my father would say. I like it well enough, but . . .’
‘But?’ Eleni nudged him.
‘It is just a cave.’
‘Just a cave. Have you no soul, Andreas Katarides?’ Eleni scolded him. ‘There is a magic here, if you would let yourself feel it. As Peter does.’
‘If I were younger, then maybe I would feel it. But I can’t afford to think like that when I enter the naval academy. I will have little time for sentiment.’
‘But that is later. Now you are one of us. You can still share your feelings with your friends. Can’t you?’ she concluded with a slight pleading tone. ‘Surely this moment in this place means something to you?’
‘I shouldn’t bother with him,’ Peter interrupted in a light tone. ‘He thinks he is too grown up for us, Eleni.’
‘If that’s so, then he is a fool. We are friends. Firm friends. That’s something that lasts longer than childhood, if it means anything. Will you forget us when you join the navy, Andreas?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then why distance yourself from us now?’
He thought briefly. ‘You are right, Eleni. I am sorry. It’s just that—’
She quickly pressed the tips of her fingers against his lips. ‘Shh! Say nothing else. In fact, let’s be quiet for a moment. And make a wish.’
They did as she bid them, and sat on the cool sand and gazed towards the flickering display of light and colour at the opening of the cave. At length Eleni drew a deep breath. ‘There. It’s done. I have made my wish.’
‘And?’
She hesitated a moment. ‘I wished that we three would be together again one day. When we are all grown up, and still good friends. I can think of nothing I want more at this moment. What about you, Peter?’
He smiled warmly at her, and felt a small stab of guilt and pain as he lied. ‘I wished the same.’
‘And you, Andreas?’
The older boy pursed his lips. ‘Why not?’
‘Is that what you wished for?’
‘It is now.’
Eleni grinned. ‘Very well then. Let’s promise that it will be so. Let’s make a vow that we will do this again. Whatever we choose to do, wherever we go, whoever we meet, we swear that we will never lose touch with each other and that we will come back here, as friends, and share this again. Swear it.’
‘I swear it, Eleni,’ Peter agreed at once.
Andreas looked at them both indulgently and then shrugged. ‘Why not? Together again one day. I swear it.’
Chapter Eight
Norwich, 2013
‘And did it happen?’ asked Anna.
Eleni glanced at her. ‘Did what happen?’
‘Did you ever go back to the cave?’
‘No. Not that cave at least. Nor did I end up seeing much of the world. We did meet again, but not in the way that I had hoped we would, my dear.’ She smiled thinly. ‘It was foolish of me to even suggest it. But you will know how impulsive young girls can be.’
An image of her year nine class flashed through her mind, with Amelia casting a forlorn look at Jamie. ‘Oh yes. I know that well enough.’
They shared a smile across the generations before Anna spoke again. ‘It sounds like you had both of those boys eating out of your hand.’
Eleni nodded. ‘I knew that Peter had feelings for me. But as good a friend as he was – then – I never felt the same about him. I did not wish to tell him, and hurt him. It was Andreas who had won my heart. Tall, handsome and perhaps a little too serious, but the first man I ever loved.’ Eleni gave a dry cough. ‘I’m thirsty, my girl. Could you make us some more coffee?’
‘Of course, Yiayia.’ Anna rose from her chair.
‘And there’s some biscuits there too.’
‘Yes, Yiayia,’ Anna paused at the door. ‘Anything else?’
Eleni shook her head. She waited for her granddaughter to leave the room and the door to close before she gazed down at the faded photograph album in her lap and began to leaf slowly through the early pages again, pausing to stroke one of the pictures with a trembling finger.
Out in the kitchen Anna
‘But?’ Eleni nudged him.
‘It is just a cave.’
‘Just a cave. Have you no soul, Andreas Katarides?’ Eleni scolded him. ‘There is a magic here, if you would let yourself feel it. As Peter does.’
‘If I were younger, then maybe I would feel it. But I can’t afford to think like that when I enter the naval academy. I will have little time for sentiment.’
‘But that is later. Now you are one of us. You can still share your feelings with your friends. Can’t you?’ she concluded with a slight pleading tone. ‘Surely this moment in this place means something to you?’
‘I shouldn’t bother with him,’ Peter interrupted in a light tone. ‘He thinks he is too grown up for us, Eleni.’
‘If that’s so, then he is a fool. We are friends. Firm friends. That’s something that lasts longer than childhood, if it means anything. Will you forget us when you join the navy, Andreas?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then why distance yourself from us now?’
He thought briefly. ‘You are right, Eleni. I am sorry. It’s just that—’
She quickly pressed the tips of her fingers against his lips. ‘Shh! Say nothing else. In fact, let’s be quiet for a moment. And make a wish.’
They did as she bid them, and sat on the cool sand and gazed towards the flickering display of light and colour at the opening of the cave. At length Eleni drew a deep breath. ‘There. It’s done. I have made my wish.’
‘And?’
She hesitated a moment. ‘I wished that we three would be together again one day. When we are all grown up, and still good friends. I can think of nothing I want more at this moment. What about you, Peter?’
He smiled warmly at her, and felt a small stab of guilt and pain as he lied. ‘I wished the same.’
‘And you, Andreas?’
The older boy pursed his lips. ‘Why not?’
‘Is that what you wished for?’
‘It is now.’
Eleni grinned. ‘Very well then. Let’s promise that it will be so. Let’s make a vow that we will do this again. Whatever we choose to do, wherever we go, whoever we meet, we swear that we will never lose touch with each other and that we will come back here, as friends, and share this again. Swear it.’
‘I swear it, Eleni,’ Peter agreed at once.
Andreas looked at them both indulgently and then shrugged. ‘Why not? Together again one day. I swear it.’
Chapter Eight
Norwich, 2013
‘And did it happen?’ asked Anna.
Eleni glanced at her. ‘Did what happen?’
‘Did you ever go back to the cave?’
‘No. Not that cave at least. Nor did I end up seeing much of the world. We did meet again, but not in the way that I had hoped we would, my dear.’ She smiled thinly. ‘It was foolish of me to even suggest it. But you will know how impulsive young girls can be.’
An image of her year nine class flashed through her mind, with Amelia casting a forlorn look at Jamie. ‘Oh yes. I know that well enough.’
They shared a smile across the generations before Anna spoke again. ‘It sounds like you had both of those boys eating out of your hand.’
Eleni nodded. ‘I knew that Peter had feelings for me. But as good a friend as he was – then – I never felt the same about him. I did not wish to tell him, and hurt him. It was Andreas who had won my heart. Tall, handsome and perhaps a little too serious, but the first man I ever loved.’ Eleni gave a dry cough. ‘I’m thirsty, my girl. Could you make us some more coffee?’
‘Of course, Yiayia.’ Anna rose from her chair.
‘And there’s some biscuits there too.’
‘Yes, Yiayia,’ Anna paused at the door. ‘Anything else?’
Eleni shook her head. She waited for her granddaughter to leave the room and the door to close before she gazed down at the faded photograph album in her lap and began to leaf slowly through the early pages again, pausing to stroke one of the pictures with a trembling finger.
Out in the kitchen Anna
Similar Books
