Page 18 of The Silent Sister

It was present-giving time. They’d only give theirs to Tom, and Cassia knew he’d brought gifts for the girls. The main Christmas presents would remain hidden until the first of January.

‘Eléni, would you like to give your present to Tom?’ Cassia handed her the gift Eléni had helped wrap.

Eléni stood and watched as Tom opened his gift.

‘I wonder what this is.’ Tom took his time to build up the excitement for the girls. He peeked inside the box. ‘Oh, it is just what I want.’

‘What is it? What is it?’ Maia jumped up and down.

Tom pulled out a slim silver-coloured cigarette case. ‘Oh, efcharistó . It is lovely. I think your mamá helps to choose.’ He looked up at Cassia and beamed at her.

Eléni tugged on his trousers and pointed inside the packaging.

‘There is more?’

Eléni nodded and pointed at her chest.

Cassia brought out some drawings that had been placed between two pieces of card to prevent them from creasing.

They were Eléni’s drawings Cassia had labelled.

He held them up one by one for everyone to see.

Cassia watched his face as he held up the final one — it was of her and Tom on either side of Eléni, all holding hands.

She remembered the effect it had had on her when she’d seen it for the first time.

One happy family. Tom was clearly affected by it too.

Eugenia gave Maia a little box to hand to Tom. ‘I helped Mamá make these for you.’ Inside were some little oval biscuits, smelling of orange, spices and honey. They were topped with nuts.

‘Maia, these look so good.’

The little girl smiled.

Eugenia explained. ‘They’re melomakarona and it is traditional to give them as gifts at Christmas. Mind, I had to make sure Maia didn’t eat them all.’

‘Thank you, girls. I’ll always remember this Christmas. Shall I go next? There are two special gifts for two special little girls in here.’ Eléni and Maia clapped their hands as Tom put his hand in a bag and pulled out two identical parcels.

‘ Efcharistó ,’ said Maia.

Eléni pointed at Tom, then back at herself and then clapped. ‘To...’

Tom smiled and hugged them both.

Eugenia looked shocked. ‘When has that happened?’ she whispered to Cassia.

‘It’s all down to Tom.’ Her eyes shone as she saw her sister’s mutual delight.

‘You’ll need some help from your mamás to help you get started,’ he said.

Everyone watched as Eléni and Maia tore off the wrapping paper.

‘It’s a picture of a girl!’ Maia held up a pack of cardboard sheets, on which were pictures of children surrounded by different styles of clothes.

Eléni clapped, her eyes wide with delight. ‘To...’ she said again.

‘They’re paper dolls. We used to have these, didn’t we? Efcharistó, Tom, they’re going to love playing with these.’

‘Yes. Efcharistó, Tom. Come here, girls.’ Maia and Eléni stood by Eugenia, and Maia handed her pack to her mother, who took out the sheets of dolls with care.

‘I’ll help you cut out the dolls and see this dotted line.

We bend it back so the dolls can stand. Then we’ll cut out the clothes, and see these little tags — we fold those back and then you can choose which clothes you’d like to dress your dolly in. ’

‘Can we do it now?’ said Maia, excitedly. By her side, Eléni nodded in agreement.

Eugenia went to find pairs of scissors while the girls got their sheets of dolls ready.

‘You men don’t mind while we do this, do you? They’ll be so engrossed in dressing their new dolls, we won’t be disturbed. Thank you. It was such a good idea.’

Michaíl poured Tom an ouzo. ‘Do you want some water with it? Or do you want it as it comes, like a true Kefalonian.’ He laughed as he added water at Tom’s request, watching the liquid turn milky. ‘Let’s leave them to it.’

Cassia wondered how Michaíl would have spent his Christmas if she and Eléni had not been staying with him. All she knew about him was that his wife had died and he’d been a staunch partisan. He’d never mentioned any family, and she didn’t want to pry.

Eugenia returned and handed a pair of scissors to her sister. They cut out the dolls and then the selection of clothes, while both little girls watched intently.

‘We must be careful not to cut across the tags,’ said Cassia. ‘You’ll need those when you come to dress the dollies.’

‘There. That’s the first one done.’ Eugenia held up a doll and proceeded to show them how to add the clothes.

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking while the girls played with their dolls. More ouzo was drunk and Eugenia made coffee before bringing out more melomakarona . ‘We couldn’t let Tom have them all, could we?’

They all laughed.

‘I don’t know how you’ve managed all of this with the shortages, Eugenia.’ Michaíl savoured his pastry.

She told them how she’d been saving as many ingredients as she could, anticipating how much more she would need at Christmastime.

‘I wanted to make it special for Maia since her baba came and went so suddenly, and for Cassia and Eléni who were caught up in the terrible earthquake. I had plenty of olive oil and flour, so that helped.’

