Villa of secrets, p.13
Villa of Secrets, page 13
I told her about him kissing me, and how I hated it when our teeth clashed together. ‘I’ve decided I don’t want to kiss another boy. I found it quite horrible.’
She turned over and gently stroked my face. ‘You’re doing it wrong, Dora. Be soft and gentle, like this.’
Irini kissed me delicately on the lips. Her breath like a hundred butterflies dancing over my face. I found her mouth much more pleasurable than anything else I had experienced. Then she kissed me a little longer and held me against her.
Before a minute had passed, I was kissing her back and I sensed she enjoyed the practice as much as I did. Comfortable in Irini’s embrace, with my body pressed against hers, I relaxed and allowed my mind to drift over all that had happened that day.
I thought about Papa, and my brothers, and poor Mama and her bad legs. Proud Granny with her mischevious smile. Grandpa and his painful lumbago, and Aunt Martha with her perfect makeup and her fine hairnet. Misery and despair filled every part of my body and I found myself crying for all those that I loved so much.
‘I’m afraid, Irini.’
She held me tightly while I sobbed into the crook of her neck.
‘It will be all right,’ she whispered. ‘I promise. Don’t fret now.’
In the darkness of that awful night, I wondered if the shepherd boy was correct, and my loving family were in for a horrible time. Were they really gone from my life forever? I refused to accept they’d be killed. Giovanni was a liar. Oh, Papa, what shall I do? My tears rose again and I sobbed in Irini’s arms.
‘What’s the matter? Is your arm hurting a lot?’ she asked gently.
I whispered my worst thoughts, that our families might be put to death in a Nazi prison. She started crying for her parents and her sister, Eva, too. She pleaded with me to tell her everything I’d experienced, and all about her family as I’d seen them in L’Aeronautica. She even made me describe what they wore, right down to her mother’s shoes.
I woke in the night with my arms around Irini. We fit together like two spoons. I felt I was holding my entire family and I recalled each in turn, the unique things about them, individual qualities, and special moments we had shared. How could I get used to the idea that I’d never see them again? Giovanni was wrong. I kissed Irini between her shoulder blades and pressed my cheek against her back. My loved ones would return – they had to.
*
This night seems endless. I clung to my friend and stared into the dark for a long time, afraid of all that the dawn might bring for those I loved. Unable to go back to sleep, I slipped out of bed, lit the oil lamp, and finished writing the events of this terrible day. I have to find a way to help my family. I don’t know how, but there must be something I can do.
Chapter 19
‘Yoo-hoo!’ Heleny hurried down the street.
Naomi stood and shoved the diary under her seat cushion.
‘Is anyone here yet? Am I late?’
‘No, you’re fine. I’ve put paper and pencils on the table. I’ve made iced tea and plated your lovely shortbreads for refreshments; have I forgotten anything?’ A Shiver of excitement raced through her. Where would this lead? Then the futility of it all took over. ‘Heleny, I’m wasting everyone’s time. The truth is I haven’t the money to start a business.’
‘Well, in that case, you’ll just have to go after that job in the sex shop.’
They looked at each other and laughed.
‘Poor Georgia, I simply can’t help winding her up,’ Naomi said.
‘Poor nothing, she loves it. Why don’t you put your products out, samples for everyone to try?’
‘Good idea. By the way, here’s your new perfume. No Man’s Land.’ She dabbed a little on Heleny’s wrist. ‘What do you think?’
Heleny sniffed, frowned, and smiled. ‘Unusual, but not unpleasant. I’ll give it a go and let you know the result.’ She reached out and touched Naomi’s arm. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s me who owes you thanks for organising this brainstorming. I’m quite nervous about it.’
‘Naomi!’ Bubba, who had slept most of the day, started giving orders. ‘Get me into that nice cardigan you bought me for Hanukkah. I want to look good for your business meeting.’
Naomi and Heleny exchanged a grin. They rushed into Bubba’s room and smartened her up.
‘Lipstick!’ Bubba cried.
Naomi applied her peach lip balm.
‘Heleny, pass the scissors,’ Bubba said. ‘Now, cut this bloody plait off! Chop it straight along the back of my neck, I can’t wait for the hairdresser’s.’
