Chapter 12
The smash of crockery onto the porcelain slabs and the feel of hot liquid splashing up my leg brought me back to the moment as I realised that I’d dropped my cup. And in a dazed stupor, I realised that this man had handed me a glass of water and was delicately mopping at my leg with a tea towel.
My mouth opened but nothing would come out. I wanted to turn away to gather my thoughts but couldn’t take my eyes off this man who was stood before me.
‘I’m so sorry to give you a shock like that. I forget sometimes how alike we are.’
I began to find a small selection of words but struggled to put my questions into any semblance of order.
‘Why? What? How?’
‘I’ll answer all your questions but may I please first use a bathroom? And I smelt coffee in the kitchen too. I’ve been travelling through the night and could really use some caffeine to keep my eyes open. Would that be too much of an imposition?’
It seemed to be the least I could offer Demetri’s doppelganger. The feeling of nausea rising inside me was intense, but I managed to gather myself and direct him to the bathroom and then made a mug of coffee for us both, as mine was now splattered all over the patio.
When we were both seated opposite each other at the table, after the initial shock, I was delighted that my vocabulary seemed to have returned to my brain.
‘So, who are you? Makis, you said?’
‘Yes, that’s right. Demetri is my big brother.’
I’m sure the shock must have registered on my face because I felt my eyebrows nearly shoot into the sky.
‘Wow! I knew he had a brother, but he never mentioned that you were so alike. You are the image of him. You gave me quite a shock you know.’
He smiled, exactly the same way as his brother, and it blew my mind as well as stabbing me in the heart.
‘I’m sorry I surprised you in this way. I had come to England to see him. This is the town that he said he lived in. As I said, I travelled all night and got the early morning train to Sandpiper Shore.’
‘Does he know you are here? Why are you here?’ I asked, totally confused.
Makis’s English was broken at times and while throughout the conversation I did manage to work out what he was saying, sometimes it was quite hard to decipher.
‘I’ve just spoken to him and he gave me this address. I rang him a few minutes ago to tell him I’d come to surprise him and he told me that he was back in Amarissa. I’ve been travelling for a few weeks and I didn’t realise that he’d gone back. Quite surprised to be honest.’
I could feel my brows furrowing.
‘Why surprised? Your mother is terminally ill and he’s gone back to be with her.’ I was sure I saw a flicker of a raised eyebrow, but it was so quick that I wasn’t sure I hadn’t imagined it. A thought suddenly occurred to me. ‘Why are you not there with her too if she is so poorly?’
‘She’s been ill for years.’
I was so confused. I couldn’t work out why Demetri had hotfooted it back to Greece with his mother apparently on her deathbed, yet Makis didn’t seem to be that concerned – he’d been travelling instead and come over here to see his brother on his way back. Something wasn’t sitting right.
‘But she’s apparently taken a turn for the worse. That’s why he’s gone back. They didn’t think she had much time left.’
There was that flicker of doubt again, crossing his face. He stumbled over his next words. ‘This is not the first time that this has happened, Michelle. Demetri falls for it every time.’
I felt the need to defend him despite us not being together any more. I didn’t want anyone to think or speak badly of him.
‘But Katrina said…’
‘Ah, there it is.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I cocked my head.
‘Katrina clicks her fingers and Demetri goes running back to Amarissa. It has happened so many times.’
Nausea started to build within me.
‘But surely as the person who is close to your mother, she would know how ill she is. Doesn’t she look after her? Kind of a carer?’
‘Carer?’ He made an odd noise, and if I didn’t know any better I would say he was mocking me.
‘Is there something you’re not telling me, Makis?’
Makis suddenly put the back of his hand up to his forehead.
‘Are you OK?’ I asked. He’d suddenly gone as pale as a winter moon.
‘I’m sorry. I am suddenly so very tired from all the travelling. Is there a guest house anywhere near at all?’
Karen from the boutique bed and breakfast next door had only told me the day before that she was booked up all week so I knew there was no point in trying there.
I didn’t know anything about this man, but he was, after all, Demetri’s brother – there was no disputing that from their shared looks.
I had a spare room all made up and didn’t see how I could turn him away.
He could go and rest in there and we could talk again later.
Maybe by then, my own head would have returned to normal again too.
I showed him through to the guest room, handed him some towels and showed him where the bathroom was, presuming that he might want to freshen up before or after getting some sleep. Luckily both bedrooms had en suites, so it wasn’t like we’d be bumping into each other, thank goodness.
‘Thank you, Michelle. Demetri was right when he said you were very kind and would help me. I will call him again later and find out how Mama is.’ I could see that he was struggling to keep his eyes open so I left him to it, closing the door softly behind me.
My phone was taunting me from the kitchen side. Dithering about whether to message or ring Demetri or not, I sent a text to Jo and Emma instead, saying I’d be over soon. After that, I ended up putting my phone in a drawer to stop the temptation.
When I headed over to Jo’s house, they told me they were both intrigued by my mysterious message. And neither could believe it when I told them what had happened in the last hour.
‘So, are you going to call him?’ Jo asked, handing me a coffee cup.
I remembered the conversation where Demetri and I had agreed to have a clean break.
We both knew that in the long run it would be best for both of us.
Neither of us thought it would help either of us if we were clinging on to something that we couldn’t possibly get to work, no matter how much we thought of each other.
It would just have prolonged the inevitable agony.
We vowed that the only reason we would get in touch would be because of a real emergency.
And while this was something extremely unusual, it wasn’t an emergency.
Makis had already spoken to his brother and he’d clearly told him my address, and he hadn’t felt the need to call me so I didn’t feel that it was right for me to contact him.
‘No, there’s no need,’ I said.
‘But you know nothing about this man, Chelle,’ Emma reminded me.
‘Yes, but he is Demetri’s brother and do I need to know anything more than that? You know me well enough by now to know that I’d help anyone if I can.’
‘And that’s why we’re looking out for you, mate. I think it’s a bit bonkers that he never mentioned that he and his brother were so alike,’ Jo offered.
‘I suppose he never really needed to. Perhaps he just assumed I’d know.
He may have even told me at some point and I wasn’t listening properly.
I’ll get some answers from Makis later when he wakes up.
I’ll offer to make him some lunch and we’ll take it from there. Thanks for being here for me. Again!’
I headed back over to mine, wondering how long Makis would be sleeping for.
I hoped he’d wake up soon naturally so I didn’t have to wait around.
I’d got a doctor’s appointment just before lunch and was looking forward to seeing Jacqui on a personal as well as a professional level.
She’d been on a couple more of The Lonely Hearts Club events recently and seemed to be getting to know the others in the group well, which was lovely to see.
By the time I had to leave, I still hadn’t heard a peep from the spare room.
Deciding to leave him where he was, I propped up a note by the kettle, saying that I’d had to pop out and to help himself to anything he wanted in the fridge.
He’d probably be starving when he woke after all of that travelling.
The beach path was the quickest and most pleasant way into the village and as I walked along the water’s edge, I could try to make sense of the morning. Just slipping off my shoes, feeling the golden sand between my toes and breathing in the briny fresh air normally seemed to do the trick.
Every time I walked on the beach, it reminded me of how far I’d come. Maybe I just hadn’t loved Demetri enough to give it all up. I loved him dearly but maybe I was finally learning that I had to love myself more.