Legacy (7 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Although Gabrielle was deeply hurt by her parent's reaction she was annoyed with her father in particular. She knew without doubt that he did not share her mother's provincial opinions. She remembered him reading the Irish Times and its world report and condemning Ian Smith as a tyrant. He derided him at every available opportunity and championed the plight of the indigenous South Africans to all and sundry. Once he even had asked her to say a special novena to St Jude the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes, asking him to solve South Africa's problems, after Ireland's of course. Yet he was prepared to acquiesce with her mother's attitude, rather than brave contention in their cautiously harmonious home.

Regardless of the growing resentment she felt towards her parents her life seemed to trundle on as normal. For a while she held out the hope that they would be filled with remorse. She imagined how they would contact her to say sorry. Yet as the months passed she knew this was not to be. Reason told Gabrielle that she would be planning this wedding alone.

The definitive humiliation for her was telling Max her parents did not approve of him or of their engagement. He was visibly upset but seemed resigned to their feelings. By all accounts Max had learnt never to expect acceptance when encountering the unknown so he was perhaps disappointed but not surprised when Gabrielle reiterated her parent's words to him. Gabrielle knew that this was not the first blind rejection he'd faced; in her short time with him she had witnessed many. She also knew that he had looked forward to meeting her family; she talked of home a lot and had unwittingly built his expectations.

Max clearly felt that he was tearing her away from her family. Yet the family she thought she had, the family she used to be so certain off, no longer existed. Instead one hundred miles down the road, in the town she grew up in dwelled a family she didn't know. Their outward façade cunningly concealed their true nature. A nature she never wanted to encounter again. It was with confidence that she could tell Max that her family were no longer important, because right now, that was how she felt.

To prove Gabrielle's assertions further, she insisted that they set a date sooner rather than later. She wanted them to marry; Max would become her new family. They had friends, good jobs and happiness. She would let no one spoil that, especially not her parents.

With that in mind they set a date for June of that year, only six months away and began making arrangements. Max was put in charge of finding a home and Gabrielle would look after the preparations for the big day.

They decided to have a small civic wedding and secured a booking in Belfast city hall. As her family wouldn't attend they no longer needed to consider any religious perspective; that suited her. She wanted the day to be simple. Big weddings were designed for families and guests rather than the couple. Gabrielle decided that they would invite no one; they would quietly get married and slip away on honeymoon. Max was still not completely at ease with Gabrielle forging ahead with plans and her blasé attitude. He continually insisted that she would regret it later. Gabrielle on the other hand knew she wouldn't.

Max was aware that Gabrielle came from a staunch Catholic background and only agreed to progress with her plans if she at least had the wedding blessed. He claimed that if her parents eventually did assent, that they could at least prove they had done everything properly. To keep Max quiet, Gabrielle reluctantly spoke to a priest and arranged a blessing for the weeks after the wedding. Her parent's approval no longer mattered to her; they and everything that ever hurt her were boxed and placed them on her shelf.

Once again in the weeks approaching the wedding Max began nagging her, this time to try once more to involve her family. And just as with the church blessing his gentle but persistent goading won out. Gabrielle knew that the only way to quell his demands was to offer the white flag and invite them. The very act went against every fibre of her body, yet maybe just maybe Max was right and this situation, this deadlock could be rectified.

For Gabrielle the idea of being the one to initiate contact made her bristle, as far as she was concerned her parents knew that they were in the wrong. Why should she get in touch when they should be contacting her? Eventually she got used to the idea and began to think that perhaps they were waiting for contact from her. It was perfectly conceivable that Max's idea wasn't entirely outlandish. They were her parents and she at least owed them the courtesy of an invitation.

On my Max's part his family weren't much better but he had long since severed any ties with them.

Max had grown up in Lagos and came from a much superior background than Gabrielle's. His father was a senior figure in the Nigerian civil service. He was a strict disciplinarian and had expected greatness from his children. Max and his brothers and sisters were pushed into education, hobbies were quelled and fun was frowned upon. All focus was put on their studies. Each of them was encouraged to enter the medical profession. They were offered incentives such as having their university fees paid, all expenses taken care of whilst studying and a handsome reward on completion. Any career other than medicine was not considered acceptable.

Max's family was large. He and two of his brothers were products of their father's first marriage. He did not talk much of his other siblings, they were his half brothers and sisters and from his demeanour when he spoke of them it was clear that strife of one form or another existed within the family. Since he never volunteered any information Gabrielle never probed him. He would tell her all about them when he was ready and she was willing to wait.

