Chapter 35
Emilia was toiling in Andreas’s back garden. It was a perfect, sunny day, no cloud in the sky. Sissi was sitting under a shady tree, chewing on one of her toys as Emilia planted flowers in pots. She planned to hang them inside baskets on the side wall. They were all stunning flowers in diverse colours of fuchsia, lantana, geraniums and begonias.
Hearing the characteristic sound of the kitchen door opening she turned around. Andreas was bringing her a juice. A quick look at her watch told her it was almost half past nine. He had come out again, about an hour ago, to offer another refreshment – an iced tea accompanied by a large cookie. This man made her feel like a guest every morning, rather than hired help. It made her turn into mush inside. She almost felt embarrassed to get paid for this work.
As he approached, she felt the same heat blossoming in her heart, and, once again, it took all she had to act like the young woman she was supposed to be, the one who would never look at a man his age that way.
As soon as he approached, Sissi came running. She raised herself on hind legs, propped herself up on his shins, and he patted her head. ‘Hey, sweetie,’ he told her, then looked up to offer Emilia the glass of juice in his hand.
Sissi was now nibbling at his toes as he wore open sandals, causing him to chortle. Emilia laughed too, and they both cooed at the puppy for a while. Then, she remembered how thirsty she was and reached instinctively for the glass that he still held out, but she froze in the last split second. What am I doing? I cannot touch him!
It wasn’t a tall glass this time. She couldn’t risk it. Her hand shot up to her hair and she ran an urgent hand on it with a flat palm. It didn’t make much sense, seeing that being Lia she had pulled it up into a ponytail, so she started to twirl its end with two frantic fingers, then she thought how silly that was, too.
Dropping her hand, she slapped it on her thigh without meaning to and took a step back. He was looking at her quizzically as he still held out the glass, and it made her feel nervous. ‘Erm… I’ll have it in a minute, thank you. Can you leave it over there please?’ she said, looking anywhere else but into his face.
She pointed to a round garden table that sat nearby. He seemed a little mystified when he obliged her, but he didn’t comment, and she loved him even more for that.
‘I don’t want to keep you, Lia…’ he said when he returned from the table. ‘You must be busy. But I have something to ask you, if you have a moment.’
Emilia felt like the ground under her feet had begun to give in. Panic seized her and she tried her best to seem collected as she gazed back at him. Oh, here we go. He noticed something! He knows!
‘Lia, I am going to ask you this, and I don’t want any excuses…’
‘Yes?’
‘I’ve asked you a couple of times now to visit Trata, and you are never available. Today, though, I must insist!’
She let out a heavy exhalation, her knees still wobbly. ‘Oh! That’s what this is about?’
‘Yes, it is. I just can’t have the big opening today without you there.’ He smiled brightly, then added, ‘Look. I understand you have other jobs in the day, so I’ll give you a choice. Between lunchtime today or tonight. Around two p.m, Chloe is throwing a birthday party for one of her friends. Lena. She happens to be my new cook’s daughter. If you are not available to attend tonight, then you must come check out the birthday party, at least. This way you can spend some time with Nakis and me on this special day for our business. Lunch is on us, of course.’ He nodded at her with meaning. ‘This time, I insist. You’ve got to eat sometime, right?’
Emilia put a hand on her chest and breathed for a few moments. She had panicked so much that this seemed like the easiest ask ever. ‘Of course, sure. Thank you so much. I’ll see you there, say, around one thirty?’
He clapped his hands together once. ‘Perfect! And you can ask your aunt Emilia, if she’s free, to come too.’
‘Oh… Sorry. I know for a fact she is not available!’ she replied in a flash. I can’t be in two places at the same time, matey, thank you very much! She smiled sweetly. ‘But, of course, she’s coming to the opening tonight. You will see her then.’
‘Yes, of course. Now, I’d better leave you to it. If you need anything, just call me.’
‘Stefan’s not here today?’ asked Emilia as he was leaving. It wasn’t tactful, she knew it, to insinuate she preferred him for the heavy lifting to Andreas, but he hadn’t minded so far, and she did wonder where he was, to be honest. He was always polite enough to show himself when she was there. Was he away? Or maybe not feeling well today?
‘Oh! He’s in Plaka, crazy with excitement.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘He’s gone off to two different supermarkets to buy all the goodies he can think of to treat Anja. Anything even remotely German, especially. Her flight arrives in the afternoon. He even phoned the airport this morning to find out if they have a florist’s so he can buy a welcome bouquet there instead of in town this morning so they are fresher for her.’
Emilia’s heart melted. ‘Aww! This is so sweet. They must be so in love.’
