Chapter 32
Emilia woke up the next morning eager to go to work and see Andreas again. Overnight, her form had changed so she sang the song to become young again. She pulled her hair up to tie it with the scrunchie and, immediately, it changed from white to the same green hue as her top. She still couldn’t get used to that. It made her feel like Cinderella in a way. But if that was so, were her roommates two fairy godmothers? With Esmera, that made three. As time progressed, she began to feel that this couldn’t be too far from the truth.
Since they came into her life it had become quite magical. Nothing was normal any more. Normal people didn’t have to sing a song to get younger by twenty years in order to get to work. Nor did they get to put on an accessory that changed colours like a chameleon. At least, the eye contacts she had to wear every morning seemed normal. Small mercies.
She walked into the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee maker. Elise and Chloe were getting dressed in the living room, the linen on the double sofa looking pristine. She’d never seen that linen crumpled after a single night. It was as if these girls never slept, or slept somewhere else. But, once again, she didn’t bother asking.
Chloe said hi with a little wave as she approached on her way to the bathroom.
Elise breezed into the kitchen area, a bright smile on her face. Once again, she looked spotless, her marcel waves and make-up perfect, as if her head had not touched a pillow all night.
‘Good morning, Emilia! Isn’t it a wonderful morning?’ Elise said, eyes dancing as she put a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it with feeling.
Emilia gave a tight-lipped smile as she put sugar in her coffee, her head still full of the mysteries surrounding these girls. Finally, she said, ‘Yeah, I guess…’
‘Every day is a wonderful morning! Especially when things are going so well for you!’
Emilia whipped her head around to face her squarely. ‘They are?’
‘Yes! Couldn’t be better.’
‘And, how do you know? Because I certainly don’t know what I’m doing here.’
Elise patted Emilia’s arm tenderly. ‘Trust me. I know what I’m saying. Just keep changing back and forth, and the choice of how you want to stay will come to you…’
Emilia emitted a soft sigh. ‘Okay. I’ll take your word for it.’ After a short pause, she added, ‘What time did you return last night? I guess it was late and I was fast asleep. I didn’t hear a thing.’
‘Yes, I guess it was late…’ said Elise vaguely as she poured lashings of honey on two buttered slices of ciabatta bread. Her eyes turned huge as she turned to Emilia. ‘Oh! I almost forgot. I… erm… passed by Trata last night. Andreas says hi.’
‘Oh, that’s nice. Thanks.’
‘Yes, well, and… he is asking if you’d like to come for lunch today instead of going in the afternoon as you planned. Stefan caught a big red sea bream yesterday, and they’re putting it on the grill today. Andreas asked me to invite you to come share it with them. Around one, he said?’
‘Oh, how lovely of him. Thank you!’
‘See?’ Elise winked. ‘I told you things are going well for you!’
‘Will Andreas be able to sit down and eat with me?’
‘Yes, he will! He’ll have free time at lunch, but this evening will be busy. He is having a soft opening tonight, testing the meals he is offering during the big opening tomorrow.’
Emilia gasped. ‘His opening is tomorrow? So soon?’
‘Yes. Tomorrow evening. Now that he’s got a new cook he is good and ready for it!’
‘Yes, I heard. I am so happy for him!’
‘Yes! And you’re invited to the big opening, of course. All of us are.’
Emilia smiled widely, sweet anticipation for her upcoming visits to Trata today and tomorrow blossoming inside her. But then, a thought popped up in her mind that caused her to panic. ‘Oh!’
‘What is it?’
‘I just realized. I am going to Andreas’s house to work as Lia this morning. How am I going to Trata straight after that for lunch?’
Elise’s spotless brow creased. ‘Plenty of time in between. What are you talking about? You’ll be back home by eleven on the bus, won’t you?’ She raised a shoulder and added, ‘And if you’re tired to walk to the restaurant, I can give you a ride.’
Emilia flicked her wrist at her. ‘Yes, thanks… I am pretty sure you can conjure up another car out of thin air…’ she said, causing Elise to giggle.
‘But…’ she continued, ‘What about turning from Lia back to Emilia at will?’
For the first time, Elise’s smile vanished, her perfectly plucked eyebrows knitting like two caterpillar friends coming together for a hug. ‘Oh…Now, that’s a bit of a problem…’ She tapped her chin with one finger.
‘Wait… I have a theory…’ said Emilia.
‘What theory?’
Emilia began to relay how Andreas’s touch had caused her dizziness the previous day, and how she would have changed back to her true form in his bathroom had she not sung the song. For some reason she had forgotten to tell the girls the previous day. They had gone swimming as soon as she returned from work, then had lunch at a beach taverna nearby. She’d totally forgotten to discuss it with either of the girls by then.
‘Are you saying that when he touches you in your younger form you immediately get dizzy, then change to your true form?’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The same thing happened on the day of the interview at his place when we were saying goodbye. He was cuddling the puppy by the gate and when our hands touched, I got dizzy. Then, you came and saved me. The funny thing is, when I first shook hands with him that day, it didn’t happen. But perhaps that was a one-off. Who knows?’
