Among the Olive Groves

by Chrissie Parker

  “That is true, but this is only one thing. You have done so much more.”

  “It does not matter, Angelos. Even if you only do one good thing in this war, it is better than doing nothing.”

  She paused suddenly, placing a finger to her lips and motioned for the family to stop. As they huddled under a canopy of trees, they heard an airplane fly directly overhead. As the final noise of the airplane engine disappeared, Elena motioned that it was safe for them to move again.

  The village was deathly quiet as they sneaked in. No one was about and they lightly knocked on the door of the house that would become the rescued family’s new home. Angelos handed over a basket of food to the homeowner before taking Elena’s arm and disappearing into the night.

  ~

  Pietro rolled over to find the bed was still empty. He had fallen asleep early and hoped that Elena would have come to see him by now. He knew he probably would not see her tomorrow. The Italians were under strict instructions to help the Germans search every home in Zakynthos Town. They were to look for Jews and, if found, remove them from their homes. What happened to them thereafter, Pietro did not want to know. He was sick of this war and wanted out, but he had to be careful. He was a long way from home and did not want to end up dying at the hands of madmen. He wanted a life, a life away from death and destruction.

  He wanted Elena.

  He wanted a house just outside his home town, one with a garden for Athena to play in, where he could picnic with Elena, where they could run hand in hand through the rain, bask in the sun, and watch the sunset. But he knew it would never happen. He was already married and he would never be able to leave his wife. He sighed and knew that while he was still serving in this war, his dreams were just that. Dreams. And every day when he woke, they fell further and further from his grasp. The only choice he had now was to join the Germans, take their orders and pray he came out of this alive.

  The door creaked and banged, and he heard someone pad across the room. He pulled his gun from under his pillow and flicked on his lighter.

  “Is that how you greet all your women?” Elena’s eyes glinted in the light of the single flame.

  “Where have you been?” He placed the gun on the side before lighting the lone candle that sat next to it.

  “Athena would not sleep; I have only just managed to get away.” She stood at the side of the bed staring at him. He was a handsome man, and yet he was still the enemy. She hated every moment that she was with him, but slowly, very slowly, feelings were beginning to stir. She had tried so hard to suppress them, but they refused to stay down and her brain constantly battled with her heart. Would it be so very wrong to fall in love with him?

  “Are you going to stand there all night?”

  “Maybe.” She grinned as she unbuttoned her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor. Removing her underwear, she climbed on the bed and crawled naked towards him. She could tell from the look on his face that she was teasing him, but she no longer cared.

  Reaching forward, Pietro grabbed her and pulled her to him, kissing her hungrily. In that moment they both forgot about their predicament. The resistance fighter who, that very night, had helped save a Jewish family from almost certain death, and the Italian soldier fighting an unjust war firmly aligned with the enemy.

  ~

  Commandant Brandt paced the main room of the Sarkis house. Everyone still called it that despite his insistence that it was now his house. He was frustrated, and angry. His men had spent the day searching homes in and around Zakynthos Town, and some of the outlying villages, but every property they visited was empty. The Jews, it seemed, had disappeared into thin air. To where, he had no idea, but he would find out. He ordered his men to arrest neighbours and friends of those who were missing and interrogate them until the Greeks were exhausted, bloodied and bruised. Two men had been shot for being members of the resistance and their bodies were disposed of over a cliff on the west side of the island. It was easier for the sea to get rid of them than the Germans having to worry about the stench of dying bodies piling up. He would do whatever was necessary to make these islanders understand that he was in charge. He was proud to be German and these pitiful Greeks meant nothing to him.

  ~

  Life for the Greeks was hard. Food was still scarce and since the arrival of the Germans, things had become worse. The villagers had learned to be very careful about where they kept their supplies. Most had opted for the safest way of storing what little food they had, by placing it in pots and burying them in their backyards. The Germans almost never came to the villages but they did not want to take their chances. They went about life as normally as they could, but they were no longer free to roam the island. If they did, they were stopped and checked for anything that may betray resistance support. Therefore, many islanders did as much as they could under the cover of darkness. When a donkey and cart had to be used, they bound the hooves with material so the animal’s clopping was silenced. They ran through fields, using bushes and trees for cover. Others just chose to stay prisoner and remained where they were, hoping that others would come to their aid.

  By now, all of the Jewish families on the island were hidden and their lives had been saved. Even Elena did not know where half of them were, and it was better that way. It had been a huge victory, and the bravery of Mayor Vallis, Bishop Ioannou and the island’s resistance kept the Greeks strong. If they could pull together like this and achieve something so great, then there was hope for the future.

  Elena was sitting in the cellar of a house in one of the mountain villages talking to Richard who was eating some much-needed food. The English airman had been moved there from the caves as soon as his leg had been strong enough for him to walk on. Richard put down the bowl and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “I have good news for you,” Elena said, smiling.

  “You do? I am very excited. It is quite boring sitting here all day with little to do, so good news would make my day.”

  “I have spoken with Dionysis, and you are going home!”

  “I am? Really!”

