She took it and tried to smile, pretending not to notice the shadow that fleeted past his eyes.
“You go first,” he urged her.
“Enjoy it, you little devils!” Sofia willed herself to sound cheerful when she threw the first chunks on the sand. Instantly, a dozen or so of sparrows landed there and started to hop about frantically, trying to get closest first to eat.
Danny threw them his half in one big chunk, causing Sofia to gasp, and the birds to hop about in a mad frenzy. More came out of nowhere and all gathered around the ridiculously large piece for their size, jerking and shaking it in all possible directions by the dozens, till it was all gone.
Still giggling at the sight, Sofia scrunched up the bag and Danny went to throw it in the bin. He sat by her again and that marked the end of all hilarity. When he turned to face her, the wistfulness in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Chin up,” she said with a caress on his cheek. “I should be the one looking sad. It’s the privilege of the girl that’s left behind,” she added with a forced, little smile.
“Isn't there a possibility at all that you could come to England soon?” His blue eyes were hopeful, as deep and vast as the sea.
Sofia grimaced with regret. “I’m afraid not. This is my final year, and I’ll be studying hard for my degree. No chance of a holiday.”
“Pity.”
“But a year is not that long…”
“I’d love to see you when you come,” he said, throwing her a hurried glance. He turned his gaze back at his feet swiftly after that. They were still submerged in the water, just like hers. The sea was lukewarm like bathwater, and the surface sparkled in a mesmerising way under the late afternoon light. For a few moments, he splashed his feet by hers in the water, saying nothing.
“I’m looking forward to that!” she beamed at him all at once, breaking the silence.
“I’ll show you around Brighton,” he said wistfully.
She managed a little smile. “And don’t forget the West Pier.”
He smirked. “Of course. A promise is a promise.”
“Will you take care of it? Make sure it doesn’t get demolished or something before I get there?”
“My lady, I’ll even fight a storm for you if I have to!” he piped up in a pretend, super-hero kind of voice. “Have faith in these freakishly strong biceps!” He lifted both arms and flexed his tiny muscles, causing her to giggle.
That’s when he put an arm around her, and when she turned to look at him, he gently rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes for a few moments. Then he caressed her neck and ever so softly, left a gentle, little kiss on her lips.
“I wish you could come with me, gorgeous...” He whispered with half-closed eyes.
“So do I,” she replied dreamily, unwilling to open her eyes just yet.
“Are we still on for this evening?” He moved away to look at her properly.
She beamed at him again. “Of course! Eight o’clock at the bridge.”
“Sounds like a plan!” he cheered, then leaned in a bit closer again to add quietly: “How come you didn’t mind me kissing you just now?”
He was smiling brightly again, and his face was so close to hers that his breath tickled her lips. It made her thirsty for another kiss, but for all the desire in her, she didn’t possess the gumption to lean in and get it, or even worse to request it.
“Things are safer in the afternoon. There are hardly any locals around here now. They all come down in the mornings.”
“What about your relatives at Karavi? They might see you and burn you at the stake!” he joked, pulling a face of mock terror.
“I don’t even care any more, so there!” she retorted, tipping up her chin and smiling at him.
Danny grinned. “Wow, that’s progress! Shame it happened just as I’m leaving.”
“I owe it to you. You’ve changed me,” she said causing him to give her a wistful little smile.
He looked away for a few moments, and when he turned to her again, he watched her with those twinkling eyes that she could never have enough of.
He flashed her a lopsided smile. “You’re sure you can’t fit in my suitcase? I can always take out Steve’s pink underpants and my bottles of booze to make a bit of room for you.”
“You’re incorrigible!” She huffed, nudging his elbow, and they broke into laughter.
“Here,” he said, taking off his straw hat to place it gently on her head. “I won't be needing that any more.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“It’s not exactly sunny where I’m going! You can have it,” he replied, bringing the brim of the hat low over her brow. “It suits you…” He gave her a peck on the lips, then locked his eyes with hers for what seemed like another eternity to her.
