“Daddy! Dadd…” The little voice screamed, crying for him to help her, to save her, to keep her safe from harm. He watched, helpless, in that split second as the huge truck crushed her right before his eyes. Then it was as if he were falling from a tall building. His dream chased him from reality. He bolted upright, sweating, his breathing labored. He could not breathe; he needed fresh air. He thought his nightmares were over.
Ravenna gently pressed a hand to his shoulder. “Are you okay? Jack, are you all right? Was it the nightmare again?” She could feel the perspiration on his back as she rubbed him. He was chilled and shaking.
“Yes,” he said, catching his breath, lying back in bed. She moved the matted, wet hair from his forehead and kissed his cheek. He lay there with his eyes closed until he slowly sat up and looked at his suitcase by the door. Only his luggage was visible. She’s not coming. How was he going to leave her here? He had finally found her again and now he was losing her and he did not understand why.
“Ravenna, where are your bags?” He turned to look into her eyes. She wasn’t coming with him. She’s staying here. It was evident in her gaze. Was this whole week a lie? They had shared their innermost thoughts. He had bared his soul to her. His life had taken on a new meaning this past week, but now…
She glanced down, unable to meet his gaze. He grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her head, needing to see the truth in her eyes. He had to know what was going on with her and with them.
“Jack, please don’t hate me. But I can’t leave. Not yet. I need some time. I made a commitment to stay here with Trevor… only for another few months. Jack, he is very sick and should be in the hospital, but he doesn’t want to spend his last days hooked up to machines and monitors.”
“But he is well enough to go on a trip to England? How can that be?”
“Jack… he has ARN. He will suffer for that trip he took to England even with the new experimental drugs he’s taking. You know, I thought I could go with you, I wanted to go with you more than anything… but I can’t.” Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know how much longer he has, but I made a commitment to stay with him and care for him… until the end. One day he will be fine and the next day he is in a wheelchair, like he was when he left. He should have never gone to England, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. When he gets back, every day he will get weaker until… Please understand what we had this week was real and we will have it again… I just need some time.”
“But Ravenna, I love you, I want to be with…”
She placed her finger on his lips. “Jack, this is our last day together for a while. I love you. I will cherish the memories of this week until we are together again; it will help me on those cold nights while you are away from my arms. It is only a couple of months and then we will have the rest of our lives together. When you finish in Sydney, come back here and write your book. I can’t leave, especially now. Trevor’s health could take a turn for the worst at any time. I am surprised he has remained as healthy as he has for the last couple of months, but that could change any day.” She looked in his eyes and could feel the pain she was causing him, pain she so wished she could take away.
“Let me finish my project in Australia and then I will come back here and hold you to that promise. I love you, Ravenna. More than anything.”
“I love you, too, Jack.” He held her in his arms, not wanting to let go. Tears ran down her cheeks and she was afraid of losing him, but what could she do?
How was he ever going to leave her? How could he ever leave this place? It wasn’t fair. It felt like home. They had a plan, and for once in his life he was living life day to day. He always needed goals and plans; he was an architect, for Christ’s sake. But he didn’t want to leave her. He was in heaven and he was not going to think about tomorrow. Right now being without her was unthinkable. But most of all he wanted her to be happy. So be it. The weeks and months would pass quickly.
Jack’s body heaved and he fell into silent dejection, realizing it was of no use. “Okay,” he whispered. “But if you change your…”
WHOOOO!!!!… WHOOOO!!!!… The ferry’s horn echoed in the distance. It would be here soon. They went to the window and watched the old ferry making its way to the island.
“Let me make you breakfast before you leave.”
They sat and ate in silence on the terrace with Jack’s bags by the door, looking forlorn and all alone, like orphans, in the sun.
WHOOOO!!!!… WHOOOO!!!!… The horn boomed again, closer and they could see the old ferryboat preparing to dock. Jack rose and kissed her, holding her tight, as if that would make all the bad news fall away. But it was of no use. It was Friday and time to leave.
“Jack, I will say my goodbyes here, if you don’t mind. I hate goodbyes. Please don’t be angry with me. I got this for you. Open it on the ferry, okay?”
He looked down at the small white box with gold lettering on top.
She touched the Celtic cross he gave her many years earlier. “It is just a remembrance of us while we are apart.”
He put the box in his pocket and took a deep breath; the pain in her eyes told him what she was feeling. He knew how she felt… his heart was breaking as well. He was in love for only the second time in his life and now he was about to leave.
She clutched his hand tight and then flung her arms around him. “Jack, I love you. I never thought…”
He placed his finger gently on her lips. “Ravenna, I am leaving, but understand I have missed you and loved you my entire life. I am not about to give you up after having found you again. After Australia, I will come back here, for you, for us. I will write my book here or we can travel, anything, just as long as we are together.”
