“Hey handsome, come over here!” Zoe urged him taking the tube of hair gel from the bed where it lay among hair accessories, brushes and make up products. With quick and confident movements, she applied gel on his hair and then took a step back to admire the overall picture. “There you go! Now you look like a model!”
All three stood in front of the mirror now, admiring themselves, and only Zoe seemed unimpressed by her own image. After all, it was the norm for her to dress up for a night out. Her French mother had passed on her Parisian genes of fashion-consciousness and style. As she brought her up, she’d fed Zoe’s vanity by supplying her with fashionable clothes and accessories. Zoe was the type of girl who never passed unnoticed, and that evening was no different.
She looked alluring in a silk, purple shirt and a long, black skirt made of satin. A delicate belt embraced her thin waist, and her blond hair fell loosely on her shoulders. On one side, it was held back from her face with a large, studded hairpin that caught the electric light and sparkled, making her look extra glamorous. Both girls wore high heels, and again, this was a novelty only for Ksenia. Zoe had prompted her to buy this pair of blue shoes to match her new dress, and when Ksenia refused to risk the discomfort of the high heels, Zoe had gone behind her back to buy them for her as a birthday gift, knowing that this way she’d have to wear them to please her.
Zoe had ways to convince people, but she never did it for her own benefit. She wanted everything to be perfect for her friend, and as she admired the result of her efforts now, Ksenia’s happy smile confirmed she’d done well to persist. Single-handedly, Zoe had transformed her friend into a catwalk model, albeit a novice one, seeing that Ksenia had had to walk the length of her room up and down for quite some time earlier, in order to get used to the high heels. Ksenia was reasonably comfortable with them by now, and no longer feared she would fall. Zoe assured her that by the end of the evening, she’d have Phevos’s arm to hold on to. It was a clever trick on her part, for it worked miracles on Ksenia. She was excited beyond words at the prospect by now.
***
“The doorbell!” cried Manos bolting out of Ksenia’s room and running down the stairs. Back in the room, the two girls squealed with excitement, but fell silent as soon as they heard the front door open. The cheerful voices of Phevos and Daphne echoed from the hall, and the girls hurried to take a peek from the top of the stairs. All they saw was their shoes at the door, but that didn’t stop Ksenia’s heart from skipping a beat. Zoe giggled and grabbed Ksenia’s arm as they hurried back into the room to get their coats.
The visitors stood in the hall. Phevos was in a black jacket, jeans, and leather shoes. Only the blue collar of his shirt that showed under his jacket broke the dark monotony of his attire. Daphne stood next to him in a brown dress under a dark coat. She wore brown shoes with tiny studs that sparkled, and she held rather awkwardly in front of her a clutch bag in the same color. As always, she was a picture of beauty and elegance.
When he heard the sound of footsteps from the staircase before him, Phevos raised his eyes, eager for Ksenia to appear. When he saw her, he found it hard to take his eyes off her, hardly noticing Zoe who followed behind her. The girls wore long coats and held black velvet purses. They looked like princesses as they descended elegantly, dressed in their finest. When Ksenia made the necessary introductions, Zoe shot a look of approval at her for Phevos’s dashing looks. The birthday girl received kisses on both cheeks from Daphne and then to her excitement, from Phevos too.
They went out into the cold spring night. The sky was clear but the wind was cold and so they hurried to Zoe’s car that was parked nearby.
“Manos, my darling, come sit next to me in the front. Tonight you’re my date!” said Zoe in an attempt to give Ksenia a chance to sit next to Phevos in the back. Manos accepted gladly. Daphne got in the back first and then Phevos motioned to Ksenia to follow before he got in last. The car set off for the short ride to the restaurant, and Phevos and Daphne, although they couldn’t voice it, were quite thrilled to be inside a moving vehicle for the first time. On the way, the five discussed the location of the venue and the food on offer. Phevos didn’t care much about any of that, but he watched Ksenia speak, mesmerised. As for her, she kept blathering on, too nervous to fall silent as she sat next to him.
