‘Ah, you are her parents, eh?’
Just as Tom was about to correct the nurse, Cassia nodded. It would help if they could see Eléni whenever they wanted. Who else would be there by her bedside? Could she persuade Sophia to take on the role of yiayiá?It was just until Eléni was out ofdanger, Cassia told herself. It didn’t seem right for the child to be fighting to survive without a soul there to support her.
‘Physically, she’s making progress. It’s very early days. But she is traumatised. That recovery is going to take much longer. The more you can visit the better. Just talk to her, sing her favourite songs. I expect she had a favourite toy, but I presume it was destroyed in the earthquake. I have to go. There is another casualty coming in and I need to be ready for her.’
‘Efcharistó.’
Once outside, Cassia turned to Tom. ‘Thank you for not correcting her. If they know we are not her parents, Eléni will have no one. Are you willing to be Kýrios Makris for a short while? Just until she’s better.’
Tom took her hand. ‘You’re very persuasive, Kýria Makris. You’re starting to fall in love with that little girl, aren’t you?’
Was her feeling for Eléni love, pity or concern for her future as an orphan? Whatever it was, it triggered such painful memories of another little girl who would be the same age as Eléni now.
* * *
‘All I want is for her to get better and she needs someone to be there for her. I cannot get those terrified eyes out of my mind,’ said Cassia, as the two of them walked to the shelter. ‘I think your idea of asking Sophia to sit with her is a good one.’
The sky was an inky indigo dotted with stars and a full moon to light their way. Cassia thought back to the murky atmosphere of the previous day. The dust had now settled and the air had cleared. She took in a deep breath as if to prove she could do so without spluttering. There was no acrid taste at the back of her mouth. The familiar sound of cicadas was back. For the first time since the earthquake had struck, she allowed herself to feel a glimmer of hope.
‘Our shelter is the one on the right. Thank you for walking me home.’ She looked at Tom and laughed a hollow laugh. ‘Home. Why did I say that? My home is a heap of stones. I have no home. Thank you for walking with me to the shelter.’
Tom grasped her hand and kissed it. Cassia knew his gesture was one of a new friend, a friend who she needed more than ever before at this awful time, but it didn’t stop the warm feeling she felt as his lips touched her skin. ‘It will get better. More ships are in the bay now, and aid is coming through. Perhaps our reporter friend was right. The more the rest of the world knows, the more help will get to the island.’
Cassia thought of the handsome man who spoke perfect Greek. Rhodri Jones. She remembered how she had yelled at him. If it wasn’t for him insisting the sailors should carry on digging, her lovely Eléni would never have been found.
Sophia was wide awake when they arrived. Since Cassia had left that morning, there were now two chairs and some wooden boxes used as a table, on which there was food and water.
‘How is Eléni? Did you manage to see her? What did the doctors say?’
Cassia turned to Tom. ‘Did you understand all that?’
He smiled at the urgency of the old woman’s questions. ‘Yes, we both have. She is very ill. The doctors, they say she gets better. Long time.’
Cassia continued, speaking slowly so Tom could understand. ‘Eléni looks better now. The doctors and nurses say her injuries will heal, but when she’s awake she seems frightened. When Tom or I try to talk to her, she gets agitated and scared. She doesn’t know us, of course. Would you be willing to sit by her and talk to her? She knows you, doesn’t she?’
Cassia and Tom knew Sophia’s answer before she uttered any words. ‘Oh, Cassia, I would love to. I have been thinking about her all day. She must be about the same age as the littlegirl sleeping over there. She has a mother to look after her, and now her yiayiá has been found and has joined the family. I’ll be Eléni’s yiayiá.’
Tom winked at Cassia. ‘And we didn’t even have to ask.’
* * *
The next morning, Sophia and Cassia left the shelter for the Red Cross centre. They arrived at the ward where the nurse receiving the casualties spotted them.
‘Ah, the little girl’s yiayiá,too.’
Neither of them corrected her. They walked the length of the ward to Eléni’s bed. She was propped up on two pillows, and the drip had been removed from her uninjured arm. Cassia held back as Sophia stopped and inhaled deeply before approaching. She then bent over and kissed the child on her cheek.
‘Agápi mou, I’m so pleased to see you looking better.’
The little girl looked up at the old lady, and a wide smile lit up her face. It was the first time Cassia had seen her look happy. Tom’s idea had been right: it was only Sophia she would recognise.
Cassia approached the bed. ‘Kaliméra, Eléni. I can see you’re pleased I’ve brought your friend to see you.’ Cassia smiled at her. But it was as if a veil had been drawn across the little girl’s face. Eléni turned her head away and squeezed her eyes tight.
Sophia took Eléni’s hand. ‘This is Cassia. She’s a friend who has been concerned about you, too.’ The old lady looked up at Cassia. ‘Why don’t you go to your shift and come back later? I’ll try talking to her.’
Cassia agreed and made her way to the tent. She knew she would soon be so busy helping more injured survivors that she wouldn’t have time to think about why Eléni was so afraid of her. She found her uniform and joined Athina, who was stitching a nasty, deep head wound on a young woman. Even though therewere fewer patients needing medical attention each day, stories of people being pulled from underneath collapsed buildings were still coming through. Many were dehydrated and had breathing problems from inhaling so much dust. Others needed reassurance they were going to be all right. Cassia sat with them and listened to harrowing stories of loss, of children buried under rubble and taking their last breaths as they held their hands. When it was time for a break, she visited Eléni and Sophia. Approaching the bed, she heard giggling and saw Sophia making silly faces. Eléni’s eyes sparkled in delight. So different from the wide-eyed terror Cassia had seen earlier.
‘Look who’s come to see you,agápi mou. It’s Cassia.’
