Deadly Secrets

by Angel Sefer

  Chapter Seven

  HELENA WAS VERY PUZZLED and worried by this strong premonition, but decided to keep it to herself. She didn’t want to upset her aunt. Besides, she never felt comfortable talking about these things to anyone— not even Steve. Her mother was the only person she had ever talked to about these strange feelings she would get from time to time for upcoming events.

  She tried to put all unsettling thoughts out of her mind, and spent the afternoon with Sophie, talking about her childhood on the island.

  They both got really emotional, thinking of the things they used to do together, like reading stories, playing in the backyard, and taking walks on the beach.

  Dinner was served at the veranda, and they enjoyed the delicious dolmades—minced meat mixed with rice, fresh herbs and seasonings, wrapped in delicate vine leaves and served with egg lemon sauce— that Martha had prepared for them.

  A little later, Helena pretended she was tired and went to her room, anxious to get back to the diary.

  She took a quick shower and put on her nightgown. Taking the diary from her suitcase, she sat on her bed and lit her bedside lamp.

  Turning the pages, she stopped at the following entry:

  December 24th, 1955

  It is Christmas Eve, and Periklis is not back yet from his voyage to Japan.

  I am really worried and upset. Something is wrong… something really bad is going to happen…

  Helena felt goose bumps all over her body, reading these words. This was a way too familiar feeling for her.

  Anxiously, she turned the page. The next entry was not until February:

  February 26th, 1956

  Periklis and many others on our island are devastated by the shipwreck which happened somewhere in the North Atlantic, near the shores of Iceland.

  Periklis’ older brother, Minas, was the ship’s captain. He went down with his ship and twenty-four of his men—most of whom were from our island.

  The whole island is mourning…

  I am really sad for all these sailors and their families… I also feel kind of guilty, as I was relieved it wasn’t Periklis’ ship.

  Am I wrong to feel this way? Does this make me a bad person?

  “Oh, my God,” Helena whispered, and flipped the page to the next entry:

  April 24th, 1956

  I’m falling apart inside…

  My mother’s health is deteriorating.

  She has been fighting cancer for over three years, but she is getting really weak and is in pain all the time.

  I wish there was something I could do to help, but I have seen the end coming.

  She will be leaving us, before the end of spring…

  Helena was heartbroken. Having lost her mother the same way, she could relate to her grandmother’s pain and sorrow.

  She wiped the tears with the back of her hand and sighed. Taking a deep breath, she turned the page:

  May 21st, 1956

  My beloved mother passed away this morning, and a part of me died with her…

  That was all Eleana wrote on this page—these few words were more powerful than pages and pages of describing her feelings and devastation.

  Helena felt compelled to keep on reading. What she had found in her grandmother’s diary wasn’t the information she was looking for—at least, not yet—but she was so absorbed by Eleana’s story, she couldn’t stop.

  May 22nd, 1956

  Her funeral was just the way I had seen it in my dream.

  I had this dream, when I was around nine years old. I saw myself at the age I am now, walking behind the closed coffin, next to my heartbroken father.

  I knew it was coming, but nothing could prepare me for this feeling of loss and desperation tearing me apart…

  My father will be leaving soon, too.

  I will be left alone, before Christmas…

  Helena was shivering from the turmoil of her emotions. Her grandmother’s life was shattered at such a young age—and the worst part was she knew it was coming, ever since she was a child…

  Eleana’s gift, as Erin described it, was probably some kind of psychic abilities, Helena realized. Is this what’s happening to me too? Have I inherited some of my grandmother’s abilities? And if so, how can I handle it? Now, she had one more reason to keep on reading the diary. She was hoping Eleana had found a way to cope with these abilities, she seemed to have, and the dreams and premonitions she experienced.

  Helena took a moment to catch her breath and then, anxiously, she went on reading.

  August 23rd, 1956

  This was supposed to be my wedding day…

  Both our families are in mourning, and the wedding has been postponed…

  I am not surprised—I knew it. But this does not stop the pain.

  Sometimes, I hate these premonitions I have. Other times, I think that it might be better this way. It might have been worse, if I did not know things were going to turn out this way.

  I have to be strong. I will be alone soon… and I have to be strong…

  Helena had to put the diary down. Blinded by tears, she just couldn’t read any more.

  Climbing out of bed, she walked outside and to the edge of the balcony. She closed her eyes and just stood there, taking deep breaths.

  “I love you so much, Grandma,” she whispered. “Even though I never met you, I somehow feel so connected with you.”

  She opened her eyes and let them wander over the black waters of the sea. How many times did Grandma stand on this same balcony, staring at the sea? Helena wondered, knowing her grandmother had moved into the Sistakis house on the hill when she married Periklis. And where did she live before that? Erin hadn’t said anything about that, and Helena would love to find out more about her grandmother’s life. She wished she could visit the house her grandmother grew up in.

  Absorbed in her thoughts, Helena lost track of time.

  The ringing of the phone brought her back to reality. Who could be calling at this time at night? A shiver raced up her spine, and her heartbeat accelerated.

