Page 13 of The Silent Sister

They walked back into the centre of Fiscardo.

Cassia felt desolate. She looked down at the little girl walking beside her.

What right did she have to take Eléni from the only place she’d ever known as home?

If they’d stayed, at least the authorities would have given Eléni somewhere to stay with the other earthquake orphans, even if it would have been temporary.

Instead, the two of them were homeless, and the thought terrified Cassia.

Tears burned along her eyelids as she berated herself for thinking she could manage on her own.

The last time she’d felt like this was back in Argostoli just after the earthquake.

Then, someone had come to her rescue. But the person who’d calmed her, reassured her that things would turn out all right in the end, was back at sea.

Oh, Tom. How I wish you were here to tell me what I should do.

As they passed the post office, Cassia looked at the notices in the window.

One jumped out at her. Vacant Room in return for help in Taverna Zervas.

No children. The taverna that held so many memories for her!

Both good and bad. Her heart sank. It would have been perfect.

It was the only advertisement there, so she plucked up courage to walk to the street where she knew the taverna was situated.

She’d enquire anyway. Overlooking the harbour, it was the bar she and Nikos had frequented.

It was where, much to the disgust of her parents, the partisans had openly met in the years during and after the war, and where her father had disowned her.

After the meetings, she and Nikos used to cross the narrow street and walk down the steps to sit on the bench under the large pine tree.

Cassia entered the taverna. It was gloomy inside.

A shaft of light from the open doorway illuminated her way to the bar.

There was no one there, so she pressed the brass bell on the polished surface.

A strong smell of tobacco, garlic and cooking came from what Cassia assumed to be the kitchen behind.

Portraits of famous partisans lined the walls, the centre of which was a large black-and-white, head-and-shoulder portrait of Colonel Napoleon Zervas after whom the taverna was named.

She called out, ‘ Kaliméra .’

A balding, florid man, as wide as he was tall and with a snow-white drooping moustache, came through from the back. ‘ Nai ?’

‘I see you have a vacant room. I’d like to apply to work in the taverna.’

He peered over the bar to look at Eléni. ‘No children.’

‘I know, but my daughter is very quiet. You won’t know she’s here.’ Cassia sounded as desperate as she felt. What she said was true . . . apart from the nightmares.

‘No. No children.’ He turned to go back into the kitchen.

‘I’m Nikos Makris’s widow. Do you remember him? We used to come here for meetings.’

The man stopped at the mention of Nikos’s name. He walked back around the bar to face Cassia and Eléni. ‘Ah, Nikos. One of the best. It was tragic he died fighting for what we all believed in, eh? And this is his daughter? She is very like him.’

Cassia didn’t correct him. How Nikos would have been amused at his comment. She knew her husband would approve of what she was doing for Eléni.

The old man smiled down on the little girl who was looking up at him with her large brown eyes. He tousled her hair. ‘Your baba was a good man . You will not disturb your mamá when she is working for me, is that right? You will be very quiet like your mamá says?’

Eléni nodded.

The man agreed for them to have the room ‘because of Nikos’.

He and Cassia agreed the terms. She would clean the taverna and make food each evening.

Eléni could be with her as long as she didn’t get in the way.

She would help out in the bar when it got busy.

‘But there’s no fear of that at the moment.

It’s getting harder for everyone here on the island to find an extra drachma or two for their ouzos. Even the old men come less often.’

They shook hands. ‘Michaíl Pavlis.’

‘ Efcharistó , Kyrios Pavlis. I came to Fiscardo because everything where we lived in Argostoli was destroyed in the earthquake. We were homeless. We’ve been staying with my sister until now.

She has a place in the next bay. Her husband came back and I could not stay there a moment longer.

I think you will know him. Georgios Papadatos. ’

The old man’s mouth gaped open. He banged the bar with his fist. ‘Pah! Fascist pig! He caused so much trouble for Nikos.’

‘Shh!’ Cassia made it clear she didn’t want Eléni to hear. Michaíl raised his hand.

It was as Cassia thought. Opposite political views, completely different men. Georgios gets to live, but poor Nikos lost his life because of what he believed in.

Cassia told Michaíl about her stall in the market and he agreed to let her use the kitchen to bake her signature spinach-and-feta pies.

‘And in return, you leave some for me, eh?’ He laughed and patted his large stomach.

Cassia laughed, too. She had a feeling she was going to like this man.

While the adults talked, Eléni was distracted by a pretty grey-and-black cat that had entered the bar and wound itself around her legs. She tugged on Cassia’s skirt.

‘Ah, he is so pretty. What is its name?’ asked Cassia.

‘Kynigós. He is the best hunter of mice I’ve ever had. Let me show you the room.’

Michaíl led Cassia and Eléni up to the room that was to become their new home.

In contrast to the darkness of the bar downstairs, this room was light and airy, with a wonderful view of the harbour and Ithaca in the distance.

There was a large double bed in the centre of the room, draped with a hand-embroidered white coverlet.

A bowl of dried lavender had been placed on the chest of drawers to the side of the window.

A light breeze wafted the smell towards Cassia.

It reminded her of her mother’s bedroom when she was young.

‘Is this all right? It was all my wife Cora’s doing. She embroidered the bedspread before we got married, so it is very old now. I’ll get the small fold-up bed for the little one,’ said Michaíl. He hurried out of the room, but not before Cassia noticed how his rheumy eyes had filled with tears.

She walked to the window and watched the fishermen as they mended their nets by the quayside, their hauls of fish from early-morning expeditions all sold.

Some stood and chatted while they smoked their cigarettes.

