Church bells rang out loudly early Sunday morning, calling the faithful to services and rousing Jack from his sleep. He threw on a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and walked to the balcony outside his room.
The bright sun, high in the sky, was already warming the island while reflecting off the sea below. The water sparkled like fresh-cut diamonds, twinkling in the early morning sunlight. The day’s heat was starting to set in, and he watched a formation of pelicans fly past him on their own private journey. I love it here in Greece. I have always loved it. He stretched his tired and aching bones. I wonder if Ravenna is awake yet?
“Good morning,” came a familiar voice from the terrace deck below. “Are you ready for some coffee?” Ravenna called to him.
He looked down at her smiling face.
“You bet. I’ll be right down.” He grabbed his sunglasses on the way out and closed the door behind him. He now found himself looking forward to spending time with Ravenna. She had not changed in all those years. His feelings for her were coming alive once more. I can’t change my feelings for her. He kicked an old cigarette butt to the side of the hallway as he reached to fasten his belt. He bent over to pick up the old stub, putting it in a nearby ashtray. A couple days without a cigarette. Not bad. It was a start.
“Good morning,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek as he bounded into the dining room. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, of course,” he lied. He noticed one of Gabi’s cookbooks on the small table.
“Here’s your coffee. Since I doubt I will ever meet Gabi, I thought maybe I could have the next best thing—her husband’s autograph on one of my cookbooks. Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” he said. He penned a short note:
Ravenna-
Best wishes.
Times may change, but you always seem to remain the same, cheerful and full of love.
Your best friend,
Jack
“Thanks, Jack. I will cherish this forever.” She glanced down at the cookbook, a nostalgic smile on her face. “How did you and Gabi meet?”
Jack took a seat on one of the terrace chairs and sipped a much-needed bit of coffee. “Well, I was going to college in Chicago, studying to be an architect. I worked during the summer at my uncle’s granite quarry in Vermont. His company is a very large firm based in Vermont.”
“What do they make?”
“They made tombstones and headstones, mainly. I know it sounds morbid, but I loved the work. I loved working with my hands outside all day. I worked as a blaster, a chiseler, a sander, and a hauler. It made you strong in the body and strong in the mind. You had to focus every moment of the day. It is dangerous work, believe me.”
“Wow!”
“The quarry was located in a small, rural Vermont town with not a lot to do. So a bunch of us would go over to nearby Woodstock on Saturdays, our day off, and we’d have lunch and hang out. On a lark, I decided I wanted to learn fly-fishing, so I signed up for lessons. Gabi was my instructor. I got really good at it, but I kept faking like I was horrible, just so I could see her every week. Her parents were really strict, so this was the only way I could see her. Well, one thing led to another, and by the end of the summer we got engaged, and when I left to go back home to Chicago, Gabi came with me.”
“I guess her family loved that?” She managed a feeble grin. Hey, girl, don’t forget you may have been there first, but he chose Gabi for his wife. So behave. He’s married. Now back off.
“Let’s just say they weren’t really thrilled about it. Then six months later, along came our daughter, Heather, who of course they fell in love with, so all was forgiven. They would come and stay in Chicago to visit, and they even thought about moving there until her dad became too sick to travel. He died months later, followed shortly thereafter by her mom. But her family made us promise that if we left Vermont, we would get together every year for a family reunion.”
“What a great idea, and Mykonos is a great place for a reunion!”
“We rotate the location and who gets to choose the spot every year. Gabi’s sister Joanie chose Mykonos for this year’s reunion. Next year it’s my choice.”
“Maybe next year you can choose the wonderful little island of Petros? Now, don’t forget we are going to Nicolai’s wedding today. So we have to get you all dressed up Greek-style. Have you ever been to a Greek wedding before?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
“They are great fun! We are going to have a wonderful time.” She brushed his shoulder lightly with her arm as she refilled his coffee. “There will be lots of great food, lots of people, lots of wine, and lots of music and dancing. Greek dancing! Nicolai will have his taverna bring loads of food, but normally the locals also prepare their favorite dish to help celebrate the wedding. You will love it. I wasn’t going to go, but with you here, it’s perfect.” He’s married, she reminded herself, as she walked back inside. Behave yourself. He is your dearest and oldest friend in the whole world, but he is still married. Remember that.