In his face she saw then all she ever wanted in her life, and it was all awash in the blue of his eyes and the brightness of his smile. It was a picture of adoration she knew she would never forget. She actually felt her heart open up right then, red hot and longing, fearless and tender, to take that image inside and cherish it forever. If only those moments could have frozen in time, never to end, never to be reminisced, the pain never to set in. If there is such a thing as nirvana, in those moments where his eyes locked with hers that time, that’s what she found herself in: in a state of bliss where every fibre of her being felt finally at peace, unwilling to shift, and ever experience anything else.
“Thank you,” was all she could muster when she finally managed to break the spell and lower her gaze, her heart full, for now. She was pleased beyond words for his gift. She knew already she was going to cherish that hat forever.
“Is Steve still at the bar then?” she asked after a few moments.
“Yes…” His voice trailed off, the silence difficult to break. He was sitting upright once again, staring into the distance, his dark, spiky hair glistening from his earlier swim, the tips bending softly in the breeze. He started to hum a tune, and she turned to look at him, to take in his long eyelids and the sweetness of his lips. It was unbearable to know he would soon be gone. It was also unbearable to see what he was already doing. Sofia had learned to read his body language well. He was still sitting so close to her and yet, he was putting up that wall again.
“Hey, a penny for your thoughts,” she said, trying to sound upbeat.
“I think Loula has put a spell on him. He won't be the same man back home,” he said after a few moments of hesitation.
“I’m sure this is the case for her, too…”
He smirked and brightened up. “Oh, I can't imagine what that’s like!”
“What what’s like?”
“You know, falling in love… Couldn’t happen to a tough guy like me!” He hit his chest with his fist, then pretended to break into a coughing fit. This used to make her dissolve into giggles, but there was no chance of that this time.
“Silly-billy,” she said quietly instead, feeling sad that unlike Steve, he didn’t seem willing to speak about love with a straight face. She knew Steve had told Loula he loved her and had even given her his address. Danny hadn’t made any sounds about writing to Sofia, but she didn’t dare ask him. Call it stupid pride, call it fear of rejection, but she wasn’t going to offer.
“It’s silly-Danny! When will you learn, woman?”
Danny’s answer was predictable enough, yet it caused her heart to sink. Since this was all he had to say on the subject of falling in love, she could tell she was heading for disaster.
Chapter 35
“What time did you say, he’s coming?” asked Dora. She was leaning against the railing at the river bridge with Nana and Sofia. They had just walked the full length of the village high street, past a multitude of busy shops and eateries.
The sun was sending out feeble rays of gentle gold, as it slowly began to set behind the dark green mountains in the distance. They looked particularly vibrant at this hour. Tall, cypress trees crowned their tops. Every single one of them cou
ld be made out with stark clarity in the soft light. Sofia was marvelling at the enchanting sight.
”Earth calling Sofia,” teased Dora when she didn’t get a response.
“Oh, sorry! Danny should be here any minute now…” Sofia checked her watch for the umpteenth time. She was feeling anxious but not just about meeting Danny on the busy road. Although she had changed in many ways recently, the thought of Uncle Yiannis still unnerved her. Throughout the day, he often crossed the bridge in his car to run a quick errand, or to deliver meals from his taverna to friends and family in the village of Messi.
“Don’t worry, I won't say anything,” said Nana, resting a hand on her cousin’s arm.
Sofia pinched her little cousin’s chin lovingly. “Of course, I know that.” She caught sight of Danny then, coming down the busy road, and her face brightened up. Her cousins followed her gaze and looked with great interest at the young lad who was approaching fast. He was dressed in blue denim jeans and a t-shirt that read ‘Life’s a beach’. The humour of the slogan matched perfectly the naughty look on his face and his lopsided grin.
“Wow, he’s a looker! Congrats on your good taste,” commented Dora, nudging Sofia on the elbow.
