"It's quite a mess. Not unusual for an ordeal of this nature." Jamie said after the waiter left their table and leant back. It had deteriorated pretty fast, though, which was to be expected considering the participants, he supposed.
"I also hope you'll be able to resolve this soon. It must be a difficult situation for you and your family." Their drinks arrived and he picked up his napkin to wipe off the condensation - one of the many little compulsions he'd developed over the years. "When they began to move into that desert country, it nearly tore us apart," he continued softly. "You sympathise with both sides, of course, because they're two halves of a whole but neither wants to see it that way and one always claims to be more right than the other. It's frustrating, isn't it?"