“Try this one on,” she said when she returned. She held up a white cotton brocade shirt with a small edging of gold trim around the edges. “I bought it for Trevor in Athens last year but it was too big for him. Here, slip it on.”
“Sparky, I’ve got shirts in there that I bought in town, remember?” he implored.
“Please, I think you will look great in it.”
“All right, I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t be so modest. You can slip it on right here.”
“Boy, you’re a persistent little thing. But all right, if you insist.” He slipped his t-shirt off over his head and stood there with his chest bare.
Ravenna admired his broad shoulders and his well-defined abdominal muscles. Her breathing quickened and she found herself getting turned on looking at his chest with wisps of golden blond hair in the center. She had never seen such a well-defined stomach and biceps before. “Wow, where have you been working out?”
“I try to stay in shape.”
“Boy, I’ll say,” she said, standing there, looking at him. Ravenna felt the rush of emotions shiver through her body, down her thighs, engulfing her. She had to look away.
“There, how’s that?” he asked her after putting on the shirt.
She thought it looked like it was custom made for him. It fit perfectly. “It looks really good, Jack. I mean, really good. Will you wear it, for me?”
“Well… I don’t know.”
“Please?”
“Sure, why not.”
They walked around the patio and talked about old times, close times that they both remembered.
“You’re still suffering from jet lag. I suggest a traditional Greek afternoon nap. I don’t want you falling asleep on me.” She kissed him twice on his cheek and said, “See you at five in the lobby. Sleep well.”
Jack knew he could not sleep, he had so much on his mind. As he sat in the chair on the balcony just outside his room and admired the wonderful vista before him with the cool breeze off the water, he was soon fast asleep. He woke with just enough time to shower, shave, and get dressed.
When he was finished getting dressed, he rushed to the lobby, just in time to see her walk down the steps inside. She appeared as if in a vision, in a flowing white-and-pink dress with pale blue flowers in her hair.
She looked beautiful. His mind was racing. Jack…she’s married, remember? Don’t forget that little fact.
Jack studied her. He wanted to hold her, but he did not want to alienate or offend her. They were both having too good of a time here in her island heaven.
Remember, this is Ravenna, your best friend. He smiled. But he could tell their feelings for each other were building.
“You look spectacular,” he told her.
“Thank you. and you look handsome, yourself, as always.”
“I see you are still wearing a Celtic cross.”
“No, it is not just any Celtic cross, it is the one you gave me many, many years ago. Remember?”
“Really? I remember that cross,” he said with a wistful smile.
The rose-colored sun began to set on the horizon as it dropped into the deep blue sea beyond. They walked down the old, steep street and she clutched his arm for support, holding him close. The two strolled past the harbor and gazed at the fleet of fishing boats as they rocked at anchor.
The street was quiet as they ambled past the closed shops in downtown Thios and soon reached the main square of the seaside village. At the end of the square was the town’s Greek Orthodox church. It was an ancient, magnificent white building, with a set of huge double wooden doors. The top of the church sported a large blue dome, which was crowned with a golden cross.
The two walked inside the church, bowing their heads, and sat toward the rear with the local villagers. The church was filled with the townsfolk from Thios. It looked like the entire village turned out for the blessed event. The pews were populated with all the old widows dressed in their traditional black garb. But intermingled in the sea of black were patches of festive colors from the dresses of the younger people in the congregation. Risa waved at them from the front of the church.
They watched the relatives of the bride pass down the aisle. “The bride’s family are farmers from the other side of the island,” Ravenna whispered. They had watched them when they came into the church—they alighted from the back of an old red pickup truck parked in the town square outside the church.
“They are dirt poor, but the nicest and friendliest people you would ever want to meet.”
They might have been poor, but they stood tall and walked with their heads held high. They were proud of their daughter.