‘Yes, they really are. My son has increasingly been on the phone to Germany since we came here.’ He gave a little laugh then, but she noticed a shadow pass briefly across his face, and she wondered what that was about.
His expression became bright again, quickly enough. Shaking a playful finger at her, he said with a mock-strict voice. ‘So! You know the way to Trata, yes? I don’t want any excuses!’
She saluted him like a soldier in the same humorous manner. ‘Yes, sir! I do, sir!’
He laughed and went inside, and she hurried to get that glass of juice. She was parched.
###
Chloe felt herself glide rather than walk along the street with Lena and Sotiria on the former’s big day. School was out and she was taking them to the field where she had prepared a series of surprises. She couldn’t wait to see their faces. Lena’s especially, as she knew how she thrived on joy – something she had been having so little of. But Lena had transformed in such a small time, simply by her receiving some loving attention and enjoying new friendships. Chloe felt her chest puff up with pride, the right kind, though. The one that comes from helping others.
When the girls took that first look at the field they exploded in excited squeals. Chloe had set up a big play tent under one of the tallest olive trees. It had the form of a house with beautiful windows, clouds, a sun, and even flower pots painted on it.
The girls rushed into it, sitting inside to marvel at the Happy Birthday garlands Chloe had hung on the ceiling from side to side. Even the canvas floor was festive, strewn with confetti. Three big pastel-coloured pillows, shaped like seats, were inside. The girls sat on them, giggling.
Chloe had placed a small covered basket in a corner. Lena pointed to it and said breathlessly, ‘Is this for us?’
Chloe laughed, still feeling high from the joy of giving. Lena’s face was priceless. The feeling it produced in her was like a rush. An addiction she was proud to fully own.
She tilted her head to the side and raised both shoulders. ‘Of course, it’s for us. Who else?’
‘Oh, Chloe, thank you so much. It’s all perfect!’ Lena threw herself into Chloe’s arms so forcefully that Chloe tilted back in her seat, catching Sotiria’s too as she toppled over. All three wound up falling into a heap on the floor of the tent, seats and all. It caused them to giggle as they righted themselves.
Lena got a bit teary then, and Chloe squeezed her shoulder gently. Sotiria, forever sympathetic, had got there first, somehow, to pat Lena on the back.
‘No one’s ever done anything like this for me before. Not even my own parents. I never had anyone celebrate my birthday. My parents were forever working, too busy for parties. I never had any friends either. You guys…You…’ She broke out crying, and Chloe felt the girl’s raw emotion like a stab in her gut.
‘Don’t be sad, Lena. Whatever it was, no matter how bad, that was the norm before, but your life is no longer that way.’
Hearing these words caused Lena to stop crying. She snapped her head up to look into Chloe’s eyes intently. ‘Huh?’
‘I said, whatever it was that hurt you before it is over now. You don’t need to dwell in that old place anymore, Lena.’ Chloe stretched her arms out to her sides. Thankfully, the tent was big enough for that. ‘Look around you, and at that beautiful olive grove we’re in. Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it great we are here, together? Today, on your special day?’
‘Yes… of course it is.’
Chloe gave a toothy grin, then said, ‘So, what are you crying about, you silly girl?’
Lena giggled and so did Sotiria, then Lena said, ‘You’re right. Only wonderful things here. Time to laugh and not cry. I’m sorry.’
‘Come now! Let’s get out of here. I have another surprise for you!’ Without waiting, Chloe burst out of the tent and the girls rushed behind her, following her to the back of the tent. In the small space between the tent and the large tree trunk, Chloe had stacked three beautiful kites.
Lena gasped. ‘Kites! Oh, my God, I don’t believe it! How did you know?’
Chloe had been a good student, attending her classes at the mill on most evenings with Laranon. One of her latest lessons involved learning how to become attuned to the mind of the human you’re helping, enough to be able to access their old memories.
One of those memories in Lena’s mind involved precious Lent Mondays she had spent with her parents in this very field, having picnics and flying kites with her father. He had taught her how to fly them and how to mend them. Since he passed away her mother hadn’t had time off on any Lent Monday. She had worked on every single one of them, trying to make ends meet. The last thing she had thought of was to buy Lena a kite. And Lena hadn’t asked. It wouldn’t have been fun to fly it on her own anyway.
Lena had her hands on one of the kites now, admiring it, her eyes misting over, as she waited for Chloe to respond to her question.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Chloe finally lied.
‘My father and I used to fly kites here… on this very field.’
