KATHARINE was waiting outside the Mykonos Apartments with her bags when Carol arrived to drive her to the airport.
‘Thanks for giving me a lift. I couldn’t stand to be in Bonnie’s company a minute longer.’ Katharine loaded her bags into the boot of Carol’s car. ‘I need some space, distance and time to sort out my feelings.’
Carol had hoped Bonnie would go with them. She wanted them to recover what they had lost on that awful night and be friends again.
‘So, you two haven’t reconciled?’
‘Reconciled? With someone who wouldn’t know the truth if she tripped over it? At least you were brave enough to be honest with me. But Bonnie still thinks she did the right thing lying to me. I just don’t get that.’
Carol leaned over and helped to adjust the seatbelt, checked her rear-vision mirror and started to drive. She’d allowed plenty of time to get to the airport in case of unexpected traffic jams.
‘I used to think that honesty was a sign of respect, a sort of compliment that you are strong enough to face the truth, no matter how bad it is,’ said Katharine. ‘Naive, huh?’
‘Not at all, I totally agree with you.’ Carol listened to the purring of the car engine and decided it was time for the car to have a service. ‘But I’ve been thinking a lot about truth and have realised that there may be reasons why Bonnie lied to all of us. I think she was even lying to herself, maybe to repress or cover her trauma. Even so, I think she should tell Andrew he has a daughter, despite the consequences.’
‘I don’t really care about him. He strikes me as a sleazebag who’d prefer I slunk back to the States.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Carol said, even though she herself wasn’t convinced. He was a politician, after all, and would probably do whatever he needed to protect his career. Carol turned onto the freeway. She set the car in cruise control to stay exactly three kilometres below the speed limit.
‘I’ve always been superstitious about the number three. You know that three is the first lucky prime number.’ Carol appreciated having something concrete to talk about. ‘And it’s used when you want to get people to do things together – as in one, two, three, pull.’
‘I know what you mean,’ said Katharine. ‘Maybe because I was part of a family of three. Mum, Dad and me.’
‘Like three peas in a pod.’
‘Yes. I guess I was grasping at anything that would readjust my world after it had fallen apart. And then, Bonnie herself was part of a trio with you and Sofia.’
‘I don’t know if we are a trio anymore.’
They had argued before, the way Carol imagined sisters did. But never as they had after Katharine left.
‘Of course, bad luck comes in threes,’ said Katharine. ‘I’ve had bad luck in threes.’
‘Tell me. We have plenty of time before we get to the airport.’
‘Mum always said how blessed we were,’ said Katharine. ‘They were happy, Mum and Dad, and comfortable with each other. Solid. You and Dave remind me of them a bit.’
Carol wasn’t sure if there still was a Dave and her. She wished he’d talk to her about what had happened with Bonnie. But he refused to go into detail and she was left with her imagination which was much worse than the truth could ever be.
‘We made a good team, we balanced each other. I guess I tried to replicate that in my own family.’ Katharine sighed. ‘I had no warning of what was to come. It started slowly, and I didn’t realise the end of my world as I knew it was waiting around the corner.’
Carol turned the CD player off. ‘Go on.’
‘First my father had a stroke. I was so busy racing back and forth to my parents’ house, I didn’t notice the warning signs,’ continued Katharine. ‘Dad had another stroke and I moved back home to help. It wasn’t long after he died that the doctor diagnosed Mum with Alzheimer’s disease. During that time, I stopped paying attention to the business, just doing the classes I was committed to. Not long after my mother died, Nathan told me he wasn’t in love with me anymore. Just like that, out of the blue, he fell out of love with me. How does that happen?’
‘Dave and I are soulmates. Or at least I thought we were,’ mumbled Carol, who had started to question her belief that once you found your soulmate, you knew them completely and there would be no one else.
‘I’d lost the three most important people in my life,’ continued Katharine. ‘So when I found Bonnie, I was so excited I just rushed in and agreed to come here with her. Turns out that while I’ve been away Nathan has been withdrawing money to fund his new love and lifestyle. Now I need to work out how to repay the debts.’
