Chapter 36
When Emilia arrived at Trata she found the place was fairly quiet –
just a scatter of tables with patrons, mainly by the road. Near the entrance in the corner, she noticed Chloe sitting with her two friends. She had met Lena and Sotiria in her true form the previous day, as well as Lena’s mother in the kitchen. Today, arriving as Lia, she would have to pretend she was meeting them for the first time, all over again. Never thought I’d have such a natural flair for pretence. Might as well become an actress when this is over… she thought to herself, with a good measure of bitterness.
Elise, who had just come out to serve drinks at a table, spotted her and strode toward her with a bright smile. As usual, she seemed spotless – not a hair out of place on her perfect, wavy coif, her nails manicured to perfection. They glinted in the sunlight as she raised a hand to offer a playful wave. ‘Oh! Hi… Lia !’ she said, winking at her.
Emilia nodded and gave her an amused smile. ‘Oh, you’re something!’
‘Come! Let me introduce you to Lena and Sotiria… and the new cook!’ she said, this time erupting in guffaws as she pointed to the girls’ table and beckoned her to follow.
Clearly, she was having fun with this pretence, and she half-walked and half-skipped in a comical manner as she led Emilia to where the girls were sitting. Emilia wondered if Elise knew she was feeling bad about it, and had used humour on purpose to lighten things up. If that was the case, it had worked.
Emilia had arrived with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt like a fraud. It was acceptable to come here in her true form to see the man who had stolen her heart, but to come in this fraudulent young form for a free meal? Even if ‘her boss’ had invited her to? It just didn’t seem honest.
As if Elise had heard her thoughts, she stopped short on her way to the table, then turned around slowly, a solemn look in her eyes. ‘You are not a fraud, Emilia,’ she whispered. ‘What you’re doing is using a gift. A gift to grant you happiness. You’re not manipulating anybody. Everyone here is exercising their free will. Andreas included. Remember that.’
Emilia was speechless. She had just ascertained that this girl could indeed read her mind. Funnily enough, it didn’t bother her. If anything, it felt like a blessing. The advice made sense. ‘Thank you, I will remember that,’ sufficed her to reply.
Satisfied, Elise led her to the table to meet the girls.
Chloe sprang upright from her seat when she saw her. From the looks of it, they hadn’t eaten yet. Chloe greeted her and made introductions between her and the girls, saying that Lia was a friend who stayed with her.
The girls greeted her happily, and Emilia wished Lena happy birthday.
Then, Sotiria tilted her head and said, ‘You look a lot like Chloe’s other friend… What’s her name, Chloe? She was here yesterday.’
Chloe flinched visibly when her eyes met Emilia’s, then, turning to her friends, she scratched her head and said, ‘Emilia? You think so?’
It was Lena’s turn to comment. ‘Yes, maybe a little. But Emilia has brown eyes. Yours are green.’
Emilia felt herself breathe a little more easily, and Chloe seemed to be standing a little straighter now, too.
‘Ah, well. I don’t see that much of a resemblance. Anyway!’ said Chloe, then turned to Elise. ‘Now that Lia is here, I guess we are ready to eat?’ Her eyes were alight with alarm.
Emilia saw. She had her own alarm bells ringing inside her mind. Chloe had introduced her to the girls as a friend. Same story they had served to her nosy neighbour, Mrs Popi. She only hoped Andreas never got to hear that. She had told him Lia was Emilia’s niece, after all. And now, she realised she’d never told Elise and Chloe that particular little detail. I must remember to tell them. Maybe they can fix it. You never know how a lie could catch you out!
Elise hurried inside, and Chloe prompted Emilia to sit in the vacant seat beside her. The other two children were sitting side by side across from them. They were jesting and laughing between them now, and Emilia thought they had to be really close friends.
Chloe didn’t go to school, and she hadn’t shared any details about how she’d met those girls. But it did feel like it was no coincidence, somehow, that Lena’s mother had wound up working here. She didn’t know how she knew it but she did. It caused her mystification, once again, to rise. All she had was mysteries about these girls, but all she could do was focus on Andreas and trust these girls knew what they were doing.
