It was with trepidation that Andreas stepped ashore, followed by a morose doctor. Father Minos greeted him effusively and suggested he visited Yannis before they toured the island or talked seriously about any of the problems that confronted them.
‘How is he?’
‘A good deal better physically, but mentally…’ Father Minos shrugged. ‘He took Phaedra’s death very hard, but at least he had Anna. When she died he had nothing left. It was such an unfortunate accident.’
‘Accident?’ Andreas was puzzled. He had assumed everyone who had met their death on the island during the war had succumbed to either their disease or starvation.
‘She loved to draw. Any piece of paper she could lay her hands on, then we ran out of paper and she took to carving. Yannis had forbidden her to do it for fear that she would cut herself, but she wouldn’t obey him. The inevitable happened, the knife slipped and the silly child told no one. By the time she confided in Spiro it was too late. The poison had spread. He tried all he could, but there was nothing he could do without the doctor.’
‘Poor little girl; such a sad life for one so young. It’s a blessing that she was spared the knowledge of her mother’s death.’
‘Louisa? Dead? I knew Yiorgo had been massacred with the rest of the government, but not Louisa.’
Andreas crossed himself. ‘Many terrible things happen during a war, but Louisa’s death was particularly sickening. Her neighbours stoned her. She was a collaborator as well as a prostitute. She and her brother gave the information to the Germans that enabled them to round up the government, except the doctor. He, poor man, was so full of remorse at his escape that he took an overdose. I blame myself for his death. I should have stayed with him longer and talked until he was able to think rationally again.’
Father Minos looked at the young priest sympathetically. ‘Would you like me to give you absolution?’
Andreas shook his head. ‘I’ve received absolution from the Bishop, verbally I can excuse myself, but in my heart I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘You are but a man, and man is never perfect.’
‘As a priest I’ve always striven for perfection.’
‘Which is at it should be. The greatest goals we set ourselves are by necessity unobtainable. If we were able to do everything with ease we’d soon be discontented. Come and talk to Yannis. See if you can give him a goal to aim for. It’s what he needs at this time.’
Andreas was appalled at the apathetic attitude that he found in his cousin. Inside the small taverna, where Anna had carved small boats on the shutters, sat a solitary figure. Across from him a group of men were playing cards and two more were passing their time in a game of backgammon.
‘Cheers!’ Andreas lifted his glass. ‘I’ve been sent here officially by the government.’ He had intended to make general conversation with Yannis before mentioning the object of his visit, but decided against it. ‘They seem to think Father Minos is asking for the moon when he requests repairs to the houses and a new hospital. What’s your opinion?’
Yannis shrugged. ‘I haven’t thought about it.’
‘Then you should. What condition is your house in?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t live there any more.’
‘What of the others?’
Again Yannis shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘I never thought you were selfish, Yannis.’
Finally Yannis lifted his eyes from his glass. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Just because you have a dry roof over your head and a bed to lay on you’re willing to let the others fend for themselves. I call that selfish. I was going to ask you to help me, but I see there’s not a lot of point.’ Andreas pushed back his chair and rose.
Yannis continued to look down. He rubbed a trembling hand across his eyes. ‘I don’t seem able to concentrate properly.’
Andreas’s lip curled in disgust. ‘I’m not surprised. It’s not mid-day and you’ve already had too much to drink. I was not ashamed to acknowledge a leper as my cousin, but I am ashamed to acknowledge a defeated drunkard.’
He strode from the taverna, leaving Yannis fondling the glass in his hand. He was trembling with emotion. Would his harsh words have any beneficial effect or only push Yannis deeper into bottles of alcohol as he tried to obliterate his painful memories?
With pad and pencil in hand he started his assessment of the buildings. Those fronting onto the path appeared reasonably safe until you passed through the second archway. The walls on the right hand side of the first three houses were leaning dangerously and a shutter higher up was hanging on a single hinge. He must ask Father Minos if anyone was still living in them and suggest they be moved if so. He wound his way up and down the narrow paths and looked at his findings in despair. So many of the houses would need to be razed to the ground and completely rebuilt before they would be habitable again. He shivered. This would be how the island had looked to Yannis when he first arrived. No wonder he was seeking solace from a bottle. Years of hard work and energy expelled had disintegrated around him.
