Page 62 of The Silent Sister

ELéNI

After a light lunch of bread, cheese and olives, they all walked into Fiscardo, admiring and comparing the range of luxury yachts to more modest motor launches.

In some of the colourful fishing boats, fishermen sat mending nets and taking out the small fish caught in the nets.

They all called for a drink in one of the new tavernas along from Taverna Zervas.

‘You won’t remember this, Eléni,’ said Cassia. ‘But you and I lived in the dilapidated taverna over there for a while. With a kind old gentleman called Michaíl. He loved you. The little granddaughter he never had, according to him.’

‘I do remember bits of it. More is coming back to me.’ Eléni smiled at the memory.

‘He came to us for the first Christmas after the quake, didn’t he? He made Maia a spinning top and you some wooden animals,’ said Eugenia. ‘Lovely man.’

They found a table outside and ordered their drinks, ‘A beer for me and a bottle of house red for the ladies, parakaló. What about you girls?’

Bronwen nudged her sister. She read the menu. ‘A beer for me, too, and my sister will have a tsípouro, parakaló .’

‘No,’ said Cassia. ‘Tell her, Tom. You’ll have a soft drink. Eléni can have what she wants. You’re underage.’

‘Only just. Eighteen days and six hours to go.’ Bronwen pretended to pout.

Eléni giggled. ‘I’d better have a soft drink with Bron, then. Two Cokes, parakaló. ’

She looked over at the boats moored along the quayside. There was a long queue for a motorboat advertising trips over to coves and beaches along the coast. She thought of the time she and Simos had taken one and made love on the white beach. How she was going to miss him!

‘Penny for them?’ Her father’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

She felt her cheeks redden. ‘Oh, I was looking at all those people queuing for their boat trip. You should do that before you leave. The little coves are beautiful.’ She knew her sister would love it.

After leaving the taverna, they browsed the pretty souvenir shops. The two sisters entered one while the others waited outside. Eléni bought a silver bracelet with the Greek key design for Gabriella.

‘She’s missed you a lot.’ Cassia admired the gift. ‘She’ll love it. What have you bought, Bron?’

Bronwen took her purchase from its wrapping and held it up for the others to see. It was a stunning polished-glass pendant. The colour was a vibrant sea-green that glowed and sparkled as it caught the sun.

‘It’s so you, Bron. Bold and sparkly.’ Her father and all the others laughed.

‘It’s gorgeous.’ Cassia took the necklace from her for a better look.

They slowly walked back to Eugenia’s house, where they spent a lovely afternoon in the garden.

‘What time are you meeting lover boy?’ asked Bronwen. ‘Hasn’t he got any dishy friends he can introduce me to?’

Cassia rolled her eyes. ‘Eugenia, it’s all she thinks about.’

Eléni agreed. ‘In answer to both questions, seven o’clock and no. In any case, if he had, I’d need to warn them what you were like.’

Bronwen nudged her sister.

* * *

‘Thank you for driving me back, Baba. There are very few buses on a Sunday.’ But she wondered if there was another reason why he was keen to take her back to Argostoli himself. From the way he had persuaded her sister to stay behind, Eléni suspected he wanted to speak with her alone.

‘There’s no way I’d have let you do that. I wanted to speak to you anyway. Find out what your real plans are.’

Eléni shifted in her seat. ‘Plans?’

‘You’ve done what you came out here to do. You’ve found your uncle. Mamá and I are so pleased for you.’

‘Mamá, too?’

Tom looked across. ‘Yes. She changed after she received the letter from Kostas and it’s all down to you, Eléni.

She was nervous about meeting him and even Eugenia, too, if I’m honest, but since yesterday she’s relaxed.

No, I mean your plans for you and Simos.

You seem to be very close, yet you haven’t known him long.

How is it going to work with you two being over two thousand miles apart? ’

Eléni’s pulse quickened. What did her father want her to say?

‘Sorry, Baba. I’m not coming home after all’?

She and Simos had talked about it. She would go home and they’d keep in touch through letters and phone calls.

If they’d have her back, she’d go back to working at the Welsh craft shop and the Met to save every penny she could. But should she tell him everything?

Eléni took a deep breath. ‘I knew from the first time I met Simos he was the one.’ Warmth spread up from her neck.

It seemed strange talking to her father about love.

‘I know it was love at first sight. It was the same for you with Mamá, wasn’t it?

For Simos, it took longer. But now we both know this is for ever.

And as for the distance, look how long you were away for when you were in the Navy.

We will make it work, Baba.’ She decided it was enough for now.

‘We both want you to be happy, cariad. ’

They spent the rest of the journey planning their visit to the monastery of St Gerasimos in four days’ time and before their return home the following day.

‘Just drop me here, please, Baba.’ Tom parked in the street across from Simos’s apartment. Eléni leaned across and kissed her father on his cheek. ‘Bye. See you soon .’

