The Necklace of Goddess Athena

by Effrosyni Moschoudi

  “Wow, they’re like piranhas!” exclaimed Manos and they all laughed. The pack had only two crackers left. The boy handed one to Daphne to throw in the water while Phevos and Ksenia watched. Excusing herself, the lady then went to the kitchen to get the refreshments. Thanks to the greedy school of fish, their spirits were higher now, their apprehension eased. Just as they sat around a table by the railing, the lady returned with another woman in tow. They all stood up, their faces eager.

  The elderly woman put a tray down on the table. It contained tumblers and a large jug of orange juice with ice cubes. She introduced them to the smiling woman next to her, but as she didn’t know any of their names, she only made a vague introduction of four youngsters with remarkable manners.

  The other woman was in her sixties and when she smiled, her face lit up in a pleasant, hospitable manner. She shook Daphne’s hand first as she stood closer to her at the time, then she greeted Manos next to her in the same way. She smiled widely as she welcomed them to her restaurant, and when she turned to Phevos, who had his back to the sun, she had to shade her eyes with one hand. She smiled at him and then felt strange. His hand felt warm in hers and, all at once, it was as if the temperature had risen considerably, the way it does when you approach a roaring fire.

  She noticed his stare was intense, his brilliant blue eyes arresting. It felt as though there was a deep meaning in that stare, a meaning that evaded her. She thought perhaps she was imagining things. She’d been on her feet since dawn making preparations in a blistering hot kitchen. The sunlight that blinded her now didn’t help. Feeling increasingly dizzy, she decided it would be best to take some rest for a while before the evening. After all, she had her friend to help her.

  Although the strange feeling had started as soon as she shook the young man’s hand, when she withdrew her hand from his, she found herself feeling reluctant to do so, and wondered why. By the time she offered her hand to Ksenia, the sense of warmth had already dissipated, but there was another sense growing inside her now as she held the young girl’s hand.

  There was something about her face. She looked very familiar, but she didn’t remember her visiting before. Yet she had that strange feeling she was supposed to recognize her from somewhere. It made her hold her hand longer than is customary, trying to grasp what it was that she was missing.

  “Hey Anna, let the girl sit down!” piped up her friend. “She must be exhausted after being so long out in the heat. You must all be thirsty, kids! Go on, sit and have some orange juice!”

  Anna agreed and also urged the others to help themselves, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. She sat down first, eager to get some rest. She wondered again if her mind was playing tricks on her, what with the stress of it all and the exhaustion from the preparations in the past few days.

  Ksenia took a seat next to Anna and chewed her lower lip as she did so. It was hard for her to stop herself from telling her who she was and how she’d missed her. Although she was only eight when she’d last seen her, she had recognized her immediately. She had gray hair now and her face had aged, but her smile and gentle eyes were still the same.

  Phevos sat on the other side of Anna still feeling electrified by her touch. He had no memories of her like Ksenia did. Therefore he couldn’t claim he had recognized her in the same sense, unless one can say the soul is able to recognize another beyond the common means of perception based on the five senses. And why not? This woman, who sat next to him, was the one who had brought him into the world. She had nursed him and cradled him in her arms countless times. Surely, her aura had fused with his in those moments, creating a vague memory inside his soul, so that he could identify her anywhere, anytime.

  He’d noticed Ksenia’s meaningful look earlier that signified she’d recognized her too, but he hadn't needed it at all. He’d already found inside of him all the confirmation he needed. In the private confines of his mind, he was now overwhelmed. His heart brimmed with elation while he struggled to stop himself from hugging Anna and telling her who he was. He knew he shouldn’t startle her like that.

  They had to reveal themselves to her gently. While they shook hands earlier, he’d noticed she felt it too, that overpowering feeling of familiarity. But he saw on her face and in her eyes especially, how she’d reasoned with herself, how she had strived to remain collected. She couldn’t guess who they were, but Phevos hoped what he kept inside his backpack would explain things to her better than he ever could, when he finally plucked up the courage to reveal his identity.

