The Necklace of Goddess Athena

by Effrosyni Moschoudi

  But Ksenia and Manos loved their pet despite all that. They had raised him from a tiny puppy, and he was now a sprightly three-year-old. To them, he was the most faithful friend and guard. They couldn’t get enough of petting him while looking at his clever little eyes that gazed back at them with adoration. Whatever frustration his antics caused them to feel, it never lasted long. Of course, they were now livid with him once again, having to roam in the semi-darkness because of him, their stomachs grumbling with hunger.

  The orchard was inaccessible in many parts, as nobody had tended to it for a good while. It was a stretch of almost two acres. Wire fencing on either side marked the boundaries between the property and neighboring gardens of fellow Plaka inhabitants. On the back, the land reached up to the foot of the Acropolis hill where a massive rock face stood vertically. Ksenia and Manos felt grateful for the border on this side of their property for two reasons: first, the Parthenon towered over their land offering them a stunning view of one of the greatest miracles of the ancient world. Secondly, and more trivially, the rock face meant they had one less side to worry about when it came to their pet’s Houdini-style escapes.

  Tonight, the Parthenon stood proud as always, despite its deterioration over the ages. The moonlight surrounded it with a misty, surreal light. Ksenia halted to marvel at it for a few moments and then continued to follow Manos, treading carefully, her eyes glued to the rough ground. There were dips and bushes everywhere. Ksenia stubbed her toe on a rocky bump and let out a small cry. Her delicate leather shoes didn’t offer much support for trekking in such inhospitable grounds in the dark. She assured her brother, who came to her rescue, that she was all right and silently, scolded herself for her procrastination. She was forever putting off finding someone to tend to the orchard and to sort out this unacceptable mess.

  Then, they heard Odysseus. Ksenia and Manos exchanged wild glances and broke to a sprint, following the frantic noise their pet was making. It sounded as though it was coming from the rock face. Little did they care now about the mud that splattered on their clothes, as they ran through murky puddles of rainwater.

  Chapter 2

  “Don’t worry, Daphne!” said Phevos. His sister had grown distressed by the loud barking and her knees gave in again. Phevos set her down gently on the ground. Standing in front of her and facing the dog, he tried to think of the best way to silence it, without hurting it. Maybe, if I speak to it gently, it’ll calm down.

  “Odysseus! Where are you? Come here, Odysseus!” Ksenia and Manos called out, causing Phevos to whip his head round, his eyes huge.

  When Ksenia and Manos appeared from behind the trees, the dog fell silent for a few moments. It wagged its tail at its masters and then turned to the strangers again, barking anew. Ksenia and Manos ran to it and petted it, and all this time it didn’t stop staring at the strangers, growling and barking now even louder than before.

  Phevos and Daphne looked rigid. Now that they had encountered people in this unfamiliar new world, they had no idea how to handle it.

  Ksenia and Manos were alarmed to find strangers on their land. They stood for a few moments facing them, unsure what to say.

  Daphne raised her arms and Phevos helped her up. For a few seconds, they both felt the same instinctive urge to run away, but as he stood looking at the seemingly kind strangers, Phevos thought better of it and reconsidered.

  Ksenia pulled her brother close to her placing a protective hand on his shoulder. Manos ordered Odysseus to stop, and the dog obeyed at once. It stood at Manos’s feet staring silently at the strangers, its senses fully alert still, its dark eyes glinting like two pieces of burning coal.

  Ksenia dared two steps in the direction of the others, leaving her brother behind. Although they had trespassed on their property, she didn’t feel threatened by them. There was an expression of distress on the girl’s face that made her sympathize with her.

  “Hello, what are you doing here?” Ksenia’s voice was calm.

  Phevos extended one hand towards her, exposing the palm of his hand in a plea. “We do apologize, miss! We mean no harm, I assure you!” he said, guessing they were on private property. “We never meant to trespass on your land. We are travelers and we got lost. We will go now. Please forgive us for the disturbance . . .” He forced a half-smile.

