by Beryl Darby
Andreas dropped to his knees. ‘I pray that you will exercise your judgement to do what you know in your hearts is right and just for these people.’ He lifted his head. ‘I will take responsibility for my cousin and his safe return to Spinalonga. I will guarantee that he will not attempt to leave the island again for two months. If, at the end of that time, there has been no decision from yourselves or from Athens, I take no responsibility for his actions as I shall be leaving Crete for Athens myself.’
Andreas rose and surveyed the gathering of ministers. They looked distinctly uncomfortable.
Nikos tapped his fingertips together and looked warily at Dimitris. ‘What now?’
Dimitris’s steady gaze was scornful. ‘We wait for instructions from Athens.’
‘You think he’ll accept that?’
Dimitris shrugged. ‘What else can he do? If he tries to live openly he’ll very soon be picked up. Father Andreas can’t shelter him indefinitely, so he’ll have to return to the island and wait.’
‘It’s wicked. There’s no good reason for them to stay there.’
‘Wicked or not, the decision lies with Athens.’
‘That could take years.’
‘It could. Now, shall we break for lunch, gentlemen? Our morning has been badly disrupted. Maybe if we start promptly we can still complete our work this afternoon.’
Heads nodded, papers were shuffled together and chairs scraped across the wooden floor. The morning’s outburst had been unusual and diverting. Each man wanted to discuss the event outside the sanctity of the government chamber.
For over an hour Nikos sat in a taverna. The pile of cigarette ends at his feet grew without him reaching a solution. Father Minos had been unable to help him and he doubted if Father Andreas would be any more help. Finally he ground out the last stub with his heel, the decision was made. He was already late for the afternoon session. He had nothing to lose by visiting the priest and Yannis. On reaching the small house he knocked timidly on the door, surprised when Andreas himself came to the door.
‘Can I help you?’
‘I would like to talk to Yannis.’
‘What is it you want with him?’
Nikos shrugged. ‘I want to help.’
‘Help? How can you help? Whenever he asks for an answer he’s told it’s in the hands of the government in Athens.’
‘I know, but maybe if I went to Athens, talked to the doctors there.’
‘You would do that?’
‘Yes.’ Nikos made the promise rashly.
Andreas opened the door, which led to his private sanctum. ‘Yannis, we have a visitor.’
Yannis did not bother to look up from the letter he was writing. ‘I’m busy.’
‘Nikos is willing to go to Athens on your behalf.’
This time Yannis raised his eyes. ‘Why?’
‘Because I want to help.’
Yannis snorted with derision. ‘Help! What help were you when you took the tests on the island? The excuses you made. Why didn’t you tell us we were clean? You must have known.’
‘Please, Yannis, listen to me. Let me explain.’
Yannis’s lip curled. ‘Explain? There’s nothing to explain. You don’t want to be embarrassed by us.’
‘Yannis, once we were friends, good friends. For the sake of that friendship, hear me out.’ Nikos was pleading with tears in his eyes.
‘Have the grace to hear him, Yannis,’ interposed Andreas.
Yannis placed his pen on the table in front of him and leant his chin on his hands. ‘Very well, but I doubt that you’ll change my intentions.’
Nikos spread his hands. ‘It was due to your letters that I first visited Spinalonga. The threats in your letters to the government forced Dimitris to do something. You have to understand that Dimitris has changed since our school days. He became a junior member of the government when Yiorgo Pavlakis was the leader. He resigned. It was a personal quarrel, I think, but he was tortured with guilt when the government were shot. He felt he should have been amongst them. He watched friends and relatives dying around him and he became disillusioned. He had watched an irresolute government become embroiled in a war that was nothing to do with them; then innocent people were subjected to wholesale slaughter, torture, imprisonment. We all lost people we loved,’ Nikos shrugged, ‘But we none of us felt that sense of guilt that Dimitris had. He felt it was his duty to form a strong government, a duty to those who had died.’
‘That doesn’t help me.’ Yannis was impatient. ‘I suppose he thought we’d all died and he could forget us.’
Nikos shook his head. ‘He didn’t forget you. We all thought that those of you who were left would be too old or sick to benefit from the treatment.’
‘You didn’t bother to come and find out.’
‘Yannis, you have no idea of the way things were here after the war. We were short of everything, so was Athens. It was as much as the hospitals could do to keep going. Whatever we asked for we were told it was too expensive or they didn’t have it.’
‘So what’s different now?’
‘Now they don’t know what to do. There’s no point in sending you drugs you don’t need. If you leave the island you could end up as beggars on the streets, harried from place to place, without a roof over your heads.’
‘You don’t understand. We’ve no wish to leave the island on a permanent basis. We want treatment if we need it, or freedom to do as we please if we’re no longer infectious. All the time we’re confined to the island we carry the stigma of a leper. We would none of us want to return to our families if we were going to cause problems for them. We’d just like to be able to visit. All we need is a piece of paper we can carry with us, a declaration, anything so we can live a normal life and not be prisoners.’
Nikos sighed. ‘Do you really think a piece of paper will protect you from the outside world? Will people stop to read that before they throw a stone at you? Be realistic, Yannis.’
