Love & Money

An extract from "Love and Money" follows:

James enjoyed the fish and chips from a shop two streets away from the College. He walked there after a long run on a wet Saturday morning. He had got to know the owner, Tom Brajkovich well, during his years at King's.

James was tall and solidly built. He was No.8 and now captain of the King's Rugby Ist XV. He boarded at the School, but only after being made Head Boy. He had been a day student, catching the train until he got his driver's licence and he was then allowed to drive to school. As an only child, his parents had felt James should remain at home with them. The extra commitments of being Head Boy meant that he had to switch to boarding for his final year.

He gave his order and sat down to wait. She walked in with another girl. She was surprised to see James there and reacted instinctively.

Photo: Olivier Koning

"If it isn't number three" Sieni said out loud, as she made as if to walk back out.

He stood up immediately, preventing them walking out, "It's James. May I know your name?"

"The name's Folasau, Sieni Folasau" A big smile on her face. Sieni was clearly enjoying herself. She delighted in articulating her Samoan names for this Head Boy of King's College.

"Sieni Folasau the First" she added.

"This is my friend, Mary Tatupu. Mary, meet James Woods the Third."

Sieni was by now laughing out loud, and even Tom Brajkovich was smiling, in spite of the fact that James was one of his best customers.

James could not help being amused, even though they were poking fun at him.

Impulsively, he heard himself saying: "Can I shout you girls? There are some tables out back. Tom doesn't mind, do you Tom?"

Sieni was caught by surprise by James' generous and unexpected gesture.

"We're strictly chips and fritters girls, James Woods III, and we are not fussy about which newspaper they're wrapped in either"

"How about a truce, Sieni Folasau the First?"

James pronounced Sieni's names with a fluency that would have made people believe he had known her all his life.

"Just triple my order, Tom. Are Cokes okay?"

"I'll have a Lemon and Paeroa" Sieni said

"Fanta, thanks" said Mary.

It had stopped raining, so they sat in the back, behind the shop. Tables and deck chairs. The conversation was easy, natural. As if it was an everyday event for a James Woods III to be eating fish and chips with a Sieni Folasau and a Mary Tatupu.

Tom Brajkovich found the situation fascinating. Tom read the papers, he knew who James Woods III was. The father of this Head Boy of Kings who was now "dining" on his fish and chips with two Samoan girls, in the back of his shop.

"Doesn't Tom make the best fish and chips!" James said, "Better than that classy place in Epsom".

"We wouldn't know as most times we can't afford the fish," Sieni said, without any malice. She was starting to be taken in by how nice this guy was, but something in her could not help but poke fun at the wide gulf in their personal circumstances. "I can't help who I am, Sieni, or how wealthy my family is. I do find myself liking you. Can you accept that I don't look down on you, in any way at all?'

Mary Tatupu was so impressed by James, she later told Sieni to give her a chance, if Sieni was not interested in James. "He's quite good looking, Sieni. And very well built. Rather a nice guy considering he goes to that snobbish school!"

"And I am just a kitchen maid there, Mary. Fairytales are called fairytales because they are from make-believe land."

"I don't care about all that. I just see the way he looks at you, and I know he likes you. And I mean likes you for who you really are."

A simple fish and chip meal. It was to be the turning point in their relationship. A chance meeting, the beginning of a mutual bond of respect that would quickly blossom into affection and then ultimately, love. The initial verbal sparring was now over. Never again would James say or think anything condescending or disparaging about Sieni. Not about Sieni, her family and friends, and certainly never about her race or personal circumstances.