‘No, but we don’t know what we’re going to find.’
Sofia pushed gently against the door, which creaked open to reveal an extremely old lady dressed in black sitting in a rocking chair by a large fireplace.
Charlotte’s scream was loud enough to alert the neighbours if there had been any.
‘Is she dead?’
Sofia shook her head but didn’t immediately cross the threshold.
‘I don’t think so, but I suppose we’d better find out either way. We might have to call the police.’
Holding hands, the three of them advanced into the large low room towards the inert woman.
‘Hello,yassas!’
Sofia’s call produced little reaction from the woman. They edged closer inch by inch. When they were almost within touching distance, a noise behind Charlotte made all three of them gasp.
An aproned middle-aged woman with a knife in her hand and a fierce glare stood there watching them.
‘What the hell are you doing to my mother?’
Sofia recovered her voice first.
‘Nothing, honestly. We’ve done nothing to her.’
Charlotte reached out a hand to touch the sleeve of the woman’s cardigan.
‘We were just a bit worried that she might be… dead.’
‘Dead?’ The woman’s rich laugh ricocheted around the room.
‘That is funny. She certainly sleeps like the dead. My mother is ninety this year, but I can assure you she is very much alive.’
The elderly woman’s head suddenly jerked up at the noise of her daughter laughing. She stared in horror at the three women ranged in a semi-circle around her, before her daughter stepped in front of Sofia.
‘She doesn’t speak any English, and she can’t see that well.Entaxéi, Mamá.Everything is OK.’
The younger woman slapped her thigh with one hand, the knife still in the other.
‘Nómizan óti ísoun nekrós, Mamá.They thought you were dead!’
The old woman gave them all the once-over and started to cackle, echoing her daughter. Her cheery face had Sofia joining in, followed swiftly by the others. For a long moment, the five women laughed together, great belly laughs, which left them all gasping for breath.
‘I’m sorry…’ Sofia stroked the old woman’s arm. ‘We’re all sorry. We made a mistake.’
The old woman looked up at her daughter in confusion.
‘Lypoúntai, Mamá.They are sorry.’
A smile broke out on the older woman’s face, and she pointed to her chest.
‘Eímai Anastasia.’
Charlotte pointed at her own chest.
‘EímaiCharlotte;eínaiSofia and Maddie.’
The old woman smiled again, and held out her hand to her daughter, who rushed to her side and kissed her on the top of the head.
