Page 120 of Villa of Secrets

The moment I was outside, I sat on a low wall in the shade of a grand walnut tree, opened the letter, and skimmed down the lines until I came to the sentence that had torn me apart. I read on.

I am twenty now, Dora, but I’m not as strong as I was. I was poorly when the British rescued me from Auschwitz, weighing twenty-six kilos and too weak to walk. Another day in that place and I would have perished. We were down to one kilo of bread every three days, and water that turnips had been boiled in.

I believe everyone else in our family has gone to God, apart from you and Evangelisa. Please tell me I’m mistaken! Tell me you have heard from somebody else! I thought about you often, and dreamed I would return to Paradissi and sit with you at a table laden with mountains of food.

I listened to your wonderful singing in my head, and remembered your laughter when Papa tickled you until you couldn’t breathe. Those dreams kept me alive. Thank you for that. You saved my life.

I’m too tired to go on, but I’ll write again soon.

Your loving brother,

Jacob.

My poor dear family. I had been cheated by hope. They were gone, snatched away when they had full lives to live. And I never hugged them. And I never told them how much I loved them. And I never said ‘Goodbye.’

Sonia fell asleep in the pram as I pushed her home. I parked her in the shady courtyard. Tears were streaming down my face and I didn’t care who saw them.

Why was life so cruel?

A pair of swallows had started building a nest under the tiles over the front door. I watched them for a moment flitting in with beaks full of mud, plastering their cup-shaped nest in the eaves.

The priest’s wife came over with a bowl of soup. ‘They’re dead, Mrs Spanaki! All but Jacob! I wish I was dead too, then I’d be with them in heaven.’

‘Now, now, Dora,’ she said, ‘that’s not the way. You must be strong for Sonia, and you have to represent all your family to your child. She needs grandparents, a father, aunts, uncles, cousins. You have a big role to play and your loved ones would expect nothing less. Don’t let them down. If you do, they will have died in vain.’

At first, I was angry. I wanted to spit some clever quip back at her, but as her words sank in, I realised she was right.

The swallows returned and continued their nest building, preparing for a family – preparing for the future.

*

‘I’m better, Doctor, thank you,’ I said. ‘I replied to Jacob’s letter, but I think it’s time I read the rest of his correspondence.’

Doctor Michalis pulled my lower eyelids down and peered into my eyes. ‘Are you sure, Dora? Perhaps it would be advisable to wait a while.’

‘I’m starting to fret, Doctor. Withholding them is doing me more harm than good. I don’t want to get poorly again, and I promise you that if they’re too awful, I’ll put them aside until I am stronger.’

His eyes flicked to the desk drawer. After a pause, when the antiseptic smell of his surgery had become almost unbearable, he said, ‘All right but only if you give me your word you’ll be cautious.’

‘I will, I swear.’ I laid my hand on my heart.

He handed me the mail, warning me to take it slowly.

I rushed to the bakery for a loaf, then continued home. After feeding Sonia, I settled her down for a nap.

My stomach growled, but the letters seemed to call my name. I made a strong coffee, remembered the bread in the pram basket, and broke off a chunk.

My insides trembled as I tore open the second letter, understanding that Jacob’s words would probably break my heart.

Chapter 50

A week before the court case, Naomi opened the top half of the door. Morning sunlight streamed into the kitchen. Bubba dozed in her chair. Rebecca and Fritz had returned to London but were due back in Rhodes any day. Naomi longed to hear all the baby news. She put the boys’ washing in the machine, and started mixing a new batch of cream. Orders had risen dramatically, thanks to Marina’s blog, and Naomi was having trouble keeping up.

‘Yoo-hoo!’

She looked up to see Heleny’s beaming face peer through the top of the front door. ‘Shush . . . Bubba’s asleep. Come in, Heleny,’ she said. ‘Sorry, I can’t stop stirring.’

Heleny glanced at Bubba resting in her chair. She unlatched the bottom of the stable door and sidled into the kitchen which immediately felt cramped. ‘Sounds interesting. What is it?’