The church’s beautiful stained glass windows lined the side of the building, depicting scenes from the Bible and Greek mythology. The rose-colored setting sun cast a magical glow through the red, blue, and yellow windows, making it seem almost surreal inside the church. At the front was a white marble altar covered in wild flowers and long-stemmed white roses that had been delivered by the same ferry that landed Jack in Petros.
A small boy, dressed in white, walked down the center aisle beating a small drum to signal the start of the wedding ceremony. The congregation stood.
Nicolai walked down the aisle next, alone. He looked so regal, dressed in a dark suit, white cotton shirt, and a grey pearl stickpin at his collar. The stickpin was a tradition on the small island. It signified great wisdom and wealth.
He was soon joined by a very tall, bearded Orthodox priest at the altar. He was dressed in his black vestments with a long, full, multi-shaded grey-and-black beard. His large black vestment cap, rimmed in gold, was worn only during island weddings.
Jack and Ravenna watched the young bride glide past them, heading toward the altar, dressed in white, with small white flowers adorning her hair. A sheer white veil covered her face, and with her soft, fair skin, she appeared almost angelic.
Ravenna’s eyes started to tear up, and she grabbed a pile of tissues from her purse and reached to cuddle Jack’s hand in hers.
“I get so emotional at weddings,” she whispered. “Remember the wedding vows we made at my folk’s house?”
“Yes,” Jack said with a thoughtful smile. The ladies behind let out a collective Shhhhh to silence them.
Nicolai looked dashing but nervous at the front of the church. His soon-to-be-bride took his hand and he smiled, making his big, walrus-style moustache arch high above his lip. Ravenna squeezed Jack’s hand in hers and looked at him. It was a beautiful ceremony, even though Jack did not understand a word of Greek. By the time it was done, all of the old women were sobbing for the newly married couple.
When the vows were complete, the tall doors on the side of the church were flung open. Nicolai led the assembled group out into the courtyard where the party was about to begin. As if on cue, the band started to play traditional Greek bouzouki music, much to the delight of all the attendees.
Nicolai grabbed a glass of red wine in one hand and his new wife in the other, and they began to dance in the center of the walled courtyard. He spun her around with ease, and the smile on her face grew larger and larger. They danced to three songs, taking a break only to drink from their wine glasses, which were constantly being refilled. They were both having a great time. A chorus of Opa filled the air.
“Opa is more of a feeling than a word, and said with gusto,” Ravenna whispered.
Afterward, the new bride and groom made their way around the courtyard and stopped at all of the tables. The bride carried a large, white silk purse, trimmed in pink beads. Guests dropped in envelopes filled with cash as a way to show respect for the new couple and to wish them well.
“A Greek tradition,” Ravenna whispered to Jack.
“But he’s the wealthiest man in town.”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s still a tradition.”
As they approached Jack and Ravenna’s table, Ravenna rose and hugged the groom while saying to both, “Na zisete! Congratulations to you both!”
Ravenna placed a large envelope in the bride’s bag and hugged her. Nicolai hugged them both, patting Jack on the back.
“Thank you both so much for coming to my celebration. I like! Please, enjoy yourself. Opa!”
“Hello,” came a booming voice from behind them; it was Risa. They hugged and kissed as Risa introduced her companion dressed in an Army uniform. “Jack, this is my fiancé, Aris. He is here just for a few days. Aris, Jack here got off on the wrong island. Aris is in the Greek Army. We grew up together and he is planning to move back here when he’s finished his service.” Her beaming smile said it all.
Aris laughed a deep and genuine laugh and shook Jack’s hand, saying, “It happens all the time. I grew up here with Risa and we used to greet people on the pier as they got off.” He spoke very good English, and as they talked, the girls stepped back and began to whisper among themselves.
“A beautiful bride and a beautiful ceremony, don’t you think?” said Risa, as she watched the two men chatting.
“Yes, it was. I cried, as usual.”
“Me, too. I’m afraid that we will have to postpone our dinner. Aris is only here on leave for a few days. You understand, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Your friend Jack is very handsome, Ravenna.”
“So is Aris. He looks so dashing in his uniform.”
