Being Shirley

by Michelle Vernal

  Mama looked affronted as she jiggled the little boy on her ample hip. “No, Kassia, he doesn’t need this sleep. I keep telling you this. He is a big boy now—nearly one year old. He will be happy playing in the kitchen with his Yaya, so let him be.” Not waiting to hear the protest hovering on Kassia’s lips, she turned and ambled back from whence she came.

  Kassia gave a little grunt of frustration when she was safely out of earshot. “Did you hear that? Nikolos needs his sleep in the afternoon but because he is waking in the night, Mama has decided to do what she did with Spiros and Alexandros at the same age. She thinks keeping him up all day will make him sleep through the night. It isn’t, though, and all that happens instead is that by five o’clock, he is crying all the time. It is awful but when I try to tell her this, she points to her sons and tells me to listen to her because she knows best.” She mimicked Mama’s voice, “Spirosaki mou and Alexandrosaki mou have grown up big and strong, have they not?” She clenched her teeth. “Aagh! It drives me crazy!”

  “At least she doesn’t have a penchant for line dancing and getting round in skin-tight leathers and Stetson hats like my ex-soon-to-be mother-in-law to be did.”

  Kassia raised a smile. “I am sure you exaggerate.”

  “I’m not—ask Carl if you don’t believe me. You’re lucky, Kas, because it is obvious that Mama loves you and the children.” Annie chewed her lip and chose her words carefully. “She’s only doing what she feels is best for them but yes, I can see it must be hard for you too.”

  Kassia sighed and poured two glasses of water. “Listen to me—you are only here a short time and already I am moaning. I am sorry. It’s just that two headstrong women under one roof will always be tough. I do love her, though, and you are right—she does mean well. It’s just—”

  “Frustrating,” Annie finished for her.

  “Yes—oh, hello, Adonis.” She leaned down, her attention on something under the table. Annie bent down, too, to peer under the table, curious to see who this Adonis was. A plump black and white cat sat there. His head was tilted and he had a daft look of ecstasy on his face as Kassia scratched behind his ear. “Annie, meet Adonis.” She laughed as their eyes met under the table.

  Annie made some kissing noises and he abandoned Kassia’s affections to trot curiously over to her outstretched hand. He sniffed it cautiously, looked at her for a moment and then sat down at her feet and invited her to stroke him. She obliged. “He’s lovely. How old is he?”

  “I don’t know. He moved in on us a year ago and Mateo fell in love with him so that was it, he stayed. He likes you.”

  “I like him, too, but who decided on his name?”

  “Ah, that would be Mateo. He overheard me telling Spiros that Alexandros likes to think of himself as a modern-day Adonis—you know, the Greek god of Beauty, Desire—all those things. Mateo loves his uncle, so that was that. So now it is my own fault that I feel so silly calling him in for dinner.” She laughed.

  Annie couldn’t help but agree that the title of Adonis was fitting where Alexandros was concerned and her mouth twitched at the thought of Kas standing on the doorstep each evening as she shouted out, “Adonis, here kitty, kitty.” It was followed by a little wave of sadness, though. Poor old Jazz. She sat up and took the glass her friend proffered.

  “You miss your cat Jasper, yes?”

  “I do, Kas. He was quite a character.”

  She gave her a sad little smile and patted her hand. Her nails were bitten to the quick, Annie noticed. She smiled back at her before she gulped her water down greedily. “You know what you were saying before Adonis interrupted us about Mama?”

  “Yes?”

  “Well, I met this man, he was a school teacher who had brought his class to the Acropolis, and we got chatting. I told him that we were coming to stay with you here and I explained how things are with you and Mama sometimes. You don’t mind?” Annie hoped she hadn’t spoken out of turn.

  Kassia shook her head and looked amused.

  “Good. Anyway, he told me that he has a sister who has the same problem as you and that the Greek mother-in-law is a very real stereotype.”

