Me ektímisi. Yours sincerely,
Kostas Koulouris
Cassia sat back in her chair with tears streaming down her cheeks. Tom took his wife in his arms and held her while she sobbed. All the fears about losing their daughter that she’d carried deep inside for so long fell away. ‘It’s okay. Let it all out.’
‘Oh, Tom. I wish I could see Eléni and tell her face to face how much I love her. And thank her.’
Tom squeezed her hand. ‘She’s done what she went to Kefalonia to do and our girl will be home before you know it,Cass. In her last letter, didn’t she say if she hadn’t found her uncle by the time of the twentieth anniversary of the earthquake, she’d be coming home? That’s just a few weeks away.’
Cassia folded the letter, knowing she would never part with it. ‘It will be a long few weeks,’ she whispered.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Tom reminded Cassia of what she’d said. ‘I’ve been thinking. If you can’t wait to see Eléni, why don’t we surprise her and go to Kefalonia for the anniversary? You will get to thank her face to face much sooner and we can have a much-needed family holiday. Bron’s been missing her terribly and has always wanted to go to Greece. And Eugenia said she’d love you to be there for the anniversary, too, didn’t she? It would be good for you two to spend some time together. What do you think?’
Cassia thought back to the words in her sister’s letter. It was obvious that the visit from Eléni had thawed Eugenia’s feelings towards her. She had, as Tom said, suggested visiting the island for the anniversary. Twenty years! The catastrophic event had mapped out the rest of her life. She’d never have met Tom, or their lovely Eléni. She’d never have had Bronwen. Cassia had vowed she’d never set foot on Kefalonia again but...
‘I don’t know. There isn’t time to organise it, is there? Where will we stay? The hotels will be full by now. And what about work? I’ll have just started there.’
‘If you’d like to go, I’ll organise it. Didn’t Eugenia say we must stay with her if we ever visit? Anyway,I’dlike to go back. To remember all those poor people who perished. Pay my respects to them. So please say yes. I think Eugenia gave you a telephone number — a letter will take too long to get there.’
Cassia nodded.
‘All right. I’ll ring her. If you’re sure we can organise it in time.’
She was surprised she’d agreed so quickly. When she saw the wide grin on Tom’s face, Cassia knew she was doing the right thing. She was going home! She went to get the other airmail letter that had arrived a week before the one from Kostas Koulouris. Her hand shook as she dialled the number. ‘Eugenia? Yes, it’s me, Cassia.’
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Cassia looked across at Bronwen, who was sitting next to the plane window and looking down on Kefalonia.
‘The sea is bright turquoise, Mamá. A bit different from Borth, eh?’
They both laughed. ‘Just a bit. And warmer.’
Tom squeezed Cassia’s hand as the plane descended, landing smoothly on the runway. The pilot’s voice came over the tannoy to welcome them to Kefalonia and inform them that the temperature outside was thirty-four degrees. He then repeated the message in English.
‘Oh. No. My poor freckly white skin. Over ninety Fahrenheit.’
‘You and Bron will have to be careful.’ Cassia thought how different it was for her and Eléni. They had to use suncream, but their olive skin was far better suited to the hot sun. Who in their right mind would go to Greece in August?
Her stomach churned when she thought of what lay ahead. Just treat it like a holiday, Tom had said. Bron’s face when they’d told her about the visit had been a picture. She’d kissed them both and told them she’d love them for ever.
‘I should hope so,’ Tom had told her.
Nearly twenty years was a long time to have stayed away. The island was no longer in ruins. It was slowly building up its tourist industry and Eugenia had told her many people were returning to their homeland from abroad, often with husbands or wives and families to start again. For the first time in ages, she thought about Nikos and baby Angelika both buried in the cemetery in Argostoli.
Once through passport control and arrivals, Tom led the way to the car rental desk to pick up the keys for the car, a red ToyotaCorolla. Even to Cassia, it seemed strange to be sitting in a left-hand drive car after the years spent in Wales.
She was the navigator for the journey to Fiscardo. When they passed the town of Argostoli just a few kilometres into the journey, Cassia’s skin prickled as she thought about the last time they’d been in the capital city with their eldest daughter, and how awful it had been. It had been rebuilt, with structural specifications to prevent such devastation again, but the threat of seismic activity was always present. She was glad when they were out on the coastal road away from her memories, and she was able to point out the views of the coast on one side and the mountains on the other.
‘It’s so beautiful, Mamá. I can’t see Eléni wanting to leave this. I know I wouldn’t and I haven’t got a handsome boyfriend like she has.’
Cassia’s heart raced. ‘What do you mean? I know she’d got a friend who helped her find her uncle. But that’s all he is. He was with her when they called on Eugenia. A nice young man, but she just said they’d become friends. And of course she’ll be coming home. She’s got her ticket.’
Nothing more was mentioned until Tom slammed on the brakes as the car came round a bend. Three goats were in the middle of the road.
‘Bloody things.’
