The Ebb

by Effrosyni Moschoudi

  SACRED

  Oh soothing light / oh leading moon of mighty tides

  The bosom of my granite faith

  A restless, burning phoenix hides.

  You’re sacred / a hand that heals, a God divine

  Oh precious, rise, oh brightest sun

  With rays of awe through darkness shine.

  Oh naked truth / It’s round you that the earth rotates

  Oh breathing air / through heartless time

  My nameless soul your name awaits.

  You’re sacred / a hand that heals, a God divine

  Oh precious, rise, oh brightest sun

  With rays of awe through darkness shine.

  Rise from the ashes / fly through the flame

  Soothe me and heal me down to the core.

  Burn through the night / take me inside

  Nestle me close forever more.

  Chapter 40

  1938

  When Laura exited the building of the Amateur Dramatics Society, she found Christian waiting for her by the gate, just as they had agreed. It had been a pain to convince Mr Thornton to allow him an hour’s leave at such an awkward time of day, but Christian had been forceful with his request. As Mr Thornton knew how conscientious he was, he had relented in the end, believing that the personal reasons he put forward were indeed quite serious. And indeed they were, if you were to consider what Laura meant to Christian.

  As soon as he saw her, Christian rushed to her to hold and kiss her and then, hand in hand, they proceeded together as planned towards the white Rolls that had just arrived. Laura intended to inform James as politely and firmly as she could that his courteous service would no longer be required.

  However, to their surprise, as soon as the Rolls pulled to a stop, the back door opened and out came Charles. Taken aback, but not in the least deterred, the two lovers glanced at each other only briefly and then quickened their step in order to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

  “Good evening, dear Laura! Good evening, sir! I do not think I’ve had the pleasure.” Charles extended his hand to Christian in a fluid and unhurried gesture, although he knew well what was to come. Harold had done a great job. He’d spent hours outside the reception hall two days earlier and had even managed to venture inside for a while to spy a little better. When he returned to Lakeview, he’d duly reported to Charles the bad news; Laura had come out of the reception hall holding Christian Searle by the hand.

  Charles instantly knew his London lie had been disclosed, but he didn’t panic in the least. As always, he was confident in his resourcefulness to create even more deceit, causing doubt in the minds of those he tried to manipulate.

  “Don’t bother, Willard! Save the niceties for people your kind!” said Christian behind gritted teeth. It was all he could do to hold Laura’s hand, and to try to keep calm, as he had promised her, and not attack him.

  “Did you tell Christian that you and I were engaged?” demanded Laura.

  “Christian? Is that your name?” asked Charles, feigning confusion.

  “Don’t even try to pretend you don’t know who I am!” shouted Christian, taking a big step towards Charles, his free hand balling into a fist.

  “Now, now, there’s no need for all that! It was only a jest, my dear fellow!” Charles put up his hands and back-stepped. “No hard feelings, old boy?”

  “Charles, please spare us the childish excuses,” interrupted Laura. “That was simply not gentlemanlike! It was shameful of you. And what right have you to tell someone I’m your fiancé, anyway?”

  “You misunderstood me, dear Laura. It was just a little folly on my part. I thought I was only pulling the leg of a stranger. I had a few drinks and was making merry. Honestly! There was no foul intention whatsoever.” He pulled a face of innocence, his blue eyes larger than ever, but it was all to no avail. The wolf had been finally exposed for who he was.

  Laura gave a deep sigh. “Charles, I’m going to forgive you for doing this in the name of the friendship we’ve shared in the past—”

  “Thank you, Laura, I knew you could take a joke!” Charles interrupted her with a huge smile. He made a move to approach her, but Laura put up a hand to stop him from getting any closer.

  “Wait! I said I was going to forgive you, but I’m not going to forget. I want you to leave me alone, Charles. No more invitations or presents, no more phone calls and courtesy rides in your car. Although I’m thankful for James’s trouble; he’s a good man and twice as decent as you’ll ever be!”

