Intermezzo: Saint Nicholas
Another part of a chapter of the short story I wrote years ago, I hope you like it.
St Nicholas
It was cold that evening, it was late November and an icy wind blew through the streets of London. Freddy walked past St Pancras station and looked up at the old hotel as people rushed passed him on the street, he had always loved it. He smiled to himself and walked on rather fast paced in the hope to stay warm. He meandered through the streets of Bloomsbury until he almost reached his destination. He texted him saying ‘almost there’ and his reply as he reached the end of the street was ‘Xx’. Freddy felt happy but also nervous as he approached the house, he stood in front of the dark green door and took a deep breath and pressed the second bell for a few seconds, ‘Hullo?’ said a voice over the speaker, ‘ Hello it’s me’ Freddy said and he was buzzed in. He walked up to the first floor undoing the buttons of his coat and used the knocker on door C. A few moments later the door opened and there he stood, He looked at Freddy, inspecting him from head to toe and finally said ‘good evening’ with a smile. ‘good evening’ said Freddy smiling rather nervously. He stepped aside and said ‘come in, take your coat off. It’s much warmer in here, I promise’. Freddy put down his bag and took off his navy overcoat and placed it on the coat hook near the door. ‘I’ve brought the things you asked of me’ said Freddy rather nervously. Freddy looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and opened the bag and gave him as promised, a bottle of champagne and a bag of food shopping. He looked at Freddy and took the bag from him ‘why don’t you have a seat at the table? I won’t be long’ as he disappeared into the kitchen. ‘Are you sure I don’t need to help you?’ Freddy asked. ‘No, no quite sure it’s all ready.’ Freddy walked into the small drawing room the walls were coloured in a hue of faded pinkish red and the wooden floor dark and polished and covered with about four Persian rugs. The table was set with a crisp damask table cloth, blue and white plates and an array of glasses. The room was dark save for the dazzling amount of candles which lit up the room from each corner. His eyes were drawn to the countless of prints that lined the walls, 18th and 19th century prints of buildings, Palladian facades, some lovely hunting scenes and old kings were mixed with photographs of family and friends. He noticed Brahms playing and the subtle but heady scent of candles that smelled of leather and flowers and incense that filled the room. He looked at the objects in the bookcase and on the mantelpiece and smiled to himself, how well did they represent the inhabitant of this flat. As he turned round there he stood again, his gaze fixed firmly on Freddy. ‘are you ready?’ he asked him. Freddy looked at him for a moment and noticed the glint of the candles in his eyes. Freddy nodded without saying a word and they walked to the table and sat down. He sat in front of the window and Freddy noticed the cream shutters which had an old gold band painted on them, they were open to let in a bit of the light coming from the street.
‘Have you ever tried caviar before?’ he asked Freddy. ‘Not the real thing, only the imitation stuff they use for canape’s’ Freddy chuckled. He reached out to the domed silver object standing on the middle of the table and rolled back the engraved top to reveal a glass plate on which a rather large blue tin of caviar was placed. Surrounding the dish was an array of plates containing blinis, boiled and halved quills eggs, toast carefully sliced into small triangles and a plate full of ribbons of smoked salmon, crayfish tails and plate with six oysters on ice. Two dishes containing soured cream and one with chopped chives. Freddy looked at him in amazement and he noticed the bottle of champagne he brought was waiting to be opened. The candle light had cast a golden glow on the table, the food and themselves, Freddy looked up at him and said’ that looks beautiful’ he smiled at him ‘shall I open the champagne?’ he added. ‘Oh yes please, I’ll open the tin and then we can start. You’ve brought my favourite champagne by the way’ he said. ‘Oh did I?’ said Freddy looking a bit startled ‘Yes Taittinger is my favourite especially this one’. Freddy tried to open the bottle as elegantly and smoothly as possible in which he succeeded and was rather pleased with himself for choosing the right bottle, what a relief he thought. He poured him and then himself some champagne in the delicate coupes he had placed on the table as he deftly opened the large tin of caviar and placed it back in the silver dish. ‘Well I think we’re ready’ he said to Freddy and he reached for his coupe and raised it in the air. ‘Here’s to us’ he said and his eyes glinted again ‘to us my dear’ said Freddy and they sipped their champagne. ‘So what kind of caviar are we having?’ asked Freddy in the hope he asked the right question. ‘Oh my favourite’ he replied. ‘Oscietra, it’s terribly good especially like this with some toast or blini’s. He looked at Freddy and the almost solemnly removed the lid from the tin and placed it on the table. He then scooped a generous spoon of caviar out of the tin with a mother of pearl spoon. ‘Hold out you hand my dear’ he told Freddy ‘No! The back of your hand’ he said rather firmly. He delicately placed a scoop of caviar in the hollow between his thumb and index finger and did the same on his own hand. They looked at each other, ‘and now we taste it the proper way, he said and he brought his hand to his mouth and ate the caviar. Freddy looked at him and did the same, savouring the sturgeon roe. ‘That’s how you always should taste the tin’. He said. ‘In the Russian style, like the endless suppers at the Russian Imperial court, or like the old Persian caviar traders on the Caspian sea. ‘you can really taste it this way I suppose?’ Freddy said. ‘Yes exactly, but do try it with cream and the blinis or toast, it’s just as delicious’. Freddy looked at him as he took a sip from his coupe and then placed dollop of cream on his blini and added scoop of caviar on top. Freddy enjoyed their simple but rather grand supper together and he kept a keen eye on their glasses, topping up regularly.