It seemed that with one notable exception, the wishes of his father were adhered to. One by one each sibling full and half had entered into and embraced medicine. All but Max had succeeded and were now either on their way to, or had already been crowned with the lofty title of doctor. Max was unique in his choice of accountancy, something his father strongly disapproved of. Gabrielle found the situation entirely nonsensical and used to joke with me when I enquired about it. After all if that was how his father reacted to an accountant imagine his reaction to a pimp.

Max's father had a plan for his children, their interests or autonomy were irrelevant. If they did not meet their father's expectations they became something to be ashamed of. Max possibly as a result of stubbornness and sheer obstinacy ignored his father's wishes and pursued his career in accountancy. He went to England and took an accountancy degree, after which he found a graduate position in one of the of the big five accountancy firms. He was transferred to Belfast and within the year fate brought him to Gabrielle.

For Max his alternative choice of career meant a struggle. He had not obeyed his father's instructions and was forced to pay his own way through university. So it was with a great sense of pride when he graduated unaided and embarked on his chosen career. His ultimate dream was to have his name on a plaque outside his office and one day to have his own chartered accountancy firm. So far he was heading in the right direction.

Gabrielle had never met any of Max's siblings, but she had seen pictures of them all, pictures taken in a place that was so alien and far away, that it could have been another world. The entire family were captured in a photograph outside Max's family home, a large imposing white house. They stood together dressed impeccably and smiled happily at the camera. I still have that album and looking at it, it is difficult to believe that this family was so fractured; the pictures showed such a joyous group.

In the back of Max's photo album was a picture of a lady of unrivalled beauty. Gabrielle assumed she was a relative and asked him who she was. She was aghast when he replied,

“This Gabrielle, is the most beautiful woman in the world,” his chest swelled with pomposity as he continued “one of our many Nigerian, beauties, this is
Miss Nigeria.
”

Gabrielle fumed, how he dare imply that Nigeria was swarming with beauties.

“If your Nigerian women are so bloody beautiful then why don't you go and get one?” she sulked.

A few days later they began to speak again. Never again was the beauty of the women from his homeland ever mentioned. The picture was never seen again.

Max had had a happy childhood. He spent his free time playing under the Nigerian sun and holidaying in exotic Nigerian locations. Free time as a boy was not plentiful; leisure was a rare commodity, so he made the most of it when he got it. His childhood involved more schooling than most children, but even this he enjoyed. Gabrielle doubted that his boyhood self knew any different.

Max's childhood died with his mother, his father swiftly took on a new wife and started to build a new family. By all accounts this family was one that Max and his brothers were not a part of. They were not permitted to dine with his step brothers and sisters, weren't even allowed to play with them and only allowed to speak to them when they absolutely had to. His father so taken with his new wife never defended his hitherto precious sons. Instead he encouraged them to go and study medicine; to leave.

Max in choosing to study accountancy left home alone and unfunded. Moving so far away, to a strange land, didn't daunt him, he was simply relieved to leave his by then miserable home and callous step mother and never look back. In fairy tales the wicked step mother always gets her comeuppance, but Max's stepmother flourished in Max and his brothers' absence. She grew stronger and stronger, her tentacles reaching into every aspect of Olorunda life. Like Gabrielle's family, Max's family were God loving and strict church goers. Church was paramount in all their lives.

Max often talked about how his stepmother didn't like him or his brothers, in fact as far as he was concerned she detested them. As such he didn't trust her and no longer felt welcome at home in her presence. He spoke to his father and tried often to express his feelings, but his words were futile. For Max the further he went from her and what remained of his family the better. Funding a place at university, thousands of miles away, was a small sacrifice for such an escape. He resolved at that young age that if he would ever marry that it would last, if he had a family it would be a happy one. If death intervened in his marriage his vows would remain intact.

Max had a brother in Edinburgh who had promised to visit, but as the wedding date coincided with his exams, he committed to visiting later in the year. Max seemed happy enough with this and therefore so was Gabrielle. If only her family would have a change of heart they could have compensated for Max's lack of relations on the big day. Gabrielle knew that she was delving into the realms of fantasy when she dared to think of her family, but perhaps if reconciliation occurred, they would accept her fiancé as their own. He could have a new family. So for Max's sake, Gabrielle bought an expensive invitation and posted it to her parents, inside she inserted a letter.