  With her glass raised halfway to her mouth, Kassia raised an eyebrow and her full lips curved into a smile. “Oh, and do you often get talking to strange men at ancient sites or is this just since you have been in Greece?”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Annie protested before she filled her in on how the conversation had come about in the first place.

  “Well, he sounds like a nice man.”

  “Yes, he was actually.”

  “So thanks to him, you realised that you have come to Greece to say goodbye to Roz and to find your metaphorical Yanni, yes?”

  Annie cringed. “It made perfect sense at the Acropolis but maybe that was just the moment I was in. Sitting here now with you, it sounds rather self-indulgent and don’t forget I came to Greece to meet you and the family too.”

  “I know you did and I am glad you did.” Kassia’s smile was reassuring. “But tell me, do you feel any different since you have been here in Greece?”

  “Do you know what, Kas? I do, I really do. All that wedding business, my job—I’ve been so muddled for so long, and I didn’t know how to go about changing any of it.”

  “Yes, I was worried but I knew you would find your way.”

  “And I have because from the moment Carl and I booked our tickets, my head felt clear for the first time in what felt like forever. I knew I was doing exactly what I should be doing. This is a journey I have to do, for myself and for Roz. I was just bloody lucky that Carl decided to come along too.”

  They smiled at each in unspoken understanding and then Kassia poured out two more tumblers of water. “Speaking of Carl, I think I had better take these around to him and Spiros before they collapse. Alexandros promised to take Mateo to the beach this afternoon so I will send him inside to find him. You relax here if you like. I won’t be long.”

  Annie nodded her thanks and sighed happily, glad of a few moments alone to soak up her surrounds properly. It really was a little pocket of paradise, she decided. Her eyes alighted on the three-storied building in front of her with its pebbled courtyard before following the sweep of sparse lawn she sat on that lead down to the road. A young couple held hands, beach towels slung over their shoulders, and wandered along the middle of it, the sea an undulating backdrop beside them. She stretched her legs and admired their honeyed hue before she frowned. Was her light tan due to her freckles having all joined up to blend into one great big one? She stifled a yawn as she spied Kassia walking briskly back towards her. If she was sleepy, Carl must be ready to keel over.

  “Spiros has given Carl a spade and he is trying so hard to be masculine, swinging it about like this.” She demonstrated before she sat down.

  Annie laughed. “Yes, I can just imagine it because when he goes into macho mode, Carl is a sight to behold indeed.”

  Kassia waved her hand. “Men—leave them to it, I say. Oh, I better help—”

  “No, you stay put. I’ll give her a hand.” Annie got to her feet in order to take the tray Mama, who had reappeared in the doorway, held. This one, Annie noted as she walked towards the old woman, looked to be laden with colourful treats. Spying a carafe of wine, her mouth watered in anticipation of its crisp bite. “Oh, this looks wonderful, thank you, Mama! Look at the size of those olives! Yum!” Mama’s ample bosom swelled to enormous proportions at the praise. “You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, though.”

  “It is no bother. I want you and Kassia to sit and enjoy each other.”

  Annie smiled and fell a little bit more in love with the Bikakis family matriarch as she took the tray from her.

  Inside the house, a bloodcurdling wail went up. Annie’s eyes widened in alarm but Mama didn’t seem in the slightest bit perturbed. Kassia heard it too and had gotten to her feet. She strode towards them but Mama waved her back. “It’s nothing, Kassia—go sit down. Boys, they fight. Ma
teo has probably taken a toy from Nikolos, that is all.” She shrugged and rolled her eyes at Annie. “It’s what they do.”

  As she lumbered back into the house, Kassia poked her tongue out at her back but did as she had been told and sat down heavily at the picnic table. Annie walked carefully across the spikes of grass with the weighty tray and placed it down on the table.

  “She makes me feel like I am not needed in my own home.” Kassia helped Annie unload the tray. “But then that’s the problem—it was her home first.”

  “Like I said before, she obviously means well and it must be nice to have the extra pair of hands to help with the boys?” Annie looked over at her friend. Her dark hair had fallen across her face and she couldn’t read her expression.