WHOOOO!!!!… WHOOOO!!!!…WHOOOO!!!!… WHOOOO!!!!… The ferry again sounded its impatient horn.
“You must go. Please…”
“I love you, Ravenna… I…”
“I love you, too, Jack, more than I can bear. Goodbye, Jack.” The trickle of tears became a torrent down her cheeks as she watched him walk away. “I love you, Jack,” she whispered to herself. “Be safe.”
He trudged down the hill. The walk seemed to take longer that day. When he reached the very bottom, he turned to look up at her and waved goodbye.
She waved back and he was soon out of sight, lost in the throng of passengers rushing to get off of the ferry and make their way into town. Crowds of people were waiting in line with luggage and children to board the impatient ferry and make their way to neighboring islands.
“Goodbye, Ravenna,” he said to himself, walking toward the old rusted ferry. He was no longer afraid of the water or of boats; he had learned much in a week on this small idyllic island. He had learned to love again.
He saw a man pushing a wheelchair down the dock and starting up the hill. He recognized the man in chair from the photo Ravenna had shared with him; he knew at once it was Trevor. The man looked weak, and Jack was suddenly proud of Ravenna for her commitment to taking care of him.
Once aboard the creaky old ferryboat, he opened the small white box with gold Greek lettering on the top. It was an intricate gold medallion of Saint George the Dragon Slayer, hanging from a thin gold chain. Although Saint Nicholas was the official patron saint of Greece, Saint George was the unofficial one. Jack slid the chain around his neck and imagined Ravenna’s hands caressing him.
The ferry sounded its horn and pushed away from the pier, making headway toward the other islands and then finally on to Mykonos. Jack went to the rear of the ferry and watched the island melt away in the distance. God how he missed her already. His eyes were transfixed on the hilltop hotel. He turned away, unable to watch her slip away even if only for a few short months.
“Goodbye, my love,” he said to her in barely a whisper. When he turned he came face-to-face with Kraken and one of his Albanian cohorts.
“Hey, big American guy. You get kick off island too? You and red-haired bombshell cost me and my men good job. She and her body, oh so sweet. But you messed me up and cost me good money.” He laughed crookedly, showing his rotting teeth.
Jack was in no mood for his shenanigans today. “Spit it out, Kraken, you little creep, what do you want?”
He reached inside his old torn jacket and pulled out his knife, holding it low and pointed it at Jack’s stomach. “I want all you money, creep. And I’ll take that gold medal around your neck, too, that’s what. Ha, ha, ha!” The two hooligans stood side by side with their backs to the ship’s railing.
Jack walked forward. They did not expect this, they just wanted his money. They didn’t want any trouble. The duo did not know how to respond to his actions. They slowly backed up, one step at a time, as Jack moved forward.
Kraken raised his knife, moving it above his head.
“Yes,” Jack asked of them, “is that all you want? Don’t you want to cut me, Kraken, big man? Huh, Kraken? Don’t you want to take a stab at an American? Huh?”
They continued to back up until their retreat was stopped by the rear railing of the boat. All they wanted now was to get away from this crazy American. Kraken flashed the knife in Jack’s direction while the other one waved his hands at Jack trying to move him back and away from them. They did not know what to make of Jack. The churning sea water from the boat’s propellers was just behind them.
They stopped, having nowhere else to retreat to. “Enough!” Kraken told him. Again, he pointed his knife at Jack’s stomach. “Just give me you money and medal, now. Give it to me!” The other one nodded in agreement, emboldened by Kraken’s knife and acting brave.
“Okay, okay,” Jack told them. “I will give it to you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his hand, empty. Their eyes widened as Jack moved forward and pushed them backward, sending them tumbling into the water. They yelled as they hit the sea. Others on the ship watched them while they shouted and struggled to tread water in the wake of the old ferryboat. They began to yell and shake their fists at Jack as they swam back toward shore.
The ferryboat blasted its final goodbyes to the small tropical island of Petros. Jack turned to look back at paradise and the whitewashed hotel at the top of the hill as it retreated in the distance.
This was the place that felt more like home than anyplace he’d ever been before. When would he see Ravenna again? Jack already missed her so. These thoughts invaded his mind as the boat chugged its way to Mykonos. Maybe time would give him the answer. Maybe… Jack had a lot of maybes on his troubled mind today.
The red, purple, and yellow flowering vines of Petros wept and waved their fragrant branches goodbye to Jack while the ferryboat pulled away, its brackish smoke tumbling from its smokestack into the clear Aegean sky.