A couple of minutes later, they arrived at their destination. A pleasant feeling of warmth embraced them as they entered the restaurant. An obliging waiter led them to their table by the fireplace at the far end. Chunks of olive wood burned with bright flames. The fire crackled every now and then, breaking the monotony of murmuring voices and tinkling glassware. Antique paintings hung on the surrounding walls. The marble floors were decked with burgundy carpets. Zoe took the initiative to arrange people around the table and managed it so that Ksenia and Phevos sat side by side.
The waiter took their order answering every question eagerly and, shortly later, their meals began to arrive at the table. There were meat and pasta dishes as well as a variety of delicious appetizers that tickled their noses with heavenly smells. As they drank barrel wine from crystal jugs, the merriment increased and, soon enough, even the nervous among them managed to relax and enjoy themselves fully. After dinner, a surprise little cake with one lit candle was brought to the table, thanks to Zoe’s prior secret arrangement. She completed her plans for the evening by producing her digital camera from her bag. She got them all to huddle together for a photo with the cake, and Phevos changed places with her so she could be photographed as well. Zoe showed Phevos what button to press and he found it easy to use a camera for the very first time. Before putting her camera back in her bag, Zoe made sure to take a photo of just Ksenia and Phevos, urging them to embrace each other for the shot, something they both did with awkward smiles.
Later, as they ate the cake, Daphne took a little packet out of her bag and offered it to Ksenia as a present from both her and Phevos. It was a make up set of eye shadows and lip-gloss. Ksenia thanked her, then turned to Phevos to thank him as well, and he smiled at her with a firm nod. A few moments later, while everyone else was engaged in cheerful conversation, Phevos leaned toward her. “You have one more gift, but this one is only from me,” he whispered deliciously in her ear.
Ksenia’s eyes lit up. She turned to face him, and he flashed her a sweet smile. “Ksenia, when we leave, would you like to walk with me to your house while the others ride in the car?”
“Yes, I’d love to,” she replied, her expression bright.
When they all went outside, they stood by the car while Zoe searched her bag for the car keys. Phevos took Ksenia’s hand in his, and the fluttering dove inside Ksenia’s chest finally took flight.
“Listen, Phevos and I will walk home. You go ahead, and we’ll meet you there.” Ksenia’s voice came out breathless. The warm feeling from Phevos’s hand in hers kept shooting arrows of bliss all the way to her heart.
Manos made noises about joining his sister, but Zoe was having none of that. “You’re my date tonight, young man, remember? What if there’s danger on the way? Daphne and I will need a man to protect us. You can’t leave us now!”
“Okay, Zoe, no problem!” replied Manos, puffing out his chest. With a wide grin, he got in the car and even strapped on his seat belt unprompted. Zoe had it all under control, and even remembered to take the house keys from Ksenia, as they were bound to return home first in the car.
As soon as the others were gone, Ksenia and Phevos began to saunter hand in hand. It was quite cold and when she commented on that in order to break the awkward silence, Phevos let go of her hand in order to put his arm around her. When they reached a small square, he took her hand again and led her to a wooden bench.
They sat there in the quiet, holding hands. The only sound they could hear was the rustling of leaves coming from the vine that draped over the wall behind them. Ksenia gave a shiver, and Phevos rubbed her back in response, something that caused them both to titter. They fell silent after a while,
and he put his arm around her to hold her closely beside him. Silently still, he took a little jewellery box from his jacket pocket and offered it to her. It was blue and tied with a golden string. “It’s as if I knew! It has the same color as your dress . . .”
“And your shirt . . .” she replied. Wide-eyed, Ksenia thanked him and untied the string. As he watched her, Phevos caressed a strand of her hair with his free hand. Under his fingertips, it felt like the most precious silk.
“It’s so beautiful! Thank you, Phevos!” The present was a silver chain with a delicate pendant; a silver heart studded with tiny, amethyst stones. They sparkled under the yellow light of the lamppost overhead. Ksenia turned to look at Phevos and felt her heart swell.