‘This is interesting…’ said Elise, eyes reduced to two slits as she tapped her chin with a polished nail.
‘So? Do you think it’ll work if I touch him on purpose as I am leaving work today?’
‘To change back to Emilia so you can meet him for lunch? Yeah! Brilliant.’
‘What if it doesn’t work, though?’
‘If it happened twice so far, it’ll happen again.’
‘And if it doesn’t?’
Elise let out a heavy sigh. She put an arm around Emilia and gently tugged her closer to her. With her being so tall, a head taller than her at least, the hug felt comforting to her. Emilia felt nestled, as if in her mother’s arms again. It felt amazing. She’d have been content to stay in her embrace for a while, but then Elise released her again to look at her, a serious and benign look on her face.
‘Emilia, two things. First: We’ll cross that bridge if we get to it. And, secondly, a piece of advice: Never ever ever speak of the outcome you fear. Only speak and affirm the one you actually want. There is power on the tongue, and there are powers at work in this world that the common Man—and Woman—do not understand.
‘One day, you will, and then you will realize how catastrophic it is to be pessimistic, or to even worry about things that do not exist and are only in your mind. Especially when the odds are on the side of success, and yet, here you are, the silly humans that you all are, always worrying about the lower chance of failure.’
Emilia pulled a face, perplexed, then said with a huff, ‘ You silly humans ?’
‘Ah… yes. That last bit was a… uh… a quote. I read it in a magazine somewhere.’
Emilia chortled. ‘A quote? By whom? E.T.?’
‘No… uh… actually, it was someone very wise. Quite sure it was the Dalai Llama. Or, maybe, it was the Pope. Someone like that.’
‘A-ha. I bet.’ Emilia giggled, then picked up her coffee mug to have a sip. Elise picked her own mug to drink.
A few awkward moments later, Elise picked up her plate from the counter. ‘So. Good talk!’ she said, then went to eat at the table just as Chloe came out of the bathroom and approached the kitchen counter.
Emilia caressed the top of Chloe’s head. Her hair was fragrant as usual, a heavenly scent that she never could get enough of. It pointed to none of the shampoos or perfumes in the house. Another mystery, but what was new? Smiling back at the child, she handed her a mug of hot cocoa and a plate of her favourite cereal.
The child took it, giving her a smile that lit up her whole world. Emilia could never have enough of that smile.
As she took her place at the table with her odd yet endearing new friends, Emilia ate her own cereal and couldn’t help but marvel at them. So much mystery surrounded them both, but truth had to be said, they added a lot of laughter and joy in her life, too. And they had a proven record of steering her life out of trouble and into more harmonious places.
So far, they were doing an amazing job. Once again, her heart bloomed, full of gratitude for Esmera. And her gift. She looked down at the smooth arms, the luminous, spotless skin on the back of her hands. The sheer vigour of her young body. It was practically humming like a powerful engine, brimming with vitality and energy, begging to be taken for a spin.
Truly. Nothing beats youth… Except maybe love… Whenever she was with Andreas, she felt herself melt away. All she wanted was to leap forward and squeeze him in her arms. And, at work, being Lia, it was getting even harder to hide how she felt about him.
###
Emilia got to work on Andreas’s front garden today, seeing that the bushes and the trees there were in urgent need of some serious pruning. She’d started as soon as she arrived, admiring her own strength and vigour as she went up and down the ladder to reach high branches on the trees and to throw debris inside a huge canvas bag as she went.
Andreas had been the one to buzz her in and had come outside for a quick hello. He appeared again about thirty minutes later with Stefan. They were both surprised to see her there.
‘There you are! We went to the back first and couldn’t find you!’ said Andreas with an open smile as he approached with a glass of orange juice.
‘Sorry, yes. Thought I’d get this urgent pruning off my list today. It’s the fa?ade, after all. Must look the best it can be.’ She took the glass from Andreas’s offering hand and felt thankful it was tall. She made sure to curl her fingers around it as far from Andreas’s as possible. Thanking him, she drank a few sips.
Stefan approached to say hello. He seemed different today, as if his feet were hovering above ground. He immediately announced he was excited about his girlfriend, Anja, arriving the next day in the afternoon, on time to attend the big opening at Trata.
Emilia opened her mouth to comment on that, to say he was practically glowing, but Andreas interrupted to say, ‘Yes, Lia. The fa?ade needs to be pristine, I agree. It’s the most prominent part of a property.’ Leaning a little closer, he added, ‘Can’t have the neighbours thinking we are anything but perfectly tidy. If they think we’re sloppy they won’t come to our restaurant!’
He let out an adorable hearty laugh that pleased Emilia’s ears, but at the same time she began to panic. What if he elbows me in jest? He can’t touch me now. It’s too early!
She twisted around rather than turned, as if her upper body had received the instruction from her panicked brain faster than her feet did.
She hurried to the far corner of the fa?ade looking at her watch and picking up from the ground the large pruning shears she had left there. Then, she faced the men across that safe distance to say, ‘I’d better get to it. The clock is ticking!’
‘Do you need any help?’ asked Stefan.
