Page 20 - James Caan - The Real Deal
P. 20
The Real Deal
turned up, and all we could do was watch as they got their ladders
out and turned their hoses on. I have a very clear memory of
standing on the pavement, looking up at the firemen on ladders
putting their hoses through our windows. By the time the flames
were out, the whole roof had disappeared, and what hadn’t been
burned had been ruined by the blackened water.
We had nothing except our pyjamas. Not only had we lost all
our clothes, all our possessions and my mother’s jewellery, but we
had lost my father’s business. From the stock to his order book and
his list of clients and their telephone numbers, absolutely every-
thing had gone. We had no home and no business. And, it turned
out, no insurance.
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