For hours she had agonised over what to say, but in the end kept it simple. She asked them to come to her wedding, to meet her new husband. She listed the virtues that Max possessed, told them about his promising career and their plans to buy a house. She told them that they would marry in the City Hall and that they would be getting a church blessing. She told them of how much she loved her fiancé, and that she knew that they would too. If only they would give him a chance. Before Gabrielle could have any second thoughts she posted the letter.

Gabrielle spent the next few days waiting for a response. The very act of posting the invite, of writing the letter planted a little seed of hope in her soul and as the days passed the seed grew and grew and she visualised her family proudly welcoming Max into their lives.

Two weeks on, Gabrielle's hopes for her parent's attendance and desired blessing withered. They had received the invite but had chosen to ignore it. Her parents were racist; she could not make excuses for them.

One week to the day of her wedding Gabrielle received a letter in a familiar hand, it was from her mother. At last they had a change of heart. She felt a mammoth weight being lifted off her shoulders, the little sealed box marked ‘home' had its lid removed, and it was coming off her shelf.

She lit a cigarette and tore open the letter, eager to digest its contents. Excitement fluttered in her stomach, her parents had accepted her relationship,

Dear Gabrielle,

We had hoped that since our last talk that you would have reconsidered your plans. It seems that this has not been the case and that you are intent on destroying your life and shaming your family.

We received your invitation and would like to inform you, that we will be unable to attend your wedding.

Regards

Mr and Mrs Caulfield
(**As described by Gabrielle)

Gabrielle reread her mother's caustic words and tossed them aside. The rest of that afternoon passed in a blur of tears. Why would they send that? Could they not have ignored the invitation? Instead they had to have the last word. They had to reinforce that they did not agree with her choice, that they thought that her fiancé was inferior. The impression that she had of her parents that day was one that would linger for a long time; they were simply old, dated bastards.

Gabrielle's sadness turned to anger; she ripped their letter up and threw it in the bin. Max would never know about this. Back to the shelf went her parents and to commemorate the occasion she blasted Frank Sinatra's ‘I did it my way' to full volume and two vodkas later went off to meet her girlfriends for a hen party that she was determined to enjoy.

Chapter Sixteen

Gabrielle had never been one of those desperately romantic females whose fantasies revolved around demure princesses and handsome princes. Before Max marriage had never been highly rated on her list of life's priorities. Marriage was something people did when they reached a certain age, like birth and death it was simply a rite of passage. How wrong she had been.

When the wedding day dawned; she didn't experience a single shred of uncertainty, the anticipated fears of being jilted never materialised. She had slept soundly the night before and awoke refreshed and relaxed. In the hours leading to the ceremony she felt blissfully tranquil, secure in the knowledge that she had made the right decision in her choice of husband, despite opinions to the contrary.

Their preparations had gone smoothly and she did not anticipate any obstacles. Even now the huge white dresses and elaborate flowers of other girls' fantasies meant nothing. This marriage would mean more than frills and flounces; Gabrielle had designed it to impress no one. Her marriage was about one uncomplicated but beautiful thing. It was about Max and her declaring their love for each other. They would show her family and all their many adversaries that they were together in the eyes of God. The vows that they would take would cement their relationship, they would promise to love and honour each other, and allowing nothing and no one on this earth separate them. At least until death.

Gabrielle didn't need a ball gown, tiered cakes or countless tiny flower girls. Max didn't need a best man or ushers. They needed nothing but each other and their minimalistic ceremony would demonstrate that.

It took several painstaking, onerous weeks scouring what seemed like every shop in Belfast for Gabrielle to find her perfect outfit. However her meticulous searches were not in vain and she was rewarded with an outfit that could not have been more perfect. It may as well have been handmade just for her. It was precisely what she had in mind; it consisted of a little cream dress and matching jacket. Its tailored cut and detailed finish exuded luxury, any onlooker would know that this was not a standard off the rail affair; even though it was. She was delighted with her choice. She had somehow managed to select an outfit that fitted many categories, for it was classy yet fashionable, and informal yet formal. Its versatility meant that Gabrielle could dress it up or down and that it would last her for years she knew such a classic piece would never date. As she had grown older, her taste in clothes had veered away from high fashion and evolved into neat lines and good cuts. Flares and maxi dresses were not for her. The pure simplicity of her wedding choice reflected this.