Sadly he made his way back past the taverna. He could see Yannis still sitting there, the glass in his hand. He went in search of Father Minos, finding him at the hospital deep in conversation with Spiro and Doctor Stavros. He waved Andreas to a seat.
‘Come and join us. Ritsa is getting us some lunch. How did you find Yannis?’
‘Drunk.’
Father Minos sighed. ‘I’m afraid he is most of the time.’
‘I was very hard on him. I hope I haven’t done more harm.’
‘We’ve tried being understanding, so a bit of plain speaking won’t come amiss. His sister coming over seemed to help at first, but even she isn’t able to have any lasting effect. Anyway, tell me what you thought of the buildings.’
‘Pretty disastrous! Is anyone living in those by the arch?’
Father Minos shook his head. ‘Panyotis is in hospital and the other occupants died.’
‘What about the houses on the hillside?’
‘Only one or two people have insisted on staying there.’
‘So the government could be justified in refusing to help with repairs on those?’
‘They could at present, but we’ll have a housing problem when they start to send more people over.’
Andreas nodded. ‘We’ll have that to hold over them.’ He turned to Doctor Stavros. ‘What about the hospital?’
‘It needs enlarging. The ordeal these people have been through will take its toll. It may not show yet, but it will over the next few years. Their resistance to any infection, however slight, will have been lowered. It would be nice to have some beds, make nursing easier not to have to carry out all the treatment on your knees.’
‘New blankets and mattresses are essential,’ interrupted Spiro.
‘And there’s the question of the generator. It was promised and never sent.’
Throughout their lunch they discussed the improvements they hoped the government would provide until Andreas looked at his watch. It was the only personal luxury he allowed himself and considered it essential if he wished to be punctual for his church services.
‘I’m going to ask Manolis to take me over to Plaka. I’m sure I’ll be able to beg a bed for the night and I want to see my aunt. I’ll come over again tomorrow.’
Maria was delighted to see her nephew. Her first questions were regarding Yannis’s health and Andreas replied cautiously.
‘He’s very unhappy, but I believe he’ll overcome his problems, given time.’ He spoke more confidently than he felt. ‘I had a letter from Annita shortly before I left. Shall I read it to you?’ Without waiting for her reply he took the letter from his pocket and began to search for the parts that would interest her.
‘If Annita has servants what does she do all day?’
‘She didn’t say,’ admitted Andreas, ‘ but she has the children and I assume she still helps Elias with his research.’
‘What does your Pappa do with himself over there?’
Andreas lowered his eyes. ‘He has a fish shop. I think he misses the sea more than he cares to admit.’
Maria nodded. ‘His life was the sea. Why doesn’t he come home?’
‘Mamma likes to be near Annita and the children, and he would do what mamma wanted.’
Anna greeted her cousin with surprised pleasure, whilst Marisa and Yannis looked curiously at the unknown man in the priest’s robes. Anna produced a bottle of brandy from the cupboard.
‘It was Pappa’s best, used for celebrations. You’re a good excuse for a celebration.’
Andreas drank sparingly. He had no wish to go to the island the following day with dull eyes and a heavy head in imitation of his cousin. They talked late into the evening until Anna yawned.
‘I must go to bed, and so should you. Davros will want to make an early start.’
‘May I borrow some old clothes? I don’t want to wear my robes over there – too cumbersome.’
‘There are some of Pappa’s or Yiorgo’s. Take whatever fits you best.’
This time Andreas made straight for the taverna where he expected to find Yannis. He was not disappointed. A glass was in his hand and he was swilling the red wine slowly round in it. He looked up as Andreas entered. ‘I thought you might come back.’
‘I had to,’ replied Andreas. ‘I didn’t finish yesterday. I had to leave before I had time to speak to you again. I need your help.’
‘Mine! The drunken cousin! You don’t need my help.’
He drained his glass and reached for the bottle. Andreas was too quick for him and held it firmly. ‘How many have you had?’
‘Not enough.’
‘Plenty for the present, you can have some more later. I want you to come round with me.’
‘Round where?’
