No one was in sight on the quay when Father Minos arrived at Aghios Nikolaos and he felt vaguely disappointed. He turned up into the tiny huddle of houses and knocked on the blue door, hoping he had remembered correctly, but received no reply. Wearily he retraced his steps down the cobbled road and up over the hill to where the doctor lived. Patiently he sat and waited until the last of the sick had departed, then he asked to be admitted.
Father Minos waited for the doctor to complete his paper work before opening the conversation. ‘Good morning, doctor. I have your letter giving me permission to visit the island. I thought you might be able to tell me a little about their way of life over there.’
Doctor Kandakis shrugged. ‘I can tell you nothing.’
‘You mean you don’t visit them?’
‘I go over once a year. There is no need to go more frequently. They are incurable. My services are needed here.’ He did not add that he received additional income from the Government to treat the islanders.
‘I see.’ Father Minos was completely nonplussed. It was quite unbelievable that the doctor went only once a year. ‘Would you care to accompany me tomorrow?’
‘Quite out of the question, I’m afraid. I have a full day of appointments. Besides, there’s no point in wasting time on them.’
‘They are people,’ Father Minos pointed out gently.
‘They are also lepers.’ Doctor Kandakis glowered at the priest from beneath his eyebrows. ‘How would my patients feel if they knew I was visiting the island and possibly bringing back the disease to spread amongst them?’
‘Don’t you feel it is your duty? I have been going amongst them for the last three years and I have no sign of the disease. My parishioners know this and respect me for it.’
‘Your profession is somewhat different from mine.’ The doctor rose, indicating that the conversation was at an end. ‘I will arrange for a boatman to take you across tomorrow. Be on the quay at eight in the morning.’ The doctor held the door open and Father Minos had no option but to leave.
Deep in thought he returned to the waterfront. He found the whole attitude that emanated from the doctor disturbing. He turned into the nearest taverna for a meal and also to ask for news of Yiorgo and Elena. The owner of the taverna was garrulous and quite willing to sit and chat with his customer, informing the priest that they had set off in their boat the day before, probably going to visit their relatives in Plaka. Their son would be at the church if that would help.
Father Minos thanked the man and decided he would certainly visit Andreas and see how he was adapting to his calling and when he planned to take his final vows. The young man’s face lit up with pleasure when he saw the priest.
‘Mamma and Pappa are away for a couple of days. They went to Plaka yesterday. Will you be able to wait and see them when they return?’
‘I’m not sure. Much depends upon my visit tomorrow.’
Andreas looked at him curiously. ‘Where are you going?’
‘Spinalonga.’
Andreas drew in his breath. ‘May I come?’
‘You? Why?’
‘I’m not sure I can answer that. I just want to be with you when you go.’
Father Minos frowned. ‘I don’t know. I have a letter giving me permission, besides, what would your parents say?’
Andreas shrugged. ‘I have no way of asking their permission, but I doubt if they would object to me accompanying you anywhere.’
Father Minos thought differently, but the pleading in the boy’s eyes won him over. ‘We’ll see what the boatman says.’
With that Andreas had to be content. He introduced Father Minos to the other novices with whom he shared instruction and also to the three priests who served the town. He begged time off from his instruction and devotions to accompany Father Minos around the town and also on his impending visit the following day, returning with the necessary permission to his tiny room where the priest had waited for him.
‘Shall we go?’ he asked.
‘Go where?’
‘Wherever you like. There’s a fine view from the top of the hill above the pool.’
They toiled up the hill together until they stood on the summit of the steep cliff, looking at the vista that was unrolled before their eyes. In front of them the sea stretched in an endless shimmering blue, below them the lake looked small and insignificant, the hills rising on the far side of the huddle of fishermen’s cottages below. Behind them the countryside spread out in a variety of colours, whilst on the other side the houses of the town were clustered together, high and low buildings crowding in on each other, jostling for supremacy.
‘It’s worth the climb,’ admitted Father Minos, distinctly out of breath.
Andreas grinned. ‘I often come up here when I need to think. It gives me a feeling of closeness together with privacy.’
They stood in silence until Andreas began to lead the way back down the hill.