She hurried to the apartment block and waited for Simos to open the door. Before she was through the door, they began kissing and fell onto the sofa in each other’s arms.

‘How was it?’ asked Eléni. ‘I kept thinking I should have been with you. I can’t remember my parents, but the minute’s silence in the church and the visit to the cemetery were both very moving. I was lucky to be with people who loved me. Are you sure you’re all right?’

‘I was fine. I wanted to be alone if you can understand that. There were several people in the cemetery doing the same thing. I even met someone who recognised me from when I was a small boy. A friend of my mother’s, who told me how my mother was a brilliant pianist and used to sing to us all the time.

A certain song came into my head. On the way back here, I turned on the radio and the folk song was playing. Can you believe it?’

Eléni hugged him. ‘More and more is coming back to you. I’m pleased everything went well.’

* * *

The next four days flew by. Eléni managed to work her final shifts at the taverna, spend time with her family and be with Simos every evening. Time was precious, and they never talked about Eléni leaving.

The feast day arrived. She’d stayed over at Simos’s apartment, as she did most nights.

She sat on the side of the bed and watched him sleep.

How I’m going to miss waking up beside you, gorgeous Simos!

His eyelids flickered as if he knew Eléni was watching him.

‘Happy name day.’ Eléni leaned across and kissed him.

Simos pulled her back into bed. Resisting, she said, ‘We should get going. We’ll keep our kisses for later.

I told Baba to arrive early, as you said it will be chaotic to park. ’

They travelled the fifteen kilometres to the monastery and church of Agios Gerasimos, and Simos was proved right.

Cars were parked in every available spot on the hard, stony ground.

Crowds of people filled the steps up to the beautiful church with vineyards on either side that had been built after the earthquake.

‘There’s your father.’ Simos had spotted them waiting at the side of the steps.

‘Shall we go in?’ said Eugenia.

They all began to file in with the other worshippers who had been waiting and the nearer they got to the entrance doors, the louder the choral chant from within became.

Many of the congregation had canes to aid their walking or were disabled.

They were there in the hope that their patron saint would protect and heal them of their illnesses on this ‘day of miracles’ as it was called.

Whether religious or not, Eléni defied anyone not to be moved by the spectacle they were witnessing.

Once inside the church, Simos pointed out the carved silver-and-glass case that held the patron saint’s relics.

She stood on tiptoe to see above the crowd.

The ceremony was conducted by clergy, nuns and many officials, but it was the haunting music, both beautiful and sad, that summed up the meaning of the occasion.

At the end of the service, young men dressed in white shirts and deep-blue velvet waistcoats and trousers lifted the relic case and went outside where many people were lying, face up on the ground, for the body of Saint Gerasimos to travel over them.

A brass band struck up and the musicians began to march.

After the cool interior of the church, walking into the heat of the sun was intense. Tom led everyone to stand in some shade to watch the procession.

Even the normally lively Bronwen was subdued.

‘It brought some memories back. Do you remember Father insisting we attended every year?’ said Eugenia.

Cassia nodded. ‘Yes. It didn’t mean much to us then, but today, whether it’s because of the service commemorating the earthquake being so close, I found it quite moving... in spite of all the hordes of people.’

Before going back to their cars, they said their goodbyes.

‘We’re going to head off now. I’m going to spend my last afternoon with Simos and he’s going to take me up to see Theíos Kostas.

’ Eléni embraced her aunt. ‘I won’t see you before we leave.

Efcharistó for everything.’ She turned to her parents and sister.

‘I’ll see you all at the airport in the morning. ’

After visiting her uncle in New Farsa for the last time, Eléni and Simos were alone. She took a present she’d wrapped from her bag.

‘I want you to have this as a reminder of me. Think of it as a name day present.’

He took the gift and opened it. His eyes widened as he realised what it was.

‘Our cove where we made love on the beach! It’s beautiful.

I love it, Eléni! The colours of the inks.

The colours of the sea.’ He stood and positioned it on the blank white wall opposite them.

‘It will go there so I can look at it whenever I feel lonely... which will be often. Efcharistó, Eléni. I’m going to miss you so much.

’ Simos pulled her to him as he sat back down next to her on the sofa.

‘I’m sorry I was so frosty towards you when you first came to me for help. ’

Eléni kissed him on the lips. ‘I’m glad you like it. Anyway, you’re far from frosty now, Simos Georgatos!’ Giggling, she said, ‘In fact, you could be described as a red-hot lover...’ He slipped a hand under her T-shirt.

‘I can get hotter if you like.’ Laughing, he stood and pulled her by the hands into the bedroom.

Lying in Simos’s arms before she had to leave to go back to the lodging house and pack, Eléni wondered what the future held. Would their secret plans work out? Dare she dream they would? Whatever happened, she knew she had found a man who truly loved her as she did him.