  For the first time, Charles looked lost for words. He had grown pale, and his lips had contracted into a perfect ‘o’ shape, as he tried to process what he’d just heard.

  Laura paused to admire the sight, exchanged a satisfied look with Christian and then cast a glance at James, too. He was seated behind the wheel, watching the awkward scene across the distance. His face betrayed nothing, although she could have sworn she saw a chuckle escape his lips when their eyes met. James is a good man, indeed. He’s obviously amused his boss is getting an earful for a change!

  Laura turned her attention again to the task at hand. “As for you, Charles,” she carried on, shaking a sharp finger at him, “As for you, I’ll spare you from hearing my opinion of you in further detail. Let me just say, that I never want to see you or speak to you again after today.”

  Charles swallowed a knot in his throat and gasped before speaking. “My dear Laura, you can’t be serious—”

  She fixed him with an icy stare. “Surely, you don’t expect me to trust you again after what you did, do you Charles?”

  “But… But I…” he mumbled, unbelieving.

  Laura and Christian were grinning smugly at him now. Yet, what pained Charles the most wasn’t their derision, but the fact that they were still holding hands. He bowed his head and pinned his eyes to their clasped hands, as anger rose inside him.

  He raised one hand and brushed it against his forehead, beads of sweat staining his gloved hand. The woman I want more than any other has chosen this urchin, this ignorant peasant, instead of me! How preposterous! An unfamiliar and crushing sense of humiliation washed over him like a jet of cold water, rendering him unable to speak. His mind drew blank, and he finally looked up to stare at them, aghast. He was still completely lost for words, for the first time in his life. His best efforts to patch things up had all failed, and now he was losing her. But how can I ever lose? I am a Willard, damn it!

  “Oh! How rude of me!” piped up Laura, taking heart from the look of sheer astonishment on his face. It felt good to humiliate him, to expose his trickery. She thought it served him right for subjecting her precious Christian to such turmoil for so long. “I haven’t properly introduced you two yet, have I? Christian, this is the Viscount Willard, a fan and a short-lived friend. Charles, this is Christian Searle, my boyfriend, the man I love! But you already know that, don’t you?”

  “And you can thank her for not letting me give you the lesson you deserve!” interrupted Christian. He brought his face close to Charles’s to stand before him like a menacing bull, matching his height. His nostrils were flaring with the effort not to throw a satisfying punch at his face. Bastard! I could beat you to a pulp!

  Frozen, Charles cowered for a few moments, fearing the worst, as the rush of Christian’s exhaling breath burned on his cheeks. Finally, he blinked a few times and took a step back with dignity, then straightened his tie and tried to compose himself.

  “Miss Mayfield? Mr Searle?” he managed just about, with the last scrap of dignity he had left. A cold grin formed on his lips, and he tipped his hat in a formal gesture, as if the last five minutes had never happened. He turned away, got in the car and sat stiffly upright in the back seat, looking straight ahead, a stony expression on his face.

  Behind the wheel, James glanced at the lovers, who still stood triumphant at the roadside. When he gave them a tiny nod, Laura saw a flicker of contentment in his eyes. She watched, as he threw a cursory glance in his back m
irror and then, tight-lipped and blank-faced, started the engine and drove off.

  At last, Charles had been dealt with. As soon as the car disappeared from view down the busy road, the two lovers exhaled with relief. Their eyes met again, and their bodies entwined in a warm embrace. Christian kissed Laura tenderly and then took her by the hand to escort her home. It was a carefree walk; just like the ones they used to enjoy together when they first met.

  They were together again, and what’s more, now they both had the wisdom to make it last. Christian knew better than to let Laura go foolishly again, driven by his stupid pride and insecurities. As for Laura, having come so close to losing Christian forever, she now wished for nothing else but his love. To her, it was enough to just be with him, no matter what, how or where.