Andreas’s voice broke her reverie, and she looked up to find him standing beside her. His arms were spread out, a huge grin on his face. ‘Hey, Lia! So happy you’re here. Welcome!’ And now, he was offering his hand to her, and she looked up at him as she was sitting, wishing the ground could crack open and swallow her in one big gulp.
Shoot! I hadn’t thought of that! She had made sure not to shake his hand today when she left his home so she could come to Trata as Lia, without having to sing the song again. She was carrying her CD player with her, though, in case the effect wore off while she was here.
If she shook his hand now, the dizziness would start, and she would have to dive for cover. Speechless, for a few panicky moments, she just sat looking at his hand like it was a rabid dog.
As if of its own accord, her body flexed the right muscles in a split second. And now, she was upright, having risen like a coiled spring, and causing a terrible screeching sound to echo from her chair. Everyone had fallen quiet, staring at her.
She had no other choice but to shake his hand that was still outstretched. ‘Thank you for the warm welcome. All the best with your opening tonight,’ she said, trying to sound confident.
He smiled and thanked her, and as he did that, the dizziness began. Raising an urgent hand to wipe her brow, she said, ‘I… I am sorry, I have to use the bathroom.’
Andreas stepped aside, and she hurried indoors.
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Emilia stood before the bathroom mirror, hyperventilating. She had just sung the song and now, her younger self was gazing back at her in the mirror, looking a little lost. She splashed some water on her face, then wiped it with a paper towel, giving herself a pep talk until she felt calm enough to rejoin everybody.
On her way out, Elise called her to the kitchen to introduce her to Voula. Thankfully, the woman didn’t comment on how much she looked like Emilia, although her look did linger on her quite a bit. If she’d thought it she never voiced it.
Outside, Emilia found Andreas serving plates on their table. He poured wine in her glass and she wished him every success with his new business. Then, with a bright smile, he invited everyone to enjoy the food and went back inside to carry on with his duties.
The meal was divine. BBQ meats, fries, baked peppers filled with feta cheese, Greek salad, tzatziki, and keftedakia. While the girls accompanied their meals with juices, Emilia enjoyed an exquisite dry white wine, which was from a local organic vinery, according to the label.
It had all served to restore her usual, comfortable demeanour. Her spirits rose even higher when an impressive two-tier cake came out, and the girls began to squeal with joy, Lena especially. Her eyes threatened with tears, bless her, but Chloe leaned over to whisper something in her ear, and the girl gave a huge smile, wiping away a single tear on her cheek.
Voula came out to be there when her daughter blew out the candles. The little girl’s face was beaming as her mother stood behind her, holding her shoulders, and everyone began to sing to her the Greek song for Happy Birthday:
May you live, Lena
For many happy years
May you grow old
With white hair on your head
May you spread everywhere
The light of knowledge
And may everyone say of you:
‘Here’s a wise one!’
Lena blew out the candles on her cake and everyone erupted in loud applause. The patrons all across the seating area did the same, and they all cheered when Andreas put out his arms and informed them that everyone was getting a piece.
Voula thanked Andreas for the offer of the cake, and he accepted her thanks with a pat on her back. He went back in, and Voula turned to Emilia to say, ‘You know, he didn’t let me pay for the cake ingredients even though that was the deal. He went and bought them all yesterday, and when I asked how much they were he said this was his present to Lena.’
Her eyes misted over as she added, ‘This man is an angel. I am so lucky to have found this job. And, it allows me to see my daughter in the day. My previous boss… You know Perdika?’ She pointed toward the canvas hiding the view to Aleka’s restaurant, and Emilia nodded, tight-lipped.
Voula continued, ‘Well, she didn’t allow my child to visit the kitchen. I never saw her all day. Poor child, she used to spend all these hours alone until I went back home, late in the evening… But Andreas… He not only welcomes her visiting me every day after school to spend absolute hours with me here, but he even hosts her birthday party! I really cannot believe my luck!’
Emilia didn’t comment on her odious cousin, Aleka. Instead, she only agreed with Voula that Andreas was very kind indeed, then she helped her cut the cake.