AgapitíCassia,
I want to thank you for making my last days happy ones. Seeing you and your little one every day has made this old man very happy.
Tavernas are kept within families and I am leaving Taverna Zervas to my nephew, Milos. But in a very short time, I’ve come to think of you and Eléni as family too, so I have made arrangements for you to have a home here for as long as you need it. Times are hard in Kefalonia at the moment but it will get better, I am sure of it. When I visited Patras last time, I told Milos of my plans. He has no intention of coming to live in Taverna Zervas and is happy for you and Eléni to continue living here as you are doing.
Me agápi,
Michaíl
Her eyes misted. ‘What a lovely thing to do. Look, the letter was dated a few weeks ago. Before he knew we were getting married.’
‘He never mentioned anything about this to me. He certainly didn’t mention us emigrating to Wales. He must have thought a lot about how you were going to manage on your own.’ He placed an arm around Cassia and they sat in silence remembering Michaíl.
* * *
Later that night, Eléni woke screaming. She hadn’t had a nightmare since the one in Eugenia’s house when Georgios had been so unkind. She shuddered and cowered under her blanket, her arms covering her head.
Cassia soothed and calmed her, but it was a reminder that the slightest change in circumstances could unsettle the little girl. Tom appeared at the door.
‘Is she all right?’ he whispered.
Cassia nodded and was pleased when he left her to comfort Eléni alone. She carried Eléni to her own bed and she went back to sleep as Cassia lay down. In the darkness, Cassia reflected on what had just happened. It was clearly a reaction to Michaíl leaving and sensing the emotions associated with that.What is she going to be like when we move away from here? What if she reverts to her nightmares when we get to Wales? Was it fair to uproot her again?Eléni was clearly very happy to know Tom and Cassia were going to get married, but wouldn’t be able to grasp the implications of emigrating thousands of miles away. She would sense if Cassia was unhappy, and she wondered if moving to Wales was the right thing. Tom would be at sea for such long periods — could she manage on her own in a foreign country? Michaíl’s letter had changed things. What if they gotmarried and stayed in Fiscardo? Her problem at the moment was a lack of money, but she could apply for the job advertised by Dr Alexatos. She and Tom could start up the taverna in their name, even start providing food again. Eléni could start at the school she and Eugenia had attended. She’d perhaps be in the same class as Maia. Tom could send her money in the bars of soap, as he’d told her. They would manage — they could make a life for themselves in Fiscardo, couldn’t they? Wondering how she was going to break it to Tom, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next morning, Cassia found Tom already up and dressed, making coffee.
‘Is Eléni all right this morning? I didn’t hear her again. She sounded terrified.’
Cassia sat down at the kitchen table while he poured the coffee from the copperbriki.
‘Efcharistó.I took her into my bed and she went back to sleep. She hasn’t had one for ages. It was like going back six months. Poor little thing.’
She decided this was a good way to begin telling Tom her thoughts about staying. ‘I’m worried even more upheaval — leaving everything she knows here — is going to set Eléni back to square one. She’ll be having nightmares like that every night.’
His face became serious. ‘What do you mean? She’ll have both of us with her.’
‘But she won’t, will she? You’ll be at sea for long periods of time. Michaíl’s letter has given us another option. We can still get married, but make our home here in Fiscardo. Instead of waiting for you to come home to somewhere new, we’d be waiting here among people and the language we know.’
She waited for Tom to say something. ‘I’m sorry, Cassia, but there is no future for us here. You’ve said it yourself. Everyone’s emigrating as there is no work, no food, no...’
He stopped as Eléni joined them. Her face was serious. She’d obviously heard the conversation.
‘No smiles for us this morning.’ The little girl shook her head. ‘I think we’ll carry on with this later,’ he whispered to Cassia.
Disappointment shone on Tom’s face. He’d been so happy when Cassia had told him she’d marry him and move to Wales. Now all she could think about was how she could make thingswork by staying. She imagined what Eugenia would say. ‘I was right. If you truly loved him, you wouldn’t even be considering staying here. A marriage of convenience was all it was going to be to get away from the hardships of the island. Now you’ve got a permanent home, you don’t have to move away.’Is Tom thinking the same? That I only agreed to marry him as a way of getting away from the desperate state of the island?
The subject was not mentioned again. Cassia set about making up a bed in Michaíl’s room for Tom while he took Eléni out for a walk. The little girl was still subdued, but he did raise a smile from her when he suggested they walk down to the beach.
Cassia hoped things would soon be back to how they were.
While they were out, Eugenia arrived at the taverna. It was the first time the sisters had seen each other since their row.
‘Where’s Maia?’
Her sister hesitated. ‘Umm, she’s spending time with Mamá so I thought I’d come to see how you’re getting on. I understand Tom is here. I was sorry to hear Michaíl has left. I would have liked to have said goodbye. It all seems so sudden.’
Cassia’s throat constricted. ‘Yes, his sister sent a ferry ticket for him, and DrAlexatos thought it was better to go now before...’ — she inhaled deeply — ‘... it was too late. Tom went with him. I don’t think he could have managed on his own.’
