Lynn Kyriakos returned to Greece with her husband. The heat of the summer months was oppressive and not her favourite time of the year there, but they had arranged that her husband would be teaching his summer course on Aegina while she met with her brother, Philip, regarding the design for the new house on the bay.
She figured she could stand a week or so on Paros as the breeze from the sea would, hopefully, temper the heat to some degree. Spending time with her brother was an additional benefit and provided an opportunity to mend fences to some degree.
After Philip was finished she would return to England with him. He was heading to London for the Olympic Games and she would begin the final packing of the Horam house.
Lynn had managed to secure two rooms at the hotel in Parikia. She knew she was able to get rooms in the high season because her husband’s family was known in the town and also because even the Greek islands were devoid of the usual hordes of tourists this year.
Lynn’s room was small and faced away from the sea view but this did not concern her since she would be spending her days on the bay. She made sure Philip had the better room. She hoped this might encourage him to enjoy time with them in the future in the new house, if all went well with their reunion.
The first day did not go well at all.
Philip emerged from the taxi and marched down the track to the bay without a word. They had scarcely spoken at all on the way there. Lynn was hoping it was the professional person’s concentration on the work ahead that kept him silent. She had known this trait in Stavros when he was thinking of teaching or writing tasks. If Philip continued to be this taciturn, however, collaboration between them was doomed from the start.
She stood back and watched as Philip traversed the shoreline from side to side, then turned back to scan the skyline, lastly focusing on the remains of the old restaurant shack.
It was hard for her to connect this tall, tanned man with the pure white hair escaping from a wide-brimmed hat, as the big brother she had once known in their childhood home in England. Her memories of him were dim now, although once they were close, as children must be in a house where their parents are at odds with each other. She preferred not to think of those sad, distant days and she was sure her brother felt the same way. The past, they say, is another country where things are done differently. There seemed no point in resurrecting the sorrows of that time although a corner of her mind still resented that Philip had escaped the eventual turmoil and left the consequences for Lynn to deal with. Had it not been for Stavros, she could barely imagine what would have happened to her. She would certainly not be standing here on Paros, enjoying the scenery in the spot where her future home would be, some day soon.
Philip was now sifting through the debris on the concrete platform which was to be the footprint for the new house. He had removed a sturdy pair of gloves from his leather satchel and proceeded to pile a number of timbers to one side. A camera and a computer screen emerged next from the satchel as Philip traced every step of the distance between the ruin and the sand dunes at the rear and up to the entrance track to the side. He shook his head and typed notes on the screen, then measured again.
Lynn was beginning to feel surplus to requirements. Why did she need to be here when the architect had not even glanced her way once? Was not the purpose of this trip to ensure her desires for a future home were included? At least, that was what Stavros had promised when he persuaded her to return to Greece. She thought of leaving and flagging down a taxi on the road. Glancing at her watch she saw the car Philip had hired was due to return for them in an hour or so. I can survive an hour, she told herself. There are much worse places in the world to wait than right here.
She was just drifting off into a dream while snuggled into a sand bank with her hat pulled over her nose, when a hand shook her awake.
“Look here! I will have to revise my plan now that I see the actual site. Your husband may be an academic but I am guessing his expertise does not lie in mathematics.”
Lynn jerked awake and instantly responded to her brother’s tone with a sharp rebuff. “Don’t blame him. You were not exactly available when you were first needed. We are all scrambling to meet deadlines and conform to a variety of changing needs. You are not the only one with problems, Philip.”
Philip shrugged uncomfortably as he heard the truth. For a moment, Lynn had sounded like their mother, Isobel Purdy. He did not think it diplomatic to mention this, however, and held his tongue. Recently, Alina had been schooling him on the necessity to think before blurting out his first thoughts.
He plopped down on the sand beside Lynn and removed his hat to wipe sweat from his brow.
“Well, let’s make what use we can of the time we have. Tell me what you need in this house and I will keep your requests in mind. I can’t promise anything. The site is very difficult and the budget is not huge.”
Lynn recognized the masculine version of an apology when she heard one, and she softened her voice in reply.