‘Then what do you suggest?’
‘I could go to Athens and say that in my opinion, as the examining doctor, you posed no threat to anyone and ask for a nationwide declaration to be made to that effect.’
‘Would they listen to you?’
‘I don’t know. Even if they did, you’d have to be patient, Yannis. These things take time and you know how slowly the government can move. It could take months, even years.’
‘We haven’t got years. Some of us may only have weeks if we’re to see our families again.’
‘Suppose I managed to get a clearance that allowed you visits? Would that help?’
Yannis nodded. ‘It would be a step in the right direction, but how long would that take?’
‘It’s possible that we could pass that locally, without reference to Athens,’ Nikos spoke hopefully. ‘It would still take time and you’d have to be patient until you heard from me again. I’d have to work on each member individually so I could be sure the motion would be passed. It’s the best I can do.’
‘Why this sudden change of heart towards us?’
‘I feel guilty. We were supposed to be your friends, but once you’d gone we were all so involved in our own lives that we soon forgot you. I feel it’s the least I can do to help you now.’
Yannis parked the motorbike in the yard and entered by the kitchen door. Anna was making pastry and looked up as he came in. ‘I thought that must be you I could hear.’
‘Aren’t you pleased to see me?’
‘Of course I am. Were you successful?’
‘Partly. I have hopes, anyway.’ Yannis proceeded to tell his sister about the council meeting and Nikos’s promise. ‘You don’t seem very happy, though.’
Anna sighed. ‘It’s Marisa. She wants to get married.’
‘There’s nothing wrong in that. She’s over twenty-one. It’s high time she did think about it.’
‘She wants to marry Victor.’
‘Victor? Victo
r! You mean the Italian who was over here?’
‘They’ve been writing to each other since the end of the war and he’s coming over next week. She says if we won’t let her get married she’ll go back to Italy with him.’
Yannis raised the skin where his eyebrows should have been. ‘She does sound determined. Maybe she’ll change her mind when she sees him again. It’s been almost five years.’
‘Maybe,’ Anna sounded dubious. ‘Suppose she doesn’t?’
Yannis frowned. ‘What’s he like, apart from an Italian and a soldier?’
‘He’s no longer in the army, he’s an engineer. He was very kind to us when he was over here, more than kind.’ A shadow of sadness passed over Anna’s face. ‘We certainly couldn’t have kept the farm going without his help.’
‘I’d like to meet him. Does he know about me?’
Anna nodded. ‘He managed to get some supplies over to you occasionally.’
‘How old is he?’
‘Twenty four.’
‘What have you got against him, Anna? The fact that he’s Italian or that he was over here as part of the invading force?’
‘It just doesn’t seem right to marry a foreigner who held your life in his hands for years. How do we know that he’s really suitable for her? We know nothing of his family.’
Yannis placed an arm round his sister’s waist. ‘Anna, she wants to marry Victor, not his family. You’re the only one who knows him and you say he was kind to all of you. I can’t say I approve, but it’s not up to me. I think it would be better for her to marry with the family’s blessing than run off with him and you spend the rest of your life wondering what’s happened to her. I’ll have a chat with her when she comes in.’
Yannis was up early the next morning, waiting by Davros’s boat until the man appeared on the beach.
‘Where’ve you been?’
‘Heraklion. I had business with the government.’
Davros snorted in disbelief. ‘Get in before you’re seen.’
Yannis settled himself in the prow where the tiny cabin would hide him, watching as the island came closer. He felt relieved to be returning to the familiar place after the bustle of Heraklion. Flora greeted him with surprise and pleasure as he alighted and slipped her hand through his arm as he walked up the ramp.
‘Where’ve you been? We didn’t think you were coming back.’
‘I visited my family, then went on to Heraklion and stayed with my cousin.’
‘How did you do that?’ Flora looked at him with wonder in her eyes.
‘I bought a motorbike and rode up.’
‘Where is it?’ Flora looked behind them.
‘I gave it to my brother. It wouldn’t have been any good over here.’
‘I’d have liked to see it. Did it go fast?’
‘Fast enough. Where’s Father Minos? I want to talk to him.’
‘In the church. Tell me about Heraklion.’
‘Later, there’s not a lot to tell. How is everyone?’
‘Fine, except Sevas. Spiro’s taken her in and he doesn’t think she’ll last much longer.’
Yannis nodded. ‘I’m not surprised. She was here ages before I came. I never thought she’d last this long. I’ll see you later, Flora.’
He opened the door of the church and could see Father Minos on his knees. Yannis waited a good half hour before the priest rose and saw him. ‘You should have interrupted me.’
‘There was no urgency. I just wanted to let you know I was back and tell you what happened.’
‘Come down to the taverna.’
‘I got to Heraklion and I spoke to the government.’
‘Tell me when we’re inside. How were your family?’
‘All well, but Marisa wants to marry one of the Italian soldiers who were billeted on them during the war.’ Yannis spoke grimly.
Father Minos frowned. ‘How does your sister feel about that?’