‘Yes, as I matter of fact, I could use some help with taking the bag with the debris to the field next door. I can call you when I’m ready for that.’
‘Sure,’ said Stefan, then turned to Andreas. ‘But, is it okay to leave the branches there? I don’t even know who the field belongs to. ‘Do you know, Dad?’
Andreas shook his head. ‘No, I don’t know, but I think it’s irrelevant. The problem is it is probably illegal to dump it there. Turning to Emilia, he added, ‘Lia, maybe it’s better to load it all in my Jeep. I can take it to the rubbish tip.’
Emilia shook her head. ‘No, that’s not necessary. I have spoken to the council. They told me they will happily pick up tomorrow morning whatever we dump in the field.’
‘And the owner doesn’t mind?’ asked Stefan.
‘Oh, Nakis, don’t be so German… You’re in Greece now!’ said Andreas, but it wasn’t a scolding. His eyes were laughing.
Stefan gave a faint smile, looking a little sheepish.
‘Don’t worry,’ interjected Emilia. ‘The council knows the owner. He lives in The States. A little far for him to mind. Or even know.’
‘Ooh! That’s handy,’ said Andreas.
‘What is?’ asked Stefan.
He winked at his son. ‘We could park the boat there. In the winter.’
This time, they both erupted into guffaws.
‘Are you serious? I don’t think that would be okay,’ said Emilia. The previous day, Andreas had told her Stefan had gone fishing. So, maybe they did have a boat. But to park it on someone else’s field? Would they do that?
Andreas was still laughing and now he was patting his son on the back. ‘Don’t worry…’ said Andreas as soon as he sobered, ‘We’re only jesting. I blame our many years in Germany. Our humour probably doesn’t match yours anymore.’
Emilia gave a little laugh, then remembered something she’d planned to tell him. Another lie. But it couldn’t be helped. ‘Say, Andreas?’
‘Yes? he said, still standing away from her, his eyes catching the strong sunlight. His hair looked like they’d caught fire. He looked like an angel. All that was missing was a pair of large white wings protruding from behind his back.
‘Elise told my… um… aunt… about your invitation…’
His face brightened. ‘And?’
‘She’s coming to Trata for lunch today as you offered. She’s very thankful.’
He clapped his hands together. ‘Oh, wonderful news! Thank you! You’re welcome to come too, of course. And the little one. Uh… Chloe…?’
‘Yes. Her name is Chloe. Thanks. I’ll ask her if she wants to come. Thank you for inviting me too, but I am… erm… rather busy today, sorry. I do other jobs here and there.’
‘Pity. But, I understand, Lia. You will come to the opening tomorrow evening, I hope.’
‘Again, thank you, but… I am busy most evenings. I’ll try, but… I can’t promise anything.’ She kicked herself for giving him false hopes when she knew she couldn’t possibly attend, but she felt better knowing she’d be there as Emilia. This is whom he really wanted to see anyway. Well, hopefully.
‘Okay, Lia. No problem.’ He pressed his lips together and said nothing else. And now, his gaze became deeper, causing her to freeze. She felt stunned, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
To avoid his gaze, she had a few more sips of her orange juice, looking away. The next moments ticked by feeling very awkward. He still gazed at her intently. She cleared her throat and pretended not to notice.
Stefan had gone inside, and she couldn’t understand why Andreas was lingering. And there was something else she couldn’t understand. He had invited Chloe and ‘Lia’ to come along for lunch today but not Elise. What’s that all about?
His velvety voice took her abruptly out of her thoughts. ‘Sorry, Lia… for staring. I didn’t mean to…’ He put up both hands to expose open palms. ‘I’m not flirting or anything, honest!’ He laughed again, then added, ‘The thing is, your likeness to your aunt is uncanny. I can’t help but look at you and feel amazed. You even have the exact same voice, the same smile, the same laugh. It’s extraordinary.’
Emilia felt her heart melt. The look in his eyes was soft and full of longing. It took all she had to stop herself from rushing forward to squeeze him in a big hug. So much so that her fingertips began to tingle. She looked away, tucked a loose strand behind her ear and said, ‘Yes, well… everyone in the family says that.’ It was shameful of her to lie, she knew, but what choice did she have? Avoiding his gaze again, she scuffed a stone with the toe of her shoe and kept her eyes on the ground.
‘Well, Lia, I’ll be inside if you need anything. I may not be as young and muscly as my son, but I can still carry a heavy bag if I have to!’
He raised an arm to flex his muscles, chuckling, and she laughed.
‘Thanks, good to know,’ she replied, not committing about accepting his help or not. She wasn’t going to risk him touching her unless it was time for him to do so.
He turned and went inside, leaving her alone to finish the orange juice he’d handed her. Only now it was safe to do that as she could just leave the empty glass on the steps rather than have to hand it back to him. As she resumed work she couldn’t help but feel a little bitter. She ached to touch Andreas, to be close to him, and yet she panicked even at the thought of his fingers brushing against hers.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Esmera, with this insane gift of yours…’ she said with a grunt under her breath, and carried on working.