“I understand the problems, Philip. I have simple needs; a bedroom and bathroom, or toilet, on the ground floor, safe stairs to the upper level and two more bedrooms and one bathroom there.”
Philip waited for the rest of the list. No female client had ever presented him with this few requirements.
“Where’s your wish list then? You must have more than basic needs in mind.”
“I don’t feel qualified to dictate to you about this, Philip. Stavros has left it to me, and I am leaving it to you in turn. Do what you can with the site. I will be happy with the basics.”
Unknowingly, Lynn had appealed to the generous side of her brother by gifting him with carte blanche; a rare event in his experience. Immediately he could see the positive benefits to the site rather than the negatives and he determined he would manage to provide rather more than the basics needs now that he had been given full rein.
The idea of incorporating advanced technologies might work on this isolated site if he could get tech companies on side as a demonstration project. There would need to be both conservation and storage for water, and full use made of solar power. He must obtain a meteorological map of the prevailing winds and the weather conditions throughout the year here. There was a question of how high the building could rise without impeding the view for others, and security in this remote location had to be considered. The entire house must blend into the location seamlessly.
He began to mentally collate glass manufacturing costs and fuel efficient appliances, local flooring and roofing traditions, recycling possibilities for waste water, refuse compacting, access for vehicles during and after the construction phases and colour choices for the interiors.
Stavros had employed his brother to head up the construction phase and Philip had been assured that he had excellent English. Supervising the local Greek-speaking workers would be his responsibility as Philip would be in England soon. There was much to be done before he left. The demands filled his mind and Lynn was once again forgotten.
She could see his dilemma. Not such a great time for brother/sister bonding, then, she thought, with a sigh. Ah well, I am used to this. I will fill the time with plans for my future life and let the men get on with their concerns.
Watching Philip move around the site with a small computer in his hands, she was reminded of Anna Mason. They had a similar height and stance which made sense since they had shared a father.
She wondered whether she would ever see Anna again. Their first, brief meeting in Heathfield had not provided much opportunity for talk, although Lynn felt she knew Anna better through conversation with her granddaughter Caroline, who had stayed briefly in Anna’s house in Scotland when the connection between their families had been uncovered.
Lynn’s thoughts turned back again to her own concerns. It was time to consider how she would function in a future she had not expected, and which would have to be created from her new circumstances.
Spending part of the year here in Greece, and part in England at Sarah’s, would not be a problem for her. It was a compromise that she could adjust to. The difficulty she foresaw was in how to occupy her time while Stavros was teaching his archaeology courses in either location.
She planned to include Sarah’s family in their new lives whenever possible, but there would be times when Lynn might be alone. She had a new attitude to this solitude now. No longer would she sit twiddling her thumbs waiting for life to come to her. It was time to grasp life with both hands and be involved.
She cast her mind around for something she could feel passionate about. She had read this was the secret to happiness. Find your passion. She thought that might best apply when you were younger but there was no harm in trying it at an advanced age.
Housework and cooking were not going to be on her list. She had spent enough time devoted to those.
Gardening on sand did not seem to offer much distraction. Travelling with Stavros was always a delight.
They had seen the wonders of the world on their travels. He was a good teacher and Lynn had developed a deep interest in history and archaeology during their adventures in Egypt, Italy, Spain and the spectacular sites of Greece itself.
Stavros was going to be occupied with teaching in England and Greece but also with the group of academics who had dedicated themselves to redress the wrongs of stolen Greek artifacts now residing in museums throughout the world. For years, no government would support that movement but lately, there had been a change of heart and gradually some of the precious fragments had been repatriated. So, her husband would remain involved with his passions. The question remained; what could she do when he was not available?
Into her relaxed mind popped a scene from years ago. She and Stavros were visiting Fishbourne Roman Palace near the coastal town of Chichester. They had wandered around the site of the largest Roman family home ever built in England during the centuries of the Roman occupation. Building materials had been imported from Rome for the mosaic floors that had now been carefully excavated. The gardens that once served to provide open views from the surrounding rooms had been restored to their original design. It was a magnificent archaeological treasure house. Teaching programs for schools and for interested adults took place on the site and plans were in existence for future expansion once the row of pre-war houses on the northern edge of the site had been purchased and demolished.