‘I hope by having a special day for me you still have enough for your second celebration in a week’s time. I cannot thank you enough.’ Tom stood and went to kiss Eugenia on the cheek.

‘It’s so good to have you all here today.

’ Eugenia’s voice cracked. ‘I was dreading Christmas. Maia asks for Georgios every night. How do I explain to a three-year-old her father is a womaniser and I was a fool to have had him back? He was so charming I believed him when he told me he would never stray again. He’s gone back to her in Ithaca, you know. ’

Cassia checked that Maia wasn’t watching her mother get upset. ‘We’ll celebrate with you, won’t we, Michaíl? You and Maia must come to Taverna Zervas for Saint Basil’s Day. It will be me cooking and using up our rations. You’ve done more than enough for us today.’

* * *

Later that evening, with Eléni fast asleep upstairs at the end of such a long and exciting day, and Michaíl in the bar, Cassia and Tom went for a walk along the quayside.

They found a bench at the far end of the harbour.

A few people wandered past, but it was mostly quiet.

The fine, clear day meant it was a cold and crisp evening.

Moonlight bathed the water and the fishing boats in silver, so together with dotted lights from the bars and tavernas, the whole scene was magical.

No one would believe what was happening to her beautiful island.

Out of the blue, she remembered Rhodri Jones, the Welsh newspaper reporter, and how she’d yelled at him for benefiting from the islanders’ misery.

And yet, because of him, Eléni was alive.

Having read about the hardship the islanders were going through in Eugenia’s newspaper that morning and being shocked by how so many were emigrating for a better life, she wondered if he’d been right.

Without news getting out to the rest of the world, they’d have had no help, no medical aid, no food supplies.

She looked across at the man sitting beside her. And no Tom.

‘Penny for your thoughts? Or should I say a drachma for them?’ A cloud of white accompanied Tom’s breath in the cold air as he spoke. Cassia looked at him, puzzled. ‘It’s what we say when we want to know what someone is thinking.’

‘Oh, it’s just the newspaper report this morning has had a real effect on me.

I can’t get the image of the queuing people out of my mind.

And then to learn they would be turned away when the food ran out.

They had queued in vain. I was shocked by the numbers who are leaving. I worry it will be as bad here soon.’

Tom placed his arm around her shoulders. ‘Try not to worry . Didn’t you say let’s just think about Christmas for today? I haven’t given you your present yet.’

Casia swivelled to face him. ‘Tom, there was no need. I got you the cigarette case for Eléni to give you something after you dropped a hint you’d got something for the girls.’

He placed a finger on her lips. ‘Shh.’

From his pocket, he took a square, flat box. ‘Happy Christmas. Nadolig Llawen. ’

Cassia’s hand shook as she opened the box. Inside was a silver bracelet that shimmered in the moonlight. In the centre, the bangle widened to make room for a filigree Maltese cross.

‘Tom, I can’t accept this. It’s beautiful... and expensive.’

‘Think of it as a token of our friendship. Silver filigree is everywhere in the shops in Valletta. I thought if I hadn’t been stationed in Malta we would never have met, and I’ll be leaving there soon.’

He placed her wrist through the bangle. ‘There, a perfect fit.’

He went to kiss the top of her head, but Cassia raised her face towards his. He stopped.

‘Are you sure, Cassia? The bracelet is what I said it is. A gift for a friend. You mustn’t feel obligated to show your appreciation this way if you don’t want to be more than a friend. Isn’t that what you want?’

‘I’m sure. I want you to kiss me. Properly. Not as a friend but as...’

‘Oh, Cassia.’ Tom brushed his lips against hers, then pulled her closer.

They kissed again, this time more urgently.

Craving crept along Cassia’s veins. She knew she was doing the right thing.

Reawakened sensations tumbled inside her.

They were not the fireworks she remembered always happening when she kissed Nikos, but Nikos was gone.

She did love Tom Beynon, but in a different way.

But it was still real love. She couldn’t imagine him not being part of her and Eléni’s life.

She dreaded having to say goodbye to him in two days’ time.

What would happen after that she didn’t know, but, at least, Tom now knew what he meant to her.

They walked back to Taverna Zervas with their arms around each other. Michaíl was still in the bar when they got in, but the regular drinkers had left.

‘I was about to lock up. You two look pleased with yourselves.’

Nothing more was said. Tom left.

Cassia retired for the night, making sure she didn’t disturb a sleeping Eléni.

She lay awake for a while thinking of what had happened that evening.

She’d convinced herself that because Tom wasn’t Nikos, she couldn’t be more than a friend to him.

But once she’d allowed herself to kiss Tom and be kissed by him, her feelings had risen to the fore.

Nikos would always be part of who she was.

They’d been young and crazy when they’d fallen in love.

But here was another man who loved her, and she loved him.

A mature and caring man, and a different kind of love.

When she closed her eyes, it was the handsome face of a fair-haired man that filled her head.