‘You can learn, the same as Spiro and I did. There’s plenty of work that can be done from the ground. You can soon learn how to fix a door or shutter.’
Costas shook his head. ‘It won’t be possible. Yiorgo can’t turn and lift Lambros on his own, nor can he be expected to keep the place clean, go to the store and cook. He’s only got one arm, remember.’
Yannis frowned and Spiro nudged him. This was a time for compromise. ‘All right, you spend the morning helping Yiorgo, then you come to help us.’
Sulkily Costas agreed and Yannis rose to go. ‘The arrangement starts tomorrow.’ Once out of earshot Yannis took a deep breath. ‘I never thought that would work.’
Spiro gazed at him with respect. ‘That was clever, Yannis. You’ve got us another helper.’
‘A somewhat unwilling one, I’m afraid. Still, he’ll be better than nothing. I am tired.’ Yannis yawned and Spiro looked at him anxiously. Was Yannis wearing himself out with his obsession with rebuilding?
The following day was one of enforced idleness for Yannis as he sat on his mattress and listened to the rain falling outside. He felt miserably chilly, although he was fully clothed and had a blanket round him. He tried to envisage the repairs he would make to the next house until a shadow in the doorway woke him from his reverie.
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Yannis anxiously as Costas entered, fearing the man would say the roof had fallen in during the night.
‘Nothing. You told me I was to come and help you in the afternoon and here I am.’
Yannis nodded. There was nothing they could do in the rain, but he was unwilling to turn the man away. ‘Come and sit down. I want to work out how to build a fireplace.’
Costas sat down obediently on the end of Yannis’s mattress. Costas and Spiro sat in silence. Costas was unable to add anything constructive to the conversation and Spiro usually let Yannis finish thinking aloud before putting forward any suggestions of his own. For the next hour Yannis tried to work out to his own satisfaction how the fireplace should be built and finally gave up. He would need to have the necessary materials on hand and experiment. Costas rose to go, he could have spent the afternoon playing cards with Yiorgo instead of listening to Yannis trying to build fireplaces.
‘I’ll expect you tomorrow,’ Yannis called after him. ‘If it’s too wet to work we’ll collect materials.’
It was with surprise that Yannis found two men on his doorstep the following afternoon. Costas looked a little sheepish. ‘This is another Costas. He’s come to help.’
It was too wet to attempt any construction and the two men spent the afternoon pulling lengths of timber from a fallen building and stacking tiles at the side. To Yannis’s surprise they worked hard and willingly until he called a halt to their efforts for the day.
‘We’ll take this lot down and stack it; then we can make a good start tomorrow. We’ll ask Flora to meet any boats and beg for some more nails and screws.’
Once back in the privacy of their hut Yannis smiled triumphantly at Spiro. ‘We’re going to win, two helpers now. Maybe it will be four tomorrow.’
‘Maybe it won’t!’ Spiro was sceptical. ‘I’d take a bet that Costas has told the other Costas that if he helps he can have first claim to the house.’
‘I don’t mind. All I ask is for them to help themselves a bit. They seem quite resigned to sitting around until the day they die. They just don’t seem to care. It’s their whole attitude, it’s pathetic.’
Spiro slipped away. He had heard Yannis talking too many times about the attitude of the other islanders to wish to hear it all again. He stopped to visit Panicos and was pleased to note that the only smell in the house was that of food. Panicos looked a little healthier, his skin less sallow and his eyes brighter. Costas was lying on his mattress, snoring gently, exhausted from the day’s exertions.
Panicos jerked his head towards the sleeping figure. ‘I think he’s becoming quite enthusiastic. He kept talking about fireplaces last night.’
‘That was Yannis. He’s trying to work out how to build them.’
‘He’s a good man. Don’t let him wear himself out.’
‘You know how determined he can be.’
Panicos smiled wryly. ‘It’s probably a good thing when it rains. It forces him to stop.’
Costas stirred in his sleep, muttering. ‘That’s long enough.’
Spiro grinned. ‘I’ll go. Better not to disturb him, besides, the smell of your supper is making me hungry.’