  Chapter 19

  The jug was now empty. The elderly lady of the bus had left the table long ago to help out in the kitchen but Anna lingered on. The more she looked at Phevos and Ksenia, who sat on either side of her, the more the feeling of familiarity grew inside her. She knew there was still plenty of work waiting for her in the kitchen but just couldn’t tear herself away. She had enjoyed hearing everyone’s impressions of Anavyssos, especially Manos’s enthusiastic reference to the model plane he’d flown for a few seconds.

  Phevos was anxious now that the other woman had left the table. The perfect opportunity had finally come to reveal themselves but he hesitated. He wasn’t afraid but worried about Anna’s reaction. He didn’t want to shock her. What if she had health problems and couldn’t handle strong emotions? But then, he thought Poseidon wouldn’t have led them this far only to hurt his mother.

  Phevos stole another glance at Anna. In the last half hour, he’d heard so much about her. She’d told them all about the renovation work she’d recently done at the restaurant. She’d moved to Anavyssos ten years ago. Initially, she’d rented the tiny apartment upstairs from a local, who used to own the restaurant. A couple of years ago, he’d put the whole building up for sale before moving to his hometown in the Cyclades. Anna had jumped at the chance to buy it from him, as she always loved the idea of running a restaurant. She’d kept the same cook, who was none other than the elderly lady of the bus. Her name was Mrs. Gregoria.

  Phevos kept darting his eyes at Anna, taking in every detail of her face as she carried on talking. She was now speaking about her friend again. Mrs. Gregoria had been severely affected by arthritis in her legs the previous winter and had stopped working at the restaurant. These days, Anna had a new cook, Mr. Fanis. Mrs. Gregoria now lived in Athens near her children and visited Anavyssos as often as she could. Mrs. Anna was telling everyone how swimming in the sea had worked miracles for her old friend’s arthritic legs when Phevos cleared his throat to attract attention. Everyone, including Anna, turned to face him.

  Phevos swallowed down the huge knot in his throat, then gave a faint smile before speaking. “Excuse me Mrs. Anna . . . if I may ask, have you always lived in this area?”

  Anna gave an agreeable smile that, Phevos noticed, didn’t reach her eyes. “No, I used to live in central Athens, but I left the city eleven years ago.”

  “Pardon me for asking, but earlier you said you’ve lived in Anavyssos for ten years . . .” Phevos insisted. It had to be done.

  “Yes,” replied Anna with a soft sigh. She didn’t find it easy to talk about that specific period of her life. And yet, she couldn’t understand why she felt eager to explain this time. “Indeed, I’ve been living here for ten years, but I stayed in Sounio for one year before that.”

  “So, it’s been eleven years since you left Athens.” Phevos stared deeply into her eyes.

  “Yes, that’s what I said earlier,” replied Anna in a small voice. There was something about the young man’s stare that made her feel strange again. It was like his eyes were boring holes into her soul. It felt intrusive but, at the same time, liberating too, as if she’d been begging for that intrusion for a long time, without realizing it until now.

  “What made you move to Sounio, if I may ask?” asked Ksenia. She felt she had to help out Phevos. He seemed determined enough, but she could sense Anna was tensing up. They didn’t want her to get the wrong impression, thinking them rude. If she got defensive
enough, she would probably excuse herself and hurry back to the kitchen without them getting their chance to talk to her.

  “I rented a holiday apartment there. It had a lovely view to the Temple of Poseidon,” said Anna, without answering the question.

  “Sounds very nice. And you stayed only for a year? I imagine it wasn’t easy to part with such a splendid view!” said Phevos trying to smile.

  “Indeed, it was lovely there. But I had my reasons to move here. And besides, that was a difficult year for me. I didn’t spend much time enjoying myself . . .” Anna paused, amazed by her willingness to say so much. She never spoke about her past to anyone. Who were these strangers who had this effect on her, who made her want to split her heart open and talk about her most secret heartache? She looked up and saw compassion in Phevos’s eyes. Then, she turned to Ksenia to find that she looked even more familiar than before. The young girl was no longer smiling. Instead, her huge blue eyes were brimming with sadness. Anna knew the feeling well. To see it coloring the girl’s face so vividly made her want to tell them more. She didn’t mind the young man’s deep stare either. There was no intrusion any more, only that liberating feeling.