  “Yes. It has been arranged. Dionysis has spoken with some resistance on the mainland. They are sending a boat over in two weeks’ time. You will leave from a small cove in the north of the island, at a time of the month when the moon is at its thinnest. The plan is being finalised as we talk, but Dionysis wanted me to let you know.”

  “That is such good news. I cannot wait to see the green fields of England again.”

  “And Alice.”

  “Yes, and Alice. Do you know something, Elena? Being here has given me much time to think. I have missed Alice the most out of everything, and realise that I love her very much. I am going to marry her the minute I get home!”

  “That is wonderful Richard. I am very happy for you.”

  “And you Elena?”

  “Me?”

  “How are things in your complicated little life?”

  “They are still complicated,” she sighed. “I am still spending time with the Italian. I have hated him for so long, but recently, I have found my feelings changing. War does strange things to the mind, Richard. I do not know whether I truly love him, or whether it is just circumstance and the things he does to me that makes my mind play tricks.”

  “What does your heart say?”

  “My heart.” She sighed. “My heart is still broken. I can never change how I feel about Angelos, but I wonder if it can learn to heal by being forced to love another?”

  Richard laughed, “For one so young, you think far too much. We may all be dead tomorrow, Elena. There is nothing wrong with making plans for the future but for now, why not just enjoy life?”

  “But he is Italian. He is the…”

  “…the enemy. I know all of that already, Elena, but if the war did finish tomorrow, what then? Angelos would still be married to someone else, but your Italian would be available. He could still be yours and you could be happy.”

  “Are
you saying choose him, choose the Italian?”

  “No, only you can make the choice, I am just trying to give you some perspective.”

  Elena stared at him, thinking hard. She knew Richard was only trying to help, but rather than making things clearer all he managed to do was confuse her even more.

  ~

  Despite their bravery life had not been so fortunate for the mayor and bishop. They once again returned to see the commandant and passed the list to him, watching as he read it.

  “This is the same list as before. I know there are Jews on this island, and yet you lie to me!” he bellowed.

  Neither mayor nor bishop flinched. Both had agreed that if they needed to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, then they would. What were two lives as opposed to saving over two hundred and seventy men, women and children?

  “It is the correct list, Commandant. It is now up to you to decide our fate,” the mayor said.

  “Very well.”

  The commandant turned to the two young soldiers behind him.

  “Arrest the mayor and the bishop and take them to Bohali.”

  Glancing at each other, the mayor and the bishop stood and merely nodded to each other, as the young soldiers dragged them from the room. A few hours later, they were sitting in separate reutilised cells in Bohali’s old Venetian castle awaiting their fate.

  ~

  Pietro sat at his desk in the Italian headquarters, with piles of paper in front of him, but the last thing he wanted to do was deal with any of it. The commandant was a tough man to work for. The Germans had taken over everything on the island and, as the days passed, the Italians felt more and more sidelined. Because of his rank, Pietro was party to a lot of information and spent much of his time with the Germans, but he did not like the way they operated. Some of their methods made him shudder, but he carried on knowing that he had no choice in the matter. He was safer being aligned with the Germans. Hearing the door bang he jumped to his feet, and saluted the young Italian officer who entered the room.

  “Captain, there is news from the island of Kefalonia.”

  “What news?” Pietro motioned to the seat opposite and the young soldier gratefully took it. As Pietro sat down, the man continued.

  “It is the Germans, they have killed all of the Italian soldiers.”

  “Killed them? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, we received an emergency broadcast. They have been slaughtered like pigs.” The young soldier was agitated and Pietro could understand why.

  “Thank you for telling me. You may go. Tell the chauffeur I need the car. I must go to see the commandant immediately.”

  “Yes, Captain.” The young man saluted before hastily departing.

  Pietro grabbed his cap and put it on, having already forgotten about the paperwork on his desk, and took the stairs to the main door two at a time. The car was already waiting for him. He quickly climbed in, and then watched the island scenery pass by as the car took him closer to the old Sarkis house. He shuddered as he remembered the day that the commandant had shot the previous owner. It was as though the deed was as natural as breathing to him. Pietro wondered if this was what had happened to the Italians on the next island. As they rounded a corner, he caught sight of Kefalonia in the distance, and it looked quiet and peaceful. He hoped the news about the d’Aqui Division was wrong, and that they were all still alive.

  The commandant was sitting at his desk and Pietro was shown in straightaway.

  “Captain Cipriani, this is a surprise.”

  “Commandant.”

  “Sit.”

  Pietro did as instructed.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “News has reached me of some kind of massacre on Kefalonia. Is it true?”

  “I am afraid it is, but you must understand, it is not the will of the German Army, Captain. Sometimes some people, how would you say it, take things into their own hands. The man responsible is not a true German soldier and he will be punished for his part in the deaths of the Führer’s allies. For that is what you Italians are, you are our allies and you serve alongside us. We value you, therefore there is no need for us to kill you.”

  “My men are worried, Commandant. We need assurances.”

  “And I have given them,” he insisted. “Was there anything else?”

  “No, Commandant.”

  Pietro stood, saluted the senior officer and left the room, but his mood was sombre. He was not sure if he could trust the commandant anymore.