‘Oh, that’s great,’ said Chloe, pretending not to feel the tumultuous emotion coursing through the weeping child from the top of her head to the soles of her feet and vice versa. She put a hand on Lena’s shoulder and gently squeezed. ‘Let’s go fly them! What do you say?’
Lena wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a little cheer, and so did Sotiria, picking another of the kites.
As she watched them striding to the end of the field that had enough open space for a take-off, Chloe whispered to herself, ‘Thank you again, Teacher. For showing me how to reach inside her mind so I can help her.’ She could sense his characteristic, ethereal fragrance in her nostrils all the time now, a sure sign that he was always with her.
Well done, Beloved… came Laranon’s swift response through the ether. Your idea to give her a kite has set her free. Her associating kites with pain has been plaguing her inside for too long. Thanks to you, today, she is making a new association. One with joy. I am proud of you, Chloe…
###
Lena and Sotiria had enjoyed flying their kites, high in the clear blue sky. It gave them tremendous delight.
Chloe didn’t fly one. Instead, she held the lines for the girls while they visited the tent successively to sample bite-size cheese pastries and chilled water from the basket.
Soon, it was time to go, as Lena’s mother was expecting them around two p.m. When Chloe told them the time and announced they had to hurry, the girls landed the kites as quickly as they could while Chloe smiled sneakily behind their backs. It was twenty to two, after all, and the distance was too far for them to walk it and be there on time.
‘Shoot!’ said Lena when she returned to the tent to pick up her school bag. ‘I don’t even have time to leave my school backpack at home. We have to run!’
Sotiria seemed lost when she entered the tent to pick up her own backpack, too. ‘I cannot run. Maybe, we can call a taxi and split the fare? I have some money in my wallet.’
Chloe giggled and put up her hand. No need! I have a solution. Come with me!’
‘Another surprise?’ said Sotiria breathlessly, as the two girls rushed out of the tent to follow Chloe to a clump of trees a little further away. One of the ancient olive trees there had a wealth of spindly branches sprouting around the base of the trunk. Chloe led them behind the dense foliage and swept her arms in a theatrical gesture to show them what lay on the ground there.
‘Bicycles?’ said Lena, incredulous.
‘That’s right. One each.’
Sotiria tutted, then shook her head forlornly. ‘I’m sorry, I cannot come with you, girls.’
‘What do you mean you cannot come?’ said Lena. ‘It’s my birthday. You have to, Sotiria!’
‘It’s not that I don’t want to, but I cannot ride bicycles. I don’t know how.’
‘You never had a bicycle?’ asked Chloe, taken aback. She hadn’t thought of that.
‘Only when I was small. But it was a tiny bike with training wheels. Not a proper bicycle like these…’
She pointed with a lame hand toward the bicycles and sighed.
In lieu of an answer, Chloe went inwards, where the miracles happened. I need you, Teacher! The moment she said that inside her mind, a rattling sound coming from the heap of the bicycles caused all three girls to jump back in surprise.
Out of the blue, all bicycles had moved.
‘What was that?’ said Lena, a hand on her heart.
‘A mouse? Oh, no!’ said Sotiria, stepping back a little further. ‘I hate mice!’
‘Relax, relax! This wasn’t a mouse…’ said Chloe, and she moved closer to the bicycles to inspect. The one lying at the very bottom had moved the most. She had seen it very clearly, in slow motion. This was a gift only angels had, to be able to rewind, freeze, or to fast-forward at will, back and forth in time, anything they’d seen, simply because they weren’t subjected to the deceptive linear appearance of time, like common mortals were.
And now, she could see it, plain as day. The specific bike now had training wheels on it. She dreamed of acquiring this specific power to manipulate physicality at this advanced level. She expected Laranon would teach that to her eventually. For now, she was just happy to have him on her side. Thank you, Teacher Laranon… she said in her mind, then turned to Sotiria.
‘It was probably a critter. You are right, Sotiria. But there’s nothing here now, I can assure you both.’
As they both approached cautiously, Chloe added, ‘And panic is over, by the way. This bicycle has training wheels on it!’ she told Sotiria.
Sotiria screwed up her face. ‘No, it doesn’t!’ But when she came closer to take another look, all she could do was scratch her head and say, ‘Oh! It does! But, how? I am sure none of them did, just a minute ago…’
‘Come on, let’s not waste any more time. Let’s go!’ prompted Chloe and they each picked up a bicycle.
It took Sotiria just a couple of times to go up and down the lane to make sure she could ride her bicycle confidently.
Giggling away, they set off to Trata, Lena’s laughter filling the air, warming Chloe’s heart. She could never have enough of that fix.