Page 46 of The Greek Villa

‘As far as I know, it was never his intention. Phoebe drove him crazy with her accusations. Some people say she drove the two of them together with her jealousy.’

‘I don’t believe that’s possible if two people really love each other, surely.’ I dismiss his idea.

‘If you love someone, surely you trust them though?’ He looks me in the eye. ‘Why didn’t Phoebe trust him? Without trust, there is nothing.’ He picks up a hammer and returns to his work.

I find a crazy, jealous woman hard to reconcile with the kind woman I have come to know these past few weeks.

‘Well, I can’t argue with that,’ I say. ‘Human relationships can be so complicated, there is no doubt about that.’

‘They don’t have to be. If two people love each other, then that should be enough,’ he states simply.

I’m about to reply, but the sound of his hammer blows tells me the conversation is over.

I think of Evie then, and how her marriage had slipped into the doldrums and wonder whether she may have acted on the attention from Kostas, if they had not decided to make more of an effort. Thank goodness they never threw everything away.

‘You still have to work at it. Love isn’t always enough,’ I mutter to myself as I finish up with a base unit.

He glances over at me then. ‘Did you say something?’

‘Nothing important.’

Dimitri persuades the young men to stay until ten o’clock this evening, and it’s just after eleven before he puts the finishing touches to the units himself, fastening the modern chrome handles onto the cream wooden doors.

‘I really can’t thank you enough for working so hard.’ I glance around at the cream kitchen with the granite worktops, and glossy sage-green splashbacks. We are sitting on the floor eating the pizza we ordered from a box and sipping bottled beer.

‘I told you I would. And before the midnight deadline. Maybe I will have a small lie-in tomorrow.’

‘I think you deserve that. You can start at nine fifteen.’

‘Slave-driver.’

I still have over a week of this visit left, and my spirits have been lifted by the installation of the kitchen. Knowing the roof is secured, as well as the ceiling in the lounge, is huge too. Exhaustion suddenly takes over, and I wish I could climb upstairs and crawl into bed in this very house.

Dimitri gets slowly to his feet.

‘I am grateful to be staying so nearby,’ he says. ‘I will let Prudence out for the night and take a shower before bed. But first I will walk you home.’

‘Really, there is no need.’ One thing I can say is that it feels perfectly safe around here, and the apartment is literally a few minutes’ walk away. ‘It’s been a long enough day for you already.’

‘I would feel better if I did,’ he insists.

‘Okay. If you insist.’

We walk quietly and outside my apartment he doesn’t linger, but says goodnight, and heads off.

It’s been a good day today, and I hope tomorrow will bring more of the same.

TWENTY-THREE

As I go inside, I can’t help wondering about Dimitri, and if he has a significant other. It’s a nice place to live, but I wonder if there is much opportunity for romance in the village, with the people he grew up with. Perhaps most head off to bigger towns and cities, but surely some remain, favouring the beach location and marrying someone they have known all their life? He has never mentioned a girlfriend, but then, why would he?

As the questions go around in my head, I wonder why I even care. But there is just something about Dimitri that gets into my head and makes me think of him, long after he leaves.

Counting down the days until I return home, I have to be realistic about the time frame for the build, especially after discovering the builders will be heading off soon to their summer jobs. But I am grateful to Dimitri and the effort he has put in, and at least the roof is on to protect the house from the elements.

I do worry a little about it standing empty, but remind myself that I have Phoebe to watch over the villa until the next time I can return, and didn’t Ria mention how the neighbours look out for each other? I have to put my trust in the people here andhope with all my heart that it won’t be too long before I return to my favourite island.

Three days later, most of the rendering on the rear walls has been completed and I have even managed to paint the garden gate and bench the Greek shade of blue that can be seen everywhere. A new door has been installed at the front of the house, as it was quite rotten, and is now a welcoming door with a bunch of dried sage tied around the door knocker, said to ward away evil spirits. I’m sitting glancing up at the stone stairs to the balcony, daydreaming, when Dimitri seems to tap into my thoughts.

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