‘Tomorrow, I will take you to see my friend. He can make your dream balcony rail. I will hopefully have it installed for the next time you come here.’
‘Really? That would be wonderful.’ I can already imagine myself standing there and just gazing out to the sea across the rooftops, or sitting reading a book in the sunshine.
‘And I was wondering.’ He looks uncertain for a moment. ‘As it is on the way to Corfu Town, whether you would like to spend an afternoon there before you leave?’
‘I would like nothing more,’ I say, my heart beating just that bit faster at the thought of us spending the day together in one of my favourite places.
‘Good. I would not suggest this if we were not so far on with the work, but I think we all need a little break.’
‘I agree,’ I tell him. I know they have worked above and beyond to get things to a certain place.
‘We will soon finish rendering the outside walls, then there is only the bathroom. Unless, of course, you have come to terms with living with the blue bath. I could retrieve it from the skip,’ he jokes.
‘Absolutely not. I’m thinking clean lines, earth shades and a nice white bath on legs. Maybe some exposed brickwork. I saw some lovely bathrooms at the showroom the other day. It would be good if I could order what I want before I head home.’
‘I am beginning to realise you are someone who definitely knows what they want.’
‘Oh, I do, although I’m aware that things don’t always work out the way we expect them to.’
He studies me for a moment, and I feel heat rise in my cheeks under his gaze.
‘Are we still talking about the house?’
‘Maybe not. Life in general.’ I shrug, not wanting to give too much away about my personal life and ruin the positive mood.
He finishes his drink then, and doesn’t ask any more questions, before he resumes his work.
The next morning, we take a slight detour to the bathroom place near Sidari, and Dimitri quickly orders the bathroom suite I have chosen, along with some fixtures, to arrive on Thursday. I realise then how fortunate I am to have a Greek builder to help me with all of this.
The next stop is Dimitri’s friend, who I am told has a workshop in the countryside at the edge of a village. We take a left turn, away from the highway and are soon surrounded by rolling countryside.
‘Are you happy with how things have gone so far in the villa?’ Dimitri asks as he drives.
‘Yes, I am. I mean apart from a few hiccups, what with Yiannis and his back.’
‘And the woodworm in the floorboards,’ he says.
‘Not to mention the water pipe in the garden,’ I add.
‘And the man-eating spider in the garden.’ He turns to me with a smile on his face, and I can’t help but burst out laughing.
We bounce along roads that are little more than dirt tracks and I ask Dimitri if he is sure his car will be alright.
‘It’s fine,’ he reassures me as a chicken literally appears from nowhere, and crosses the road, and has him braking suddenly.
I glance along sweeping fields where men are bending and stretching, packing vegetables into plastic boxes ready to go to markets and shops. There are rows of red peppers and chillies, and fat red tomatoes growing on vines in the bright sunshine, alongside fields of courgettes and potatoes.
Eventually, we pull up outside a large house and are greeted warmly by Dimitri’s friend, who leads us to his workshop at the back.
‘Dimitri has told me about your project,’ says Theo, a stocky man of around fifty years of age, with a balding head and a grey moustache. ‘And your desire for a pretty balcony.’
‘Yes, if it’s possible, even though I am told it might not be very practical.’ I cast a glance at Dimitri.
‘Yes, but we must all have our dreams,’ he tells me warmly as he leads the way to his workshop.
Inside, I glance around at some wonderful examples of his work. Fireplaces, lamp stands, and metal wall art jostle for space, along with some pretty wrought-iron gates.
‘Your work is beautiful,’ I tell him and he thanks me.
