Page 31 of The Greek Villa

It’s so beautiful inside the park, with tall trees and grasses surrounding a large lake, the sound of birdsong gently trilling in the trees. Sofia has bought a small scooter out for Jason and he whizzes along the footpath ahead of us so fast that she often has to call out to him to wait. After ambling along the lakeside in the beautiful sunshine, we arrive at a picnic area of wooden tables shaded by trees, where Phoebe produces a Tupperware box filled with cold meats and olives, along with bread, and some cheese and spinach parcels and sets out the picnic. The sound of water can be heard from a small waterfall rushing over some rocks.

‘Gosh this is lovely, it’s like being in the middle of a forest,’ I remark.

‘It is a lovely way to switch off I think after a busy week, after this we can walk through the botanical area. There are so many different plants, medicinal ones too,’ Sofia informs me.

‘We have some lovely parks in England, of course, but we don’t often get this kind of weather to enjoy them.’

‘I cannot imagine the sun not shining, especially in the summer,’ says Sofia. ‘The winter can be wet though, which is of course the reason for all these glorious plants.’ She glances around at palm trees, lush plants with colourful flowers, and tall, leafy shrubs.

We dine on delicious food, and I bring out the cakes from Thea’s bakery, which are gratefully received. Jason’s eyes light up, but Sofia tells him he can enjoy cake only after he has eaten some of the picnic food.

When we finish, Jason gleefully eats his sponge cake with the jelly sweet on top, before Phoebe takes him to the water’s edge to feed the ducks with some leftover bread.

‘Are you married?’ I find myself asking Sofia as we sip lemonade, wondering why her husband isn’t accompanying her on a Sunday visit to the park.

‘Yes, but my husband works shifts,’ she explains. ‘He is an ambulance driver, and sometimes he is required to work on a Sunday. But I am used to it now.’ She shrugs. ‘I guess people get sick every day of the week, but the job pays quite well.’

‘Do you go out to work?’ I ask her.

‘I used to. But you know, when Jason was born I decided to stay at home until he went to school. I was thinking of returning to work, he has now just started, but then…’ She rolls her hand over her stomach.

‘You’re pregnant?’

‘Almost three months. My grandmother is superstitious, so probably would not tell you yet. Next week, three months pass, so I am sure she will let you know then.’

‘I’m so happy for you.’

‘Thank you, Claudia. I am happy you move next to my grandmother, she gets a little lonely since my grandfather hasdied and doesn’t have a lot of close friends, although she does chat to the neighbours. She is no longer friends with Eliza across the road.’

‘Yes, I’ve seen her outside her house and we have waved to each other, but we haven’t officially met.’

Just then, Phoebe returns from the lake with Jason, so Sofia changes the subject and once more I wonder why the two women are no longer on speaking terms.

An hour later, having taken another stroll, we make our way back to the car park.

‘Thank you for inviting me today, I’ve had such a lovely time,’ I say as we drive back towards Roda. Jason is playing with a little windmill I bought him from the café shop in the park after we had nipped in to use the loo.

‘That was very kind of you,’ Sofia says as we drive. ‘He can plant it in his garden for when the wind blows. It will remind him of the sea near his great-grandmother’s house.’

Arriving back in the village, Sofia heads inside to have tea with her grandmother and I thank her once more, before nipping next door to check on progress, but there is no one to be found.

‘Hello,’ I call throughout the building, my voice bouncing off the empty walls. Walking into the kitchen area, I come face to face with Dimitri and almost jump out of my skin.

‘Oh, my goodness, I thought there was no one here.’ I can hear my own heart thumping through my chest.

‘Would that be a good thing, as you are paying us to do a job?’ He smiles.

‘No, I guess not, but you did say you would only be here for the morning. Where are Yiannis and the boys?’ I ask.

‘The boys would never work on a Sunday,’ Dimitri tells me, as he wipes his hands on a rag. ‘I persuaded Yiannis to come in fora few hours this morning whilst his wife visits church. He must be home for the family meal though, or his life will not be worth living.’ He smiles.

‘Of course, I’d almost forgotten. Maybe it’s because Sundays are not really days of rest back home, although I guess builders don’t work on a Sunday there either. Honestly, thanks, I really appreciate you being here,’ I tell him gratefully.

Glancing upwards, I can see more wooden beams crisscrossing the ceiling and that it is almost finished. ‘I can’t believe I never even questioned you being here today, it being Sunday. Thank you. I owe you a drink,’ I say brightly.

‘Okay. I know somewhere nice,’ says Dimitri, wrapping some tools in a canvas cloth.

‘What, right now?’

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