Chapter 14 Chapter 13

For the next week, Manoli was a little annoyed.This is unusual for him.How did he go after Maria?She was unlike most of the women he had met on his travels.In addition, in Plaka, the accepted norms and patterns of behavior between men and women are completely different from the behavior of relationships between men and women in the cities where he lived.In this remote Cretan countryside, every action and every word is watched by someone.He had fully realized this when he met Anna on various occasions, and although he had been careful not to cross the line, he still knew that he was playing with fire.He sees in Anna the boredom and loneliness of a woman who separates herself from the village where she was born and grew up, gets the status she craves, and pays people to do the things she used to do herself.She's elevated in status, yet adrift in a social void devoid of friendship.In the past, for such a woman, Manoli was happy to satisfy her.A woman's eyes so hungrily seeking his, parted lips, such a wide smile: it would be rude to ignore her.

Maria was very different.Not only does her sister have no ambition to marry outside the village, she seems to have no desire to marry at all.She lived in a small house with her widower father, and although she was of marriageable age, she seemed content with the status quo.Manoli doesn't want to admit it, but it's actually her lack of interest in marriage that attracts him.However, he has plenty of time, he will be very patient, he is sure that sooner or later she will be conquered by him.The Pandoraki men never lacked in self-confidence.It seldom occurred to them that there were things in the world that they could not have.Many things work in Manoli's favor.Perhaps most importantly, Fotini kept the gossip about Manoli and Anna from Maria.These long-standing stories are told by Fotini's brother Antonis.Five years later, that kiss meant nothing to Anna, but it meant a lot to Antonis, but he still resented the feeling of being left behind.He despised Anna, who always watched her husband's cousin come and go with wicked satisfaction.Now Eleftria and Alexandros lived in Naples, and rarely came to Elounda, but he came more often.Whenever Antonis came to eat at the little restaurant by the sea, he would report to Fotini.The small restaurant by the sea has become Fotini's home.

"He was there at least two hours at lunch last week," he gloated. "I don't want to hear your gossip," Fotini said gruffly to Antonis as she poured him a glass of plum wine, "and most of all, I don't want Maria to hear that too." "Why not? Her sister is a slut. Don't you think she doesn't know?" snapped Antonis suddenly. "Of course she doesn't know. You don't know either. So what if her husband's cousin comes to visit? Why can't they come as a family?" "It's one thing to visit once in a while, but if you go every day—even a family, they don't visit each other so frequently, do they?"

"Well, whatever you think about it. Must not let Maria know--nor Giorgis. He has suffered enough. Seeing Anna marry a rich man is probably the worst thing for him. Good thing—so you better keep your mouth shut. I mean it, Antonis!" Fotini really meant it.She slammed the bottle on the table in front of her brother and stared at him.She protected Giorgis and Maria Petrakis as if they were her own family, and she didn't want these malicious gossip to hurt them.Besides, she was dubious about it.Since the night Anna met Andrés, her whole life had changed so drastically, why would she risk leaving it all behind?It was incomprehensible, even ridiculous, and she hoped that Manoli, the subject of Antonius's dirty rumors, would one day notice Maria.After the saint's day lunch celebrating St. Giorgis, Maria couldn't stop talking about Andrés' cousin, recounting details of their encounter at the Vendorakis.

Manoli appeared in the village several times.Because of his relationship with Giorgis, he was received warmly by the men of Braca.Before long he became a regular in the tavern, playing backgammon, offering strong cigarettes, and discussing the political situation in Crete, like everyone else, in the tavern's miasma.Even in such a small village with only one road leading to an even smaller village, the world current situation is the most important topic of discussion for people here.Although the situation on the Greek mainland is far away from here, it can still ignite their passion and anger.

