Page 38 of The Greek Café

He turns his attention back to Zeta, who has finished looking at the computer. I still find this baffling that it is not possible to book with him directly. ‘Oh, and be sure to book a couple of days in advance,’ he tells me as I walk off. ‘I am very popular.’

‘I will do.’

I notice he said that he was very popular, rather than his excursions. Pfft, he certainly thinks a lot of himself. He is gorgeous though, and perhaps I took his comment the wrong way. And he does (annoyingly) give me the tingles when I see him. Even so, I intend to give men a wide berth and concentrate on my job, and my café refurbishment. I think that is quite enough to be going on with.

I do a couple of hours at a pool bar in the evening when the kids’ pool has closed, before I finish my shift. Back in my apartment, I look at various tourist attractions and decide I would like a trip to Traganou Caves in Kalithea. Only accessible by boat, there are caves alongside the pebble beach, with crystal-clear water making it the perfect spot for swimming. After looking at photos and imagining myself there relaxing, I will book a trip in the morning.

I glance at my watch and decide to call Mum for a catch-up.

‘I was just about to call you,’ she says, her face smiling across the camera. ‘I was telling my friends at the bowls club all about you. They think it’s marvellous the way you have jetted off to Greece for an adventure.’

‘Well, I am taking a leaf out of your book, Mum.’ I smile. ‘And you were right to remind me that my life was going nowhere.’

‘Oh love, I hope you didn’t think I was being cruel,’ she says gently. ‘But there is so much to do out there. It’s a big world. Have a go at things, whilst you still have the energy. Nothing has to be permanent.’

‘You are so right.’ I nod.

It’s nice to be reminded that nothing has to be permanent. Life is fluid. Greece for now; in twelve months’ time, who knows?

‘So, what have you been up to today then?’ I ask.

‘Oh, just a quiet one today,’ she tells me. ‘A bit of catching up on my TV programmes. It’s raining here. And I baked a banana loaf.’

‘Are you seeing Douglas later?’

‘Yes, I’m cooking dinner here for seven. We are both a bit tired today. I think maybe that bike ride was a bit much yesterday,’ she reveals.

‘Bike ride? Gosh, Mum, when was the last time you went out on a bike?’

‘Twenty years ago, with your father,’ she informs me. ‘We did twenty miles of the coastal path. I managed five yesterday, and I was done. That’s the problem with getting older. Your mind thinks it can do all the things you once did, until your body reminds you that it can’t.’ She laughs.

‘Moderation is the key, I think. Especially at your age, you shouldn’t be overdoing things,’ I caution.

‘I realise that now. Maybe I will stick to bowls. And the occasional adrenalin rush.’ She grins, and I suspect the next time we speak, she will tell me she is planning on abseiling down the Shard.

We chat about the café restoration, which I told her about the last time we spoke. She is thrilled about it, and she tells me her and Douglas are thinking of coming to Greece for a holiday in early October. ‘When it’s a little cooler,’ she says. ‘I can’t wait to see the café, and you can show us the sights. We have decided to leave the cruise until next year.’

‘Brilliant, Mum! I mean about you coming over. I’ll see if I can get you a discount at the Apollo Hotel if you like. Unless you are planning on going wild camping or something.’

‘Not likely. There are snakes in Greece.’ She gives a little shudder. ‘Although more in forest areas.’

‘Great, thanks for telling me that, Mum.’

‘Whoops. Maybe snakes don’t like lemon groves though?’ She laughs. ‘In any case, I believe most of them are harmless.’

‘Anyway, I will send you photo updates of how the café refurb is going, although it isn’t a massive renovation.’

‘Oh yes, I would love that. Right, darling, I had better go. I am just going to pop a little icing on the banana cake.’ Mum’s vanilla frosting takes her banana loaf to a whole new level.

‘Okay. Bye, Mum, talk soon. Enjoy your dinner later, and the cake.’

I settle down to sleep, with a feeling that all is okay with the world. Mum is enjoying her best life in her later years, and I am trying new things. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

So why do I feel a rolling of nerves in my stomach when I think of opening the café once more?

TWENTY-TWO

During my break, the next day, I find Zeta and ask her about booking a boat trip with Takis in two days’ time on my next day off.