  Chapter 41

  1987

  The rest of the summer seemed to be rushing away, and by the start of September, the weather was slowly changing. On some days, it even rained; a sure sign that autumn had a foot in the door and was coming in strong.

  It was now Sofia’s last week. The previous weekend, she had left work at the pier to give herself a few days of freedom, before it was time to go home. Jimmy was stopping work early this year too, in order to have a long family holiday in England visiting Sarah’s parents in October. As a result, he was happy to employ an old friend who knew the job, to help out at the pier during the remaining couple of weeks till he went to England with his family.

  Sofia had only five days left on the island, and by now, they felt as precious as the last remnants of water to a man wandering in the desert.

  Since receiving Danny’s letter, Sofia had written back a short, cheerful letter to him, giving him her address in Vassilaki and in Athens. Upon receiving it, he had sent her a card from Brighton and a mixed tape, where he’d made sure to include all the songs they listened to together in Paxos, as well as new ones that he liked.

  Since her grandparents didn’t own a cassette player, Sofia went to Corfu town one day and came back with a brand new Sony Walkman. It was her present to herself from the money she’d earned from her very first job. It had been Granddad’s advice that she should buy something with her wages to remind her of this important milestone in her life. Sofia had decided immediately what it should be.

  Gran had wrinkled her nose at it, saying a piece of jewellery would have been more becoming, but Granddad had smiled, giving her a big hug when she showed him her purchase. He’d said that it was perfect, and then reminded his wife that marking the occasion was what mattered, and not what the item itself was.

  Sofia treasured this precious reminder of her first job, and listened to Danny’s tape day and night. Loula lent her a couple of her own tapes so she would have something to alternate on her Walkman, but of course, Sofia hardly ever played them. Danny’s tape was precious for another reason too. He had recorded his voice in the beginning of side A, where he’s said, ‘Hey gorgeous, remember your promise and don’t forget me’, just before ‘Don’t Forget Me’ by Glass Tiger started to play. His voice in the recording was as cheerful and sweet as she remembered it. The only reason why she didn’t play back the particular bit a thousand times a day, was out of fear she would wear out the tape, enough to get it snapped in half.

  Loula was just as happy with her correspondence with Steve. His letters kept coming, and what’s more, she was now able to write to him the odd sentence herself by her own hand, seeing that Sofia was teaching her a bit of English. It was only basic; scribbles on scrap pieces of paper whenever they got the chance, but to Loula they were precious means of communication with her darling Steve, and therefore, she lapped it all up.

  She still worked at Karavi, so Sofia visited her in the morning when she came down to swim with Gran, and again in the afternoon to enjoy a proper, long chat with her at the bar.

  “I’ve got great news,” announced Loula one afternoon, as soon as Sofia arrived.

  Sofia grinned, as she took a seat on a high stool. “What did Steve send this time?”

  “No, no, no! Nothing to do with Steve. Or, I guess, it does! But not in that way!”

  Sofia raised her brows. “Excuse me?”

  “Okay, I’ll start again.” Loula gave a deep, playful sigh before speaking. “I met this nice, Greek lady from the mainland. She’s recently moved to Corfu and lives in Messi. I think she can help us with our guys, Sofia mou!” Loula’s face was animated and she paused for effect, gazing at Sofia with huge, twinkling eyes.

  “How?” asked Sofia, her brow furrowed.

  “She’s a clairvoyant!”

  Sofia frowned. “A clairvoyant?”

  “Yes. We had a good chinwag earlier this afternoon. I told her about Steve, and she asked me if I would like a proper reading in the place where she’s staying. I thought we could both go tonight. I’ve got the evening off. We can have a long walk together all the way to Messi, like in the old days, and kill two birds with one stone. What do you say?”

  “Surely, you’re not serious! You believe these people?”

  “But she’s amazing! She guessed so much about Steve and me, you wouldn’t believe!”