Once the caviar and the champagne was finished they sat for a while and talked, they talked for a long time until the candles were almost burnt out. ‘I must be going soon’ Freddy said He simply nodded at him and kept looking at Freddy. ‘I really enjoyed tonight and I hope we can see each other again this week’ Freddy said. ‘I did too, very much so. Especially the champagne, and well, your company and our conversations’. He added with a little smile looking almost rather shy. After a while Freddy got up and they walked to the door where Freddy put on his coat. They looked at each other for a moment, as Ivor Novello played in the background. ‘You’re lovely, even lovelier than the caviar’ Freddy said with a smirk. He laughed and moved closer towards Freddy. ‘Well I suppose you are too, and you were particularly lovely tonight. I like that’ he said. Freddy leaned in closer and their lips met for a while before Freddy walked home with peached coloured cheeks and a spring in his step.
It was cold that evening, it was late November and an icy wind blew through the streets of London. Freddy walked past St Pancras station and looked up at the old hotel as people rushed passed him on the street, he had always loved it. He smiled to himself and walked on rather fast paced in the hope to stay warm. He meandered through the streets of Bloomsbury until he almost reached his destination. He texted him saying ‘almost there’ and his reply as he reached the end of the street was ‘Xx’. Freddy felt happy but also nervous as he approached the house, he stood in front of the dark green door and took a deep breath and pressed the second bell for a few seconds, ‘Hullo?’ said a voice over the speaker, ‘ Hello it’s me’ Freddy said and he was buzzed in. He walked up to the first floor undoing the buttons of his coat and used the knocker on door C. A few moments later the door opened and there he stood, He looked at Freddy, inspecting him from head to toe and finally said ‘good evening’ with a smile. ‘good evening’ said Freddy smiling rather nervously. He stepped aside and said ‘come in, take your coat off. It’s much warmer in here, I promise’. Freddy put down his bag and took off his navy overcoat and placed it on the coat hook near the door. ‘I’ve brought the things you asked of me’ said Freddy rather nervously. Freddy looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and opened the bag and gave him as promised, a bottle of champagne and a bag of food shopping. He looked at Freddy and took the bag from him ‘why don’t you have a seat at the table? I won’t be long’ as he disappeared into the kitchen. ‘Are you sure I don’t need to help you?’ Freddy asked. ‘No, no quite sure it’s all ready.’ Freddy walked into the small drawing room the walls were coloured in a hue of faded pinkish red and the wooden floor dark and polished and covered with about four Persian rugs. The table was set with a crisp damask table cloth, blue and white plates and an array of glasses. The room was dark save for the dazzling amount of candles which lit up the room from each corner. His eyes were drawn to the countless of prints that lined the walls, 18th and 19th century prints of buildings, Palladian facades, some lovely hunting scenes and old kings were mixed with photographs of family and friends. He noticed Brahms playing and the subtle but heady scent of candles that smelled of leather and flowers and incense that filled the room. He looked at the objects in the bookcase and on the mantelpiece and smiled to himself, how well did they represent the inhabitant of this flat. As he turned round there he stood again, his gaze fixed firmly on Freddy. ‘are you ready?’ he asked him. Freddy looked at him for a moment and noticed the glint of the candles in his eyes. Freddy nodded without saying a word and they walked to the table and sat down. He sat in front of the window and Freddy noticed the cream shutters which had an old gold band painted on them, they were open to let in a bit of the light coming from the street.
