Are You Calling me Black?

Parks wine bar was fast filling up with the usual clientele, as it was getting noisier and more difficult to get the attention of the waiters.  The clientele was very mixed, youngish and middle age, whites, blacks and Asians.  The evening clientele were a bit different to the afternoon clientele in that they were not all city workers or necessarily worked at all, while the afternoon clientele were definitely the city boys and gals treating their clients to a good meal and some hard liquor trying to make them more amenable or receptive to sales pitch.  Abe grunted under his breath something about how the bar kept the chairs clean as they were not leather and how they kept changing the patterns and oh, why or why did they keep carpets on the floor rather than the usual wooden floors that was the norm in every other wine bar in the neighbourhood. Will that be your flimsy effort at changing the subject? Says I, well, to answer your question, the chairs have covers, which are replaced everyday, the carpets on the floor would be the bar’s way of saying we are different, guys, we’ve been friends for ages; we should have reached a place where we can have a serious conversation about issues around us, especially as it affects everyone at this table.  I personally know for a fact that in spite of me being born British, some of my values are defined by my spell in Nigeria, which may or may not prejudice me towards certain issues in relation to my fellow black British brothers.  For example, it has always been the case that British African’s feel Caribbean are unnecessarily aggressive towards them due to the fact that they felt betrayed by their African brothers who sold them into slavery, I would like to discuss that particular myth. I am sure that you guys have other influences in your life that sometimes leads to friction that you are unaware of or unwilling to accept.  Well, if we are to discuss such issues, shouldn’t we at least get rid of Baz? Abe interjected. I notice Dave starring into his half empty Mr Jack, not uttering a word, Dave, what have you got to say to my last statement, is it true or not? I think I need another Mr Jack, double, before I can discuss anything of importance, but in the meantime, I do agree with Abe, Baz isn’t black, so we shouldn’t be discussing this in his presence, Dave replies. All the while, I could see Baz getting agitated and squirming slightly in his comfortable chair.  Asians are black, in case you don’t know, Baz finally chips in, how and when, Dave counters, when it suites you guys, or when you reckon you need a bit of black support to achieve an aim and once the aim is achieved, revert back to type and deny us? Is that what you think Asians do? Asked Baz? You bet your ass, countered Dave.