When the deed was done, she asked for a mirror and nodded at her reflection, fluffing her hair with her good hand. ‘Smashing! Get me to the table before anyone else comes. I don’t want to come across as an invalid. Let’s have a splash of your sexy perfume, child, and a large glug of wine to start the ideas flowing.’
Naomi blinked at her. ‘Sometimes you astound me.’ Minutes later they raised their glasses in a toast.
‘To Pandora’s Box,’ Heleny said, and they chinked.
Papas Yiannis and Marina arrived, followed by Georgia. They gathered around the table and Naomi explained the reason for the meeting. Heleny said they should do it properly and she would keep the minutes. The priest asked about finances. Georgia suggested household products that Naomi should consider, such as lavender pillows and wardrobe sachets to repel moths.
‘Can I say something else?’ Georgia picked up a pot of cream. ‘Pandora’s products, shouldn’t they be in a square container? Like Pandora’s Box?’
‘Good point,’ Naomi said. ‘What do you think, Marina?’
The priest’s granddaughter seemed slightly startled. She shrugged. ‘I don’t know . . .’
‘You mustn’t be shy,’ Heleny said. ‘You’re young, and you took business studies, so your thoughts will interest us all.’
‘I . . . I don’t like to say.’ She stared at the table top. ‘I love the perfume and the idea, but it all seems old fashioned and a bit boring, actually. Sorry.’
Everyone blinked at her, slightly embarrassed.
Naomi broke the silence. ‘No, that’s great. Exactly what we need to hear.’ She patted Marina’s hand. ‘Keep going. What would you do if it was your business?’ She glanced around the table. ‘It’s the young that have money to spend, so we have to recognise what appeals to them.’
Marina nodded. ‘I don’t understand why you want a shop. It seems mad. You should have a website, and a blog, and do makeup videos for YouTube. You could have online launch parties for new products, record wild flower walks and talk about essential oils, and get your range into the local chemists. Or consider direct selling on a large scale, like to some cosmetic companies. Why restrict yourself with the work, expense, and limited location of physical premises?’
They all stared at her.
‘Sorry . . . sorry,’ she muttered.
‘No, that’s great!’ Naomi noticed a flash of pride in the priest’s eyes. ‘But I’m not sure I’d be able to cope with the Internet stuff.’
‘Why not take on a partner who’s good at that sort of thing?’ Marina said. ‘That would leave you free to continue with what you excel at: the products. I’d work full time for forty per cent of the net.’
Naomi’s mouth fell open.
‘Think of it like this,’ Marina carried on, bolder now. ‘The more we earn, the more I make. It would be in my interest to do everything I can to boost the business. The first thing I’d do is go to the bee museum, get them to display your products, and cut a deal for beeswax and honey, and anything else you use that comes out of the hive. It’s all very well using the broken church candles, but you need to be able to cost a product properly in order to price it correctly.’ She glanced around the table and, seeing she had everyone’s attention, she continued. ‘On the downside, there is a lot to be paid for in advance to set up any business.’
Naomi absorbed all this and could see Marina was right. ‘How do you mean, that last point about money?’
‘Well, if you wish to expand outside Rhodes and your local friends, there’s testing, shelf life, and patenting to deal with, all essential, expensive, but necessary to get your range into the big stores. You need a certified accountant to set up a limited company, and he’ll want paying. The biggest money eater of all is advertising.’
Naomi’s hopes plummeted.
‘No, don’t be disheartened,’ Marina continued. ‘You have the most important thing, the first line of products. It’s just a case of taking one hurdle at a time. There’s no timescale for going global is there? It is simply the ultimate goal.’ They all stared at her and she faltered. ‘Naomi, I may have a degree in Business Studies, but I can’t advise you on everything. I’m only a shop girl selling shoes to earn a monthly wage. But I’m sure of this, we need money, a backer. There are people out there looking for new lines, and there’s funding on the Internet.’ She picked up a little pot of lip gloss. ‘Did you know that Greek women spend more on cosmetics than any other country in Europe?’
They all shook their heads.
‘Anyway, in my opinion the name is brilliant. It covers all angles.’
