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Big and purple as a sunburned halibut, Harry was sitting at the window as usual, a bottle of rosé in an ice bucket on the table in front of him. Some other customers had been to the little Italian restaurant overnight, but Harry and I were the only tables left.
The owner would tell my guest how busy the place used to be and how illustrious the clientele was, listing former ministers, MPs, judges and bureaucrats, and a local gentleman and lady.
“Actually, she is dead,” he said.
“He is also dead,” said his wife.
It hadn’t been a bad night by today’s standards, but when I asked him how many there were the night before, he said there were none.
“There was a takeout,” his wife said.
“They were on the other side of the street and they were afraid to go in because of the rule of six. But there were only four. “
They were crossing the table with each other, sharing strong, right-wing opinions on current affairs and exchanging blunt jokes.
The rule of six, which was introduced in England two weeks ago, means that, in general, no indoor or outdoor gathering can have more than six people. Boris Johnson was confused when asked to explain it this week, then apologized for making a mistake, with takeout customers apparently thinking it meant that there could be no more than six people in a public or private space.
“Damn ridiculous,” Harry said from the window.
For years, Harry came here every Monday and Thursday with another man, a burly figure with slicked-back hair that looked like one of the Kray twins who had gone to seed. They were crossing the table with each other, sharing strong right-wing views on current affairs and exchanging blunt jokes.
Rough exchanges
One night while listening to one of these rude exchanges, I noticed the way Harry took a mussel from the Kray twins’ plate and realized for the first time that they were a couple.
I later learned that they had been together for more than 40 years, but on Valentine’s Day last year, which was Thursday, they didn’t go into the restaurant.
“I knew right away that something was wrong,” said the owner.
Twin Kray had suddenly become ill at home and went to hospital where he died six days later.
For months afterward, I’d watch the owner join Harry at the little table outside where he liked to smoke a cigarette with his Irish coffee after dinner. Harry was beyond comfort at first, but after a few months he began to come with a neighbor whom he called His Honor.
“Another limoncello for Your Honor,” it read.
They exchanged books and shared reminiscences and had dinner together at the restaurant at least once a week and Harry would come a few more nights on his own.
When the closure came in March, the restaurant closed and His Honor began to protect himself. Harry occasionally meets her for outdoor coffee now and they talk twice a day, but they no longer eat dinner together and their habits have changed.
“It’s an early riser, in the bathroom at half past six,” she said.
“There is nothing left of her at night.”
Back to business
When the restaurants were allowed to reopen in July, our little Italian went back to business and Harry went back to his table by the window. But hardly anyone else came in and after a week the owner decided to close down and try to reopen in August.
The two waiters have left, there is only one person working in the kitchen and the owner’s wife shares all the other tasks. The drama in Westminster in recent weeks over the domestic market bill violating the coronavirus treaty and restrictions caused some of the former clients to gossip and conspire again.
But the closing time for bars and restaurants at 10 p.m. that was introduced last week has sent the business plummeting again. On the few busy nights, everyone arrives at the same time, increasing the size of the restaurant’s small team. And customers are slow to go to restaurants after 8pm in case they have to rush to finish in time for curfew.
On Thursday, MPs debated the 10 p.m. rule, with many complaining of its ruinous impact on the hospitality sector, as well as the questionable benefit to the fight against coronavirus of taking drinkers out to the streets at the same time. .
Harry is concerned for the restaurant and himself if it closes again and loses regular access to its owner’s warmth and affection and one of the few remaining social connections.
“Another blockade will be the end of everything,” he said.
“There will be nothing. Nothing.”
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