She asked him if he could help her wear his gift and when he did, she touched the pendant with trembling fingertips. How magical this night was, and how it felt like a dream! It was the best dream she’d ever had. Her eyes were half-closed when she felt his warm breath in her ear.
“Ksenia . . .” whispered Phevos, and then, the velvet of his lips came to seal hers with a silent vow of love. Their tender kiss was the first one for both of them. When they looked at each other’s eyes afterwards, they felt like time had suddenly stopped, like they’d just found each other in a distant dreamland of bright colors where time didn’t matter and was eternal. In reality, they spent another half hour sitting on that bench, having no words to describe what their eyes managed to say to each other far more eloquently.
Despite the chill of the night, the raging fire in their hearts kept them warm, and when he kissed her hand and said, ‘I love you’, she didn’t think at all before repeating the same words to him. To the young, love comes easily. The young heart, like a courageous ship, drops anchor with certainty when it finds love, and it doesn’t easily set sail again. On the other hand, an old heart looks for love like a damaged ship that’s seen better days, scarred, tired, untrusting. An old ship is unsure of the waters it casts its anchor in. But not the young ship! This one drops anchor blindly into the deepest ocean, without a single reservation.
Phevos looked at his watch. It was gone midnight and the cold had become intense. They didn’t want to go yet but knew the others would be waiting for their return. Reluctantly, they left the bench behind them and walked the rest of the way to Ksenia’s house. They kissed one last time outside, and then Ksenia rang the doorbell. Zoe appeared at the entrance at once, and Daphne came out in her coat. The two girls became very enthusiastic as they looked at the couple that stood at the door with exultant faces. Only Manos didn’t seem to understand, and he complained to his sister that she was late.
After Phevos and Daphne left, the two girls retired upstairs, but unlike Manos, who fell asleep at once, Ksenia and Zoe stayed up for hours in the bedroom discussing what had happened. Zoe made Ksenia tell her every single detail of her return home with Phevos. In the end, they fell asleep on top of the beddings with their clothes on. Just before dawn, they woke up freezing to the bone. They put on their pajamas quickly and hid under the duvet to resume their sleep.
In Pallada, it took Phevos and Daphne a lot of time to fall asleep as well. Daphne also wanted to know everything that had happened between him and Ksenia. She was very happy for her brother but also felt worried. She wondered how his feelings for Ksenia could affect them. They’d come to this foreign world to stay only for a while. What would Phevos do when it was time to leave? In the end, Daphne couldn’t contain her worry any longer and asked her brother how he felt about that.
Phevos didn’t have a thorough answer to that, but he told her fate had brought them here. Athena hadn’t sent them any more signs in a month. But they’d found shelter in this strange world, work, and even love. A life that makes you feel good under your skin surely has to be an indication that you’re treading the right path. This was all Phevos had to say and, once again, he was right.
The next sign would come soon, and they were lucky because things don’t always happen so quickly. Often, the plans of the Gods are revealed after long periods of waiting. This is because they are not bound to the cruel confines of time as we are. What we may conceive as a year’s wait, for example, might seem like only a breath away to the Gods because for the soul, there is no concept of time. One thing is sure: once things have come full circle, they finally make sense. This golden rule has exceptions but only for people who choose to ignore the signs and go their own way.
Of course, Phevos and Daphne knew better. Phevos hoped their purpose involved finding his mother again, for that was the burning desire he’d had in his heart ever since he could first remember. He couldn’t help thinking that perhaps she’d been trapped in this world and that’s how they’d been separated. The pain of her absence was unbearable to him still, although he was no longer a child and didn’t allow it to show as much as before. Soon enough, the Gods would intervene to put things right.
Chapter 8
The sun shone faintly the next morning as it emerged from behind white cotton clouds, rising over the tiled rooftops of Plaka. Plump magpies walked around stone-cold pavements pecking at the odd scrap of food. Others perched in line on the overhanging telephone cables and the reclining rooftops. They looked around them with tall necks and proud chests, ruffling their feathers with urgency, like troops getting ready for inspection. The world below them was slowly starting to stir into life.
