Weekend in London – part 2
The following afternoon, Stuart took me on a boat ride on the Thames from Westminster to Tower Bridge. The sweltering heat persisted, and the sun was glaring. But coming from the inescapable boiling pot like Tokyo, I thought it was quite pleasant. Who said London was gloomy and miserable? I was on the Thames with a man I desired, looking out the beautiful Westminster with the tip of the Abbey, House of Parliament, Big Ben, passing London Eye, St. Paul, the Globe Theatre, and the incongruently shiny buildings of the City before reaching the Tower of London. The sun was a blessing, and the warmth was an omen. This shall be my life, I decided.
After the tour around Southwark and a rest at a pub, we headed to Brick Lane. They have the best curry, Stuart said, which was his second favorite cuisine after Mexican food. With the sunset, the mist descended, and the air contained the remnant of the day’s heat mixed with a hint of spices. We walked hand in hand through the street lined with various curry restaurants, Bangladeshi, I later learned. The men standing outside luring tourists ogled us and jeered at Stuart, “lucky man!” He seemed to beam with pride and, each time, held my hand tighter.
At the front of the hotel, as we said good night, we kissed longer and chuckled at our curry-taste lips.