“Yes, but my Aris is free to be in love with me. Your Jack is married and is very much in love with you. I can see it in the way he looks at you,” she whispered. “You are traveling in troubled waters, my friend. Please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Risa, we are just friends, old friends. We’re not lovers and never have been. Close, but… Trust me, we are just friends.”
“Be careful with your heart, that’s all I am saying. I must go now and be with the family. I will see both of you soon.”
The space was filled with tables, and at the front of the courtyard was the table of honor for the bride and groom. An open pit off to the corner was manned by some of Nicolai’s employees, who were tasked with the assignment of roasting a rather large pig on a spit over an open fire. Two men kept dousing the pig with wine and liqueur, causing the flames to jump high in the air as the roasting pig sizzled, filling the air with its sweet aroma.
The tables were covered with flowers and candles, and tea lights were strung from the top of the wall, crisscrossing the courtyard. The bouzouki music filled the air and the men gathered in the center to dance the traditional Greek dance. The women visited their friends at the other tables. Wine flowed like rivers.
Waiters visited with mounds of food stacked high on platters. They filled everyone’s plates with piles of hot, delectable lamb, pork, goat, beef, lamb kampana, moussaka, pastisis, saganaki, white beans with orzo and tomatoes, onions, and spinach, grape leaves and others dishes that Jack could not even guess what they were. The food tasted like none he had ever eaten. It was all so wonderful.
He could taste the distinctive zing of allspice, the sweet tinge of rosemary, and cloves and other Greek spices. They all melded so well together. Their glasses were refilled with wine and local brews as fast as they could finish drinking them.
Jack and Ravenna walked past a table of nothing but desserts, cookies, pies, and other fixings for their sweet tooth. The bride’s family joined the festivities, passing out homemade sweets and bakery items coated with honey.
“My God, these are so delicious,” Jack said, biting into one of the sweet cookies, which was bathed in honey and coated with powdered sugar. Ravenna had been right again, as usual; the food tasted so fresh and good that he just kept on eating and drinking.
One of the younger girls grabbed Ravenna from his side to join a dance line that was making its way around the floor. The older women sat along the wall in chairs beside small tables and watched the younger ones move in a circle. Sipping their wine, they whispered to one another and ate from plates on their laps, smiling and clapping. It was an evening Jack would not soon forget.
“Come on, Jack, it’s fun,” Ravenna said, pulling him away from his food and handing him a glass of ouzo. It smelled so sweet but burned slightly as he swallowed. The second and third glass he did not even feel or taste. He was having the time of his life.
Ravenna had her arms around Jack’s waist as the music played louder and louder. She pulled him closer as the ouzo cast its magical spell on both of them. Looking in her eyes, he knew he could not stop. Try as he might, he no longer fought it. He pulled her close; her lips were moist, her eyes and body wanting him. Her eyes spoke the language of love and desire. He wanted her and he wanted her now. Jack leaned in to kiss her and she closed her eyes, waiting. Suddenly, he was distracted by a commotion at the wedding table.
“Nicolai! Nicolai!” the new bride shouted. They could hear her shouts over the music.
“Something must have happened to Nicolai,” Ravenna shouted, reluctantly pulling free from Jack’s embrace. She ran to the turmoil at the front of the courtyard and pushed her way through the crowd to find Nicolai lying on the ground, unconscious and starting to turn blue.
“Ti yinete? What happened?” she asked to those around him in both Greek and English.
“I don’t know. He just fell to the ground,” said an old man.
“Back, please, give him air. Píso parakaló!” She went to his side and propped him up, clearing his air passage—nothing. She went behind him and crossed her arms under his, with her hands in the center of his chest. She gave him a violent heave. Nothing. She did it again, and a huge piece of meat came flying from his mouth. He gasped loudly, then again, and slowly his color began to return.
She moved to face him, leaving the older men to prop him up. “Nicolai, Nicolai,” she said, inches from his face. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” he responded feebly.
Ravenna held up one finger in front of his face. “Follow my finger without moving your head.” She moved her forefinger slowly from one side to the other in front of his eyes. His gaze followed her forefinger dutifully.
“Good,” she said. “Now, tell me, where are you?”