Mr. Giorgis had opened his store early as usual. A bunch of tiny sparrows were pecking busily at the breadcrumbs he’d just thrown for them on the shop front.
The shrill sound of a bell echoed in Ksenia’s bedroom. It came from a rusty bicycle outside. Its rider had just swerved skillfully around two sleepy-looking tourists.
Ksenia opened her eyes and smiled brightly to herself. She yawned as she got out of bed, then walked to the tall window. When she opened the blinds, the morning light rushed in like an old friend coming to share in her joy. She breathed in the humid spring air, smiling still, relishing the warmth of the sun behind her closed eyelids.
Zoe stirred under the duvet, then sat up with drowsy eyes. “What time is it? I feel like I haven’t slept at all!” she said in a croaky voice, wrinkling her nose. Ksenia took one look at her and broke out laughing.
Zoe gave a frown. “What is it?” Her eye makeup had smeared all around her eyes. Her sparkling hairpin that had made her look alluring the night before now hung on its end from a strand of her tousled hair, as if holding on for dear life.
“You look like a scarecrow!” burst out Ksenia as she approached. Zoe responded by throwing a pillow at her. Now they were both in hysterics.
In Pallada, the two siblings had awoken too and were sitting on their beds watching TV. They still had a bit of time before having to get ready for work. Phevos still felt elated about the events of the previous night, but there was a shadow too that lingered in his eyes.
When she noticed, Daphne became concerned. “What is it, Phevos?”
He gave a deep frown. “I feel guilty, Daphne . . .”
“Guilty? What for?”
“I’ve told Ksenia so many lies!” He sighed and raised both hands to his head, tormented.
“No, you haven’t . . .”
“Yes, I have! I lied by not telling her who I really am. I’m hiding the truth from her. In effect this is a lie, isn’t it?”
Daphne shook her head. “Oh, I blame myself . . . This is all my fault. Please forgive me! I shouldn’t have said these things last night. I should never have put such ideas and dilemmas in your head. Just enjoy the love you share with Ksenia and don’t worry about anything else for now.”
“I can’t . . . I just can’t help feeling like this!” Phevos sprung from the bed and turned to face Daphne, his eyes brimming with sorrow. “How can I love her and not be able to tell her who I really am?”
“My dear brother, when the time is right, I’m sure you‘ll be able to do that.”
“And how am I ever going to leave her behind when we have to go back?
I can’t even bear the thought of it!”
“Phevos, when we fulfill our purpose here, you’ll have to make a choice. Just trust that when the time comes, you’ll have the freedom to make it. But for now, we don’t even know how we are to go back to Father and our world. It’s not right to make hasty decisions about the future at this point, when we don’t even know where Athena’s will is to take us.”
“Athena’s will!” Phevos scoffed, his face alight with despair. “What if, her will is for me to lose Ksenia? To tell you the truth, right now I feel that if I have to choose between Ksenia and my loyalty to Athena, I won’t be able to resist disrespect to the Gods! For Ksenia, I could denounce the whole world, and all the wealth that’s in it! Look at this!” he said as he produced from under his pajama top the necklace that he always wore close to his heart. “For Ksenia I could denounce even this sacred necklace that belongs to Athena herself which our father entrusted to me!” He flopped down on the bed, distraught.
Daphne went to sit beside him and put a tender hand on his back. “My dear brother, please calm down . . . Don’t speak disrespectfully about Athena, for you know her spear can be cruel and cold! It crushes the will of people who oppose her wishes. Please don’t let your lips utter such words of blasphemy!”
“I’m sorry, Daphne, forgive me.” Phevos shook his head. “I guess you’ve never loved someone like this yet, and you don’t know . . . but for your sake, I won’t speak of this any more. I promise I’ll try to let it lie quietly in my heart until, indeed, it’s time to make decisions.”
Spent, he let his sister caress his hair and said nothing else. As she hugged him in the ensuing silence, Daphne wished that, somehow, her brother would never have to come to such a difficult choice.
The Necklace of Goddess Athena Page 8