  Ksenia was relieved by the apologetic manner of the stranger, but the whole thing puzzled her. She was sure there were no openings in the fencing, and their front gate that led to the street was locked. She couldn’t see how they could have ended up here by mistake. Ksenia moved closer to them, and the generous moonlight allowed her to see Daphne’s face better. She noticed that the girl kept placing her hand on the side of her head and wondered why. “Oh my God, you’re hurt!” she exclaimed, rushing to Daphne.

  Manos followed her with Odysseus, who was now wagging its tail. It was now clear to everyone that the trespassers presented no threat. What’s more, they seemed to be in a difficult position.

  “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?” Ksenia asked Daphne as she took a closer look at her temple. It was no longer bleeding, but the skin looked angry.

  “My head hurts . . . I feel dizzy . . .” Daphne’s lips trembled, and she was now shivering all over. Her dress befitted a warm summer’s day, not a cold wintry night.

  “How did you get hurt?” asked Ksenia.

  “She slipped,” said Phevos.

  Ksenia’s heart swelled with sympathy for Daphne. Her beautiful long hair was tangled, her dress stained with mud. Yet there was this air of nobility about her, something aristocratic, almost regal. Her moves seemed ethereal as she ran her delicate long fingers through her hair, in full awareness of her unruly state in public, clearly not a common experience for her. “Please, come with me!” piped up Ksenia, her expression urgent.

  Phevos stared back at her blankly for a few moments, then looked at his sister. She seemed ready to faint in his arms.

  “Come!” Ksenia repeated, meeting Phevos’s mute gaze. “Let me take care of that scratch properly in our house. The girl needs some rest. Please!” She placed a firm hand on Daphne’s back.

  Phevos didn’t move, but instead pulled Daphne closer to him. She was still shivering, looking very frail, but he was afraid. He was afraid to let her get into this new world that wasn’t familiar to them. The first step seemed to be the hardest.

  “Please, let me help!” said Ksenia. “Don’t you see that she needs to be somewhere warm and comfortable?”

  “I . . . I don’t know if that would be right, miss . . .” Phevos paused, then gave a labored sigh. “Perhaps, if you were to lead us to your stables? We would be fine there. No need to come into your house.” In his distress, Phevos hadn’t even realized that what he’d just proposed sounded very odd in the foreign world he’d just entered.

  Manos gave an easy laugh. “Stables? This is Plaka, the center of Athens! There are no stables here!”

  “Athens . . .” whispered Phevos exchanging a quick glance with his sister as the comforting word confirmed their hope, easing the anxiety inside them. Instinctively, they both looked up behind them for the first time, to see the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis.

  Completely unaware of what was going on in their heads, Ksenia turned to glare at Manos, and he lowered his gaze, realizing his reaction had been inappropriate. Ksenia had also thought the young man’s reference to a stable was odd, but opted not to express her surprise. She imagined they were perhaps tourists from another part of the country. Maybe they lived in a rural area where farmers own horses or sheep, and so it would be natural for them to assume that a stable might exist here by the orchard. As always, Ksenia gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. With a kindly look on her face, she turned to Phevos again.

  “I’m afraid we don’t have a stable. But don’t worry; it’s no bother at all. The young lady needs to rest. You’ll both be warm and safe in our house; please come!” She beckoned them to follow.

  Phevos heard the word ‘s
afe’ coming from her lips, and it soothed his troubled mind. The girl’s eyes seemed gentle, and when she started walking away, motioning for him to follow, somehow he found himself eager to accept. He picked up Daphne in his arms and took that first step, which now seemed easier.

  A minute later, Ksenia opened the door and stepped aside to let Phevos enter the kitchen first. Daphne still shivered in his arms, but at least she hadn’t fainted.

  “Manos, please feed Odysseus,” Ksenia asked her brother who’d just come in with the dog. The boy nodded and got out the pet’s bowl and food while the dog wagged its tail, its tongue hanging out loosely.