The next day dawned dry, but windy, which filled Yannis with enthusiasm. ‘We can work today.’
Spiro yawned. He knew that meant unceasing labour until mid-day, when they would eat a roll, sit for a short while, and then return to the exhausting work until Yannis decided they had reached their objective for that day. He pulled on his pullover, looking ruefully at the snags and holes that were appearing. It was to be hoped that Yannis had solved the problem of fireplaces by next winter or he was going to suffer badly from the cold.
The second house proved far more difficult than the first and they were glad of the help offered by Costas. By building a series of steps on each side of the building Yannis and Spiro were finally able to sit astride the walls whilst Costas had the unenviable job of passing up lengths of timber to them. By the time the other Costas arrived most of the rafters were in place and the three men were taking a well-earned rest.
‘What do you want me to do?’ he asked cheerfully.
‘Start on the fireplace,’ was Yannis’s immediate rejoinder.
Costas’s face fell. ‘How?’
‘You and Costas go and find the largest blocks of stone you can and bring them back here.’
‘Where are you planning to put it?’
‘There.’ Yannis pointed to the back wall. ‘Come on, we’d better make a start.’
Spiro waited until Yannis was safely astride the wall before he began to hand up the roof tiles. The first few were painstakingly slow, until Spiro was able to balance more tiles on those already laid and the work progressed a little faster. Once the two Costas returned with large blocks of stone, which they were only just able to manhandle, Yannis climbed down. Between them they moved the blocks to the far wall, then looked at the effect.
‘What do you think?’
‘A bit more that way if it’s going to be in the centre.’
They moved the stones and regarded the wall critically. ‘It looks right now.’
‘Then leave those two blocks where they are. When you’ve collected some more we’ll try building it up.’
The remainder of the afternoon was spent with Yannis and Spiro working on the roof whilst the other two men collected the largest blocks of stone they could find, all four ending up exhausted. Despite all Yannis’s careful plans and rebuilding of the fireplace each time they tried to light a fire they were nearly choked by the smoke that billowed out into the room. They stood outside; waiting for the smoke to clear and Yannis finally admitted defeat.
‘We need cement. We’ll never be successful without it. We may as well give up.’
‘What do you mean? Take it all down again?’
‘No, it may as well stay. If we can get some lime and sand sent over we could try giving it a coat and see if that fills the cracks.’
The knowledge that they had been unsuccessful depressed all four men.
‘It’s still a house,’ observed Spiro. ‘Some of them will be grateful.’
Costas was looking at Yannis with pleading eyes. ‘I’d be grateful.’
‘I know you deserve it, but there could be others who need it more.’
The house would sleep six people easily, but Yannis suddenly found there were ten who claimed it as their right as they used it during the summer months. He scanned the four women and six men and decided he could use the situation to his advantage.
‘The women can have the house and choose two companions. Who they choose makes no difference to me. Whoever isn’t chosen will help to repair the next one and they can have that.’
The group disagreed; they wanted to stay together. Why should some of them not have to work? Finally Yannis gave them an ultimatum.
‘You decide by this evening or I’ll offer the house to someone else. We built it, so it’s up to us. Draw lots if you like, but I’ll expect all six men to make up a work party; two of you because you’re grateful and the others because they want somewhere to live. Does that seem fair?’
Grudgingly they had to admit that it was and Yannis left them to decide whose mattresses should be moved. He felt fairly confident that by the following day he would have ten people working on the buildings. He felt sorry for Costas, who had worked so willingly, but he dared not upset too many people at one time or the tightrope he was walking would snap beneath him. He was surprised the next day when two of the women joined the little work party.
‘It doesn’t take four to make a meal for six,’ said Penelope. ‘We can probably fetch and carry for you.’
Yannis agreed they would be useful, although he racked his brains how he could use them. They would not be strong enough to carry heavy loads, but Spiro thought of a solution.
‘Why don’t we put them to sorting? We often spend hours moving bits out of the way to get at a piece of timber or some tiles. They could do that and also sort out the rubbish.’
Yannis grinned. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
The system worked well, and the amount of work they accomplished in one day astonished them all. With more workers they were able to tackle three buildings at the same time and within two weeks they were habitable.
