A very long wedding week-end began on Thursday!
Accompanied by my two good buddies; Troy and Torsten, we visited the West Bank art gallery launch exhibition, in Westbourne Grove. The charismatic old bank building could hardly be missed with three gigantic, green tentacles hanging from it, which were deflated and removed at the end of the evening, before midnight. There was a display of works by various artists, while music was being played on the top floor and people dancing. The boys' friends; Dyta and the jolly Kassia greeted us and suggested the Basement club nearby to continue the night dancing. As the city was almost empty on the eve of the Royal Wedding, we took up their offer and headed to the club in my car.
Not a grand basement in terms of size or looks but it definitely felt cosy with a cool vibe and relatively good music. Standing outside in the smoking area, I caught the sight of a girl with dark curls, almost covering her face and a slim figure. She still resembled someone I had spent a splendid holiday by the sea, some years ago in a faraway land with. As she lifted her face towards the street light, talking on her mobile phone, I was sure it was Goli. Upon getting closer, she looked towards me and let out a scream:
"Haldita, it's you!" She said. "I've been trying to get hold of your number and here you are!"
"Really?" I said in a surprise, "So good to see you."
After a short heart-to-heart as the weather was getting chilly, we exchanged numbers and went downstairs to the small saloon for some music. As we were dancing in a corner of the crowded room, the cheeky smile with my eyes fixed to a point directly opposite must have got Torsten's sharp attention as he asked with a grin:
"What's up Haldita?"
"You see there," I answered with my finger pointing, through the crowd, towards a tall, handsome guy with longish hair, standing on the other side of the room and continued: "Mmmm... Isn't he gorgeous?"
Torsten looked that way and said: "Aaaah! I didn't somehow think you liked the pretty type. Ok."
As we were leaving the club around 2 a.m., Torsten asked for one of my blog cards and said he would be back. As he re-appeared from the stairs below, he said with the cheekiest of smiles:
"I gave him your card."
I should have guessed: "Great. What did you say?"
"I told him he has an admirer here and she can be contacted on this blog. He asked where you were and I answered... Now, that will be telling."
I laughed and asked in a puzzle: "But how?"
"The code name is Zulu," Torsten had informed him.
All I can say now is... 'Where art thou Zulu?'
'An early night' for the start of the four-day holiday week-end had already... Gone sour... Or, turned otherwise.
I woke up on the Friday morning of the 29th of April, to get ready for lunch at The Phene. The Royal Wedding was on widescreen, while our table of ten was filled after the two kisses of William and Kate were over. It was serene and moving. The bride looked stunning in her lace top, the groom regal and the ceremony up to perfection.
I still wonder what the naughty Prince Harry whispered to his brother with that cheeky smile?!
It was good for Prince William not to accept wearing the wedding band if it bothered him in any way. Guess, everyone knows He is married for sure.
As for Kate, not promising 'to obey' her Prince was what Princess Diana had done 30 years ago.
Watching it with the London surroundings, from St Paul's Cathedral to the carriage ride to Buckingham Palace, on an almost sunny spring day, was like watching Disney; a perfect fairy tale.
The weather people sure predicted a rainy day! A great sign for a start.
Torsten told Troy who finally arrived late: "They drove off in Charles' old Aston Martin."
"Did they know?" Troy remarked still half asleep.
"Shame your father wouldn't allow that!" Torsten smiled.
The table had grown throughout the long lunch. As the early evening approached, we all got scattered towards different directions of the city and a small group of us headed for a house party at Ernest's.
That night was not going to be an 'early' one either!
What was interesting the night after... The friendly rasta, the black-cab driver asked me:
"So, did you watch the wedding?"
"Didn't Everyone?" I answered with a question.
"You'll be surprised." He puffed. "A lot of people didn't. How did you like it?"
"Guess, they got put off by all the publicity. I thought it was beautiful." I said.
"You know what I thought?" He continued. "We discussed it with some friends and we thought it was colourless. No black people man... Except the Common Wealth guests. You wanna tell me those friendly two boys; William and Harry didn't have any coloured friends to invite with all the different crowds they mix with? It was colourless."
I was silent... Thinking.
He went on to say: "So, things haven't really changed that much. Have they?"
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