  “Now please come with me,” said Ksenia motioning to the siblings, who had remained frozen at the threshold. Despite her dizziness, Daphne marveled at everything around her: the patterned curtains, the stainless steel appliances and pans, the ticking clock on the wall. Everything stunned her but, most of all, she was amazed by the strong, electric light that shone from the ceiling. Phevos was looking around equally dazzled. How miraculous seemed all the appliances in this room, how extraordinary were the cupboards and furniture!

  Ksenia turned to find them both looking around in awe and thought again that this pair seemed very strange indeed. But that didn’t make her change her mind or falter in her intention. If anything, it reinforced her previous guess that perhaps they were farmers from a rural area and that their homes were rather minimal, if not primitive, although she couldn’t imagine that kind of house existed anywhere in Greece these days.

  “Please, this way!” she urged them and Phevos followed, still carrying Daphne in his arms. Ksenia turned on the light in her parents’ bedroom. It was only next door to the kitchen, just a couple of steps down the tiny hallway that led to the front door. The room was no longer in use, but Ksenia kept it tidy in anticipation of her parents’ return. She wasn’t using it for herself but had chosen to redecorate the room upstairs that her parents used to rent out, and that now was her own private space.

  Phevos faltered at the door with Daphne in his arms, as they both gazed with admiration around the room. The double bed was made with white sheets and a thick monochrome blanket. Satin curtains hung from the rail above the window. Next to it, there was a dresser with a mirror where among other girlish things, miniature perfume bottles circled a crystal jewellery case. On the walls, there were framed paintings of mermaids, fishing villages, and boats with open white sails. Ksenia’s parents loved the sea. The glass bowl that brimmed with seashells of various shapes also bore witness to that. It stood on a small driftwood table by the door, containing treasured findings from leisurely strolls along many different beaches.

  “Do come in,” said Ksenia. She picked up a throw from the armchair and spread it on top of the bedding to protect it from the mud stains all over Daphne’s dress. “There you go! Let her lie here and have some rest!” she urged Phevos.

  Phevos set his sister down gently on the bed, and Daphne shut her eyes with relief for a few moments. Her hair framed her beautiful face the way an expensive frame sets off a rare work of art. As her head sank into the pillow, she felt as if she were melting in the warmth of the room and the fragrance from the linen. The feeling was incredible. It brought to her weary mind the memory of springtime back home when the gardens were in full bloom. With a dreamy expression on her face, she opened her eyes again.

  Ksenia was seated on her bedside now with one hand on Daphne’s forehead. It felt really cold, but that was no surprise after seeing how the girl had been shivering out there all this time.

  Phevos stood rather awkwardly close by, watching the kind-hearted stranger tend to his sister. He still felt lost, unable to grasp how all this madness could have happened so quickly. Less than an hour ago, he was still carefree in his far away world that, funnily enough, involved this very same city. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing. They felt so strange to him. Instinctively, his fingers traced the golden chain of the necklace through the fabric of his shirt. His father had put it around his neck only a few minutes earlier. Daphne’s sweet voice brought him back to the overwhelming present.

  “Thank you,” she said to Ksenia.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll just bring what’s necessary to tend to the wound. I’ll be back in a moment.” Ksenia gave a little smile and moved to go.

  “Miss, I am truly indebted to you,” said Phevos. “My sister and I are most grateful . . .” He paused, unable to find the right words to express the magnitude of his appreciation.

  “Not at all; I’ve done nothing, really. I’m sure a bit of rest will do her good.” Ksenia gazed into his eyes. He seemed to her a lot taller all of a sudden, and she also noticed his eyes were deep blue, like the open seas depicted on the surrounding walls.

  “I beg to differ! If it hadn’t been for you, miss, I really don’t know . . . I cannot imagine . . .” Phevos’s voice trailed off and, once again, he failed to find suitable words. As if the shock of coming into this new world wasn’t enough, he also had to strive to speak Modern Greek and it was hard.

  His father had always insisted on him and Daphne mastering this strange, simplified version of Greek. Phevos would often complain as he couldn’t understand the necessity of this, but now, it had finally made perfect sense. Father must have known all along this would happen one day! But how?