‘Not very happy, but Marisa’s of age. She can do as she pleases. He’s coming over. It will be the first time she’s seen him since the war ended so there’s a chance the attraction will have died a natural death when they come face to face.’
‘Of course; the man’s a stranger to her after five years. What are you drinking?’ Father Minos sat at the nearest table.
‘At this time of the morning I’m still on coffee. Father, did you know that the results from our tests showed most of us to be negative, no longer infectious?’
The priest nodded.
‘Why didn’t you tell us?’
‘I was told during a confessional.’
‘So what happens now? I think we should tell everyone, they have a right to know, but Nikos is worried that some of them will return to the mainland and end up in trouble.’
‘I think Nikos is probably right. Besides, not everyone is negative. It would be very unfair to tell someone they were no longer infectious, and then a doctor comes along and reverses the decision. Better for everyone to continue to live in ignorance.’
‘Nikos is going to try to get the government to grant us visits from our family and friends. He reckons it could take a couple of months. He’ll have to talk to the council members individually and convince them we’re no risk to anyone. He’s also going to Athens.’ Yannis raised his cup. ‘Let’s drink to his success.’
The invitation to the villagers to visit the island was not taken up by any great number. Anna and Marisa arrived, along with Davros and Alkis. Anna led Marisa to Yannis’s house, whilst the two men stood around, unsure what was expected of them now they had set foot on the island after so many years of delivering food. Father Minos took them to the taverna and bought them a bottle of wine.
‘Feel free to go wherever you wish. We’re all delighted to see you. We had hoped more of you might come over.’
Davros did not reply. He was staring suspiciously at the glass, wondering if it was safe to drink from it. Father Minos lifted his. ‘Cheers.’
The two men raised their glasses, but Davros still hesitated to drink.
‘It’s quite safe,’ the priest assured them.
Davros wiped the rim of the glass with a grubby finger; then placed it to his lips. ‘What are we supposed to do over here?’ he asked.
‘That’s up to you. You can wander around, sit and chat, have a game of chess or backgammon, ask to be shown the electricity. Do whatever you would normally do when you visit somewhere new. We’re not really any different from you. Wander down the street and you could be in any village, walk down there this evening and it’s a different story. Everywhere is as bright as day. That’s worth seeing. I’m off now. I have my duties, you know, the same as anywhere else. I’ll see you around, no doubt.’
The two men watched the priest leave. They refilled their glasses and looked at each other. ‘Well, what do we do?’
‘Wander around, I suppose. I must say you’ve got to admire their spirit.’
‘We could find the one-armed girl who’s always around.’
Davros drained his glass. ‘Sooner we get on with it the sooner we can go fishing.’
They walked from the taverna up the path, taking their time and greeting those they met on the way until they found themselves at the end of the houses. Rounding the cliff they looked down onto the ramparts of the old Venetian fortress.
Alkis scratched his head. ‘Makes you wonder how they built it. I’d like to know who they persuaded to work for them.’
‘Slave labour, I expect. How did they get the materials here, that’s more to the point. Half a dozen of those blocks in a boat and you’d be looking at the sea bed.’
The path narrowed and they looked down the sheer drop to the brilliant sea below before continuing on to where the tiny church stood. ‘Shall we go in?’ The door creaked as Davros opened it and he stood there waiting for his eyes to become accustomed to the gloom.
‘Doesn’t appear to be used.’
‘Why s
hould it be? They’ve got the other one and there’s only one priest.’
The men crossed themselves before backing out through the door and closing it behind them. As they turned they met the steady gaze of a man on the other side of the path.
‘Good morning. I’m Theodore. You must be visitors?’
The men nodded. ‘Hope you don’t mind us looking into the church.’
‘Not at all. I’m glad to say it isn’t used so often now. Care to join me?’
The two fishermen stood just over the threshold feeling embarrassed.
‘Sit down.’ Theodore placed glasses before them and drew the cork from a bottle of wine with his teeth.
‘How long have you been here?’ asked Davros.
‘I don’t know. I was in the second shipload from Athens. You tell me when that was and I’ll tell you how long I’ve been here.’ Theodore grinned, showing a number of blackened teeth, ‘What was it like over there during the war?’ He jerked his head towards the mainland. ‘Tell me about the fighting. Were you involved?’
‘Of course.’ Both men answered in unison.
‘Where were you?’
‘Up near Heraklion at first, then Lassithi. I got shot there and that was the end of it for me, but I could tell you some stories…’
Theodore leaned forward eagerly and Davros began an exaggerated account of his heroism that kept the elderly man enthralled for the rest of the morning, whilst Alkis poured himself more wine and smoked contentedly.
‘Did you really build your house yourself, Uncle?’
‘I only repaired and decorated it.’
Marisa looked at the sketches on the chimney breast. ‘Was that Phaedra?’
Yannis nodded. ‘The other is Anna, the girl we adopted. She did both the sketches.’
‘She was very talented. Have you any more of her work?’
Yannis smiled. ‘Boxes and boxes; she hated lessons. When I tried to teach her she would always look as though she was writing hard and when I looked it would be a picture of me or someone else in the class.’
