One Greek Summer Wedding

Chapter 61

‘I’m still not sure why we have to be here for this part of the proceedings.’

It seemed to be even hotter in Notos this afternoon than it had been in Corfu Town and Margot and Cara had just arrived at the Diakos family home courtesy of a Mercedes taxi. Earlier, Akis had come back to his apartment with bougatsa – a pastry filled with custard and cheese – and, after awkwardly sharing it over small talk, Cara said she had to leave to check on Margot. Half a dozen hangover curing coffees later, they had got ready to come here to the blessing of the snakes before the wedding ceremony took place tomorrow. Things were still a little frosty between them…

‘It’s another tradition,’ Cara said, ‘that we will respect as we are guests at the wedding tomorrow.’

‘Are those turrets?’ Margot exclaimed as they headed up the driveway. ‘Has Sofia got those awful workmen to move the only things they had actually built at that Barbie Dreamhouse?’ Margot went striding forward, getting out her phone and snapping photos.

‘Thank God you are here!’

It was Anastasia now, at Cara’s side, a large holdall over her shoulder and that now-familiar clipboard in her hands.

‘Is something wrong?’ Cara asked.

‘Of course,’ Anastasia answered. ‘There is always something wrong when you are a member of our family! A dying grandmother who didn’t die. A donkey who did unfortunately die. My mother who keeps saying she will die if she does not get a call back from the caterers in the next hour and my brother still wondering if everyone will die if my other brother does not become a priest.’

Cara swallowed. So much pressure, most of it weighing heavily across Akis’s shoulders.

‘Sorry,’ Anastasia said, sighing. ‘Everything is finally getting to me. I just need to hold on. In twenty-four hours or so this will all be over.’

Cara mused on that statement as they walked on. Back with Seb, she had been caught up in the organisation of their wedding when she should have been more focussed on what was actually going on in their relationship. The two most important people in this wedding had been bystanders to the chaos going on around them, and perhaps that was the best thing about it.

‘It’s sad to think like that,’ Cara said. ‘A wedding is meant to be such a special time. I know, and can see, it hasn’t been without its stresses but Cosmos and Wren are going to be married. Husband and wife. Forever. It doesn’t really matter what wine they toast with or what kind of cake… or even if there is no wine or cake at all. They love each other enough to commit to each other for always. That’s all that counts.’

Anastasia stopped walking and put a hand on Cara’s arm. ‘Oh my God, you are the fucking oracle. Come and say this to my mother.’ She smiled. ‘I am joking. I’m not joking about you being an oracle though.’

‘I think we have enough priests around here for me to join in too,’ Cara said.

‘You are going to be too busy to be a priest,’ Anastasia continued. ‘I am surprised you are still going to sing at the wedding. There are videos of you all over You Tube and TikTok.’

‘What?’ Cara exclaimed.

‘You did not know?’ Anastasia asked.

‘No… I didn’t know.’ But how would she? She hadn’t visited either app since just after Moldova, stayed away from the haters in the comments sections.

‘Your phone is not blowing up with offers of recording contracts? One place is saying experts are looking into the note you sing on the boat to see if it is higher than this G10 they talk about.’

Cara smiled and shook her head. How she had not missed the media. She looked out over this beautiful relaxing landscape and drank it in. How far away did the music industry frenzy feel when she was standing amid olive groves in the sunshine. She felt unafraid for the first time in a long time. She felt just about untouchable.

‘What do you want to do with your life, Anastasia?’ Cara asked, all of a sudden.

‘Is this a serious question?’ she asked, stopping their walk just short of the steps to the house.

Cara nodded. ‘Yes, I mean, since I got here all I’ve seen you do is assist your mother.’

‘Crazy times, right?’

‘So? What do you want to do?’

‘Right now? Run away,’ Anastasia said. ‘Get on a plane with a hot girl or a hot guy, go somewhere cold, feast on everything that isn’t here without judgement.’

Cara saw the look in her eyes. It spoke of missed opportunities, oppression almost, the need for freedom.

‘You should do that,’ she told her.

‘Is that an invitation to England?’ Anastasia asked, a twinkle in her eye.

‘Sorry,’ Cara said. ‘Still very much into only guys.’

‘So boring,’ Anastasia said, teasingly.

‘But, you know, I’ve got to thinking that stepping outside your comfort zone might be challenging, but it really doesn’t have to be terrifying.’ She thought about how far she had come since she arrived here. What was supposed to be a big, fat Greek wedding invitation had turned into some kind of Hellenic therapy. She’d discovered how strong she could be, how resilient she really was, what she was capable of if she pushed herself a little. And she’d also found out so much about Margot too. This trip to a Greek island had been eye-opening in many ways.

‘Do not say any of that about comfort zones and challenges to Cosmos,’ Anastasia said, shaking her head. ‘Not until this place has, at least, been blessed by the snakes.’

‘So, what happens with the snakes?’ Cara asked as they began to walk again, heading towards the villa.

‘They are put in the centre of each room of the house, prayers are said and the second youngest male attending must dance. Afterwards they are fed. The snakes, not the second youngest male.’

‘Oh, wow, that’s different,’ Cara remarked. ‘So, where do you get the snakes from?’

‘Ha! You are so funny, Cara,’ Anastasia said, laughing. ‘What do you think is in this bag?’

Cara looked at the holdall over Anastasia’s shoulder. ‘Are you for real? None of them are poisonous, are they?’

‘Come on,’ Anastasia said, stepping ahead. ‘We don’t want to keep my mother waiting.’