‘Yours, Costas.’ Yannis waved a hand to the furthest house. ‘Yours, Makkis. Go and choose your companions, but tell them if they’re fit they’ll be expected to work. The other house has to go to the barber. It’s not very big, so I think it only fair that we limit the occupants to three.’
Costas shook Yannis by the hand; he was delighted and felt a great sense of accomplishment each time he looked at the house he had been instrumental in repairing. It was no more than half an hour before a straggle of men made their way down from the church with their mattresses and meagre possessions. Yannis looked at them with interest. All except the barber appeared to be reasonably fit, and Yannis automatically counted them as extra hands for building.
The dry, crisp spell they had taken advantage of gave way suddenly to torrential rains and once again Yannis fretted at the delay. Every day he braved the elements to visit each house and ask if there were any leaks and was relieved to report to Spiro that they were watertight. What Yannis did not know was that the occupants had made good use of the wet days. Shelves, balanced on large stones had been placed between the unusable fireplaces and the wall, and now held an assortment of articles. Costas had visited the church and harangued the occupants for their apathetic and lazy way of life. He boasted of the space, the air, the cleanliness of his dwelling and told them repeatedly how he had helped. At first they listened disinterestedly, then first one and then another would ask a question, wondering if they would be capable of the same efforts.
The barber cut hair and trimmed beards that for months had gone unattended, finding that he had not lost his touch, despite a stiffening of his fingers. When Yannis visited him on the third day of unrelenting rain he was invited inside.
‘Would you like a hair cut?’
‘Yes, I would, but I’ve nothing to give you in return.’ It was many months since the barber had last cut his hair.
‘I’m in your debt, Yannis. Come and sit over here and I’ll try to do a fair job for you.’
It was some time before the barber declared he was satisfied with his handiwork and gave Yannis the small square of mirror to check for himself. Yannis took it and held it up. Was the face looking back at him from this tiny piece of glass really his? The skin was mottled with small, white lumps from his ear to his nose on the left side of his face. He tilted his head and looked at the lump on his neck. It was still an open, running sore. He looked again at his face. He would never have been called handsome before, but now he could imagine how people would shudder if he went among them.
‘Thanks,’ he said quietly and handed the mirror back. ‘You’ve done a fine job.’
Once outside he wandered back down the path, away from the house he had intended to visit. Did he really look like the image in the mirror? Sadly he climbed the hill to his own humble dwelling, hoping only Kyriakos would be there. He was disappointed. Inside was Spiro and at least another dozen men and women, all of whom looked slightly embarrassed when Yannis entered.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked.
‘It was going to be a surprise for you when the weather improves.’
‘What was?’
‘Workers.’
‘Workers!’ Yannis could hardly believe his ears. ‘You mean you’re all willing to help?’
‘I’ve never done anything before. I was a jeweller.’
‘I’d only just left school.’
‘I was a seamstress.’
‘It doesn’t matter what you did before,’ Yannis assured them. ‘I’d never done any building before. We can learn as we go along.’
Yannis’s face was alight with enthusiasm as he extended his hand to each person as he or she left and murmured ‘That’s our agreement,’ as they shook it. He felt strangely deflated when he was finally left alone with Spiro and Kyriakos. At last the people were beginning to come round to his way of thinking, he just hoped they would be willing to work together as a team and not spend all their time arguing about the jobs they would be asked to do.
Father Minos was elated. It was nearly a year since he had visited Doctor Kandakis and requested permission to visit the island of Spinalonga. He had talked to the doctor for over an hour, trying desperately to persuade him, meeting the whole time with refusal. Finally Father Minos had taken his leave, disappointed but determined to pursue his objective. He composed long, persuasive letters to the doctor, waiting eagerly for a reply, only to receive an abrupt refusal.
Eventually he declared his intention of approaching the Government, hinting that the continued refusal on the part of the doctor could be an attempt at covering up possible malpractice. The letter had the desired effect and now Father Minos held in his hand the piece of paper which said he could make a visit of one day’s duration to the island, calling on the doctor before his departure and on his return which must be no later than seven in the evening.