‘Thank you,’ Naomi uttered, ending the call. The air of celebration and jollity morphed into a monotonous buzz in her ears like a high-volt battery, or a pylon on a damp day. Darkness hovered at the corners of her eyes, then spread rapidly. She tried to stand, but her knees buckled and the real world shrank away.
Angelos and Konstantinos were at her side. ‘Mama!’ They lifted her off the pavement. Someone brought a chair. Someone else wafted a document folder over her face, and yet another person tried to give her a glass of water.
Naomi pulled back and dropped her head into her hands. ‘Costa is safe,’ she sobbed. ‘Your father, they found him. He was knocked unconscious, taken to hospital, but he’s fine now. He’s in the airport, arriving home in a couple of hours.’
‘What a relief, Mama!’ Angelos said, spreading his arms and enfolding his mother. ‘How is he?’
Naomi, trembling, couldn’t speak. Angelos was as tall as Costa. She pressed her head against her son’s chest and felt the strength of him around her. ‘He’s fine,’ she whispered.
‘Thank goodness. We’ve all been out of our minds with worry. I’ve been desperate to speak to him. What happened to his phone?’
‘I don’t know. Are you all right now?’
Angelos nodded. ‘Konstantinos is refusing to accept anything bad could have happened. He kept saying there must be a simple explanation. It’s his way of dealing with it, that’s all.’
‘It’s such a relief, I can’t tell you,’ Naomi said.
Rebecca joined them and hugged her sister tightly. ‘It’s been an awful strain, hasn’t it? Bubba’s stroke, me, the court case, and Costa going missing. I just don’t understand how you’ve coped.’
Naomi struggled to keep it together. Their eyes met and she nodded.
Rebecca gently coaxed her sister. ‘Come on, the time has come to step away for an hour, walk around the city, and let everyone look after themselves.’
‘I can’t do that. Costa will be home soon. The boy’s laundry needs to go in the machine, so it’s dry for Cyprus. There’s Bubba to settle. I haven’t even organised the food for this evening.’
‘Come on, relax Naomi. They’re adults. They’ll be fine without you for an hour, trust me. Your absence won’t make much difference in the big scheme of things, but if it does, you’ll be appreciated all the more when we get back,’ she said softly. ‘I’m so proud to be your sister, Naomi.’
‘Give me a hug, will you?’ After a few moments, Naomi straightened. ‘Sorry about that.’ She escaped Rebecca’s arms, sniffed, and scrabbled around her handbag for a tissue.
‘Not a problem at all. Now, when was the last time you were in Town?’
‘I don’t know, six, maybe nine, months back.’
‘Well, come on then. Let’s get an ice cream and walk for a while.’ She turned to their group of supporters. ‘Look at your friends and neighbours. They are all fine people, and as for Angelos and Konstantinos, they’re your sons, I’m sure they’ll take control of everything.’
‘We certainly will, Aunty Rebecca. Go on, Mama, have a break,’ Angelos said. ‘You deserve it.’ He kissed Naomi’s cheeks and gave her another hug. ‘You’re amazing. We’re very proud of you.’
Konstantinos peered at his mother as if seeing her for the first time. ‘Sure, relax, Mama. I’ll book a table for supper, and we’ll take care of Bubba and Papa. If there’s a problem, we’ll text you, so go, and don’t worry.’
*
Rebecca linked arms with Naomi and they walked across from the courthouse to the seafront. Colourful boats bobbed side-by-side in Mandraki harbour. To their left stood the gothic cathedral of the Annunciation, and to their right, the causeway to St Nicholas lighthouse. On the pavement, under giant ficus-ficus trees with their smooth wide trunks and shiny leather leaves, handsome young men and women sold boat-trip tickets.
The sisters bought one-euro ice creams from a small promenade stall, and then sat on a bench to people-watch.
‘It was good of Fritz to come to the court. It can’t have been easy for him to sit there, knowing that his grandfather was responsible for so many deaths. Even though all this is nothing to do with him, he must have felt awkward.’
Rebecca nodded. ‘I can’t imagine how I’d feel in his situation, but I was pleased that he came to support us.’
The glass-bottom boat came in. Tourists in sundresses and shorts, with sun-burnt shoulders and wide smiles, queued to get off. ‘I’ve always wanted to do that,’ Naomi said.
Rebecca grinned, ‘Then before I go back, we shall go on a boat, Cinderella!’ They laughed together. ‘Come on, let’s walk into the old town. I should buy something nice for Fritz. And you know what, I’d like to see where our great-grandpa had his tailor’s shop.’
They entered the Old Town by Freedom Gate, and walked though imposing walls that were forty-feet-thick in places, and dated back to 1330.
‘I can hardly believe we own a piece of this world heritage site. It’s absolutely amazing, isn’t it?’ Rebecca said.
Naomi nodded. ‘And stunningly beautiful, don’t you think?’
They took in the Temple of Aphrodite on their left, the decorative Arts Museum on their right, and opposite that, the Byzantine Museum. They turned into the Street of the Knights, treading the cobblestones and admiring the inns and residences of the Knights of Saint John. Carved sandstone architecture, clearly influenced by various countries such as Spain, Italy and France, lined their way. At the top of the street, they stopped to stare at the Palace of the Grand Masters, then carried on to browse souvenir shops and café-bars that lined the tourist’s way.
They passed the dusty-pink domed building of Suleiman’s Mosque. Naomi nodded at it. ‘Remember the Turkish Consul, all the lives he saved? What a brave man.’ They continued in silence, each with their thoughts of Bubba’s diaries, until they arrived at the Gate of Saint John.
‘Dora and Irini came through here with their belongings, didn’t they?’ Rebecca stared at the road over the moat.
Returning to Freedom Gate, they stopped in Jewish Martyrs’ Square. ‘Look, I don’t want to rush this,’ Naomi said. ‘I can imagine many hundreds of women and children gathering here, the whole wretched situation. The Rhodians hiding behind their shutters, watching Jewish families leave.’ She peered at the buildings, all tavernas or tourist shops now. ‘I’d like to go into the Jewish Museum and the Synagogue and find our family’s property, but I need to get back to Costa. It’s been lovely, Rebecca, but I’m starting to fret.’
‘No, that’s fine, don’t worry. It will be interesting to see how everyone’s coped without you.’
They both laughed.
*
Spartili Street was deserted, Naomi’s house empty. Suddenly afraid her grandmother had suffered a relapse, she called Angelo. Bubba answered. ‘Where are you?’ Naomi asked.
Bubba giggled. ‘I’m in one of those pop bars, drinking beer and eating a burger, child. But I’ll get Angelos to bring me home for a nap before we go for dinner. Costa’s here. Do you want a word?’
‘Naomi, love. Are you feeling better? They told me you needed a little space after all that happened. I can’t wait to see you,’ Costa said. ‘I’m coming home right away.’
‘I’m so relieved you’re okay, darling; the boys are too. Are they both with you? Wish I was there, but . . . Bubba’s in a bar?’ Naomi stuttered.
‘And loving it. I can’t wait to have you to myself, Naomi.’
‘You sure you’re okay, Costa? I mean, concussion, should you even be drinking?’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll be back in ten minutes.’
Naomi hung up and turned to her sister. ‘Bubba’s in a bar, swigging beer and eating burgers with your husband, my husband, and our sons, I can hardly believe it!’
‘Before you know, she’ll be smoking pot,’ Rebecca quipped.
‘She’s already done that, right?’ Naomi said and they both laughed.