Chapter 48
AVLAKI BEACH
The last time Kostas had sat on the stones here drinking a can of Alfa beer he had been fifteen.
His father had brought him here in the summer, determined to get him to windsurf.
It had been a disaster. The wind was so strong it had ripped the sail, and Kostas’s balance was always something he had had to work on.
But Konstantinos Senior had found the humour in it – something he very rarely did.
The best part of the afternoon had been the shared beers – only one each – but it had been enough to induce relaxation, quiet conversation, conversation Kostas had never forgotten.
‘You should always stand by who you are, Kosta. Not what people say you are. Do you know what I mean by that?’
‘Do not let yourself get distracted by other people’s opinions.’
‘Yes, son, but it is more than that. And it is not only about winning or losing. There are times we win and there are times we lose. But it is always important to keep focussed on your next goal. People’s opinions come and people’s opinions go.
Keep moving. Because no one wants to stop unless they have to, right? ’
Now, after speaking to his grandmother and hearing everything she had to say, he was remembering the conversation in a completely different way.
Keep moving. His father had kept moving towards his ultimate downfall no matter what or who was in his way.
Even his own son. He took a swig from his can and looked out into the waves.
What did he do with this revelation? He had built all his next moves based on the fact he had always believed that his father had been led to his death by the people on this island – the guys he went drinking with, went to OPAP with; that was the story his mother had always told him.
‘Your father pretends to be strong, Kosta. But inside he is too kind, too soft with others. They take advantage of his generous nature.’
He knew his mother had loved his father very much but to have her be so veiled by that adoration that it warped the reality for their son? Why had he not asked better questions when she was alive? Because he was too scared of the answers?
He sought the shoreline again and then, something else caught his eye.
Something a little further down the beach, a stationary mound.
Something big. What was that? He got to his feet and began crunching closer.
Was it… a person? His heart dropped as he rushed to get his phone from the pocket of his shorts, fingers suddenly slick with perspiration.
He flashed the torch towards the lump as he quickened his pace, praying his worst fears were not going to be realised.
And then a sharp breath left him. It wasn’t relief but he knew exactly who he had to call.
* * *
‘Have you touched it at all?’
‘No. Should we?’
‘I don’t think so. I called the hotline and they said do not worry, someone will come. I’m sure they would have given me more help, but we got cut off. I’m going to call them back.’
‘You have the training though, Faye. What do they say in the training?’ Kostas asked her.
‘I’ve only got up to the dolphin section. Turtles might not be the same. I mean, they are an entirely different shape.’
It was a turtle lying there. And this particular turtle was large.
It was on his back on the stones, breathing, but not looking at its best. Kostas had checked it was still alive and then he had called the person he knew had more knowledge than him in matters of sea life rescue.
Except it was hard to know if doing nothing and waiting was going to endanger this mammal more than doing something.
‘We are overthinking,’ Kostas decided. ‘I mean, years ago, before they had people here protecting the environment and the creatures in it, if someone found this they would do something.’
‘I don’t know,’ Faye said. ‘I don’t want to do the wrong thing.’
‘It does not look happy. It is on its back. It should not be on its back, right?’
‘No,’ Faye said. ‘And turtles, they come onto the beach for a few reasons. If they are low on energy. If they have to avoid predators. To nest. But this isn’t how they nest and they nest in beaches with moist sand, not stones.’
‘I thought you had not read the turtle section.’
He watched Faye put her hands to her head.
She was usually a confident problem solver, he had seen it first-hand on so many occasions, but tonight she was struggling, like she had as much on her mind as he had on his.
Maybe it was the photographs online. Had she received a backlash from somebody?
Dimitria? Had her daughter seen them? He had to remember that Faye was a mum.
Despite her living alone here she had someone in her life that was important above all others.
What would Saffron’s opinion be of him? He didn’t want to think about that right now.
‘OK,’ Kostas said, fast. ‘I am making the decision. And I will deal with the problem how I deal with anything I don’t have answers for.’
‘Please don’t tell me you are going to flip a coin.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘We will skim stones.’
‘Kosta!’
‘I am joking.’ He got his phone out. ‘We are going to use something they did not have years ago; we will find a solution on the internet. The experts you are calling have a website, right? There has to be information on what to do on there. And, if there is not, there is always YouTube.’
‘Yes!’ Faye said, looking brighter. ‘Yes, they do have a website.’
A few moments later they had more information, but it still wasn’t clear cut. However, with experts on the way, and given the condition of the turtle, Kostas wasn’t prepared to wait any longer.
‘OK, we are going to turn him over.’
‘What?’
‘You saw the video, of the man in Australia finding the turtle on its back and what he did.’
‘I know, but that was on sand and… in Australia.’
‘Oh, yes, we must not forget this is a Greek turtle and, more than that, a Corfiot turtle.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘We must treat them extra carefully, like princes of the seas.’
He swallowed. He needed to think about stopping making jokes like that. Yes, in his heart he still believed he was far more Athenian than Corfiot, but the God complex his father had always suggested the people of this island had, was it really the case?
‘I’m just suggesting the unique environmental factors might—’
‘Faye, please,’ Kostas begged. ‘I am going to do it and it is too heavy for me to do it safely. You need to help me.’ He looked at her seriously. ‘I do not want this turtle to die.’
And, as he spoke the words, he realised that the life of this sea creature was symbolic of so much more.
‘OK,’ Faye said. ‘You’re right. Let’s turn it over.’