Page 279 - James Caan - The Real Deal

28 · Back to School

He turned to the bellboy. ‘Go and get his bags.’
I went to check out, but was told there was nothing to pay: the
gentleman I was with had settled my bill.
‘But it’s my responsibility.’ It wasn’t much, just an early
check-out fee, but it was the principle. ‘Please don’t embarrass
me,’ I said to my cousin.
‘Just come with me.’
It was the daytime, so he took me to his office. It was obvious
that he was very successful. He owned a factory that manufactured
jeans for clients like Levi Strauss and Calvin Klein, and on top of
the factory was an amazing penthouse with a pool and a snooker
table: it was beautiful, but it was empty.
‘Who lives here?’
‘It’s for clients. We get these high-powered Americans and the
local hotels aren’t good enough. You can stay here if you like, or
you can stay with my family.’
I couldn’t believe how well we were getting on, and after a
couple of hours of chatting he took me on a tour of Lahore. He
knew so much of the family history and he showed me where I was
born, where my father used to hang out, where my grandparents
had met, and as we drove around I had the strangest sensation. For
someone who had travelled a lot, I was used to just passing
through, but I was really starting to feel something; I was
developing a real connection to the city he was showing me.
Lahore is probably the nicest city in Pakistan. It’s very beautiful,
with wonderful old colonial buildings and a real sense of identity.
Karachi, the biggest city in the country, is full of families who
arrived after Partition, which means it lacks a bit of character;
Islamabad, the capital, is like Dubai or a Midwest town in
America with gleaming skyscrapers, but it has no soul; Lahore was
different, and I was completely charmed by it. All my life I had
never really felt anything for my Pakistani heritage, but now that
I was in the city of my birth something was resonating inside. The

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