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‘Galen!’ And it was Roula who lost it then as Yaya raged loudly on. ‘She’s right!’
And then he had it in stereo.
‘Bástardos!’Roula said, with so much venom. ‘Youryayaspeaks an awful lot of truth if only you’d let her...’ She shook her head as the nurse approached with sedation. ‘She’s fine,’ Roula snapped. ‘Just close the door if she’s being too noisy for you.’
And then she took Kupia Florakis’s hand.
She would do this.
For Galen.
As hard as it would be, she would sit there and let hisyayabe heard.
‘Nemo beat Galen...’ Kupia Florakis wept. ‘He would hide the bruises.’
‘Yes,’ Roula said. ‘I know.’
‘And your husband,’ she sneered. ‘Horrible boy.’ She raised a gnarled finger and jabbed it in the air. ‘Little Benji...he kicked him down the street. I shouted at him. Every time I saw him I let him know. They called metrelós...’ she shouted. ‘But I know what I saw. No one believed me.’
‘I do,’ Roula said, but her voice was husky. And then she felt Galen’s hand, warm on her shoulder. ‘I believe you, Kupia.’
‘Bástardos!’
‘Yes,’ Roula agreed. ‘He really is. But listen. Nemo—he’s in prison...’ she saw Yaya’s eyes widen ‘...and Dimitrios has a bigger judge to deal with.’ She pointed skywards. ‘So now they have to pay their dues.’
‘I couldn’t stop them...’
‘No,’ Roula agreed. ‘But you did the best you could. Look at Galen now,’ she said. ‘Look at the lovely man you raised.’
And then she moved her shoulder to remove Galen’s hand, because she couldn’t do this any more, and she gave Kupia a hug and walked out on legs that were shaky, and found the restrooms and threw up...
But that was for Benji.
When she came out Galen was waiting, looking as grey as she felt.
‘I’m going to get some air,’ she said.
She sat on the steps outside and almost wished she hadn’t said anything, or that the nurse had come in with the sedation five minutes earlier. But, no, there was an odd relief that it was out in the open now.
With the one person she trusted to never tell.
‘Go to her,’ Roula said when he followed her out. ‘Galen, it’s not Anapliró disappearing that she’s worried about—it’s the memory of her daughter.’
‘I can see that. But right now I’m more worried about you.’
‘Please,’ Roula said, ‘she hasn’t said anything I don’t know. Well, I didn’t know about Benji. But, yes, I’m quite sure he was capable of that. Go back in.’
‘No, I want to listen to you now.’
‘It’s done,’ Roula said. ‘Galen, I know you keep your word...well, apart from that one time.’
‘I don’t regret telling you that,’ Galen said. ‘I just wish it hadn’t come out in the way it did.’
‘Galen, you can never speak of this to anyone.’
‘I would never do that.’
‘I’m not talking about respecting my privacy.’