‘That’s what we call STDs, or sexually transmitted debts,’ said Carol.
‘If it wasn’t so serious it’d be funny,’ said Katharine. ‘I figured if I wasn’t there, the debtors couldn’t pursue me. But now things have gone completely off the rails with the business and I’m needed back home.’
‘You mean it’s not just because Bonnie lied to you about your father that you are leaving so soon?’
‘Not entirely. I have to sort out the mess with our business and I’m worried about what Nathan has gotten us into.’
Carol agreed to fill Bonnie in on the other reason Katharine needed to go back to New York. That was if she could get Bonnie to talk to her. She stopped the car in the drop-off area and helped Katharine unload her bags onto a trolley.
‘You have been so kind and honest.’ Katharine shifted from foot to foot. ‘In return, I want to be honest with you. Brett and I have been seeing each other. I don’t know if there’s anything in it. But he was just what I needed.’
They hugged and Katharine disappeared through the automatic glass doors. Carol’s mind was abuzz with questions about recent events and what she had missed. She stopped at the wetlands to settle herself and rang Brett, who told her to stop meddling. Bonnie’s phone went to message bank and Sofia’s phone was busy.
That evening, Sofia and Rob had a rare night at home together. She prepared his favourite dishes, including the moussaka from his mother’s recipe. Rob had brought home a bottle of merlot he wanted to try out and poured them a drink. Sofia stood in the kitchen savouring the rich smooth taste of the wine.
‘I’ve been meaning to mention that the flat in Brisbane was a mess when I stayed there last time,’ said Sofia. ‘And there was lipstick on one of the glasses in the sink.’
‘What are you suggesting?’ Rob asked.
‘Nothing. I only wondered if you’d had a woman in the unit.’
‘Don’t tell me you want to cross-examine me. That used to be my job,’ Rob joked. ‘Seriously though, you know I entertain at the unit.’
‘There’s no need to be defensive,’ she said, surprised at the sarcasm in her own voice. Sofia swirled the wine and took another sip. It was a good batch. She realised it was the same deep red as the lipstick on the wine glass. It wasn’t Sofia’s shade and she pictured a scene she didn’t relish. Her husband alone in the apartment with another woman. No, she must be wrong. There must be a rational explanation.
‘Love, I’m just trying to work out if there is anything going on that I should know about.’
‘Surely you’re not accusing me of something unsavoury.’
‘I’m not accusing you, I just want you to explain to me what, if anything, is going on. Bonnie said …’
‘That bitch Bonnie again,’ Rob slammed the glass down on the bench and poured another glass of wine for himself. ‘She almost ruined our wedding, getting drunk and going off with the best man. I told you before that she’s trouble with a double T. I’m sure she’s just jealous of us.’
‘That’s not true and in any case, it’s not just Bonnie.’
‘Who then?’ Rob turned on Sofia. He reminded her of a fierce bull they’d seen on a holiday in Spain. ‘Who have you been gossiping with?’
‘I haven’t been gossiping. It’s just that Dave said … he said there were rumours about you seeing another woman.’
‘How would Dave have heard rumours? Look, Sofia, it’s one thing when you talk about me to your dim-witted friends, but when you try to drag my own friends into it, you’re crossing a line. I’m not going to put up with any more of this.’
Rob grabbed the bottle of wine and stormed into his study. He turned the television onto a sports program.
Sofia retired to the bedroom. Her eyes couldn’t focus on the bedside table and she dropped and broke her antique crystal perfume bottle. The broken glass shimmered on the polished wood floor and she cut her finger picking up the shards. She took a migraine pill and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Rob tapped on the bedroom door. He entered carrying a tray with flowers from the garden and her best teapot, cup and milk jug.
‘I’m so sorry about being grumpy last night,’ he said. ‘You know rumours are inevitable when you get involved in this small town political stuff. I don’t want to put you through any more angst and I’ve decided that, if you want, I’ll tell them today that I’m not interested in any of it.’
Sofia sat back on her pillows. Her eyes were scratchy and her hair was a mess, but she felt the fragile calm which usually followed a migraine. She took in the scene.