  “Yes, sometimes.” She speared an olive with a toothpick viciously. “But there are times when I feel left out of things. The boys, they adore her, but I am their mother and it should be me they come to first.”

  Annie didn’t say anything and Kassia carried on. “I know how this sounds but sometimes I think it’s not fair. She has had her turn with her boys; now let me have my turn with mine.”

  This time it was Annie who poured the drinks and pushed a generous glass across the table.

  “I am worried that one day I will snap and say something to her that I will regret.” Kassia looked up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Annie noticed her lovely olive skin had mottled red patches.

  “Have you talked to Spiros about how you are feeling?”

  “I have tried but she is his mother and he doesn’t want to hear. He is a typical man—all he wants is an easy life.”

  An image of Tony flashed up in front of Annie’s eyes. “Maybe you should try again if it is getting you as down as this. Like you said, she is his mother. It would be better coming from him and she’d probably be more inclined to listen.”

  Kassia took hold of her glass. Annie winced at the sight of those chewed fingernails at the end of her long, slim fingers wrapped around the stem. “Mama Bikakis is, how you say? A law unto herself.”

  She looked so down in the mouth that Annie got up and went round to give her shoulders a squeeze. Kassia patted her hand gratefully. “I’m glad you are here. But I am being dramatic. Ignore my silliness. You have not come all these miles to hear me complain.”

  “Listen.” Annie sat back down. “You’re my friend, and friends are there for each other so if you want to moan, you go ahead and moan! You’ve put up with me and my moans for years.”

  Kassia smiled at her friend’s earnest face and held her glass up. “Okay, so I will raise my glass to friends and moaning.”

  “To good friends and moaning.” Annie raised hers.

  “To best friends and moaning!” Both women chorused and clinked their glasses before they took a sip of the wine.

  “What’s this?” Annie smacked her lips together.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I’m not sure. I think so. It’s just that it has an unusual aftertaste to it.”

  “It’s a locally made Retsina, which is white wine fermented with pine resin. It is also very potent so be warned because it, how you say? Grows on people.” Kassia winked before she added, “Anyway, we have talked enough about me. I want to hear all about you, starting with how you are feeling these days as a single woman?” She reached forward and popped a piece of marinated eggplant in her mouth before she looked at her friend expectantly.

  Annie had to think about her answer for a moment because her feelings were still in a jumble. “Well, I know that breaking up with Tony was the right thing to do but that’s not to say that I don’t miss him or at least the idea of him. I’m not sure I miss the reality of our relationship, though, if that makes sense?”

  “I think you mean you are remembering the good times now, not the bad times, which is natural.”

  “Yes, I suppose I am and we did have some good times.” Annie sighed and toyed with her glass. “I still can’t quite believe that less than two months ago I was trying on a wedding dress and now here I am suddenly single, sitting amid the olive trees with you in Crete.”

  Kassia laughed. “Well, I am glad you are! And yes, life can take many strange turns.” Her expression sobered as she added, “I never thought I would wind up living here with my mother-in- law.” She shook her head. “Don’t you worry—you will get to wear your beautiful dress one day but it will be for the right man, I think.”

  “Actually, for now I don’t really want to think about men and as for that dress—as gorgeous as it was, it wasn’t me, not really.”

  “But you said it was your dream dress. Was it very expensive, yes?”

  “Yes very, very but that’s not why I changed my mind about it.” Annie popped an olive in her mouth and enjoyed the salty burst as she bit into it.

  “Oh?”

  “No. Don’t tell Carl but it was too bloody tight!”

  They broke into laughter and made light work of the platter until Kassia urged Annie to tell her all about her and Carl’s adventures since they’d left New Zealand.

  “You’d better fill up our glasses then.” Annie held her empty glass out.

  ***

  “Remind me to never fly anywhere with him! It sounds terrible.” Kassia laughed and by the time Annie had finished telling her about Carl’s misadventures in Athens thanks to his dodgy stomach, she was bent double.

  “Stop!” She held up her hand. “My stomach, it is hurting.”