  She walked back inside and stared at the phone on her bedside table. It had stopped ringing. Sophie must have picked it up. Now what? Helena stood over the phone undecided, even though the thought of picking it up crossed her mind. No, she couldn’t do that. She would have to wait until the next morning, and ask Sophie if everything were all right. But how would she be able to sleep tonight, without knowing if something had happened? What if something had happened to Dimitris?

  Helena was tormented by these thoughts, when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. Hastily, she climbed in bed and hid the diary underneath her pillow.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Sophie appeared at the entrance wearing a long, cream colored nightgown. “I’m so sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I thought you probably heard the phone and might be worried.”

  “Yes,” Helena admitted simply. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, everything is fine,” Sophie said and approaching Helena, she sat at the edge of her bed. “It was Thomas calling from New York… the time difference, you see,” she added.

  “Oh, I see,” Helena replied. And why are you so edgy? The question burned in her mind. The gloomy expression on Sophie’s face and the way she was clenching her fists didn’t leave any room for doubts that something was wrong.

  At least it wasn’t Dimitris, Helena thought, relieved.

  “I’ll let you go back to sleep,” Sophie said, and standing up, she reached down and gave Helena a kiss on the forehead.

  This simple gesture brought back to Helena cherished memories of her late mother, who used to do the same thing—kissing her goodnight.

  She smiled at Sophie and wished her goodnight. No matter what was going on, Sophie loved her—Helena was sure about that—and she was very fond of her aunt, too.

  After Sophie was gone, Helena was very agitated and couldn’t go to sleep. So she decided to keep on reading the diary:

&n
bsp; November 17th, 1956

  It seems the only things left for me to write in this diary are one tragedy after the other.

  Is there nothing else for me but pain and sorrow?

  I woke up this morning and was surprised not to find my father sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee.

  I went to check on him and found he had not slept in his bed.

  Anxious and worried, I went searching for him outside.

  I did not have to look for long—I just went over to his favorite spot—a big white rock at the edge of the cliff, a little further from our house.

  He was there… sitting on the ground, with his back against the rock, overlooking the water…

  I did not have to get close—I knew…

  November 23rd, 1956

  I can’t remember much. Everything seems to be in a haze.

  All I remember is coming back to the house, putting a black kerchief over my head—since I have already been wearing black clothes, ever since my mother passed away—and going to Periklis’ house.

  He took care of everything, the funeral and everything else that needed to be done—whatever that was. I can’t remember…

  March 21st, 1957

  We got married this morning…

  It was not much of a wedding—not like any girl would dream of.

  It was a simple ceremony with only us, the priest and Anna—the only sister of Periklis’ father—as the maid of honor.

  I moved in with Periklis to the big house on the hill.

  Mina’s widow, Marina, and their five-year-old son, Thomas, are living with us.

  Besides Anna, they are the only living relatives Periklis has.

  They did not come to the wedding. Marina has been really sick. She hardly ever gets out of bed any more, and Thomas—poor little boy—is lost most of the time; sometimes literally, and everybody on the island goes out looking for him, and other times, he is here but lost in his thoughts.

  I feel really bad for them. Marina is a shadow of her old self—the young, cheerful girl I remember—and Thomas… well, Thomas is a hurt little boy having lost his father, before he even had a chance to know him.

  Come to think of it, I have never really seen him smile. Then again, I do not think I remember any of us smiling anymore…

  Thomas, Helena thought. Is this the same Thomas, Sophie called her adopted brother? She tried to remember her uncle, but it was no use… she must have met him while she was living on the island, but strangely enough, she couldn’t remember anything about him. As a matter of fact, she had forgotten she even had an uncle until she came back and heard Sophie talking about him.

  Anxiously, she kept on reading:

  June 17th, 1957

  Marina passed away last night. Thomas found her in her bed…

  The way he is handling it scares me. He does not cry, speak, or do anything. He just sits in a corner, lost in his thoughts, again.

  This time, I am the one who has to take care of everything.

  Periklis is away on a voyage and will not be back until the end of the year.

  It is just me and Thomas left at the big house on the hill.

  Anna is living in Athens now, and Marina has no living relatives, except a brother who lives in a faraway land called Australia.

  December 8th, 1957

  Periklis is back. I am glad he is finally home.

  It has been really hard here, trying to deal with everything by myself, not to mention the difficult situation with Thomas.

  I had a long talk with Periklis last night, and it seems the right thing to do is to adopt the little boy.

  Yes, Helena realized. So the adopted brother, Thomas, was actually her father’s and aunt’s cousin, who was left all alone after Marina passed away.

  The next entry wasn’t until six years later.

  September 26th, 1963

  Finally, I have something wonderful to write about… I just found out I am pregnant.

  I am thrilled to have a baby of my own. Not that I do not love Thomas. I love him with all my heart and have tried to be there for him, knowing that he has been through so much.