Life went on as normal for some of the inhabitants of this most northerly part of the island, yet in Argostoli, life would never be the same again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Michaíl struggling through the door with Eléni’s bed.

‘I’ll put it in this corner for you, agápi mou . Your mamá will put the sheets on for you.’

Eléni pointed at the door and mimed stroking her arm, then pointed at her bed.

‘You want Kynigós to sleep on your bed like Callista did?’ asked Cassia.

Eléni nodded, her eyes wide. ‘I think Kynigós sleeps outside in the yard. He goes out at night and catches all the mice for Michaíl. You can play with her once you’re downstairs.

Callista was a kitten and hadn’t learned to do that yet. ’

The little girl looked disappointed, but nodded as if she understood.

‘Thank you for taking me on. I will work hard for you. The room is lovely — the bedcover especially. Your wife is very clever.’

The old man took Cassia’s hand. ‘She died seven years ago. I still cannot sleep in this room without her. She did all the cooking and the cleaning. I just served in the bar. I tried, but I cannot do it. So, it is me who should thank you. Nikos’s wife, eh?’

Later that afternoon, Cassia and Eléni went back to the stall in the market. Rhea was still there, but was packing away for the day.

‘Any luck with Kyria Galanos?’

‘No, she turned me away by just looking at me. My mother had told her I was trouble, apparently. And on no account did she want a child in her house.’

Rhea sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know where else to suggest. We haven’t got the room or else I’d say you could come to us. What are you going to do?’

Cassia told her about being taken on by Michaíl Pavlis.

‘He seems nice. And the best bit is once I’ve finished the cleaning, I can cook for the stall and continue to earn some money.

I’ll see you tomorrow. I must get to the butcher.

I’ve promised Michaíl moussaka tonight so I need some lamb to mince. ’

* * *

This is our life now, Elenáki mou . Cassia watched Eléni as she slept.

I know you miss being with Maia, but I had no choice.

She missed Eugenia’s company too, but, because Georgios had given her no other option, she was back to fending for herself and relying on no one.

Michaíl seemed to revel in having company again and fell into the role of an adoring pappoú figure for Eléni.

While Cassia went about the household chores, she would often find them playing a game of Tavlí .

‘Remember, she’s only three, Michaíl.’ Cassia heard him explain the rules for the umpteenth time or gently scold her for throwing the dice down too hard.

‘She learns very fast, this daughter of Nikos.’ The old man rewarded Eléni with a huge smile.

Cassia realised she had no idea about Eléni’s actual age. She’d taken Sophia’s word for it. She didn’t know when her birthday was either.

The cold weather meant they were staying indoors more frequently, and when Cassia left to take her spanakopita pies to the market, Eléni would often stay behind with Michaíl and spend her time drawing.

Often, she would come home to find Eléni playing with Kynigós, rolling a ball of wool to him from Kyria Pavlis’s work basket, given to her by Michaíl.

Christmas was just a month away when she received a visit from Eugenia. Her face was drawn and she appeared to have lost weight.

‘ Kaliméra . What brings you here?’

‘I didn’t know where to look for you but Rhea at the market told me where you were living. I used to follow you and Nikos here, you know. I was always scared Baba would find out. He always said he didn’t see what you saw in “the communist” and how you were throwing your life away.’

Some of their father’s last words came back to Cassia. “If you choose that communist over your family, you are dead to me.” And now he was dead, and she would never hear his voice again.

‘I came to give you this... and to tell you that me and Maia miss you and Eléni.’ Her sister handed over an envelope addressed to her at Eugenia’s house.

‘What’s this?’ It didn’t look like Sophia’s handwriting, but she hoped it was. She put it in her overall pocket to read when she was alone.

‘It arrived with overseas mail at the post office.’ Appearing uninterested in anything else, Eugenia said, ‘Please come back.’ Tears welled in her eyes and without warning, she grabbed Cassia and hugged her tight.

‘He’s left again, hasn’t he? Who for this time?’ Cassia knew she sounded harsh, but it was what she’d thought would happen.

Eugenia didn’t answer her. ‘I’m afraid I need my stall back. I have to make a living on my own now he’s gone. If you come back, we can share it and split the money we make.’

Colour drained from Cassia’s face. She now had a roof over her head, Eléni was settled and she was starting to put aside some money. It was due to the growing number of customers and the fact that her prices were what people could afford.

‘No, no. I can’t let Eléni be uprooted again.

She’s settled now, happy too. All her drawings are of people with smiley faces.

She adores Michaíl and it’s good for her to have another person apart from me in her life.

I can’t risk it. What if Georgios comes back yet again?

Will you accept his profound apologies and believe him when he says he will never do it again?

I’ll come to visit, yes. It will be nice for the girls, but I can’t move back to live with you. I’m sorry. My life is here now.’

Her sister began to cry.

‘You can have your stall back,’ added Cassia. ‘I’ll have to ask if there is another one going vacant.’

Michaíl and Eléni joined them in the bar as Eugenia wiped her eyes. The little girl rushed to hug her theía and Eugenia swung her around. The little girl squealed as she circled the room.

Eugenia offered Michaíl her hand. ‘Kyrios Pavlis. I’ve been hearing all about you from Cassia. My sister and niece seem very happy here with you.’

Cassia saw her sister to the door. ‘If you need the stall back, will you go and speak to the owner today? I’ll ask him to keep me in mind when there’s a new stall available.’

They embraced and all seemed well, but Cassia couldn’t help thinking her days at the market were numbered. She enjoyed Rhea’s company and would miss her.