‘Everyone needs a place like that. You’re lucky to have one so near. I have to walk to the outskirts of Heraklion and sit on a deserted beach. What news do you have of your sister?’
Andreas wrinkled his brow. ‘She went to Athens, but they wouldn’t let her work at the leper hospital. They don’t have nurses apparently.’
Father Minos raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘Who looks after them?’
‘She was told they look after each other. She’s working at the ordinary hospital, so she might as well have stayed here.’
‘Is she happier?’
‘I don’t know. She’s very reticent about her private life in her letters.’
‘Maybe she will come back. What about the rest of your family? Your aunt at Plaka?’
‘Much the same. Sometimes she appears to be improving; then she seems to lapse back again. Anna is so good with her. She should have trained to be a nurse.’
‘And the others?’
‘Uncle appears to be keeping well, he still limps, of course, but he doesn’t have any pain. Maria’s fine. She’s so happy. She’s expecting another child. They’re hoping for a boy this time.’
Father Minos smiled with pleasure. ‘Has her father forgiven her?’
‘Everything’s fine between them now, and he loves his grand-daughter.’
‘I’m so glad. Family rifts are always so unpleasant and hurtful. It’s much better to accept misfortunes head on. They have a strange way of righting themselves. Shall we find a taverna?’ suggested Father Minos. ‘I could do with a drink after such unaccustomed exercise.’
They sat until the bell tolled from the nearby church, calling parishioners to worship. Automatically the two men rose to go, each lighting a candle as they entered and kneeling to say their own private prayers before moving closer to the altar to listen to the exhortations of the priest. Father Minos wondered if he should take some candles to the island with him. Would there be a church there for him to conduct a service or would he have to work in the open air as he had done before? It was something akin to a shock that he realised he was not listening to a word the priest was saying, all his thoughts were occupied with his projected visit to the island. Automatically he knelt at the altar rail to take communion and after a final prayer left the church.
‘Now where?’ he asked Andreas.
‘A meal and then bed. I’d like to go to the early service which will mean being up at five.’
Father Minos agreed and followed his companion into the taverna where they had passed most of the afternoon. Andreas ordered for both of them, including a bottle of wine.
‘I don’t drink much,’ he spoke almost apologetically, ‘But the food here deserves an accompaniment.’
The boat that suddenly rounded the side of the island and began to nose in towards the tiny jetty took Flora by surprise. Usually the boats came over from the villages and she saw them long before they were within hailing distance. She scrambled to her feet, the words of greeting dying on her lips; then she hurried up the rough path towards the building where she expected to find Yannis.
‘Yannis, Yannis, come quick.’
From his precarious position on top of a wall Yannis looked down at the excited girl.
‘There’s a boat. It has two priests in it.’
Carefully Yannis climbed back down to the ground. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course! They must have come from Aghios Nikolaos. I didn’t see them until they were almost at the jetty. Come quickly, Yannis. They must be tied up by now.’
Following Flora back down to the quay Yannis’s heart felt heavy. Somehow it seemed even worse when men who had led a good and blameless life were afflicted by a disease that would make them outcasts. Yannis stood at the top of the steps and waited for the two men to approach. They seemed hesitant, their eyes fixed on the ground before them. As they came level with the archway they lifted their eyes and Yannis felt the world spinning before him.
‘Andreas!’
Suddenly the two men were in a close embrace, tears pouring down the faces of each of them, whilst Flora looked on in surprise. Finally the two drew apart, trying hard to smile and compose themselves. In silence they mounted the steps to the main road, Yannis trying to think of words of comfort for his cousin and Andreas wondering how to ask about Yannis’s welfare. Flora smiled at Father Minos who appeared at a loss.
‘Have you come to stay?’
‘No. I’ve been given permission to visit for the day. I promised you I would come back. Maybe you’d like to tell some of the others that I’m here.’
Flora scampered off; shouting to everyone she saw and curious men and women began to approach from all sides. Father Minos turned to Andreas.
‘No doubt you and your cousin would like some time to talk. I’ll hold a service for those who wish it and meet up with you later.’
Andreas nodded. ‘Come on, Yannis. Take me to your house.’