‘How do you mean?’ Naomi asked.
‘Well, Pandora’s Box, the whole mythology thing, gives you the perfect titles for various categories. The Graces, there’s a tag for your mature skin range. Perfume, Aphrodite. Aftershave, Zeus. Helios, sun creams and lotions. Evil has to be the young makeup line – black eyes and dark lipstick. You don’t have to stick to the actual legend, just hint at it.’
‘But I can’t produce things like mascara,’ Naomi said.
‘No, but the Chinese can. We have a lot to talk about, and even more to research, but first, I’d like to suggest a target: five years to get Pandora’s Box into a major supermarket.’ She looked at each in turn. ‘What do you think?’ Stunned silence filled the room.
A thrill raced through Naomi.
The old lady was the first to speak. She nodded at Pappas Yiannis. ‘This granddaughter of yours isn’t just a pretty face. She’s got a brain too.’
Naomi tried to consider all that Marina had suggested. ‘But what on earth could I blog about? I’ve lived here all my life. I’m not in the least bit interesting.’
‘Sorry, but you’re wrong, Naomi,’ Marina said. She glanced around the table again, and seeing all eyes on her she seemed to grow a little. ‘Actually, you’re amazing. I’d be fascinated to hear how you started, where your recipes came from, what improvement certain ingredients bring about. What’s behind the name “Pandora”? I want to know everything, and others will too. Using basic and pure ingredients is a bonus; people don’t like chemicals on their skin. You’ve got heaps going for you.’
Naomi felt a spark of hope. ‘Thirty-five per cent, and you have yourself a deal, Marina!’ she said.
They shook hands across the table.
Everyone clapped and nodded, and Marina beamed at her new partner.
‘Contract!’ Bubba said, primping her hair. ‘As the founder of this business, before anything goes any further, I insist all agreements are put down in writing by Heleny, signed and witnessed.’
Heleny turned to the back of her minutes notebook and started scribbling.
Marina said, ‘Let’s get the ball rolling right now. Open a Facebook page for Pandora’s Box.’
‘I’m not on Facebook.’
Georgia got up and collected Naomi’s laptop from the kitchen counter. ‘You’ll have one in five shakes, Naomi. Budge up so I can sit beside you.’
‘I seem to be redundant,’ the priest said. ‘Shall I pour everyone a drink before I go?’
‘Just a moment, Grandpa. We need two witnesses for the contract, and there’s only you and Georgia that aren’t involved.’
The meeting went on until evening. When the brainstormers had returned to their homes, Naomi and Bubba were peculiarly quiet, each with her thoughts. Once Naomi had put her grandmother to bed, she experienced a wave of exhaustion and decided on an early night herself.
She woke at dawn and, as had become a habit, made her coffee and sat outside with the diary, eager to see the sunrise and learn more about Bubba’s life.
Chapter 20
Monday, 24 July 1944
It has been another difficult day but, thanks to the shepherd boy, I may be able to help my family. I woke from a deep sleep at daybreak. The hut was in darkness and, for a moment, I was confused with no memory of where I was or who I was with. Filled with panic that the knowledge I needed might somehow be kept from me, or that I had lost my mind, I bolted upright. Sweat dampened my face and my heart pounded against my ribs.
The pain in my wrist brought the horrible events of Sunday back to me.
I slid out from between the warm bodies of Irini and Evangelisa and saw the diary still lay on the table next to the oil lamp, after my midnight scribblings. Not wanting Evangelisa to read what had happened to our family, I slid the journal under the mattress before I crept outside the hut.
The atmosphere was moist and fresh, heavy with the perfume of pine, as if the island had been disinfected overnight. Dew covered the ground and hung like glass beads from the tips of leaves and wild flowers. I sat on the log, watching the forest wake. The air filled with birdsong. Insects with iridescent wings buzzed sleepily from one blossom to another hunting for nectar.
The sky became a watercolour of peach and pale grey. The sun and the Turkish mountains peeked over a ghostly veil of morning mist. The breeze shifted, the air suddenly drenched in the perfume from the crimson rose bush that rambled over our front door. The blooms hung, full and heavy, against dull, weathered planks. A recent fall of petals, fat and bright as fresh blood, covered the ground. They would soon shrivel, fade, and blow away. Forgotten.
