It wasn’t all doom and gloom on the social scene however, as a couple they had good friends, friends who restored Gabrielle’s faith in humanity and the people she lived amongst. Her friends were predominantly from the hospital background. They were surrounded by a multitude of different races in their everyday life so they didn’t bat an eyelid at Max. Nor did they flinch at Gabrielle and Max’s relationship. Max’s friends came mainly from his work. Gabrielle thought they were boring accountants’, bookish nerds but Max was clearly fond of them so by default she was too. They went to many parties and in an unspoken agreement between them only frequented familiar and safe places. They became regulars at the ‘Egg’ bar, where if even a derogatory stare was thrown in their direction the staff would immediately remove the offender.
    Their friends were also to become protective of Max; they like Gabrielle were utterly perplexed by the attitudes emerging around them. To Max’s accountancy friends he was a strong contender in the race for the coveted title of ‘chartered’ accountant. To Gabrielle’s medical friends he was simply ‘Gabrielle’s Max’. All of them saw beyond Max’s skin colour, seeing him for what he was; a professional young man, fun, mannerly and a great conversationalist.
    They got engaged after a year. It was no surprise to their friends and congratulatory cards and gifts were showered upon them. Gabrielle’s parents knew that she was dating someone and she looked forward to greeting them with the news. Max was going away for a training session the following week so Gabrielle