Page 94 of The Cruise Club

Carmen was amazed at the change in Betty, who once again wore her delicate pink pearls, a brightly patterned bathing suit and enormous designer sunglasses, and had recently learned to swim.

‘Holden and I shall carry on cruising, of course,’ Betty continued, ‘especially while my visa sorts itself out,’ she said and sipped a key lime Martini that Holden had expertly prepared. He moved attentively between them, refilling glasses, and Carmen couldn’t help but smile when she noticed the pineapple emblem on Holden’s cap.

Noting her daughter’s expression, Betty leaned closer. ‘I don’t bother with all that sort of stuff,’ she confided, ‘but I can’t deny Holden his occasional bit offun.’

From her desk by the open window of her balcony, Carmen gazed thoughtfully at the branches of a fir tree, swaying in the breeze, as she remembered her time in Venice. She hoped her mother would find lasting happiness with Holden in their golden years, sharing morning coffee on their sunlit terrace or watching sunsets over the Gulf.

After all, everyone deserved a chance at happiness. Even Betty.

When Carmen and Betty had returned from theirDiamond Starcruise, the house in Butterly sold quickly. Holden had proposed to Betty on the last night of the cruise and Betty, without hesitation, accepted.

‘You’ll have a tidy sum from the proceeds of the sale, and I’ll be glad to see the back of it,’ Betty generously said. ‘I don’t need much, Holden has more than enough to support me. You can begin a new life.’

Though Desbett House was outdated, the land appealed to a local developer eager to build six modern homes on the site. With Betty now settled in Florida, Carmen took on the task of packing up the house before the sale was finalised. Betty had no interest in bringing memories to America, and Carmen found it surprisingly easy to part with their possessions.

‘It’s all just stuff,’ she reminded herself, sorting through the 1970s kitchen as she placed a macramé plant hanger and a set of Pyrex dishes into the growing charity shop pile.

On a cold, rainy day, Carmen boarded a plane with nothing more than her suitcases of new clothes and herlaptop. She felt a wave of liberation as she left Butterly behind to begin the next chapter of her life.

When her flight touched down in Kefalonia, Carmen rented a car and drove to the village of Maxos. She headed straight to the Villa Galini, the adorable property overlooking the beach and the place she’d dreamed of since her visit to the island on theDiamond Starcruise. To Carmen’s absolute joy, it was still for sale and the owners were agreeable to Carmen’s offer on the charming three-storey Villa Galini. They agreed to rent it to Carmen while the sale was finalised.

To Carmen’s further delight, she discovered that Theo was in Maxos, and the moment he heard she was there too, he rushed to see her.

‘Where are you staying?’ Carmen asked when they reunited.

‘I have a cramped space above the bar at Jimmy’s, it’s not ideal but it’s impossible to find anywhere during the summer months, in this tiny village, that isn’t already booked.’

‘Why don’t you take the top floor of Villa Galini,’ Carmen offered. ‘There’s plenty of room and it will give you peace and space to finish your memoirs.’

Theo agreed that Villa Galini was roomier and far quieter than the bar and moved in the next day. Carmen was thrilled to have her friend nearby and enjoyed his company during their breaks from writing.

Maxos turned out to be everything that Carmen had dreamed of.

As the weeks passed, she grew to love the quaint village even more. After her daily swim at the horseshoe-shapedbeach, Carmen would head into the village square, where she was greeted by the woman who owned the gift shop, and spent hours sweeping needle-shaped leaves from the cobbles outside her business. At the bakery, Carmen chose her favourite koulouri, a sesame-covered bread, before selecting provisions from the tiny mini market, where the open-air counter displayed sun-kissed produce and towering crates spilt over with deep red tomatoes, bright yellow lemons, bundles of fragrant herbs, figs and earthy potatoes.

She cherished the simple pleasures, flinging wide the bright blue shutters of the house, watering the terracotta pots on her balconies, brimming with vibrant oleander, and waving to the sleepy honey seller who napped daily on the bench below her window. When awake, he stared down the passing tourists until they handed over fifteen euros for a jar of his golden treasure.

‘That’s inflation for you,’ Theo quipped, one sunny afternoon, as he and Carmen sat on the patio of her home, sipping wine and watching the old man. Theo caressed the gold cuff on his wrist and leaned back in his chair. ‘You can’t stop the world from turning.’

Suddenly, a voice called out, startling them both.

‘Kalimári!’ the voice called out again, louder this time.

‘It can’t be…’ Carmen whispered, gripping the wrought iron railing as she peered down the lane.

‘Kalimári! Oi! Anyone there? Squid! Squid!’

‘Kaliméra Fran!’ Carmen and Theo shouted together, rushing to meet their unexpected visitors.

Carmen laughed with delight as she embraced Fran andSid. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ she exclaimed, pulling back to stare at them both.

‘We’re off on another cruise and flew into Kefalonia last night,’ Fran said with a chuckle. ‘As members of The Cruise Club, we thought we’d take advantage of the wonderful offers.’ She unbuttoned the waistband of her shorts and collapsed onto a chair. ‘Blimey, it’s a scorcher today!’ she added.

‘Aye, we thought we’d surprise you,’ Sid added, grinning as he shook Theo’s hand. ‘Got a taxi here with Debbie.’

‘Debbie?’ Carmen asked, eyebrows raised. ‘But where’s Don?’

‘Oh, you really must keep up, dear,’ Fran said, fanning herself dramatically. ‘She kicked Don into touch ages ago and moved out of their marital home. We left her at the Psaro Taverna, down by the harbour, where she’s pestering Spiros for a job.’

---