  “I’m afraid I wasn’t myself that year in Sounio,” she carried on, “I mean, there was a lot of sorrow. I suffered a huge loss, you see . . . I lost my husband and my child, plus my two best friends . . . a tragedy! I needed to be alone; away from it all . . .” Anna wavered and then realized tears were rolling down her face. How could this be happening? She never spoke about this to anyone. Bewildered, Anna turned to the others, examining their faces one by one. When she locked eyes with Phevos, he reached out to place a tender hand on hers and gave a warm smile but didn’t manage to speak.

  “Mrs. Anna, we’ve come here to bring you happy news,” said Ksenia with a compassionate smile, as she rested a gentle hand on Anna’s shoulder.

  Anna knitted her brow. “Who are you, my girl?”

  “It’s been eleven years, Mrs. Anna . . . I’ve grown up and so has my brother.” Ksenia pointed to Manos. “Do I remind you of anyone at all?” she added.

  Anna looked at Manos, who gave her a sheepish look. She made a quick calculation in her head, as she guessed his age but this proved unnecessary. By the time she turned back to Ksenia, she already knew. She saw her face and wondered how she could ever forget those sorrowful eyes of hers. That little girl had known so much pain and Anna knew it well.

  “Ksenia, my Ksenia, it’s you!” cried Anna, and the girl fell into her embrace. They stood and wept in each other’s arms. Anna then hugged and kissed Manos, who gave a wide grin and didn’t mind her squeezing his cheeks. Ksenia and Anna returned to their seats, and now Anna threw glances full of intrigue at Phevos and Daphne.

  In the awkward silence that ensued, Anna gazed at Phevos, overwhelmed now, full of indescribable hope. Could it be possible?

  Phevos had balled his hands into fists under the table as he tried to contain himself. His fingernails hurt his flesh, but he had to remain collected. “Mrs. Anna, we’ve brought something for you,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Anna tilted her head and said nothing. She didn’t want any material things. All she wanted was for that young man to be the one she desperately longed for.

  “Mrs. Anna,” interrupted Ksenia, “What he means is that we bring wonderful news for you; really good news!”

  “I know you too, don’t I, young man?” asked Anna. He seemed to be the perfect age for the miracle she hoped for. The notion had formed a huge lump in her throat.

  Phevos flashed an awkward smile, then bit his lip. He couldn’t say it any more than she could. Still silent, he opened his backpack and took out the wand. The others held their breaths as he leaned closer to Anna to place the wand on her lap.

  Anna followed the wand with her eyes the way you follow a sacred relic that passes you by in a religious procession as you pray for a miracle. When it rested on her lap she gave a soft sigh, and a tear rolled down her cheek. It dropped onto the wand where a faint glow acknowledged it in solemn greeting. Unbelieving, Anna looked up to meet her son’s eyes for the first time in years.

  “My boy!” she burst out with a heart-wrenching sob, and Phevos fell into her arms, tears streaming down his face. In the first few moments that followed, everyone cried and laughed at the same time. Mother and son hugged and kissed each other again and again as the others watched, sharing in the eruption of heartfelt emotions.

  Their excited cries echoed indoors, alarming Mrs. Gregoria. The elderly woman rushed to the balcony to find everyone wiping tears from their faces. She asked what was going on and when Anna explained who the youngsters were, she was overjoyed. She didn’t even mind Anna had hidden from her that she had a son, whom she hadn't seen in years. True friends can forgive each other for undisclosed secrets for they can understand that sometimes pain is too unbearable to reveal.

  Yet, Anna had now shed all of her pain in her son’s arms and, what's more, she’d found out she had a daughter too. She welcomed Daphne into her embrace, delighted at the thought she’d lost one child but found two.

  When Mrs. Gregoria returned to the kitchen, they all sat down again. Anna started to ask questions, wanting to know everything about them all. Phevos was still too moved to speak as he held his mother’s hand, so Ksenia took over to inform Anna how she’d met Phevos and Daphne, and also to assure her Mrs. Sofia was well in Pallada.