Like her dress, she styled her hair in a chic fashion, she pulled it loosely off her face and wrapped it in a chignon. Everything about her entire look was intentionally plain and understated. To offset this she planned to accentuate her face. With the careful application of makeup Gabrielle would emphasise
her eyes and her cheekbones. Her dark hair without regular trips to the hairdresser had a tendency to hang limp and straight. To prevent this, she had visited her regular hairdresser the day before, where he injected his usual magic. Her hair was now infused with volume and shining like never before.

Gabrielle's build was slim; she had good teeth, and large pretty eyes. Yet when put together her features never quite loaned themselves to the description of beauty. Her mother had once told her she had
‘a big face'
insisting that she kept a fringe at all times to ‘lesson' the impact. Her mother's flattery and adulation served to ensure that Gabrielle was never over confident. She had to work hard to look good, careful grooming was part of her daily routine. With the injection of what at times constituted a mammoth effort, she knew she looked attractive. Sometimes, just sometimes, on days like her wedding day when she injected a hefty overdose of effort she was transformed. Her conventional attractiveness was replaced by beauty. She had aimed for a Jackie Onassis look and with a final glimpse in the mirror she felt secure in the knowledge that she had achieved just that.

The ceremony would include Gabrielle, Max and two witnesses. One witness was Gabrielle's friend and colleague *Ann the other was Max's friend *James. They hadn't even planned a reception; instead they would take their witnesses to dinner and have a few celebratory drinks before embarking on their honeymoon. That night they would take the train to Dublin, where they would spend four days before returning home as man and wife.

Gabrielle and Ann met outside Belfast City Hall on the big day. They were delayed entering when Ann gushing at Gabrielle ‘beauty' insisted on taking copious amounts of photos. Gabrielle smiled for the camera and willingly let Ann photograph her from every angle she requested. Unexpectedly a small rumble rose in the far reaches of her mind and shook herself. The box marked ‘
family'
threatened to break open. Evidently even now, a tiny part of Gabrielle hoped for reunion, that her mother and father would see sense and be waiting at the City Hall alongside Ann. Of course this was not the case. Gabrielle quickly sealed the box containing these memories and pushed it to the most distant corner of the shelf that she could find. Just to ensure it stayed put she gave it a firm hard kick. She had the rest of her life to think about her family and now was not the time.

Gabrielle and Ann made their way into the City Hall giggling childishly,

“Oh it's like Romeo and Juliet,” Ann sighed, she was a romantic through and through,

“Not quite… besides didn't they die?” Gabrielle said deadpan.

“Well, you know what I mean,” Ann huffed, “you two eloping and all, it's just sooooooo romantic.”

“I wouldn't call it elop….” There was no point in correcting her; she knew Gabrielle's situation and the problems she and Max had faced. Rather than allow Ann to continue Gabrielle changed the subject,

“Ann, thanks so much for coming along, what would I do without you,” she said and hugged her.

They were escorted to the registry office soon after. Austere heavy brown doors were now the only thing that stood between Gabrielle and Max. Their escort pushed them open with a flourish and removed the final barrier. The opened doors revealed an empty room with rows of empty chairs. On seeing the chairs once again the stark realisation that she was doing this alone struck her. Yet when she looked towards her groom, she saw nothing else. The elegant yet empty room, the registrar, Ann and James all became invisible. Max turned when the door opened and as far as Gabrielle was concerned he looked more handsome than ever before. Even now she can still see him smiling, warm and open, except then unlike now, any loneliness she had felt evaporated. Gabrielle met his eyes and walked through the empty room towards him.

One hour later, James and Ann were raising their glasses in a toast to the new, confetti strewn, Mr and Mrs Olorunda. The drink was flowing and merry chatter filled the tiny restaurant. It was a small gathering, yet Gabrielle couldn't have wished for a better one. Holding Max's hand they thanked the owner who on realising they were newlyweds surprised them all and gave them two free bottles of wine.

They stayed in the restaurant for two hours, to them it was like two minutes, before they knew it, it was time to say their goodbyes. They had a train to catch and a honeymoon to begin. It was time for them to make their way to the train station.

It was a first visit to Dublin for them both and it seemed like another world. Gone were the oppressing security checks of Belfast's shops, gone were nasty stares, the people were friendly and the city seemed somehow brighter. They spent their days laughing and revelling so much so that the holiday passed in a whirl.