Page 15 - James Caan - The Real Deal

1 · Brick Lane

brushed our teeth or packed our bags. She helped Dad out with
the business, but she was always there for us. I suppose she was a
typical Asian mum in her salwar kameez, making curries and
chapattis for our dinner, but she was also a strong woman. She
was the only person who could ever make my dad change a ‘no’
into a ‘yes’. In front of us, she would always back him up, but in
private she could sometimes persuade him to soften his stance.
There is only a year between me and my brother, and only three
years between me and Nahid, so the three of us were very close,
despite the fact that we were all quite different. I was definitely the
one who wanted to be outside exploring or playing, while my brother
and sister were happier with books or playing indoors. Although my
father worked seven days a week, because his workshop was upstairs
he was always around, and he would occasionally join in for a game
of Ludo or Monopoly or watch a bit of TV with us.
Over the years, several of my parents’ friends also made the
journey from Pakistan, and of course it was important for my
mum and dad to see their friends and maintain that connection
with the country they missed so much. We used to go round to
their houses, but for us kids those family trips out were formal and
awkward. We wouldn’t speak unless we were spoken to and had
to listen to conversations about people we didn’t know and places
we’d never seen.
The highlight of my week as a young kid was Sunday, when the
whole area became part of Petticoat Lane market. Whether it was
people selling junk from their back gardens, the latest watches,
bathroom taps, fruit and veg, diamond rings or leather jackets, you
would find it in Petticoat Lane. It’s one of the biggest street
markets in Europe, and it was incredibly exciting.
On Sunday mornings I’d meet up with friends and we’dgoto
watch the traders setting up and see what new products they’d
found. When digital watches first appeared we thought they were
amazing, and I found the constant activity exhilarating.

5