‘The island; I need to know which houses were rebuilt properly and which were patched up. I need the benefit of your knowledge. What’s more, I’ll sit here, holding this bottle, and refusing to let you have another drink until you help.’
Balefully Yannis glared at him; then pushed back his chair. ‘Come on, then. The quicker we get started the sooner we’ll be finished.’
Yannis tried to turn up the hill, but Andreas steered him down to the square. With downcast eyes Yannis scuffed along beside him, a sad, shambling figure that tore at Andreas’s heart.
‘Right side, first house. Who lives there?’
‘No one..’
‘Who did?’
‘Christos and his friends.’
‘Did you build it?’
‘No, only repaired it.’
‘So what did you repair?’
‘The roof, new beams, new tiles, most of that wall.’
‘We’ll go inside.’ Andreas pushed open the long wooden door and together they walked into the gloomy interior. Yannis watched as Andreas inspected the walls, window frames and stairs. ‘We’ll take a look upstairs. Come up with me.’
Obediently Yannis followed and both men blinked as a shaft of light hit their eyes. There was an area of roof missing from the far corner. Andreas made a note.
Inspecting each house, inside and out, took a good deal longer than Andreas had anticipated. At the end of each inspection he would make notes in a small book. At mid-day he insisted Yannis joined him at the hospital for lunch.
‘I usually eat at the taverna,’ grumbled Yannis.
‘Today you are with me.’
Father Minos gave an almost imperceptible nod to Andreas as Yannis entered with him and moved over slightly to allow room at the table.
‘He’s earned his lunch. He’s been walking round the houses with me all morning, showing me the repairs and helping me to decide if those that are standing are safe.’
‘No one would know that better than Yannis. How far have you got?’
‘Half way up the right side. After lunch we’ll start on the left and see if we can get to the same place before I have to leave.’
Yannis ate his lunch in silence whilst the other four men chatted, Doctor Stavros assuring Andreas that he would have no need to inspect the hospital as he had drawn a plan for a new one which he could show to the government. Spiro disagreed. The hospital should be inspected and repaired if necessary, as they could have to wait for some years before a new one was built. The two men argued back and forth until Andreas decided he was wasting time.
‘Back to work. We have a good deal to get done.’
Yannis glowered at him, but followed. Spiro looked at Doctor Stavros. ‘Do you think Father Andreas is pushing him too hard?’
Doctor Stavros shrugged. ‘I’m no psychologist. Something has to shake him out of his apathy and nothing that I’ve tried has had any effect.’
Andreas glanced covertly at Yannis as he hurried him down the path. There was a tension about the way he was holding his body now that was inexplicable. As before his eyes were fixed on the ground and he glanced to neither left or right until they reached the square.
‘First house on the left. Who lived there?’
‘Achileas and Maria. Achileas died. Maria’s still there.’
Andreas knocked the door and requested permission of the lame woman to inspect the house. It seemed sound, both inside and out. ‘Did you do any repairs here?’ he asked of Yannis.
‘The side wall and most of the back, then we had to mend the roof.’
‘You did a good job. Everything appears to be fine.’ He thanked Maria and almost pushed Yannis out of the door. ‘Come on, next one.’
‘No. It’s perfectly all right. There’s no need.’
‘I have to inspect each one.’
‘This one is all right, I tell you.’
‘Who lives here?’
‘No one.’
‘Well, who did?’
His question was met by a stubborn silence. Andreas saw the pain in Yannis’s eyes. He pushed open the door. ‘You have to go back sometime, Yannis.’
‘No.’ The sound was a strangled gasp.
‘Yes.’ Andreas took him by the elbow and propelled him through the doorway. Inside he stopped in surprise. Yannis’s books were neatly arranged on a shelf, beside the fireplace was a workbox with two pairs of socks sitting on the lid waiting to be mended, and pinned to the wall were sketches. Apart from the dust which lay on every surface the occupants could be returning at any moment.
‘Yannis.’ Andreas’s voice broke with emotion as he opened his arms to his cousin. ‘She won’t come back, she can’t. You have to accept that.’
‘Phaedra. Oh, Phaedra. I miss her so much.’ Tears were streaming down Yannis’s face and he sobbed unashamedly into Andreas’s shoulder. ‘I don’t want to go on without her.’