Chapter Thirty-Two
Eirini frowned as she read the information on her phone, shaking her head, and Nina’s stomach sank. They sat in the café courtyard with Heather, sipping portokolada. Nina fingered the bruise on her shoulder and winced.
‘Is it not looking good?’
Eirini pulled a face and shrugged. ‘It’s – a lot of jargon, you know what these businesses are like.’
Nina leaned forward in her seat. ‘But it – it says they have a sustainability policy, right? They – Baba spoke to them and they said they have someone who advises them and they can do it without harming the local . . .’
Eirini was looking sceptical. ‘Yes, sustainability policy and they talk about energy saving but . . . nothing about local environment. And this hotel chain, I know it, there’s been –’ She tapped on her phone.
‘Yes, see, they don’t have a good record, they do this – build big complexes and the effects on the area are . . .’ She shook her head. ‘Not good.’
Nina’s skin chilled over, despite the heat of the day, and she thought of George, of his warning that they couldn’t trust the hotel chain. He was right. Of course he was right. She and Heather exchanged a worried look.
‘But Theo spoke to them,’ she said. ‘So maybe this time they’re . . .’
She couldn’t even bring herself to finish the sentence.
Her friends were looking at her with an expression that was dubious to say the least, and she knew in her heart that building a hotel complex in Metalios wasn’t the right thing to do.
Theo, in his innocence and eagerness, had been too happy to accept their explanations and excuses. He’d been duped.
Heather stretched out her legs and leaned back in her chair. ‘I think you should just stay,’ she said. ‘Do it yourselves. You know that’s what you want.’
Nina thought of life in Metalios, of the little village square and all the friends she’d made, of the beach and the room she’d decorated. Of the turtles, and of George.
‘Right,’ she said, looking from Heather to Eirini. ‘We need a plan then, don’t we?’
Over the next hour, they worked out a plan; Nina and Heather hurried to buy food to go back to the house with, and Eirini was tasked with speaking to as many people in Metalios as she could.
‘Definitely the right decision. You seem more yourself here,’ Heather said as they wandered through the market, picking out food. ‘You’re just – back to your old self.’
‘From before I lost the job?’
Heather picked up a plump, ripe peach and breathed in its scent. ‘No, before that. I mean, from when we were kids.’
Nina stopped as she was choosing olives. Heather had known her since primary school, and had been there through the worst and best parts of her life. She’d never said anything like this before. ‘What do you mean?’
Heather put the peach in her basket and began inspecting apples. ‘You know, you were always a bit of a tearaway when you were a kid.’ She grinned.
‘I was not!’ But Nina was already remembering some of her childhood escapades.
Heather snorted. ‘Oh, come on. Remember when you ran out of class and climbed to the top of the apparatus and wouldn’t come down? And when you made a den in the woods and hid and no one could find you for hours?’
‘Well, that was just . . .’
‘It was awesome. Why do you think I was friends with you?’ Heather grinned, and Nina found herself smiling too as she remembered the carefree mischief of those days. ‘You turned into kind of a serious grown-up. I’m glad you’ve started climbing and doing DIY and swimming with dolphins or whatever.’
‘Turtles.’
Heather shrugged. ‘Same difference.’
‘No, it’s really not,’ Nina said, laughing. ‘You’ll have to come and watch them with me tomorrow morning.’
Heather pulled a face. ‘Sounds like an early start, but I’m up for it.’
Nina thought about what Heather had said as they carried all the food back to the house.
She realised that she had her heart set on staying, and George was only one of the reasons.
This place felt so connected to her mum, to a version of her that Nina had all but forgotten.
It had also brought out a side of Nina that she wasn’t prepared to let go of: the carefree, adventurous side that had become lost to her.
Determined now, Nina found Theo while Heather put away the food. He was sanding the walls in one of the downstairs rooms.
‘Leave that, Baba. I want to show you something.’
He turned to her, rolling his eyes and spreading his arms. ‘Oh, what’s this, you forget that your baba is here working away while you swanny around with your friend? I have these things to do, I can’t just . . .’
‘Please, Baba, please, please. I really need to show you this.’
She took the sandpaper from him and dropped it, dragging him to the stairs.
‘What ideas do you have in this head of yours now?’ he grumbled. ‘All this upstairs rooms is finished already, we agreed they didn’t need to be so very good, don’t tell me you’re changing your –’
Nina swung open the door to the room she’d been working on with a flourish, and was met with a flood of warm light and the faint smell of fresh paint. Theo was, for once, lost for words.