Yannis shook his head. ‘It would be better to sit out in the open.’ He led the way to where he had sat for many hours with Kyriakos and Spiro. ‘We shan’t be disturbed. How did you know I was here?’
‘I didn’t,’ admitted Andreas. ‘Father Minos managed to get permission from Doctor Kandakis to visit for the day and I just came along.’
‘How did you meet him?’
‘In Heraklion when I was looking for you.’
‘Looking for me?’
‘We were all worried about you. You hadn’t answered any of Annita’s letters so I agreed to go to Heraklion to see if I could find you.’
‘Only to find I had disappeared.’ Yannis’s mouth set in a straight line.
‘I found you, thanks to Father Minos, but it was too late. You were just coming out of the gates of the hospital to go to Athens. The crowd turned nasty and threw a few stones; one of them hit you and knocked you unconscious just as I called you. I thought you were dead.’
‘Then it wasn’t a dream! Somewhere lurking at the back of my mind was your face and someone calling me. I just didn’t think it could be true. Is that how I ended up with a bundle of your belongings?’
‘Probably. We followed you down to the port and at some point I dropped my bundle. I expect they thought it was yours.’
Yannis sighed. ‘I thought you must be a leper too.’ He shifted a little further from his cousin. ‘You shouldn’t be here. You might catch it. You’re taking a terrible risk.’
‘Have you forgotten that we used to share a mattress? If I was going to catch it I’d have done so then.’
‘How’s Mamma?’
Andreas shrugged. ‘As well as can be expected.’
‘What do you mean?’ Yannis gazed at him, his eyes wide with fear.
‘I’m sorry. I forgot you wouldn’t know. Father Minos returned to Aghios Nikolaos with me and then we went to Plaka to tell your Mamma and Pappa. Your Mamma took it hard. It was such a shock to her.’
‘What happened?’ Yannis’s voice was harsher than usual with his emotion.
‘She had a slight stroke. She’s much better now. Anna looks after her.’
‘Anna? Why not Maria?’
‘Maria’s married. She married Babbis about two years ago and has a little girl and another on the way.’
‘Maria, married, a mother! It’s hard to believe. Pappa, Yiorgo and Stelios, what about them?’
‘They’re all fine. Stelios is doing well at school.’
‘What about Annita?’ Yannis could feel his heart beating just that little bit faster.
‘Annita’s gone to Athens to be a nurse.’
‘Why? Why didn’t she stay in Aghios Nikolaos?’
Andreas hesitated. ‘She thought she would be able to nurse you.’
Yannis gave a snort of derision. ‘Lepers don’t have nurses. They’re just left to die.’
‘She was refused a place at the leper hospital and works at the ordinary one.’
‘Just as well, it’s no place for a woman. It’s no place for anyone!’
‘How did you get here? We all thought you were receiving treatment in Athens.’
‘It’s a long story. Let’s just say I made myself pretty unpopular and they decided it would be a good thing to get rid of me, along with some of the others.’
Andreas studied his cousin. He no longer looked like the young, carefree boy he had been at school with. His skin bore the unmistakable white marks, nodules and sores of the disease, his eyebrows had thinned considerably and deep lines were etched in his face.
‘It’s been pretty tough?’
Yannis nodded. ‘Just a little.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
Yannis shook his head. ‘It isn’t something you can talk about. I don’t think there’s anyone here who could put into words what they’ve suffered over the years.’ The sound of voices raised in the chanting response to a prayer made Yannis look towards the port. ‘We ought to join them. I missed him the last time.’
They reached the gathering just as Father Minos was saying a final prayer followed by a blessing. The cripples began to rise to their feet, some being helped upright and others lifted and carried. Instead of dispersing they crowded closer to the priest, besieging him with questions.
‘Yannis, do something,’ Andreas caught at his cousin’s arm. ‘They’re mobbing him.’
Shouting as loudly as he could Yannis began to order the crowd to move back, elbowing his way through to get near to Father Minos with Andreas following him. Once at the priest’s side he held up his hands for silence and to Father Minos and Andreas’s surprise was instantly obeyed.
‘Move back, friends,’ he called. ‘Give Father Minos room to breathe; he’ll talk to all of you.’