Why not take courses in archaeology from such places as Fishbourne and the many other locations, like Pompeii, where knowledgable volunteers and docents were needed? She could become qualified with Stavros’ help and perhaps they could work together on site in Greece and other locations. She could never aspire to achieve his elevated levels of expertise, of course, but she could at least be on hand to assist in a minor capacity. After all, their conversations over the span of a long marriage had included details and anecdotes about just such locations. Surely she had absorbed enough not to be an embarrassment to her husband and he might just be pleased at her wish to be more involved in his work.
The idea began to take shape in her mind and she felt a growing excitement at the prospect of another new beginning. There were ways to study online nowadays. Computers could make things easier.
This thought was underscored as Philip approached her and sat down again by her side with his laptop in his hands.
“What do you think about this?’” he began, turning the screen toward her and shading it with his arm.
“This is the blueprint but I can show you a three-dimensional view also.”
There on the small screen was a plan for a house. The ground level showed mostly open frontage. Philip explained that these would be sliding glass panels which could be closed completely at night or when the wind was too strong. The entrance to the house was to the side of the building and led into what the Americans called a mud room only this one had a shower stall for washing off sand. This was separated from the main living area which was definitely open plan with a kitchen against one wall, an island counter and very little else. What she thought to be a rear wall turned out to be a dividing wall behind which the master suite would be concealed.
“Other features can be added if you wish but the space allows for that. More interior walls mean changes would be very costly so we should leave it like this for now.”
Lynn looked for the access to the second level and found a flimsy open staircase in the centre under a light well beaming light into the centre of the house.
“The stairs must be safe for adults and future great- grandchildren to climb,” she insisted. “None of these open, glass, suspended stairs will do.”
“Duly noted,” said Philip. He took her on a virtual tour of the second level where the bedrooms and bathroom she had requested were laid out efficiently with space for storing linens and clothing, but she could not understand what was sketched above them where she imagined the roof should be.
“Ah, a flat roof is traditional in Greece and if I can work it out, this one will provide multiple services for the house including solar power and water storage. There should be just enough room for a seating nook by an herb and succulents garden with movable sails above for shade when required. Access will be from an outside, fire-safety, metal staircase.”
As Lynn was not saying anything, Philip continued with the proviso, “This is a basic model, of course. I used standard plans for speed with a little adaptation. Much more can be done should finances permit.”
Lynn was thunderstruck at the creativity the simple plan showed. She closed her mouth and swallowed before attempting any comments.
“I think it looks wonderful Philip. I can’t believe you could pull this together so quickly. I am delighted with what you have done already. Thank you!”
For the first time in many decades Lynn threw her arms around her brother and pulled him into an embrace. Just a few months before, Philip had learned from Alina how comforting an embrace could be so he knew not to hold back. Words were not needed, but unspoken comfort was given and received nonetheless.
Lynn recovered first and said the only thing that came into her mind to save Philip from the embarrassment of too much emotion.
“Tell me why you set aside the old planks of wood, Philip.”
He cleared his throat and looked over to where the pile was lying. “I want to use these weathered beams on the exterior so it blends into the surroundings.”
“Oh, Stavros will love that idea! He used to come here with his brothers and sisters when they were all children. It will be as if those happy times are incorporated into the new home. Don’t they call that good karma?”
Philip laughed, and Lynn realized she had never heard that pleasant sound before.
“I don’t know, but I am glad you approve of the rough plan. I will work out the details back at the hotel and Stavros’ brother can have the blueprints as soon as possible. There is much more work to do to source materials but at least a start has been made today.”
Indeed it has, thought Lynn. Only one of many starts in our new lives.
“Oh, I can suggest one source, Philip. Paros is renowned for the whitest marble in all of Greece. It comes from the mountains here.”
“Then that is what we will use for the flooring throughout. It will be local, clean, easy to maintain and allow for decorating options when you add colourful rugs and fabrics.”
For the first time, Lynn began to visualize this new home and her excitement grew to overcome the fears she had harboured for so long.