  But this baby—Periklis’ baby—is something I have been praying for…

  April 22nd, 1964

  My son was born this morning. He is amazing… a beautiful, healthy little boy.

  Holding him in my arms, I could not believe this was really happening.

  I wish Periklis were here to see him.

  He will not be back until later on this year.

  The only thing that worries me is Thomas. The look in his eyes—staring at the baby—scared me. Please God, I need your help and guidance…

  June 14th, 1964

  My son is growing bigger and stronger every day. I am so happy…

  Even Thomas seems to be getting used to the baby, and I have even seen him smiling at him a couple of times. There seems to be hope after all…

  December 15th, 1964

  Periklis is back, and our son was baptized this morning.

  We named him Angelos, after Periklis’ late father. Such a beautiful name!

  Helena turned to the next page and was surprised to see… it was fourteen years later. What had happened in the meantime? She would probably never know…

  October 12th, 1978

  I cannot believe it. I am pregnant again.

  I had not seen that coming. This is one of the very few surprises in my life.

  I am really excited.

  Angelos and Thomas are getting along fine, and everything seems to be running smoothly in our lives—except the fact that Periklis is gone most of the time. He travels so much… he comes home for a few weeks every year. I miss him so much… but I am used to it by now.

  I know this is my life, and I accept it just the way it is.

  May 23rd, 1979

  My little girl was born this morning. She is perfect.

  I am thrilled Periklis was here. He was so excited to be here too. He always felt bad about having been away when Angelos was born.

  Angelos and Thomas seem to be happy about the baby too.

  I think they probably preferred it to be a boy, but I am sure they will accept her, eventually.

  February 12th, 1980

  Our daughter was baptized this morning. Periklis and I are so happy.

  We named her Sophia—after my late mother—and we will call her Sophie.

  She is such an adorable and loving little baby.

  I am so happy and thankful for my family…

  Helena smiled, feeling happy and relieved that eventually good things happened to Eleana, after all the tragedies she had to endure throughout the years. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, she realized it was almost three in the morning. Her eyelids were heavy, and she decided it was time to go to sleep.

  She hadn’t found out anything about her father and the events surrounding his death. However, she would keep on reading, until she would hopefully find some information to shed some light on what really happened to him.

  She got out of bed and walked to her closet to hide the diary in her suitcase again. Then she went back to bed and lay down. She was so tired, physically and emotionally…

  Chapter Eight

  TRYING TO PUT ALL unsettling thoughts out of her mind, Helena spent time with her aunt, wanting to know her better. They talked about Sophie’s childhood on the island, growing up with two older brothers. They also shared memories about Helena’s father, and their love for him brought them even closer. Neither Helena nor her aunt wanted to talk about Helena going back to England. They both knew it would happen sometime soon, but they preferred to keep that thought out of their minds for now.

  One day, they visited the old house where Eleana grew up. There wasn’t much left of it now, but it sat on a beautiful spot overlooking the Aegean. Helena was overwhelmed, walking inside the falling apart, little cottage where Eleana grew up. She felt as if her beloved grandmother were right there with them. The energy she could sense in t
his place was unbelievable...

  Then she and Sophie walked outside, and following what she’d read in the diary, they walked over to the big white rock where Eleana’s father passed away.

  As they approached the area, Helena felt a shiver running up her spine. She glanced over at Sophie and realized that she seemed just as affected by the surroundings as Helena.

  “This place always gets to me,” Sophie admitted. “You know, my grandfather passed away right here on this spot,” she continued.

  Helena kept silent, since she hadn’t told Sophie about the diary yet. She just walked over to the edge of the hill, and wrapping her arms around herself, she stood there, staring at the sea.

  Lost in their thoughts, they both stood there until it started getting dark and chilly.

  ***

  During the following days, Helena was tormented by the premonition, not knowing if something bad was going to happen to her or someone she cared about. What if it was her aunt or what if it was him? Not having heard from Dimitris for so long, which according to her aunt was unusual, made things even worse. Then again, if something had happened to him they would have known; she tried to reason with herself. Still, that didn’t make her feel any better.

  Meanwhile, Helena would spend her nights reading the diary. She noticed that after a while, Eleana stopped writing events and started noting down vague, ambiguous entries, which needed to be deciphered.

  June 21st, 1985

  When evil knocked on our door, it had the face of an angel. But soon enough, the wedding bells silenced and happiness faded away…

  What was that all about? Helena wondered, and anxiously turned the page to hopefully find what her grandmother meant by this entry.

  August 13th, 1985

  Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing…

  Instead of finding some answers, Helena got more puzzled. Eleana was trying to convey a message but for some reason, she didn’t come straight out and say it. Why? What was she afraid of? Was she afraid that someone might get hold of her diary and read it? Helena shuddered. Did this threat Eleana was implying had anything to do with her father’s death?

  She turned the page and was disappointed and puzzled to realize there were pages missing from the diary—it was obvious the pages had been ripped out. Who would do such a thing and why? Did Grandma tear out the pages herself, so that no one would read them, or was it someone else?