One Greek Summer Wedding

Chapter 35

Akis watched Cosmos on board the fishing boat, a collection of cats already waiting to see what they could get – donated or stolen. The vessel had docked in this busy harbour as it did every day, bringing in the catch. This was somewhere he’d come often as a child, to fish, to help their father do exactly what Cosmos was doing now and to eat in the dock-front tavernas. It was calm here, busy with boats but it still managed to achieve serenity.

‘Aki!’ Cosmos called, waving a hand.

‘Tell me why we are doing this again?’ Anastasia asked, through gritted teeth.

‘We are doing this,’ Akis said, waving back at their brother, ‘so that Cosmos really does have a say in where he and Wren are going to get married. Before our mother decides where the new blessing of the snakes will be and there are no snakes left to bless another place.’

‘Did you really speak to Pappa Spiros last night?’ Anastasia asked as they made their way towards the boat their brother was disembarking from.

‘How did you know that?’ Akis asked.

‘Come on, Aki. You can’t take a shit on this island without someone knowing about it.’

He sighed. ‘Yeah, I did.’

‘Why? I mean, you know this priest idea is mental, right? I don’t give a shit if I wake up one day, burst into flames and turn into a pile of dust. You giving up who you are to wear black and not rip it off yourself for horny women is insanity.’

‘Well, I don’t want you to burst into flames and turn into dust.’ He sighed. ‘And I don’t want Cosmos worrying about anyone bursting into flames at all. Anyway, I had this conversation with our grandmother last night. I am collecting everyone’s opinions.’

‘Aki! Anastasia! I have caught the best fish today!’ Cosmos called.

‘Look at him,’ Anastasia said, shaking her head. ‘Still acting like he is ten years old.’

‘About to become a married man,’ Akis reminded her.

‘If it was anyone but Wren I would think the situation was madness. But she is good for him. She is as ill-equipped for life too but somehow in different ways. They balance each other out.’

‘Yeah,’ Akis agreed. ‘You are right.’

‘So, come on, let’s talk some sense into him, get this wedding somewhere he and Wren actually want.’

‘Isn’t this the best fish?’ Cosmos asked once they had been served at the sea-front taverna.

‘It is good,’ Akis agreed, sucking each finger in turn.

‘Honestly, why you two grown men still eat with your fingers, it is disgusting,’ Anastasia said, spearing a prawn with her fork. ‘So, Cosmos, we have a shortlist now, yes?’

‘A shortlist? For the man party?’

‘No! Not the man party! The wedding!’ Anastasia stated. ‘You know, the actual meant-to-be greatest day of your life that is now not taking place in an over-priced, over-sized turreted Cinderella crib our mother is going to be paying taxes on for years unless she takes a sledgehammer to it.’

‘I don’t know,’ Cosmos said. ‘Wren is talking to her mother a lot and crying. I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I am worried there might not even be a wedding.’

‘What?!’ This was a joint exclamation from both Akis and Anastasia.

‘It is too stressful for her. She does not deal with stress well. I do not deal with stress well. And with the Diakos curse?—’

‘No, no, no,’ Anastasia jumped in. ‘We are not talking about that now. Now we are talking about ideas for where you and Wren are going to get married next week. Because that is your fate. A long, happy, married life with the only woman who will ever love you like she does.’

Akis squirmed a little at his sister’s bluntness. ‘Cosmo, you and Wren and your relationship is the most important thing. The wedding, it is just a day, a special day but one day out of all of the days you are going to be spending together.’

‘Then why does it have to be so big?’ Cosmos asked, throwing his hands up.

It was as animated and passionate as Akis had ever seen him and this was obviously weighing heavily on his mind.

‘It doesn’t have to be big,’ Akis said. ‘Does it, Anastasia?’

‘But have you seen everything that Mama has ordered?’ Cosmos continued. ‘There are balloons in the shape of peacocks, there are… fireworks and cannons.’

‘There are?’ Anastasia exclaimed. ‘When did she order those?’

Akis gave her a look that told her she should focus on the real issue. ‘Cosmo, it does not have to be any way but your way. I am being serious.’

Cosmos looked at him directly then, as if suddenly the penny had dropped. ‘Really?’

‘Yes!’ Anastasia insisted. ‘Akis and I, we can help tear up anything our mother or anyone else has put in place. Anything, whether it’s peacock-shaped or not.’

‘But she will be disappointed,’ Cosmos said, sighing.

‘Mama is always disappointed! She gets up in the morning and is disappointed before she has even opened the shutters. Nothing is ever right for her, Cosmo. You know that is why she does not have a real relationship with Yiayia.’

‘What Anastasia is really getting at is, Mama will feel the way Mama feels regardless of what choices you and Wren make,’ Akis said, assuring him.

‘So, if I say… I want to get married on my fishing boat then, that would be OK?’ Cosmos asked, his eyes going over to the large blue and white vessel he had disembarked from earlier.

‘Ugh! Cosmo, no! Everyone will stink of fish, I will stink of fish!’ Anastasia barked.

‘I like fish,’ Cosmos answered sadly.

‘Cosmo,’ Akis said, moving to sit next to his brother and placing a hand on his arm. ‘If you want to get married on the boat, talk to Wren about it. If she wants to get married in a field, talk to her about it. Maybe you can do something that incorporates both things.’

‘Wren wants to get married in a field?’ Cosmos asked, his mouth dropping open.

‘No,’ Akis said. ‘I mean, I don’t know. It was a?—’

He stopped talking as he felt his phone vibrating in the pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out and checked the screen. Horatio.

‘Give me one second,’ he said, standing up. ‘It’s Horatio and we are meant to have a rehearsal this afternoon so I need to?—’

‘Take it,’ Anastasia said.

‘Hey,’ Akis said, stepping away from the table and taking the call. ‘How is your arm?’

‘Ah, it is OK. Better. So, the new costumes have arrived in time for rehearsal this afternoon.’

‘That’s good,’ Akis said. ‘I actually did a run through of the new routine yesterday. In Spianada Square. Cara thought?—’

‘You have spoken to Cara?’ Horatio interrupted.

‘Yesterday,’ Akis said. ‘When I dropped her at her hotel.’

‘Oh… OK.’

‘Oh, OK, what?’

‘So, I had to make a delivery to the Cook’s Club, you know I sometimes work for the hygiene company, and one of the girls on reception, she likes me, and she happened to tell me that Cara and her aunt, they checked out this morning.’

Checked out. His heart lurched at those two words. Cara had left the hotel. Gone where? Somewhere else on Corfu? Back to the UK? He didn’t understand. He needed clarification.

‘What?’

‘They’ve gone to Santorini,’ Horatio said.

‘What?’

‘Is there something wrong with this line?’ Horatio asked. ‘It is like you cannot hear me. I said they have gone to Santorini.’

‘Yeah,’ Akis replied finally. ‘I thought that’s what you said.’

But he didn’t understand it. And how was he hearing it from Horatio and not from Cara? He swallowed then. Maybe what they had shared together had meant more to him than it had to her.

‘They will be back for the wedding,’ Horatio said. ‘I mean, the girl at reception said that. That they were coming back. They were going to stay there again.’

‘OK,’ Akis said.

‘So, I will see you this afternoon?’

‘Yeah, sure,’ Akis agreed, nodding even though Horatio couldn’t see.

‘Yassas.’

Akis ended the call and took a deep breath. He had so much on his plate already, perhaps this was for the best.

‘Aki!’ Anastasia called. ‘Please come and tell Cosmos that no matter what, Pig is not coming to the service!’

Akis shook his head. He needed to focus on his family right now.