"It's all the Communists' fault!" Ridaki exclaimed, hitting the bar reception with his fist. "How can you say that?" replied another voice. "If it hadn't been for the monarchy, the Continent wouldn't be half as chaotic as it is now." And so they went on, sometimes into the middle of the night. "Two Greeks, one great quarrel," goes the proverb.In this tavern two dozen villagers sat most evenings of the week, arguing as much as olives in a jar. Manori had seen the world like no one else in the tavern—some of the villagers hadn't even traveled further than Heraklion, most of them had never been to Hariya—and he brought debate and conversation to the fore. new insights.He was careful not to brag about his accidental conquests, though that was a recurring theme on his journey.He entertained the villagers by talking about the delights of the Italians, Yugoslavs, and their fellow countrymen on the Greek mainland.His story is light, everyone likes him and enjoys the joy he brings to the tavern.Whenever there was a lull in the debate, Manoli would add an anecdote or two.People gathered around him and let him talk to his heart's content.He fascinated everyone with stories of the old Turks in Athens, the Spanish Steps in Rome, and the taverns in Belgrade.When he was telling the story, the tavern was extremely quiet except for the occasional crackling of the rosary beads.He doesn't embellish at all, and the facts are entertaining in their own right.His brief captivity, his drifting in a ship in the Mediterranean, his duels in the back streets of a Yugoslav port were all real.This is the story of a man who has no sense of responsibility and at first has no worries when he travels around the world.These stories show that he was wild, but not unloving.But it was actually Manoli who, when telling the story, didn't want people to think that he was not a good match for Giorgis' daughter, so he deliberately downplayed his story.

Even Antonis, who used to hide in a corner whenever his boss' dashing cousin showed up, stopped hiding and even greeted him warmly.Music was their common bond, plus they had both been away from the province for a few years; while they were decades younger than the gray-haired men they drank with, in some respects they had a wider horizon than their elders.As a child, Manoli learned to play the lyre, which accompanied him and gave him safety during his travels.For a while, that thing was the only line between him and hunger.He used to earn his dinner by playing and singing, and the lyre was the only valuable possession he didn't gamble.This precious instrument now hangs on the back wall of the tavern, and when the bottle of plum wine runs low, he goes over to it, takes it from the hook, and plays it, the bow making a note on the trembling strings. into the night sky.

Likewise, Antonis had a wooden flute, his Chiapolis, which accompanied him during the years he was away from home.The mellow sound of the flute once swirled in more than a hundred caves and shepherd's huts. The sound of the flute soothed the hearts of the companions, and more generally, the sound of the flute helped them pass the days of waiting and watching.Although Manoli and Antonis are completely different, music is neutral, and there is no distinction between rich and poor.The two of them could play together for more than an hour in the tavern, and the lingering melody captivated the audience.The sound of the piano floated past them into the open window, and in the silence, it also fascinated the people in the window.

Although everyone knows that Manoli's parents have huge wealth, they also know that he has already squandered it. The villagers feel that he, like them, needs to work hard to survive. It is natural for him to want to find a wife and start a family.For Manoli, the simplicity of this fairly settled life has its benefits.Although it was impossible to come here to see Maria - which had been his original motivation for coming here - he found himself falling in love with the village.The closeness of childhood friends, the loyalty to the family, the way of life that would not change for hundreds of years all attracted him.If he got a woman like Maria, or some other country beauty, his sense of belonging would be more complete.However, apart from the festivities at the village saint's day, he rarely had a legitimate opportunity to meet Maria.

The stereotypes of a small village like Plaka drove him crazy.Although he found the tradition that persisted to this day to be attractive to him, the obscurity of the marriage proposal was ridiculous.He knew he couldn't mention this intention to Anna, and besides, he didn't see her much now.He understands that he has to break the relationship if he wants to get Maria as planned.The last time he'd been there, Anna had been, as he'd expected, sharp and grumpy. "Okay, thanks for visiting me," she said tartly. "Look," said Manoli, "I don't think I should be coming at lunch anymore. People are starting to mutter that I'm not doing my job properly."