He wandered around the room, taking in the clean paintwork and the stencil border, the crisp sheets and paintings by local artists that hung on the wall.
‘This is beautiful, Antheia,’ he said, his voice soft. ‘You did all of this? You’re even more talented than I knew.’
He beamed at her, full of pride, and Nina felt her heart would burst with joy. Everything was going to plan.
She hugged him as they stood admiring the view of the sea. ‘So you understand, Baba? This means we can stay?’
He looked at her in confusion. ‘Stay?’
‘Well yes, that’s why I – to show you what I can do, how amazing I can make the house look, so you know that people will want to come and stay. And we – we can run it together, you can cook and I can . . .’
He was laughing, shaking his head. ‘Oh this would be a lovely dream, but we cannot take this risk. When we sell, we will have this money for you, this safety I promise your mama, and no worries about struggling in your future. No. We stick with this plan.’
‘But Baba we can’t; Eirini checked the hotel information and they’re not going to do what they told you, they just go round destroying all the local –’
‘Nina, I have said no.’ He spoke gently but firmly.
‘This Eirini is smart woman I know, but she is from this village, they are not like the people we know at home, they have nothing happening that’s so exciting so they think every little change is a big, big thing.
I have checked and the hotel is safe for the village.
This is the best way to keep you from struggling and I will not break this promise I made to your mama. ’
‘But Baba –’
He shook his head, and patted her arm. ‘No, my Antheia. This is a very sweet dream of yours, but it cannot be what we do. End of the discussions.’
Nina stood in the room, watching him leave, disappointment bitter in her mouth. This hadn’t gone as she’d hoped. But there was more to her plan.
This was not end of the discussions.
Heather immediately busied herself with the next part of her role in the plan – distracting Theo. Not a difficult task; he was all too happy to show her around some of his old haunts in the village. Meanwhile Nina, with Maria’s help, set about preparing a feast.
Maria hurried in, walking easily without her stick now, and took Nina in her arms. ‘Ah moro mou, you had such a bad time with the climbing.’ She released her and stroked her face. ‘Are you okay?’
Nina nodded, fighting the memory of the fear she’d felt as she was slammed away from the rockface.
‘I’m fine. I’ll be back at it as soon as I can.
’ She was nervous about climbing again, she couldn’t deny that, but she wasn’t prepared to give up on it.
She and George had talked it through, and decided that some low bouldering would be the best way for them both to start over.
She glanced past Maria to the door, just in case he was joining them.
‘Brave girl,’ Maria said, patting her cheek. ‘And no, he is not with me today. Busy, busy with the work, you see.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘You will have to make do with the old woman, eh?’
Nina smiled. ‘I’m never just making do with you, Maria.’
‘Sure,’ Maria said, producing an apron from her bag and tying it on. ‘But you rather see the handsome grandson!’ Nina laughed. She couldn’t deny she was keen to see George again. ‘I am glad he spend time with you, after all this he’s been through.’
Nina opened her mouth to ask what Maria meant. George had not said anything about any troubles in his life. But perhaps she should wait; he’d tell her when he was ready.
Maria flapped a tea towel at her. ‘Now. Let’s make a start with this.’
Together, they prepared a feast. Maria made tzatziki and spanakopita to start, while Nina stuffed vine leaves with rice for the dolmades.
There was moussaka and Greek salad for mains, and rizogalo, a Greek rice pudding, for dessert.
Soon the kitchen was warm and filled with delicious fragrances, and Maria and Nina were flushed from the heat.
‘You’re doing so well with the cooking now,’ Maria said, wiping her forehead and taking a sip of chilled blood orange juice. ‘I don’t think you will be needing any more lessons from me!’ She looked a little sad at this.
Nina smiled. ‘Maybe not, but I’m going to need Greek lessons next. You can teach me, right?’
‘Pfft. Of course.’ Maria looked around. ‘This place is very nice now. You and Theo have done a good job.’
‘It’s not really finished.’ Nina glanced at the plain walls and floors. ‘There’s a lot more I’d like to do.’
‘I hope your plan works. We’d all like to see you stay in Metalios.’ She gave Nina a meaningful look. ‘Some of us, especially.’
Nina smiled, blushing. Her plan would work. It had to. She only had a few days left before Theo signed the contract.
When the guests had arrived Heather brought Theo back, as planned.