apothiki of the cheese factory. And the shower snake is gone. I go to ask her where I will find paper for the toilet, and through the half-open door I see the man who said he was uncle smack her on the face and walk out.’
‘ Oh my …’ Abby does not finish her sentence, she cannot imagine how scary that must have been. She’d like to think she would have defended her mum but then the man could turn, and then what? ‘What did you do?’
‘ I ran to her, she had tears on her cheeks, she held my hand so I could not run out after him. I ask if he has done it before and she says no but I did not believe her. So I stayed.’
‘ What, like the weekend?’ Abby thinks she would have defended her mum, whatever the cost.
‘ No, I just stayed until Stavros came to find me and then he stayed. We had oranges and olives and I had Mama’s job in the cheese factory because we needed money and they said she was a good worker. And then she died.’
‘ That’s sad. My mum died before I met her,’ Abby says.
‘ Yes, that is very hard.’ Stella rubs her neck as she talks.
‘ I don’t know. I never knew her.’ Abby feels a pricking in her eyes and her breathing rate increases. ‘More water?’ She gets up to distract herself from what she is feeling.
‘ Yes, please, and push the fire a little and turn the chicken.’ Stella stops rubbing her neck. She rubs her arms instead, as if she is cold.
‘ These sausages look like they’re done. Shall I take them off?’ But Abby doesn’t wait for a reply. She moves them to the side of the grill to keep warm and turns the chicken.
‘ Why your dad say you must not have these Alpha levels?’
‘ A levels. Because I want to take them to go to university, but now you have to pay to go to university and Dad cannot afford it, so he thinks it will be a waste of time and that it would build my hopes up for no reason.’
‘ But education is not a waste, never.’ Stella looks at Abby very seriously. Abby wants to give her a hug but instead puts the tongs down and fills their glasses. Stella still seems to be shaky.
Abby is about to go across to her when two boys walk in, not much younger than Abby.
‘ Dyo giro, parakalo .’
Abby stares at them blankly and wonders where her phrase book is.
‘Say “ Yia”, ’ Stella prompts.
‘ Yia,’ Abby recites.
‘ Yia,’ one of the boys says. The other grins.
‘ They want two giros , I’m coming.’ Stella takes hold of the table edge to stand.
‘ I’ve got it, tell me what to do.’ Abby holds her hand up, palm facing Stella.
This idea seems to tickle Stel la. She laughs gently. ‘Two pita breads on the grill with some oil.’ Abby follows the instructions. The pitas sizzle and she plucks them off and piles them high with meat and tomatoes, tzatziki and onions. She attempts to roll the first one, and it is satisfactory. She is better with the second.
‘ Dyo evro ,’ Stella calls. Abby puts out her hand; ‘dyo’ she understands, two euros. She wonders if that is each or together but as each boy offers her two euros she presumes it is for each. They leave with happy smiles, one looking behind him for a last glimpse of Abby. She wonders how old he is, maybe her age.
Chapter 8
Stella sits alone in the remains of the heat. Loose limbed, looking up in the dusk to spot the first stars, she rubs the bruises. She wonders if sh e will go home tonight.
The last of the farmers have just left. As usual hers is one of the last shops to close. She takes a sip of ouzo and puts the glass on the floor by the leg of her chair.
The orange glow of light flicks off in the pharmacy leaving a pause of dark. A harsh bare bulb switches on, visible in the window above the shop. The noise of the television bounces off unadorned walls. The curtains are drawn, eclipsing the strip of light, muffling the sound. Stella continues to sit, listening. Shutters close, echoing around the village. A dog’s bark is answered by another.
Vasso
‘ Oh my …’ Abby does not finish her sentence, she cannot imagine how scary that must have been. She’d like to think she would have defended her mum but then the man could turn, and then what? ‘What did you do?’
‘ I ran to her, she had tears on her cheeks, she held my hand so I could not run out after him. I ask if he has done it before and she says no but I did not believe her. So I stayed.’
‘ What, like the weekend?’ Abby thinks she would have defended her mum, whatever the cost.
‘ No, I just stayed until Stavros came to find me and then he stayed. We had oranges and olives and I had Mama’s job in the cheese factory because we needed money and they said she was a good worker. And then she died.’
‘ That’s sad. My mum died before I met her,’ Abby says.
‘ Yes, that is very hard.’ Stella rubs her neck as she talks.
‘ I don’t know. I never knew her.’ Abby feels a pricking in her eyes and her breathing rate increases. ‘More water?’ She gets up to distract herself from what she is feeling.
‘ Yes, please, and push the fire a little and turn the chicken.’ Stella stops rubbing her neck. She rubs her arms instead, as if she is cold.
‘ These sausages look like they’re done. Shall I take them off?’ But Abby doesn’t wait for a reply. She moves them to the side of the grill to keep warm and turns the chicken.
‘ Why your dad say you must not have these Alpha levels?’
‘ A levels. Because I want to take them to go to university, but now you have to pay to go to university and Dad cannot afford it, so he thinks it will be a waste of time and that it would build my hopes up for no reason.’
‘ But education is not a waste, never.’ Stella looks at Abby very seriously. Abby wants to give her a hug but instead puts the tongs down and fills their glasses. Stella still seems to be shaky.
Abby is about to go across to her when two boys walk in, not much younger than Abby.
‘ Dyo giro, parakalo .’
Abby stares at them blankly and wonders where her phrase book is.
‘Say “ Yia”, ’ Stella prompts.
‘ Yia,’ Abby recites.
‘ Yia,’ one of the boys says. The other grins.
‘ They want two giros , I’m coming.’ Stella takes hold of the table edge to stand.
‘ I’ve got it, tell me what to do.’ Abby holds her hand up, palm facing Stella.
This idea seems to tickle Stel la. She laughs gently. ‘Two pita breads on the grill with some oil.’ Abby follows the instructions. The pitas sizzle and she plucks them off and piles them high with meat and tomatoes, tzatziki and onions. She attempts to roll the first one, and it is satisfactory. She is better with the second.
‘ Dyo evro ,’ Stella calls. Abby puts out her hand; ‘dyo’ she understands, two euros. She wonders if that is each or together but as each boy offers her two euros she presumes it is for each. They leave with happy smiles, one looking behind him for a last glimpse of Abby. She wonders how old he is, maybe her age.
Chapter 8
Stella sits alone in the remains of the heat. Loose limbed, looking up in the dusk to spot the first stars, she rubs the bruises. She wonders if sh e will go home tonight.
The last of the farmers have just left. As usual hers is one of the last shops to close. She takes a sip of ouzo and puts the glass on the floor by the leg of her chair.
The orange glow of light flicks off in the pharmacy leaving a pause of dark. A harsh bare bulb switches on, visible in the window above the shop. The noise of the television bounces off unadorned walls. The curtains are drawn, eclipsing the strip of light, muffling the sound. Stella continues to sit, listening. Shutters close, echoing around the village. A dog’s bark is answered by another.
Vasso
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