"Whatever you want," she said sharply, with angry tears in her eyes, "you and I are obviously done. I guess you're playing with other women now." As she said that, she rushed out of the room, and the door slammed shut behind her with a sound like thunder. Manoli missed their intimacy, and the spark in Anna's eye, but he had to be prepared to pay the price. Since then, no one in the family has prepared meals for him, and Manoli often eats at small restaurants in Elounda or Plaka.Every Friday he went to Fotini's restaurant, which she and Stephanos had taken over from his parents.One July day, Manoli sat looking out to Spinalonga across the sea.The island, shaped like a large half-submerged egg in the sea, was so familiar that he seldom thought of it.Like everyone else, he wondered occasionally, what would it be like over there?But he won't dwell on it for too long.Spinalonga is over there, and it's just a rock inhabited by lepers. A plate of small black stick bass was brought out and set before Manori, and as he poked the fish with his fork, his eyes caught sight of something.In the gloom, a small boat paddled across the island, leaving a wide triangular trail as it rowed across the black water.There were two men on board, and when the ship came into port, he saw that one of them looked like Maria. "Stephanos!" he cried, "was Maria following Giorgis? You rarely see a woman go fishing, do you?" "They're not fishing," Stephanos replied, "they're delivering goods to the leprosy colony." "Oh," said Manoli, chewing slowly and thoughtfully, "I guess someone has to do it." "Giorgis have been doing this for years. Better than fishing for money - and more security," Stephanos said, placing a plate of fried potatoes on the Manoli table. "But he's mainly doing it to—" Fotini has been walking around to see where the conversation is going.She knew that Stephanos hadn't done it on purpose, and he might have forgotten that Giorgis didn't want the Pandorakis to know the tragic fact that Eleni had died of leprosy. "Here you are, Manoli!" She rushed over with a plate of potato wedges. "Just out of the pan, with curry. I hope you like it. Can you leave us alone for a while?" She dragged her husband by the hand to the kitchen. "You have to be careful!" she warned. "We all have to forget that Anna and Maria's mother was in Spinalonga. That's the only way. We know they have nothing to be ashamed of, but Alexandros Vandoraki might not see it that way." Stephanos looked embarrassed. "I know, I know. Sometimes the mind forgets, that's all. I'm kind of stupid," he muttered. "Manoli comes here a lot, and I forget about his relationship with Anna." "It's not just Anna's status that I'm thinking about," Fotini said frankly. "Maria has feelings for Manoli. They only met once, at Anna's house, but she kept mentioning him, At least it's been said to me." "Really? That poor girl should have a husband too, but I think he's a bit of a loafer..." Stephanos replied, "I guess there's not much choice here, is there?" Stefanos sees problems in black and white.He understood what his wife was implying, and realized that he and Fotini could play a role in bringing them together. Just a week after that, the opportunity to meet Maria and Manoli arose.Manoli came again that Friday, and Fotini slipped out the side door and ran to the Petkiss' house.Giorgis, after dinner, went to the tavern to play his backgammon, while Maria sat in the dim light, reading with wide eyes. "Here, Maria," said Fotini breathlessly, "Manori is in the restaurant. Why don't you come down and see him." "I can't," Maria said. "What would my dad think?" "For God's sake," Fotini replied, "you're twenty-three. Be bold. Your father doesn't need to know." She grabbed her best friend's arm.Maria resisted, but only weakly—her heart longed to go. "What did I say to him?" she asked anxiously. "Don't worry," Fotini reassured her. "Men like Manoli never make you worry about what to say, at least not for long. He has plenty to say." Fotini was right.As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Manoli took control of the situation.He didn't ask Maria why she was here, but invited her to sit at his table and asked her what she had been doing since the last parting, and how her father was doing.Then, bolder than the average man would be on such occasions, he said, "There's a new movie theater in San Nicolas. Would you like to go to the movies with me?" Maria, flushed with excitement at seeing Manoli again, flushed even more at this statement.She looked down at her knees, unable to answer. "That would be nice," she said at last, "but we really don't like it here . . . going to the movies with someone you barely know." "Hey, I tell you, I'll take Fotini and Stephanos with me too. They're companions. Let's go on Monday. The tavern is closed that day, isn't it?" In the end, the date was fixed before she knew it, before she had time to worry, before she could find out why she should object.Just three days later, the four of them went to San Nicolas together. Manoli's demeanor was impeccable, and their outings became a weekly event.Every Monday, the four