  “It’s funny now but believe you me, it wasn’t at the time.”

  “I can imagine it would have been quite desperate at the time.” They looked at each other and erupted into peals of laughter.

  “What’s so funny, you two?” A red-faced, sweaty Carl flopped down onto the ground next to the table. He took off his hat and fanned himself. “And where’s the worker’s glass of vino, you two lushes?”

  “You’re what is so funny, Carl. I have been hearing all about your little problem in Athens.” Kassia wiped the corner of her eyes before she reached for one of the water tumblers. “Will this do? I am too exhausted from laughing to go up to the house to fetch you a proper wine glass.”

  “Hmm, hostess with the mostess—I’m kidding, sit back down! It will do just fine and you may well laugh now but it was not funny at the time. I lost nearly half a stone in weight!”

  “Perhaps I should visit Athens.” Kassia looked down at her midriff. “Believe me, Mama’s cooking will soon put the meat back on your bones; it has mine and some. Here—”

  Carl took the glass and drank deeply. “Ah, ’tis nectar from the gods. Retsina, am I right?

  Kassia nodded and looked pleased as he added, “And you have what we in the biz call womanly curves, my dear girl.”

  Annie smiled fondly at him and loved the way they had only been here a couple of hours and already they had slotted in and made to feel right at home.

  “Is Spiros still working in the garden?” Kassia asked.

  “Yes. He said he would square off the patch he was working on and then call it a day. You’ve done well there; he is a lovely man.”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “That’s an impressive vegie patch he has got going on, too, considering the soil is like rock—once you get past the top layer of sand, that is.”

  “You sound like a professional gardener,” Annie said, impressed.

  “Too much bloody hard work for me, thanks very much. Spiros said I looked like I was about to keel over, so I should come and sit in the shade with you girls for a while. If I’d known there was wine on offer, I would have been over earlier.”

  “Yes, Spiros is in his element, growing things and catching things. I think it is his caveman instincts coming to the fore.”

  “He was telling me about his novel, too. It sounds a rather intriguing mystery.”

  “I haven’t read any of it yet because he won’t let me see it until it is finished but he is a talented writer.”

  “When does he find the tim
e to sit down and actually write, Kas?” Annie asked.

  “He goes to the office at three o’clock and writes until five o’clock most days because he says if he doesn’t set aside this time he will never get his book finished.” Kassia shrugged. “He is right, I suppose.”

  “Good for him.” Carl took another drink. “He’s really living his dream.”

  “Yes, he is.” The inflection in her voice didn’t escape him and he raised a quizzical eyebrow in Annie’s direction. She shook her head slightly in warning not to go there.

  Kassia ran a finger round the rim of her wine glass before she seemed to pull herself up as she visibly brightened. “Well, now that I have you both here, tell me—what has been your favourite of the Greek islands so far?”

  “Not counting here?” Carl asked. Annie noticed his normal colour had returned.

  “Not counting here.” Kassia smiled.

  “Okay, well, every island has been beautiful, of course, and each island had something special about it. But I think my favourite in the Cyclades would have to be Naxos.” Carl nodded his agreement. “We stayed in the old town of Hora.”

  “Ah, Naxos! Yes, it is beautiful—the most verdant of the Cyclades, I think?”

  “That’s a big word, verdant.” Annie rolled it off her tongue. “I like it and yes, it was the greenest of the islands once you got inland, which we did when we visited this gorgeous little village. It had the most stunning Venetian architecture and every corner we turned was a photograph waiting to be taken. What was it called again, Carl?”

  “Halki—spelled Chalki—and we had the best spinach and cheese pie from that bakery while we waited for the bus to take us back to Hora.”

  “Oh yeah, it was good. I could have gone two if the bus hadn’t shown up when it did. Remember the teacher chap I told you I met at the Acropolis, Kas? His name’s Kristofr and he was the one who insisted that we must go to Naxos. It’s where he came from originally.”

  “Ah, I see! It is Kristofr now. And did you get this Kristofr’s phone number or he yours?”