“I like his smile. He looks like the singer of Wet Wet Wet!” chimed in Nana. She was too involved in pop music for her age, thanks to her older sister’s purchases of teen magazines.
“Yeah, a bit. It’s the spiky hair, isn't it?” commented Dora.
Sofia gave a tittering laugh. “Shut up already, he’s coming!”
In a heartbeat, Danny was standing before them, offering his hand politely for introductions, starting from Nana.
“How do you do?” said the little girl in a posh British accent, the way she’d learned during her English lessons at the frontistirio, the private school of evening classes she had started to frequent two years earlier. There’s one in every neighbourhood in Greece, eager to respond to every Greek parent’s wish for their children to gain a good command of the English language.
“Oh my goodness! You speak English at your age!”
“Thank you! My name is Nana, what’s yours?” she asked confidently, although she knew his name. But she also knew that expression well and wanted to use it anyway, for the sake of showing off.
“I’m Danny. Pleased to meet you, Nana.”
Sofia then introduced him to Dora, who spoke English very well too, of course.
“What can I say? I feel stupid, speaking only one language,” he said, and they all laughed.
“Are you joining Sofia and me for a walk?” he asked politely, although he knew the plan was to be alone with her.
“No, we’re not,” Dora replied, as she held her sister lovingly by the shoulders. “You go ahead and enjoy your walk together. Nana and I will just carry on going that way.” She pointed to the windy road ahead of them, which led to Messi. It ended right at the village square, at the heart of a cluster of decrepit, yet graceful Corfiot houses. Most of them were over a hundred years old.
Danny turned to Sofia. “And where shall we go?”
“I was thinking maybe go back a bit.” She pointed to the direction where they had all come from. “I know this path that runs along the riverbank and leads to the beach at Messi. Is that all right?”
“Sounds wonderful,” he said, and they waved the girls goodbye.
“Back in an hour girls, okay?” shouted out Sofia as they were leaving.
Dora made a shooing gesture. “You go and have a nice walk and don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll meet you right here!”
Within seconds, they were on a narrow path, just off the main road, that led to the river. It was shaded by ancient olive trees.
“That’s the benefit of knowing a local. It’s so beautiful here!” said Danny, as he took in the quiet by the riverbank. The sound of traffic from the road had died down. All they could hear now was the sweet chirping of birds, and the monotonous sound of the cicadas that hadn’t yet tired singing since the crack of dawn.
Sofia had chosen well. It was a deserted path. Satisfied with her choice, she turned to face Danny with a beaming smile.
He pulled her close to him then, and she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. In the stillness, she could hear the strong beating of his heart. She felt blissful to be hidden by the trees, to melt in his arms again.
He lifted her chin to give her a passionate kiss, and the relentless passage of time froze again for a while.
They resumed walking but a minute later stopped again, this time to sit under a majestic, ancient olive tree. Its mighty boughs hung overhead, forming a dense canopy like a ceiling. It felt protective and embracing. Sofia leaned against the sturdy tree trunk with Danny and kissed him again.
Soon, a sweet rapture overwhelmed them as their passionate kissing unleashed their pent-up longing. His hands travelled down to her hips, then went up again, caressing her neck. When she felt his hand cup her breast, with a pained sigh she finally found the self-control to pull away.
“I’m sorry, Danny, I can't go on…” She felt numb as if she had woken from a deep slumber. Her body ached and burned with a fire that, until then, she didn’t even know existed.
Danny put up both hands. “I’m sorry, Sofia. I got carried away.”
“Don’t apologise, please. If you weren’t leaving, if only things were different…”
“I know, Sofia. I’m so sorry,” he said, as if he was to blame for having to go back home.
“Let’s carry on with our walk, shall we?”
He stood up after her and followed her to the riverbank. There, he took her hand and they walked side by side. After a long silence, she stopped and turned to him. Behind them, two seagulls perched at the edge of the bank, eyeing up the intruders with curiosity. They weren’t used to having company at this time of day.