“At my wedding?”
“Do you feel better now?”
“Yes, I do, unless you want to give me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”
“I think he is fine,” Ravenna proclaimed, standing up. “Just eat smaller pieces of pork. Do you hear me, my old friend?”
“Yes, I will, and thank you, my Irish beauty.” He went to kiss her, to thank her, but his new bride, Pia, tugged at his sleeve and pulled him back to his chair at the head table. It appeared this new Greek bride was learning the ways of her new life very quickly.
The bride’s father and brothers and the rest of her family came to Ravenna and shook her hand, hugging and embracing her. They thanked her for saving their only daughter from early widowhood. They spoke Greek with a rural dialect, one that Ravenna did not fully understand. Risa stepped forward to help translate. Ravenna smiled and accepted their thanks as graciously as she could, bowing her head as they talked. Jack joined them once the crowd had thinned and things returned to normal.
“You looked like you really knew what you were doing there, Sparky. You looked just like a doctor. I’m impressed.”
“I am a doctor,” she said, taking a sip of red wine without making eye contact with him.
“What? You never told me anything about you being a doctor.”
“It never came up,” she said. “I worked in private practice, but mainly did research work until I got burned out. They let me take a leave of absence and I decided to do something else for a while. Something different…and it does not get more different than this.”
“Well, I just…” The band began to play a fast Latin song, a cha-cha melody.
She grabbed his hand, saying, “Okay, hotshot, let me see some of those fancy dance moves you were bragging about.”
They danced on the concrete floor in the courtyard, awkwardly at first, trying to find the rhythm.
It was a hot and humid evening, and the wine and the dancing made them hotter. Jack’s shirt began to stick to his back.
At first they danced apart. They picked up on one, then two steps, moving then dancing together. Then, as if by magic, they clicked. Their bodies were in sync with the music, their hips swayed to the lively Latin beat. They were dancing the cha-cha as if they had danced together their whole lives. When the band finished playing the song, they began to play a slow, sexy rumba.
“Do you rumba?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s go, then!”
They danced at arm’s length at first, and then slowly their bodies came closer for the spins and turns. They looked beautiful together, and other dancers joined them on the dance floor. Jack loved holding her in his arms, and he pulled her closer. His head turned, his heart pounded. She was close, so close.
“You do dance, and very well,” she told him as he spun her, their hips swaying together, their feet in harmony. “You must teach me the Argentine,” she whispered in his ear.
“I think that maybe you are…” His words were interrupted by a drunken guest by the name of Kraken. He pulled Jack’s arms away from Ravenna.
“I take this dance, now,” he blurted out, slurring his words. “She mine, this hot redhead. Move aside, American man.”
Jack moved Ravenna behind him to face the fiery-tempered Albanian. “I don’t think so, my friend. You’d better go somewhere and sleep it off.” Jack turned his attention back to Ravenna.
Kraken reached in his pocket and his hand returned holding a tile cutter’s knife; he moved to lunge at Jack’s unprotected back. The big Albanian’s hand was stopped in midair. Surprised, the Albanian turned to see Nicolai’s strong grip holding the attacking hand.
Jack turned around and saw Nicolai surrounded by ten family members. They were in no mood to have their party spoiled by anyone, much less an outsider like Kraken.
“I think you better leave, Kraken. Leave now and cause no more trouble. You understand? Now, leave!” said the old Greek groom.
Kraken hurried away from the celebration, joined by his two friends.
“Are you okay?” Nicolai asked Jack and Ravenna.
“Yes, we’re fine. Thank you, Nicolai.”
“The doctor, she save my life tonight, and now, I save your life. Now, you call me Poppa. Greek tradition. Okay?”
“Okay, Poppa, thank you again.”
He kissed them both on the cheek with his bride by his side. He raised his hand, commanding the silent band to play: “Mousiki! Mousiki! Opa!”
The band started up again, playing the Greek wedding song. All the men joined arms over the shoulders of the ones next to them and danced in a circle around the floor. Jack joined in. Plates flew into the air from the female onlookers; they were showing their appreciation and egging their men on. The large white plates shattered on the hard concrete floor and the men danced over their remains. The celebration continued until the early morning, just before dawn.
