The British Empire may no longer exist but it can still link disparate people as I found out on my last visit to the Hovan Mediterranean Gourmet at Five Points.
The proprietor, I only know him as Johnny, hails from Nazareth and is of Armenian descent. Like any good host, he does his rounds of the tables and expresses his thanks to his customers for their patronage.
For some months now, the Hovan has been the regular Friday night dining venue for me and my wife. Its patio offers me the chance to smoke cigarettes and the both of us an excellent vantage point from which to view the people who pass by Riverside's hub.
In the last couple of weeks, Johnny's conversation has extended beyond the usual niceties and the the few seconds they take. We now chat for five minutes, maybe more. Last Friday he told us about his family, revealing that he had an aunt and uncle living in Britain; Chepstow in Wales to be precise.
Nazareth, Armenia and Chepstow? How could they possibly be linked? I was intrigued. The answer turned out to be the days of empire.
The uncle was a soldier in the British Army, serving in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine. He met, fell in love and married a sister of Johnny's parents. The newlyweds eventually made their home in Chepstow and raised a family.
Johnny expressed the wish that he hoped his teenage daughter would, one day, visit Britain and Europe to broaden her horizons and learn about different cultures. I echoed his sentiments.
All in all, it seemed somewhat strange that Johnny and I should share a link, courtesy of the British Empire. But then again, we did meet in Florida, which for 20 years was subject to British rule.
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