  Sofia cocked her eye at her. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

  “She started the conversation, if you must know! Reached out and touched my earrings and told me she could tell they were a present from someone special!”

  Sofia eyed her friend suspiciously. She was wearing the earrings that Steve had bought her in Paxos, but she found it hard to believe this stranger used any psychic powers to find that out. “Come on, Loula! You’re always like an open book! Are you sure you didn’t blurt it out yourself, then forgot about it?”

  “No, of course not! And it’s not just that. She said something else, too.”

  Sofia rolled her eyes. “What?”

  “That he’s a foreigner and that he loves me…”

  Sofia scoffed. “She didn’t give you his phone number too, did she?”

  “Come on, that’s not fair!”

  “Loula, you’re working the bar in a touristy place that’s crawling with Brits! You’re a pretty, young girl… Of course you’re bound to meet someone special among all these young tourists sooner or later! She just sussed you out, that’s all!”

  “You’re wrong! Now, will you listen? There’s more. And believe me, you want to know!”

  Sofia gave a sigh. “Oh, all right. Go on then.”

  “This lady uses people’s golden jewellery to give them readings. But it’s got to be something you’ve worn for years for her to get more information. She—”

  “Okay, I’ll second that. I do believe jewellery can absorb psychic energy. I’ve actually read about that sort of thing.” Sofia had read enough literature on paranormal and metaphysical theories over the years, as to have an educated opinion on the subject. It wasn’t that she was a total non-believer, but perhaps she couldn’t picture clairvoyants sitting at bars and fishing for customers.

  “Finally, a positive response!”

  “Okay, so what were you going to say?”

  “Well, after she mentioned my earrings, and once she explained what she does, I handed her my mum’s ring that I’ve been wearing.” Loula put out her hand and pointed at the gold band with the oval amber stone that she took to wearing many years ago. “I guess the one from Steve is still very new, and it wouldn’t have given her much information.”

  “So what did she tell you from the ring?”

  Loula’s eyes turned huge. “Everything! She said that I’m an orphan, and I confirmed I lost my dad when I was small. Then she said my mum is my greatest protector in life and also, that I miss a very special man who lives far away. When I told her she got it all right, she urged me to do another reading in her place.”

  “But she already saw the ring here. Why another reading?”

  “You don’t understand, Sofia! She needs peace and quiet to do a proper reading, because she has to concentrate a lot. You see, she doesn’t just use the ring to guess things a
bout people. She can also sense things about their past lives!”

  Sofia leaned forward in her seat, her eyes widening. “Really?”

  “Really! So I got your attention now, have I?” she said with a chortle. She knew how big Sofia was on the subjects of Karma and reincarnation. “Thought she might be able to explain who that strange woman in your dreams was. Perhaps the dreams were related to Danny since you saw her on the West Pier.”

  Sofia nodded, her mind miles away. She had only mentioned to Loula the first two dreams. She hadn’t told her she still had them occasionally, or that they inspired her to write poetry.

  “I actually asked her if she can advise on dreams,” continued Loula, unaware how thankful her friend was growing towards her with every word. “She said it’s all connected, and that sometimes the energy from the jewellery goes far enough as to give her insights on anything that can trouble us, even from our past lives.”

  Sofia gave a cheer, then rested a firm hand on Loula’s shoulder. “Name the time and place!”

  Chapter 42

  “Is that it?” asked Sofia, when Loula halted in front of a small village house with a blue garden gate. The paint on the iron railings was chipped in places, revealing rust underneath. The house itself looked equally old and dilapidated. Big pieces of the plaster covering were missing from the white front wall here and there. It looked like a giant puzzle in progress, standing vertically, begging to be put back together. Sofia thought the site was too depressing for her precious, newfound hope to be contained within its walls.

  “Yes, she mentioned the blue gate and did say it’s next to the mini-market,” replied Loula, pointing to the little shop next door. Five little girls were playing with a skipping rope at the edge of its tiny yard, raising an incredible amount of noise.