Page 124 of Villa of Secrets

‘Difficult, yes, but I discovered the true worth of people. I came home alone and went into labour the night before the war ended. The old priest across the road and his wife helped deliver my baby. He was the nearest thing to a father since—’ Thinking of Papa, I filled with emotion and could not say more.

‘The priest . . . the Orthodox priest?!’ He looked aghast.

‘Without their help, I don’t know what I’d have done. They’ve been so kind to us both, and so have many of his parishioners.’

‘They’re Greeks, Dora. They hate us Jews. They sold us to the Germans and helped ship us off to Auschwitz. Never forget it!’

I shook my head. ‘They’re not all the same, Jacob. I promise you.’

‘I find it hard to believe. Nevertheless, it’s not for me to judge. If ever you want to talk about what happened, or need help, just say, Dora.’

I lowered my eyes, unable to look at him. ‘Thank you.’

25 October 1947

Dear Diary, today Giovanni came back! What am I to do?! Jacob and Sonia are asleep now, but I cannot rest. Over the years, I have found it helps me to cope if I write down my greatest problems and sorrows, so here I am again, pouring my heart into my journal.

Sonia scrambles onto Jacob’s knee at every opportunity. She adores him. I also love having him around, and I enjoy the freedom his presence gives me. This morning, he was out on the front courtyard, playing with Sonia, when I took the opportunity to escape to our small backyard. I had tomatoes to plant.

‘Dora!’ Jacob called through the house. ‘You have a visitor.’

My hands and fingernails were caked in mud. I gave them a thorough scrub under the outside tap. Jacob appeared in the yard with Sonia on his hip.

‘There’s a soldier out front. Wants to pay his respects.’

‘A soldier?’ My heart leapt! ‘Who is it?’ I dried my hands hurriedly. ‘What’s his name?’

Jacob shrugged. ‘No idea, he didn’t say. He asked for you. Sonia told him, “Mummy’s busy, so we have to be a good girl.” She wagged her finger at him, so funny.’

I rushed to the front of the house and peered up and down the street. ‘What did he look like, Jacob?’

‘Tall, strong, handsome. Dark, army-cut hair. He had a wide scar across his left eyebrow.’

‘Giovanni! Oh, Giovanni! Alive! Where is he?!’ I couldn’t say any more. From Jacob’s expression, he clearly understood.

I ran to the end of the street, but Giovanni had disappeared. Customers and shopkeepers were startled when I launched myself into one shop after another.

Where had he gone?

‘Giovanni, come back!’ I cried.

I raced home, put Sonia in her pushchair and hurried to the airport, a distance of three kilometres. The sun blazed down burning my bare arms, but I didn’t care. The pushchair hood shaded Sonia. My child had spoken to her father without realising it.

I believed Giovanni had the wrong impression; he had never seen Jacob and couldn’t know he was my brother. Nor did he know I had his baby. I’d dreamed of the day we’d be together again, prayed at night that he’d find me. My heart ached to place his baby in his arms, but that chance had passed. Sonia was growing quickly.

Each meal I cooked, I imagined Giovanni at the table. Everything I did, I wondered if Giovanni would approve. His ghost existed in my everyday life, and at night he filled my dreams and helped me to block the horrors of the war. With no chance of more family members returning, or Evangelisa, or sweet Irini, all my prayers lay with Giovanni. For him I always had hope.

Chapter 51

Naomi looked up from the diary. The banging had stopped. Damn, they’ve snuck out for a beer, she thought, but they hadn’t. ‘It’s too quiet down here,’ she said, coming down the stairs. ‘What’s going on?’

‘There’s something at the bottom of the banquette, Mama.’ Angelos leaned on his lump hammer. ‘Metal, it might be an old electrics junction box.’ Konstantinos scraped around the rusty rectangle with a bolster chisel.

Horrified, Naomi cried, ‘Wait! Don’t electrocute yourself, I’ll turn off the power.’ She rushed to the fuse board.

‘No, it’s not connected to anything, just a box. Pass me the crowbar.’

‘What’s going on in here?’ Papas Yiannis called as he came through the door. ‘Bubba’s asking if she can come home yet.’ He stood for a moment and surveyed the chaos. Rubble all over the floor, and thick grey dust blanketing every surface. ‘Goodness me, what a mess!’ he said. ‘I’ll get the kids to help clear up.’