  Ksenia could tell Phevos was distressed. It was so evident in his expression and manner. “Don’t worry . . .” She placed a tender hand on his arm. “The girl will be fine, I’m sure. When she feels better I can call a taxi to take you to your hotel. Is it nearby? You mentioned you’re travelers. Are you staying long in our city?”

  Phevos kept nodding as she spoke, trying to look calm and collected. He had no idea how to answer Ksenia’s questions because of the unknown words, so he just continued to nod in a non-committal manner. He was afraid he might give the wrong answer and thus let her see he didn’t understand her strange language. Most of all, he dreaded being exposed for what he truly was: a foreigner, despite being a Greek too; someone who didn’t belong to her world.

  “Have you been in Athens before? You’re tourists, right?” Ksenia insisted with her questions but not out of sheer curiosity. Concern was now growing inside her for both her unexpected guests.

  “Yes, yes indeed, miss,” said Phevos, glancing at her quickly with a wrinkled brow before he returned his gaze to the thick carpet. “Thank you, miss. No need to do anything else for us. We will be on our way soon . . .” he added, unsure if that was indeed a valid answer to all she had asked. He hoped she wouldn’t think of him rude or ungrateful in any way. Ksenia patted his arm, causing him to look up. To his relief, she gave him a warm smile and left the room.

  With a deep sigh, Phevos turned on his heels and rushed to his sister’s side. In response to his warm hand that caressed her hair, Daphne opened her eyes.

  “Do not worry, sweet Sister! You rest now; it will be all right.” He tried to soothe her, yet the look in his eyes was wild, alight with distress.

  “Phevos, these people are kind and their house is truly exquisite, but I wonder, what are we doing here? Should we not go?” she asked, although she was aware he knew no better than she did how to act in this world and where to go next. The touch of his warm hand, as it rested on her forehead, felt like balsam in her weary mind.

  “My dear Daphne, let us see how you feel first. Rest a while! Besides, you know well that since these kind people invited us to their home, we cannot leave so soon. Their invitation is an honor to Ksenios Zeus, patron of hospitality toward strangers. Rest now and do not worry about anything else. When you feel better, we shall depart.”

  Daphne chewed her lower lip. “And where shall we go?” Her almond-shaped eyes seemed ablaze with worry.

  “I trust that Goddess Athena will light the way for us to go forth, the way she always did for Father when he fared across the centuries in order to protect our city.”

  Daphne’s eyes turned huge. “Do you mean to say that Father s
ent us here on an errand for Athena?”

  “No, I am not saying that. I have no idea why he sent us here. I am only assuming . . . What do you think just happened?”

  Daphne shook her head. “I do not know! But Father does nothing without a reason. And he seemed to expect all this, unlike us. He seemed sure and purposeful with his actions.”

  “I agree. But whatever it is we are supposed to do, if Father thinks we can manage it, then we can!”

  “But what does he want us to do? He never said anything!”

  “He did say something, Daphne, remember? He said to look out for the signs.”

  Daphne gave a long sigh. “Oh, I do not know . . .”

  “Do not worry, Sister! We need to keep our faith now. Think of this: would Father have sent us here had he been unsure in the slightest about our safety? Truly, the only thing that worries me is your condition. I blame myself! I should never have let go of your hand. You are hurt and it’s my fault!” He shook his head, his brow deeply furrowed.

  “What nonsense is this, precious Brother? How could this be your doing? And besides, I feel better already. I think the dizziness was due to my distress earlier, not because of this silly little wound. Do you not think so?” She cocked her eye at him.

  Phevos caressed his sister’s face with the back of his hand and thought she did look better already. Her alabaster face was tinted again with the rosy pink of her cheeks.

  Daphne guessed his thoughts and gave a bright smile. “And how can I not feel better? This has to be the softest bed in the whole world!”

  “Oh, yes indeed! I have never seen a house as magnificent as this. It is exactly the way Father always described the houses from his travels. He always said the Athenians of this age have all the commodities of the Gods.”