Page 128 of Summer in Greece

Dover, 1917.

FOR MANNO AND ADAM I will wear black to the end of my days.

The rest you probably know. Margarete, Shelly, whoever you are listening to this story, I hope you are happy, and also find love. If you do, hold onto it with all the strength you have. Life is not easy, but it is a lot easier with someone who loves you standing by your side. Tell your children and grandchildren about me, about my story.

I only have one more thing to say. I don’t know if you remember the holiday we all went on, together as a family. Gordon, Margarete and little Shelly. It was 1989 and Shelly had just started school. Gordon had a small win on Vernons football pools after correctly choosing seven draws out of eight in a line. Oh, my goodness, he was so excited he danced the polka around the garden with your mother, and I nearly split my sides laughing. The result was a second dividend of five hundred pounds; such a lot of money in those days, and certainly more than he ever had in spare change before.

We went to Syros, and I found my precious Adam. I loved that boy so much and wished things could have been different, but they could not. I had to do penance for my crimes, simply because I didn’t want the sins of the mother to be passed onto her children and grandchildren. Adam was in the monastery, being looked after by the monks. I saw him, held his hand, and told him so many things.

I’m not sure that he knew who I was, and there was no way I could have transferred him to England, so I decided that this was the cost of my sins. To lose both the man I adored and his son. I believe I’ve paid for my sins, and nobody else will suffer because of my actions. My great wrongdoing, to lie about my age, and to disobey orders and open the portholes, had led to so much sadness and loss. If only we could see the future consequences of small actions, before we make our mistakes.

Go to Syros, dear listener. See the island and think of me, and all those I’ve loved so much. The place has a kind of magic that I can’t describe, I think it must be due to all the churches, all those pockets of peace. I visited every one, walked through every door, and on that last trip, prayed for every person that I love, including you both, Margarete and Shelly. So, I hope God has answered my supplications and given you a blessed life. Whatever happens, just remember those words from Matron Merriberry: the past can’t be changed, so don’t waste your life dwelling on it. The past only has one purpose, to teach us not to make the same mistakes in the future.’

More than anything, I wish that you give and receive lots of love, through your entire life.

You have all mine.

CHAPTER 52

SHELLY

Dover, Christmas Eve.

‘I’M REALLY EXCITED, DAD. OUR first Christmas in twenty years, what an occasion.’ Shelly pushed a drawing pin through a red foiled decoration and into the beam. As she turned to come down the stepladder, she spotted the taxi pulling up outside. ‘They’re here! Quick, let’s put the steps away. Can you turn the tree lights on?’

‘’Ere, why don’t we make an occasion of it, like yer mum did? Glass of sherry, “Silent Night”, mince pies, you know. Throw the switch . . . nothing works . . . ha-ha!’

Shelly laughed. ‘You’re right, we will. I’m so excited!’ She shoved the steps under the stairs and answered the front door.

‘Harry! Elias and Petros! I’m so happy to see you. Come in, come in.’ Shelly kissed everyone and whispered, ‘I love you,’ into Harry’s ear as she took his coat. The men huddled around the wood burner, rubbing their hands together.

‘Hi, I’m DJ. Pleased to meet you guys.’ He shook hands with everyone. ‘You’re just in time for the tree lights tradition.’

Harry grinned. ‘How does that go?’

DJ said, ‘First we have some toasts.’

‘We ate on the plane,’ Elias scowled.

‘No, he doesn’t mean a cheese and ham toastie, you’re not in Greece now, bro.’ Petros said. ‘He means they say a few important words.’

‘That’s right. First we turn the lights on the tree, then all go to the pub and get drunk.’ DJ poured out a tray of sherry and said, ‘Alexa, Christmas mix.’ Then, to the sound of ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’, he handed everyone a drink.

They all cried, ‘Happy Christmas!’ and chinked glasses. Harry, Elias, and Petros faced each other, tapped the bottom of their glasses on the table, and knocked back the expensive sherry in one.

DJ’s eyes widened.

‘Only the English would have raki glasses this posh!’ Elias exclaimed, and they all laughed.

Shelly and DJ exchanged a glance. Shelly’s eyebrows twitched, and she made the slightest nod at the sherry bottle.

DJ refilled their glasses. ‘Sorry we don’t have any raki. I must warn you, this stuff will give you the mother and father of all headaches. That’s why everyone sips it.’

‘Thanks, mate,’ Elias said. ‘I’d have brought you some proper raki if I’d known.’

Gordon stood and stuck his chest out. ‘As head of this family, it’s for me to make the first toast. Please raise your glasses to absent friends, especially my wife, Maggie.’ He cleared his throat. ‘This is the first Christmas we’ve celebrated since she was killed on Christmas Eve, twenty-one years ago.’

There was a second of emotionally charged silence while Shelly slipped her arm around her father.