  ~

  Elena sat on the bed watching Pietro change. Once he was done, he grabbed hold of her hand, pulled her from the bed and along behind him. Outside his door was a basket and he lifted it, placing it in the back of the jeep he had borrowed. Opening the passenger door, he helped Elena up into the seat.

  Driving through country lanes, they headed south, a direction Elena had never before been to with Pietro.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere special.”

  “Where?”

  “To a place that I have been told is the best place to watch the sunset. I think you called it Keri?”

  “Yes. We do. How do you know about it?”

  “One of my men heard about it from a girl he met. I thought that we could spend some time together, have a nice meal, sit at the end of the world and watch the sun fall on another day.”

  “It sounds nice.”

  Silence fell as Pietro concentrated on the road ahead. Elena stared out at the passing scenery, realising that despite living here all of her life, she always saw something new. The seasons always brought changes to the island, but it had changed even more since the arrival of the Italians and the Germans. Since the invasion, they had taken over government buildings, and put life back into the ancient Venetian castle, albeit as a prison. The Italians had built a small airstrip on land at the south end of the island, to save them from having to navigate the waters between Zakynthos and the mainland. The Germans were now turning it into a fully functioning airport. Almost every day, planes landed and took off, filling the air overhead with shuddering engine noises. The Germans had also chosen an old building just outside of Zakynthos Town as their headquarters. Lookout towers, checkpoints and barbed wire littered the coastal cliffs scarring the once beautiful landscape. Slowly, they were taking over and changing things, and the island was no longer the happy, peaceful Greek paradise it once was, it was a prison, and it made Elena very sad.

  It was not long before they arrived at Keri. Parking up, Pietro turned off the engine and got out. After helping Elena down from the vehicle, he reached for the basket and a blanket.

  “What a view!” he said, stopping short.

  “It is wonderful.”

  Carefully stepping closer to the cliffs, they peered over the edge. A white lime scale precipice fell away from them, dropping for metre after metre to the turquoise waters below.

  “Careful that you do not fall, Elena.” He pulled her back from the edge until they were at a safe distance and then lay the blanket on the ground. Pietro sat and patted the ground next to him before reaching into the basket to remove the contents.

  Elena sat and took some village bread, dipped it in olive oil and nibbled at the edge. As usual there was more food in the basket than they needed and she wished there was some way she could get it to those who did. Like the Jewish family she had rescued, or Richard, who was still in hiding. Looking up at Pietro, she wondered what he would think if he knew about her secret life. Would he understand or would he march her straight to the Germans? She shuddered at the thought.

  “Are you cold, Piccolina?”

  “No, why do you ask?”

  “You shivered as if you were cold.”

  “I am okay,” she smiled at him.

  “Once we have eaten, I will warm you up.” He smiled, his eyes twinkling.

  She smiled back and carried on eating. The food he had brought with him really was delicious and she ate ravenously. She could not remember a d
ay when she had not felt hungry and knew she was thinner than she had been. When they finished, Pietro threw the remnants back into the basket before lying back on the blanket. Elena joined him, and stared up at the sky, which was beginning to show the first signs of the day coming to a close.

  “Do you not wish you could lie here like this forever, Pietro?”

  “Yes. If you were with me then, yes I do.”

  “It would be so nice. It would be just us, no war, no Italian army, no German Army, no horror stories. We would be free from it all. We would be free from them.”

  Pietro shifted uncomfortably. “What do you mean, Elena?”

  She sat bolt upright, and took his hand. “Are you not sick of all this? Sick of all the hatred, the suffering and the fighting? Those German pigs killed your fellow men over on Kefalonia. Are you not worried that they will do the same to you?”

  Pietro sat up. He had never heard her talk like this before, and it shocked him. “I have already had assurances from the commandant that it will not happen here.”

  “And you believe him? How can you believe a man like that?”

  “A man like what?”

  “A man whose only aim is to kill the innocent, to take their land, their lives and their freedom!”

  “Yes I believe him! What is this about, Elena? You are scaring me. You sound like the resistance, the ones who fight against us, the ones who will stop at nothing to rid the island of me, my men and the Germans.”

  “Pah! You have no idea…”

  In that moment, Elena realised that she had said too much. She shut her mouth and stared out to sea. The sky was now tinged through with yellow, orange and gold and it was a beautiful sight. Looking back at the confusion on Pietro’s face, she knew she was on dangerous ground and in all likelihood had just given herself away, so she had to think and act fast. She bowed her head and burst into tears.

  “I am so sorry, Pietro, I am so very tired. Athena keeps me awake, my parents are struggling, I am so very hungry and I just do not know where all of this will end. I am scared for you. When I heard about what happened on Kefalonia, I ran to find you, but you were not there. I was so scared. I thought they had taken you to be killed, too. I love you Pietro, I never want to lose you!” She lifted her head. Tears etched her face. She did not love Pietro. She did not even care about him that much. She knew that now. In her heart, she only cared for Angelos and for her daughter, and it was for Athena that she was crying. But she had to protect herself, she had to make him believe.