‘Have you ever tried caviar before?’ he asked Freddy. ‘Not the real thing, only the imitation stuff they use for canape’s’ Freddy chuckled. He reached out to the domed silver object standing on the middle of the table and rolled back the engraved top to reveal a glass plate on which a rather large blue tin of caviar was placed. Surrounding the dish was an array of plates containing blinis, boiled and halved quills eggs, toast carefully sliced into small triangles and a plate full of ribbons of smoked salmon, crayfish tails and plate with six oysters on ice. Two dishes containing soured cream and one with chopped chives. Freddy looked at him in amazement and he noticed the bottle of champagne he brought was waiting to be opened. The candle light had cast a golden glow on the table, the food and themselves, Freddy looked up at him and said’ that looks beautiful’ he smiled at him ‘shall I open the champagne?’ he added. ‘Oh yes please, I’ll open the tin and then we can start. You’ve brought my favourite champagne by the way’ he said. ‘Oh did I?’ said Freddy looking a bit startled ‘Yes Taittinger is my favourite especially this one’. Freddy tried to open the bottle as elegantly and smoothly as possible in which he succeeded and was rather pleased with himself for choosing the right bottle, what a relief he thought. He poured him and then himself some champagne in the delicate coupes he had placed on the table as he deftly opened the large tin of caviar and placed it back in the silver dish. ‘Well I think we’re ready’ he said to Freddy and he reached for his coupe and raised it in the air. ‘Here’s to us’ he said and his eyes glinted again ‘to us my dear’ said Freddy and they sipped their champagne. ‘So what kind of caviar are we having?’ asked Freddy in the hope he asked the right question. ‘Oh my favourite’ he replied. ‘Oscietra, it’s terribly good especially like this with some toast or blini’s. He looked at Freddy and the almost solemnly removed the lid from the tin and placed it on the table. He then scooped a generous spoon of caviar out of the tin with a mother of pearl spoon. ‘Hold out you hand my dear’ he told Freddy ‘No! The back of your hand’ he said rather firmly. He delicately placed a scoop of caviar in the hollow between his thumb and index finger and did the same on his own hand. They looked at each other, ‘and now we taste it the proper way, he said and he brought his hand to his mouth and ate the caviar. Freddy looked at him and did the same, savouring the sturgeon roe. ‘That’s how you always should taste the tin’. He said. ‘In the Russian style, like the endless suppers at the Russian Imperial court, or like the old Persian caviar traders on the Caspian sea. ‘you can really taste it this way I suppose?’ Freddy said. ‘Yes exactly, but do try it with cream and the blinis or toast, it’s just as delicious’. Freddy looked at him as he took a sip from his coupe and then placed dollop of cream on his blini and added scoop of caviar on top. Freddy enjoyed their simple but rather grand supper together and he kept a keen eye on their glasses, topping up regularly.
Once the caviar and the champagne was finished they sat for a while and talked, they talked for a long time until the candles were almost burnt out. ‘I must be going soon’ Freddy said He simply nodded at him and kept looking at Freddy. ‘I really enjoyed tonight and I hope we can see each other again this week’ Freddy said. ‘I did too, very much so. Especially the champagne, and well, your company and our conversations’. He added with a little smile looking almost rather shy. After a while Freddy got up and they walked to the door where Freddy put on his coat. They looked at each other for a moment, as Ivor Novello played in the background. ‘You’re lovely, even lovelier than the caviar’ Freddy said with a smirk. He laughed and moved closer towards Freddy. ‘Well I suppose you are too, and you were particularly lovely tonight. I like that’ he said. Freddy leaned in closer and their lips met for a while before Freddy walked home with peached coloured cheeks and a spring in his step.
The next day Freddy couldn’t concentrate at his desk. His mind drifted to the incense scented room, the candles that reflected their light in the gilded mirrors and their goodbye kiss at the door before he walked home. He hesitated that afternoon but then, he changed his mind. ‘So, what are you doing tonight?’ he asked via a message. He smiled to himself, sighed and went back to his work, trying his hardest to concentrate. A few hours went by, and he kept on checking his phone but there was no reply yet. Until 5pm when he received an answer saying, ‘Please be here at 8’. Freddy smiled and replied he would be there. At the end of the day, he quickly closed his laptop and tidied up his desk and rushed out of the office. He stopped along the way to get a box of very nice chocolates in a pink and gold box from a chocolatier just off Jermyn Street. He jumped on the tube and got off at Russell Square where he almost skipped to the green front door. A few moments later he was buzzed in and as he reached door C, it opened without him knocking. There he stood in his pink corduroy trousers a blue oxford shirt and a green and purple fair isle jumper. He smiled at Freddy, and he moved out of the way to let him in. Once inside Freddy came close to him and he grabbed his hand which he lightly kissed. He smiled and they exchanged a few words and he presented him with the chocolates. He took Freddy’s navy overcoat and he instructed him to sit down again. ‘Do you need a hand?’ Freddy asked again but he shook his head. He looked around again as he sat down in one of the two dark green chaises which had a wide and heavy fringe at the bottom. The candles were lit again, and the room was dark and delicately scented but this time the scent was more powdery, almost floral. Freddy sat down and after not too long he reappeared with that familiar silver tray. He arranged a few plates filled with delicacies on the paisley upholstered ottoman in front of them and placed two blue and white cups on the silver tray. ‘Are we having tea?’ Freddy asked. He looked up as he put down the silver chocolate pot with an ebony handle. ‘No, we’re having hot chocolate’ he said. ‘Am I not to have tea then?’ Freddy remarked with a wink. 'No my dear, it nearly St Nicholas so we simply can't have tea, it must be hot chocolate and he returned to the kitchen. Freddy looked around and noticed his countless books. 'How comforting' he thought, to be with someone who also has a room full of books. There he was again as he returned with the last two plates, one filled with paper thin rolled wafers and one with rather odd looking cream coloured discs. He poured the hot chocolate, 'would you like some whipped cream on your chocolate?' he asked Freddy. 'Oh yes please!' Freddy exclaimed. 'Mmm yes I remember you have rather a sweet tooth. How many sugars do you have in your tea again? two? three?' He looked at Freddy rather sternly but then winked. 'Mmm well it depends on the tea really' Freddy replied with a chuckle. 'Well you'll like this than.' He said. And Freddy did. 'he showed Freddy how to eat the paper thin Oublie Wafers with a generous scoop of whipped cream. 'These disks are a favourite of my Mama and me' he said whilst eating one. 'What are they made of?' asked Freddy whilst putting one on his little plate. 'Cream, sugar and a vanilla pod. But they also come in a chocolate of coffee flavour but these are by faaaaar the best' he said. 'They are a very typical and seasonal thing. Not to be found apart from late November until the 5th of December. 'We shall enjoy them even more because of this' Freddy said as he ate one. 'We had them every year on the Eve of St Nicholas this and hot chocolate'. he said. 'What did you get for St Nicholas? Freddy asked 'Oh all sorts of things, a little piglet made of marzipan, chocolate cigarettes, chocolate guilders in gold wrappers and of course lots of toys. It was always a joy. My papa would pretend to go to the garden shed or the pantry to get something and bang on the door as loud as he could! This would make me jump out of my seat as I would be singing along as loud as I could with the songs we sang for St Nicholas. He would then present me with me this large jute bag filled with presents and would say that he saw someone delivering the bag wrapped in a velvet cape, who quickly ran off'. I could burst from excitement when he would tell me this' he told him. Freddy smiled when he was listening to the story from his childhood. They were silent for a moment. Freddy looked at him without saying anything. ' I'm glad to be here' Freddy said all of a sudden. 'So am I' he replied.
'Dearest, you know I'm proud of you in a way'. He said all of a sudden. Freddy looked up rather startled. 'In what way?' he asked. 'I know it hasn't always been easy for you, I know you've been through a lot over the last few years. And I'm glad you got through it. I knew you would'. Freddy looked at him and then looked at the candles for a while, they remained silent. ' How did you know I would?' asked Freddy. He looked away and thought, 'Well because I've always had tremendous faith in you. Faith that in the end you would do the right thing, for yourself I mean'. Freddy looked at him, his eyes widened. 'How did you know?' Freddy asked. 'I've always known, I read it in your eyes I suppose. I dreamt about it. You looked so lovely but so fragile at the same time, did I ever tell you? Regardless, I know. And admire you all the more for it'. He grabbed Freddy's hand and held it between his. Freddy squeezed his hand and looked at him rather shaken but then smiled. They looked at each other for a while, 'thank you for understanding, there's lots I need to tell you'. he added with rather a soft voice. 'All in good time Dearest' he said. Freddy smiled and placed his head on his shoulder and he held it for a moment. 'Would you like some more chocolate?' he said. ' Yes please' Freddy replied. He got up poured some more hot chocolate and sat on the velvety sofa and asked Freddy to join him. Freddy sat down next to him and they leaned against each other. 'I wish you could forget about what happened' Freddy said softly. 'I understand why you say that and I agree up to a point, but certain things I wouldn't want to forget' He answered. Freddy sighed and placed his head on his shoulder again and they remained on the sofa for a while wrapped in each others arms. 'Speaking of St Nicholas!' Freddy said, he jumped up and walked over to his bag. He looked at Freddy almost bewildered as he was looking for something in his bag, which he found. Freddy walked back to the sofa and handed over a little rectangular box with a rather happy smirk and without saying a word. He looked at Freddy and slowly started to unwrap it. He opened the box and then an envelope and two tickets for Madame Butterfly were enclosed. He looked at Freddy and wrapped his arms around him 'thank you' he whispered and placed his head on Freddy's chest. After a moment he looked up at Freddy and he smiled. 'I'm tired dearest, and I think you should stay here with me tonight.
Delightful. Pink corduroy trousers and Madame Butterfly. How charming and memorable.
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