I recalled planting that shrub with Mama; one of my earliest memories.
The rose bush had been little more than a twig. While I helped her stuff soil around its roots, Papa and Danial roasted a lamb over a pit. Mama glanced at them and laughed. ‘There’s something about men and fire, Dora. Look at those two, in their element. It doesn’t matter how advanced man gets; that bit of caveman never leaves.’
Daydreaming about it, I could smell the roasting meat, the oregano, and the pungent charcoal. Such a glorious day. Mama hasn’t laughed like that for a long time.
Sammie and Jacob collected snails, placing them in an old orange crate filled with sage. They’d feed on the herb for a week, before Mama cooked them. My brothers were teasing each other, Sammie trying to get a small snail to balance on Jacob’s nose. Jacob laughing and going cross-eyed watching it. Papa caught my eye, smiled broadly and winked. Even when I was that young, I loved him more than anybody.
As I reminisced, the sun appeared through the mist. A huge yellow ball that silhouetted a couple of hooded crows, croaking untunefully. I promised myself that when my family comes back, we’ll return to the hut, enjoy the scent of roses, roast a lamb, and eat together.
Giovanni and his dog broke through the bushes. How dare he kiss Irini?! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to speak to him.
‘I’ve brought you a lump of boiled mutton and half a loaf of heavy bread,’ he called holding out the bulging duffel. My resolution to be horrible waivered. I was so hungry my stomach gnawed at my ribs. The dog was huge. A comical short-haired creature, buttery yellow with black extremities. It seemed to be wearing an oversized head and paws, which suggested it was a pup. It loped around the shepherd boy, its tail curled along its back, and its wide face turned up, waiting for a command.
Giovanni drew a line in the air with his finger, and the dog immediately sat at his feet.
‘She’s Kopay, a Turkish sheepdog,’ he said. ‘Only a year old, so I have to be strict with her, see.’ He grabbed a handful of loose skin on Kopay’s neck. ‘Come forward and let her sniff your hand.’
I went to go down on my knees. ‘No! Always be above your dog, right? She could kill you in a moment. In Turkey, they protect the flock from bears three times your size.’
‘A real beast, then.’ I held out my arm, calmly. Animals sense fear, I understood that. Kopay snuffled my palm, dropped her head to one side and fidgeted back a step.
‘She respects you,’ Giovanni said.
‘That pleases me. What would I have done if she hadn’t?’
‘Climb the nearest tree.’ He laughed. ‘You should have a dog up here to warn you if anyone’s about.’
‘We haven’t enough food for ourselves. How would we manage an extra mouth to feed?’
I entered the hut and woke Irini and Evangelisa. Together, we pulled a small table to the edge of the bed and put knives, forks, and plates out as Mama would have done.
The shepherd boy produced a saddle needle and some gut and began fixing Evangelisa’s footwear. ‘I didn’t have time last night,’ he explained. ‘Had another flock to deliver.’ He set the shoe on a log in the hearth and used a flat stone to knock the needle through the leather. Evangelisa watched him, admiration shining from her eyes.
Frantic about my family, I kept seeing that picture of them in my head, crammed onto the dreadful ship.
‘Giovanni, are the ships still in the port? Is it possible to stop them leaving and set our families free?’
He shook his head, avoiding my eyes. ‘They’ve gone to Simi or Kos. They’re not coming back, get used to it,’ he said quietly, out of Evangelisa’s earshot.
‘No, I refuse to accept it. There must be something I can do!’ Poor Mama and Papa. At least my brothers were with them. I was confident Danial and Papa would take care of everyone. Hopefully, they’d find a way to escape together.
Evangelisa gawped at Giovanni with her cow eyes. She might be taller, and far more beautiful than me, but she can be very shallow and it’s embarrassing. Still, I must remember she’s only a girl, so I forgive her.
I glanced at Irini and, as if reading my thoughts, she rolled her eyes and said to Giovanni, ‘How do you know where the ships are going?’
‘One of the Andartes told me.’
