Chapter 44
44
THE BAROS’S APARTMENT, KASSIOPI
‘How long will the potion take to work?’
‘I am not sure. I have not given it to a cat before. I am not sure why I am giving it to a cat now.’
Christos couldn’t focus on his mother’s next round of gemista before she and Maria had decided to let Armeena drink something that was supposed to calm her – all apparently natural and would promote good health as well as good behaviour – but now they had abandoned the dinner table to do this, it was even worse. He stabbed a fork into a tomato and broke it apart, the rice tumbling onto his plate. Everything was going round and round in his head. But the strongest thoughts were of Molly. She would be talking with her mum right now, trying to get answers, working out what to do next. Selfishly, he was wondering if any of those next steps included him or whether this huge news for her was going to change everything…
‘You like Molly, right?’ Magdalena asked, tearing some bread and dipping it in the olive oil she had pooled on a side plate.
It was like his sister had read his mind. ‘You are still talking to me?’ Christos said. ‘I had a feeling that now Molly had the letters, you would go back to punishing me for telling Mama about your boyfriend.’
‘You still think I am twelve?’ Magdalena asked him, looking affronted. ‘I am still pissed off with you but, you know, you are my brother and I see you have a lot going on.’
‘We all do,’ Christos said, putting his fork down. ‘And I need to get back to Athens as soon as this service is done.’
‘Run away again?’ Magdalena said. ‘Not be a man and stand up for what you want?’
‘Wow, Magdalena. That is what a man does, is it? Is that what our father did? Stand up for what he wanted?’
‘I did not say that! And I would never compare you to Papa! You are a good person, Christo. I just want you not to think that the world is out to get you, that there can be beautiful moments for you if you let them in.’
‘Really?’ he exclaimed. ‘So that is why I get to know Molly, let Molly under my skin, really think that perhaps I have met someone that connects with me on a different level to anyone else before and the universe creates difficulties, makes her the daughter of my godfather!’
‘What?!’
The collective question came from Angeliki and Maria, while Armeena growled and swiped at the leg of the coffee table.
Both Magdalena and Christos said nothing else, just went eyes down on their food.
‘One of you had better start talking,’ Angeliki ordered, coming back to the table and retaking her seat. ‘Or I will be asking your aunt to give you both truth-telling potion.’
Christos felt his sister’s eyes on him. It was not his news to tell but he knew neither of them would be able to leave this room now unless they talked. He was the eldest, and he did owe Magdalena…
He took a breath, looked to his mother as Maria rejoined the table too and Armeena started to angrily claw at the sofa.
‘Magdalena found some letters in the back of Vaggelis’s photo album that I took from the boat. They were letters from Molly’s aunt in the UK over many years. Vaggelis, he was Molly’s father.’
‘Oh my!’ Maria exclaimed. ‘Well, I do not know why I am surprised. I did not know Janetto back then but I know there was someone Vaggelis was very much in love with, but that it never worked out. Well, this is very nice. A new member of the family and you did not even have to get married. Although, when you do get married that will certainly make less complications with inheritance matters.’
‘Maria!’ Magdalena exclaimed. ‘This is not good for Christos. He likes Molly! He is worried that this will change things between them. Vaggelis as Molly’s father. Vaggelis as Christos’s godfather.’
‘Pa! They are not blood! And families have been marrying this way since ancient Greek times!’
‘And we have evolved!’ Magdalena stated. ‘Some of us at least.’
But Christos wasn’t looking at Maria or his sister, he was looking at his mother who seemed to be finding it difficult to maintain equilibrium. She had pulled a tissue from the sleeve of her cardigan and was dabbing at her eyes, visibly disturbed.
‘Mama,’ Christos said. ‘You do not say anything to the news?’
‘I… do not know what you want me to say,’ Angeliki answered, shaking her head dismissively. ‘I mean, it is not like you have been having a relationship with this girl, is it? You have only known her for… minutes.’
‘Mama!’ Magdalena exclaimed. ‘Sometimes you know when you like someone, and they have been on dates, right, Christo?’
‘Right,’ he answered, his eyes not leaving his mother.
There was something prickling inside him, like a thorn was attached to his skin and wouldn’t let go. His mind went back to that photo of his mother in Athens, her smile so familiar yet also seen so little in the times when their father had been at his worst. What else had been familiar? It wasn’t her smile, it was something she was wearing. Then it hit him full force. The blue scarf .
‘Christo, you have not… got serious with this girl, have you?’ Angeliki asked.
‘Her name is Molly, Mama,’ Magdalena stated, tearing more bread. ‘Why are you being weird?’
‘What do you mean by “got serious”, Mama?’ Christos asked, taking a sip of water from his glass. He didn’t know why he was so calm, when he sensed, somehow knew , everything was about to get so much worse.
‘You know what I mean,’ Angeliki said, beads of sweat now forming on her brow. ‘Romantically.’
‘Angeliki, are you OK?’ Maria asked, rising from her seat and grabbing some napkins from the centre of the table. ‘You are not looking so well.’
‘I am fine,’ she insisted. ‘Christo, answer the question.’
‘Why?’ Christos asked. ‘Why do I need to tell you about Molly and I?’
‘Angeliki, let me get you something to calm you,’ Maria suggested, plucking her handbag from the back of the chair.
‘I do not want anything!’ Angeliki exclaimed. ‘I especially do not want a potion that we just gave to the cat!’
‘Mama, what’s wrong?’ Magdalena asked. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Yes, Mama, tell everyone what’s wrong,’ Christos stated. He knew . He definitely knew. But he needed to hear her say it.
‘Angeliki?’ Maria queried, a hand on Angeliki’s shoulder. ‘What is happening here?’
‘Christo, please tell me that you… have not had sex with Molly,’ Angeliki asked, desperate.
‘Mama! Why would you ask that over dinner?! And it is personal! It is not your business!’ Magdalena exclaimed in horror, dropping her bread to her plate.
‘She is asking,’ Christos began, his fingers wrapping around his serviette and squeezing the tissue into a ball in his hand. ‘Because Vaggelis is not just Molly’s father.’ He looked directly at his mother then. ‘He is also mine.’