Afterward, Jack and Ravenna strolled back to the hotel under the pure Greek island moonlight reflecting off the water. It bathed their faces in the warm afterglow each of them felt. Neither of them wanted it to end. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
“That was fun. More fun than I’ve had in a very long time, Sparky.”
“I had a great time, too, thanks to you.”
“Tell me about being a doctor. I was shocked but not surprised.”
“Not much to tell. I always did well in school and I got high test scores in Dublin, well enough to take premed courses. Then I received a scholarship to the University of London and decided to get my medical degree. Afterward, I went on to further study in my specialty.”
“What was that?” he asked, as they walked up the gravel street at the bottom of their hill.
She held his arm tight. “My research specialty was ARN, a subset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease in the States. About six years ago, I thought we were close to a cure. I was working and sleeping at the lab. I drove myself to the breaking point.” She stopped to take a deep breath before continuing.
“We thought we were so close, but it turned out to be a dead end. I worked day and night for years, until my boss banned me from the research facility and told me to take a long leave of absence or he would fire me. So I looked around and came here. That was three years ago.” Her eyes narrowed and her voice changed when speaking about her work. “That’s how I came to Petros,” she stated, realizing her intensity and trying to change the subject and her tone.
“You never cease to amaze me.”
“Thanks. But I do have to say, I am so glad you are here, Jack.” They approached the front door of the hotel. “I thought you were dead.”
“Dead? Me? You said that before…but whatever gave you the idea that I was dead?”
She clutched his arm as they walked down the steps to the hotel. Glancing at him, she said, “I was in New York for a medical conference and saw an article about your company receiving an Architectural Award, the Wright Award or something like that.”
“Yeah, that was five years ago. It was a big deal.”
“Well, I got your office phone number and called to congratulate you on the award and to say hello. As soon as I said my name to the woman who answered the phone and told her I was looking for you, she told me you had been killed in an auto accident and not to call again.”
Shock reverberated through him. “What? What do you mean? Somebody told you I was dead? You must have been devastated.” He thought back to that time, and try as he might, he could not understand why anyone would have told her such a thing. “I am so sorry for that. It’s strange. We were quite busy about that time due to us receiving the award and all. We did bring in some temporaries to help handle the phone calls, and maybe… Wait, was this right after the award was announced?”
“Yes, just about a week or so later.”
“Well, we were very busy at the office, and my wife Gabi came in to help out with answering the phones. I would bet that it was her you spoke to that day.” I can’t believe that she would have said that to Ravenna. I know she had a jealous streak, but…
“Could be, but why would she tell me you were dead?”
Jack walked across the broad patio and looked up at the shining moon illuminating the water below. He took a deep breath; he was not accustomed to sharing details about his relationship with Gabi. It was too personal. But he had to tell her, even though it felt like a betrayal of trust. Forgive me, Gabi.
“Ravenna, Gabi and I had only one major blow-up in our marriage. We had a big fight when she found the letter you wrote and the old photo of the two of us at Christmas. She saw your note on the back of the photo where you said you loved me, and she went through the roof. She said she swore I still had feelings for you. Try as I might, I could not convince her otherwise. I slept at the office that week.”
He took her hand and softened his voice. “She said she never wanted to hear your name again and made me promise to destroy the photo. So when you called my office, it had to be Gabi who answered the phone. I guess she wanted to make sure you never called again. She never told me you called. I am sorry you thought I was dead all these years. That was wrong.” He paused and looked at her. “I don’t know what else to say.”
Jack moved closer to her. He could feel the rising temperature from her soft skin as he touched her.
Ravenna’s face showed regret and hurt. “I’d better go, it’s late,” she said, taking a step backward. “Tomorrow, what do you say we go to God’s Beach?”
“Sure,” he said, wishing there was more he could say to make her feel better.
“Good night, Jack. I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed his cheek.
I must tell her everything, he said to himself. It’s time she knew the truth. He watched her walk away. Tomorrow.