“Promise me one thing: that you won't forget me,” she whispered.
“Gosh, you’re so beautiful,” he said, not meaning to evade the answer, but just feeling lost from looking at her. He held her closer and smiled to her.
She smiled back, mirroring his expression, the look in her eyes just as intense as in his. To look at them at that moment, it was like they were each the mirror image of the other. Two different people and yet, they seemed one and the same.
“Promise me,” she insisted, closing her eyes.
“I promise I won't forget you,” he said, closing his eyes too, then resting his forehead upon hers.
She cupped his face with her hands. “Like you said, let’s be friends and go with the flow. See what happens…”
“Friends…” he repeated, as if in a trance.
“Who knows what tomorrow brings? Let’s just wait and see.”
“Sofia, I’ll always be happy we’ve met!” he said with feeling when he opened his eyes. “I’ll never forget you, even if you never come to England. Even if we never meet again.” His voice quivered and he bit his lip, as if he was reprimanding himself. There was a twitch on his lips when he took his eyes from her, to look at the river behind her.
But even if it seemed like he regretted saying too much, Sofia was grateful that he finally did. It gave her encouragement and hope. Maybe he wasn’t like Steve to talk about love. But that didn’t mean he didn’t feel it. Only time would tell, and as long as she had hope, she could wait. As long as she stood a chance, she could survive the heartache she knew was coming, like a truck coming on her at full speed, its headlights approaching strong, the effect of fear paralysing, the impact imminent and irrevocable.
When they reached the river mouth, they stood for a few moments at the edge of the humble marina that hosted local fishing boats and small yachts. Their faces beamed with the pleasure to find it quiet. After a quick look around, they headed for the beach to sit on the sand under a thatched umbrella.
It was a few feet away from the tavernas and the bars that lined the seafront. Danny knew not to bother asking her if they could sit somewhere for a drink, as sh
e didn’t want to be sighted by any of her relatives there. Still, beggars can't be choosers, and he was glad to be on the beach alone with her.
The sand felt warm still, from the heat of the sun throughout the day. The breeze came down the mountains chilly in the growing dusk that was quickly turning into night, and she dug her fingers into the sand, relishing the feeling of warmth. She shivered, and he put his arms around her, as they rested against the wooden beam of the umbrella. He rubbed her back vigorously with one hand, and she giggled, happy to be in his embrace for as long as she still could. The moments she spent with him were growing more precious by the second.
“Is Steve at Karavi still?” she asked.
“Yes, he is. I’ll join him there tonight till the end of Loula’s shift. Then they’ll go out for a drink somewhere alone. Are you sure we can't meet again tonight?” he asked, although he knew the answer. Her sorry refusal with a mere shake of the head sufficed for confirmation.
“Danny, let’s say goodbye today,” she piped up then, and it sounded like she was pleading. “I don’t see how I can meet you tomorrow morning before you leave. And I’d rather say goodbye when we’re alone together rather than in a busy road or beach where I can't even hold you.”
Her voice was trembling now, but he didn’t know if it was because she was shivering or because she was upset. He guessed it was a bit of both.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind.”
“Frankly, I’d love to see you again tomorrow. I could come to the pier quickly perhaps? You don’t have to be at the roadside at ten a.m. when the coach comes to pick us up.”
“Please? I just can't! Okay? How can I say goodbye in public? You know I wouldn’t even be able to give you a goodbye hug there.” Her voice sounded heavy with grief, broken.
He shook his head. “Okay, Sofia, I won't insist… if that’s what you want.”
She nodded and, after a few moments, said it was time to go.
He took her hand and walked with her down the same path for their return. They kept silent for most of the way, as they walked slowly hand in hand, and only when they reached that large, olive tree again, she halted and turned to him, trying desperately not to break into tears.
The Ebb Page 24