She hurried to the apartment block and waited for Simos to open the door. Before she was through the door, they began kissing and fell onto the sofa in each other’s arms.
‘How was it?’ asked Eléni. ‘I kept thinking I should have been with you. I can’t remember my parents, but the minute’s silence in the church and the visit to the cemetery were both very moving. I was lucky to be with people who loved me. Are you sure you’re all right?’
‘I was fine. Iwantedto be alone if you can understand that. There were several people in the cemetery doing the same thing. I even met someone who recognised me from when I was a small boy. A friend of my mother’s, who told me how my mother was a brilliant pianist and used to sing to us all the time. A certain song came into my head. On the way back here, I turned on the radio and the folk song was playing. Can you believe it?’
Eléni hugged him. ‘More and more is coming back to you. I’m pleased everything went well.’
* * *
The next four days flew by. Eléni managed to work her final shifts at the taverna, spend time with her family and be with Simos every evening. Time was precious, and they never talked about Eléni leaving.
The feast day arrived. She’d stayed over at Simos’s apartment, as she did most nights. She sat on the side of the bed and watched him sleep.How I’m going to miss waking up beside you, gorgeous Simos!His eyelids flickered as if he knewEléni was watching him. ‘Happy name day.’ Eléni leaned across and kissed him. Simos pulled her back into bed. Resisting, she said, ‘We should get going. We’ll keep our kisses for later. I told Baba to arrive early, as you said it will be chaotic to park.’
They travelled the fifteen kilometres to the monastery and church of Agios Gerasimos, and Simos was proved right. Cars were parked in every available spot on the hard, stony ground. Crowds of people filled the steps up to the beautiful church with vineyards on either side that had been built after the earthquake.
‘There’s your father.’ Simos had spotted them waiting at the side of the steps.
‘Shall we go in?’ said Eugenia.
They all began to file in with the other worshippers who had been waiting and the nearer they got to the entrance doors, the louder the choral chant from within became. Many of the congregation had canes to aid their walking or were disabled. They were there in the hope that their patron saint would protect and heal them of their illnesses on this ‘day of miracles’ as it was called.
Whether religious or not, Eléni defied anyone not to be moved by the spectacle they were witnessing. Once inside the church, Simos pointed out the carved silver-and-glass case that held the patron saint’s relics. She stood on tiptoe to see above the crowd. The ceremony was conducted by clergy, nuns and many officials, but it was the haunting music, both beautiful and sad, that summed up the meaning of the occasion.
At the end of the service, young men dressed in white shirts and deep-blue velvet waistcoats and trousers lifted the relic case and went outside where many people were lying, face up on the ground, for the body of Saint Gerasimos to travel over them. A brass band struck up and the musicians began to march.
After the cool interior of the church, walking into the heat of the sun was intense. Tom led everyone to stand in some shade to watch the procession.
Even the normally lively Bronwen was subdued.
‘It brought some memories back. Do you remember Father insisting we attended every year?’ said Eugenia.
Cassia nodded. ‘Yes. It didn’t mean much to us then, but today, whether it’s because of the service commemorating the earthquake being so close, I found it quite moving... in spite of all the hordes of people.’
Before going back to their cars, they said their goodbyes.
‘We’re going to head off now. I’m going to spend my last afternoon with Simos and he’s going to take me up to see Theíos Kostas.’ Eléni embraced her aunt. ‘I won’t see you before we leave.Efcharistófor everything.’ She turned to her parents and sister. ‘I’ll see you all at the airport in the morning.’
After visiting her uncle in New Farsa for the last time, Eléni and Simos were alone. She took a present she’d wrapped from her bag.
‘I want you to have this as a reminder of me. Think of it as a name day present.’
He took the gift and opened it. His eyes widened as he realised what it was. ‘Our cove where we made love on the beach! It’s beautiful. I love it, Eléni! The colours of the inks. The colours of the sea.’ He stood and positioned it on the blank white wall opposite them. ‘It will go there so I can look at it whenever I feel lonely... which will be often.Efcharistó,Eléni. I’m going to miss you so much.’ Simos pulled her to him as he sat back down next to her on the sofa. ‘I’m sorry I was so frosty towards you when you first came to me for help.’
Eléni kissed him on the lips. ‘I’m glad you like it. Anyway, you’re far from frosty now, Simos Georgatos!’ Giggling, she said,‘In fact, you could be described as a red-hot lover...’ He slipped a hand under her T-shirt.
‘I can get hotter if you like.’ Laughing, he stood and pulled her by the hands into the bedroom.
Lying in Simos’s arms before she had to leave to go back to the lodging house and pack, Eléni wondered what the future held. Would their secret plans work out? Dare she dream they would? Whatever happened, she knew she had found a man who truly loved her as she did him.
Epilogue
Argostoli, Kefalonia, 30 April 1974
‘This is the last one to hang. How about here?’
Simos stretched on the stepladder to show where he thought the ink drawing could go. It was the largest and most colourful of Eléni’s pictures.
‘Just a tad to the right.’ She watched him adjust the position. ‘Perfect.’