  The moment she heard her old friend was well, Anna became overjoyed for she loved her fondly. However, she felt guilty too and started to apologize for leaving the house eleven years earlier. Ksenia tried to convince her not to feel guilty about that. After all, she and her brother had been safe, thanks to Mrs. Sofia.

  Shortly after that, everyone except Phevos and Anna went to the kitchen to join Mrs. Gregoria. It was the tactful thing to do, to allow mother and son to spend some time alone, plus Mrs. Gregoria and the cook could use the extra help.

  A few minutes later, Mrs. Gregoria brought out some ouzo and a huge plate of meze as it was past mealtime. Anna and Phevos hadn't realized how hungry they were until they took the first bite. They tinkled their glasses and drank to their reunion, their faces beaming as they enjoyed their first meal together in years.

  Phevos spoke to his mother about his life in ancient Athens with his father, Kimon and Eleni. He mentioned how he couldn’t remember anything from his earlier life in this world, and specifically, that he couldn’t remember her at all.

  Upon hearing that, Anna’s face contorted and she expressed her hate for Athena. Phevos didn’t understand and burst into a torrent of questions. Why did she hate Athena? What had caused his father to stop serving her? Why had they gone back in time without Anna? Why didn’t his father offer any information all these years? How had Athena’s necklace wound up in the sea? What did Anna know of Poseidon’s intentions? And, if Athena had been the one to cause their separation, what stopped her now from doing it again?

  Anna waited until Phevos was done asking, and then smiled to him promising to answer all the questions she knew the answers to, for there were still some among them that remained unanswered even to her. She handed him the wand and led him out of the restaurant where they took the stairs to her home above it.

  ***

  The entrance of the apartment was half-hidden behind lush greenery. The air carried herbal fragrances from the pot plants that were mixed with the salty breeze. The apartment was small. As you came in, there was an open space that had a kitchenette to the left and a basic sitting area to the right. Across the middle, there was a corridor that led to a single bedroom and a tiny bathroom.

  Anna explained to Phevos that the previous owner had lived there when he was single, so he’d built the appartment small to serve the needs of a lone bachelor. Later when he got married, he’d built a large house nearby, and it was then that he had advertised to rent it out. It was at that time that he’d renamed his restaurant ‘Poseidon’. Anna lived in Sounio back then bu
t was looking to move because the owner of the house she rented was retiring and, being eager to move out of Athens, wanted to occupy it. Anna used to do gardening work for permanent residents in Sounio and in the surrounding areas, including Anavyssos.

  When her landlord asked her to move out, she felt lost as she had no clue where to go. But that feeling hadn’t lasted long because Anna had been advised by Efimios to look for signs from Poseidon, and these kept coming around that time. Whenever she visited Anavyssos, there were reminders of Poseidon here and there, such as garden fountains with his statue in their midst, or tridents and dolphins decorating the fences of villas she passed by.

  And there was also that pick-up van. Many times, as she entered the town in her car, she’d notice it parked outside the supermarket. Its driver would often indicate to drive away right in front of her, so that when she slowed down to let him do so, she could see that sign on its rear. It depicted the famous statue of Poseidon she’d seen in the Athens Archaeological Museum.

  As the van preceded her, during the few moments that it indicated with its flashing amber lights, it had felt as if Poseidon was beckoning to her. It was as if he was making his presence known in the town, inviting her to it.

  One day, as if by mathematical precision, the van had done the same thing again, and this time Anna had noticed to her left a large banner outside a restaurant. She’d seen that establishment many times before but on that day, it seemed to have a brand new name: ‘Poseidon Grill Restaurant’.

  Anna had thought it was uncanny. Feeling compelled to have a closer look, she stopped the car and crossed the street to read the announcement outside. It was an invitation to its opening a couple of days later. There was a smaller sign on the wall by the door. According to that, the apartment upstairs was being put up for rent. Anna thought that was uncanny too. Her landlord had asked her to move out the night before. These stange ‘coincidences’ helped her make sense of things, and she’d known immediately what she was supposed to do.