She knew Rob didn’t want to pull out of the political work, and she didn’t really want him to. For one thing he would blame her for the rest of their lives. Sofia could already hear him saying, ‘I could have made it you know, made a real difference in this community, but Sofia wanted me to pull out.’ The other thing was that she enjoyed not having him around the house. Despite her sore finger and puffy eyes, she’d had one of the best sleeps in a long time and was feeling lighter.
Sofia poured the milk into her china cup and then the tea. Just right. He did make a good pot of tea. She placed the fruit and yoghurt on top of the muesli in her matching bowl and savoured her breakfast. Picking up the paper, she scanned the front page and turned to the page with the puzzles.
Rob sat on the end of the bed. Sofia could feel the bed moving as he fidgeted but went on with her Sudoku.
‘Well, what do you think?’ Rob asked.
Sofia ignored him.
‘About me leaving this local politics stuff alone.’
Sofia put her pencil on the bedside table and cradled the cup of warm tea in her hands. She took a sip and looked at him. He waited.
‘I’ll leave that up to you, dear.’ Sofia had a glimpse of a side to Rob she didn’t know. Maybe Bonnie was right about the affair. ‘I just want you to tell me the truth.’
‘We’ll talk more tonight,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry, I have to do a few things. I’ll just duck out for a while.’
Sofia ran her hands through her hair and tried to brush her thoughts away. She went back to doing the Sudoku but couldn’t concentrate. She sat in silence watching the gentle movement of the sea. It was a calm spring day; the surf would be perfect for swimming. But she didn’t want to move, she wanted to remain still and bury her misgivings under the bed covers. When the phone rang an hour later she was sitting in the same position and she let it go to the answering machine.
‘Sofia are you there?’ said her mother. ‘If you are, please pick up the phone.’
That didn’t take long, thought Sofia. The first time they argued, Rob had contacted Sofia’s mother. He said they had a fight, which her mother assumed Sofia started, and that he was sorry. Mrs Patras took Rob’s side and called Sofia to remind her what a good father and husband he was.
Sofia dragged herself out of bed and went for a long walk and a dip in the rockpool. When she arrived home, the phone was flashing with messages. She had a bath before listening to them. Each time it was the same message from her mother, only more anxious.
‘Where have you been? I’ve been ringing all morning,’ screeched Mrs Patras when Sofia called her back. ‘I need to talk to you. It’s very important.’
Sofia sipped the coffee she had made to brace herself for the lecture. It did not come.
‘It’s your yiayia. She’s very ill.’ At first Sofia couldn’t understand what her mother was saying. ‘Sofia, are you still there? Your yiayia is sick and the doctor wants to take her to hospital. But she won’t go. You know what she’s like.’
Sofia shivered. Her hands shook. She put her coffee down.
‘Your father and I are flying over there to see her, just in case.’
Not Yiayia, thought Sofia. Not yet. Please not yet. She needed to see her grandmother again and wished she’d gone earlier in the year rather than getting swept up in the stupid competition. What had she been thinking?
‘Mum, I’m going too,’ she gasped.
‘There is no need for that. She’s being a stubborn old lady and everything upsets her.’
‘She’s not just an old lady, she’s my yiayia.’
‘I didn’t mean it that way. Why do you have to take everything the wrong way?’ said Mrs Patras. ‘You’re always biting my head off whenever I suggest something.’
Sofia felt the unfairness of her mother’s comment. Her mother seemed to twist everything Sofia said into an implied criticism, but this was not the time to say anything.
‘Mum, I’m sorry. You must be worried sick about Yiayia.’
‘I am. She’s so old and I’m scared,’ said Mrs Patras. ‘I’ve been trying to keep calm for your father’s sake, but I can’t take it.’
‘It’s all right, Mum. I’ll go with you and help.’
When Rob returned, Sofia was packing her bag. She had booked a flight to Brisbane which connected with her parent’s flight to Athens. From there they would travel to Kefalonia. She told Rob to stay home and sort things out.