of them would go out around seven o'clock in the evening, watch the latest movie all night, and then have dinner. Giorgis was delighted to see this handsome and charming man courting his daughter, who had taken a liking to Manoli months before her daughter knew him.But it's a very modern move—hanging out together before any kind of formal engagement is made—after all, they're moving toward a more enlightened time, and Maria's company keeps the old women of the village at bay A murmur of reproach. These four people like each other very much, and the trip to Plaka changed their otherwise monotonous daily life.Their time together was filled with laughter, and Manori's jokes and antics often had them on their knees.Maria began to let herself enjoy daydreaming about spending the rest of her life looking at this handsome, sharp face, wrinkled from life and from too much laughing.Sometimes when he looked straight into her eyes she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end and her palms wet.Even on warm nights, she could feel herself shivering involuntarily.It's a new experience to be coaxed and teased like this.What a bright relief it was that Manoli stood out against the pale background of the rest of her life!Sometimes she wondered if he could be serious about anything.He was elated, and it infected everyone around him.Maria has never enjoyed such carefree happiness, and gradually thinks that all kinds of joy are love. However, what has always troubled her conscience is what will happen to her father if she marries.In most marriages the girl leaves her home to live with the husband's parents.Obviously, that would not be the case here in Manoli, since he had long since lost his parents, but it was also unlikely that he would move to live in their little house in Plaka.In his capacity, that is unimaginable.This question lingered in her mind over and over again, and she didn't even care about it, why Manoli hadn't kissed her until now. Manoli is performing the best now. He has long thought that being good is the only way to get Maria.He sometimes finds it ridiculous that he might have taken that girl to bed before the two sides exchanged names when he was abroad, but here, he has been with Maria for dozens of hours, but he hasn't touched her yet.He has a strong desire for her, waiting wonderful and new.He was convinced that patience would pay off, that waiting would only make him want her more.During the first few months of their relationship, she would shyly bow her head, not daring to meet his gaze as he gazed at her pale, oval face framed by jet-black hair.However, after a period of time, he found that she was getting bolder and bolder, daring to look back at him.If he looked closely, he could see with satisfaction that her pulse quickened on her beautiful neck, and her beautiful features burst into a smile.If he took possession of the virgin now, he knew he would have to leave Plaka.Although he had taken the virginity of dozens of girls in the past, he couldn't defile the lovely Maria, and more importantly, there was an inner voice urging him to control himself—it was time for him to settle down. Anna, watching jealously from a distance, hated her.Since Giorgis and Maria came to lunch, Manoli rarely came to see her.Occasionally there are family gatherings, and he also goes out to avoid seeing them.How dare he treat her like this?It wasn't long before she learned from her father that Manoli was courting Maria.Was that just to piss her off?If only she could show him that she really didn't care about it.But there was no such opportunity, and therefore nowhere to vent this anger.Desperately trying not to think about their time together, she distracted herself by grumpily busy with increasingly extravagant family projects.At the same time she knew that everything in Plaka was still going on relentlessly.But no one could make her confide, the anger inside her was like steam in a pressure cooker. Frustrated by her strange temper, Andrés kept asking her what was the matter, only to be told to leave her alone.He had to let her go.He felt that the peaceful days of the first marriage were gone forever, together with her lovely face and sweet words.Now he plunged headlong into the affairs of the estate, keeping himself busier and busier.Elevatoria also noticed the change.Anna seemed happy and lively a few months ago, now she seems only angry.Anna, on the other hand, was not born to hide her emotions.She wanted to scream, howl, tear out her hair, pull it out by the roots, but when her father and Maria came to see her sometimes, she didn't even mention Manoli's name. Out of a certain intuition, Maria felt that her friendship with Manoli might have stepped into her sister's territory. Perhaps Anna regarded the Fandoraki family as her sphere of influence.Why is it worse to talk about these situations?She didn't know about Anna's pain, and only thought that her ambiguous attitude might be caused by her failure to conceive a child. One night in February, when the weekly evening outing lasted six months, Manoli went to the bar to find Giorgis.The old man sat there by himself, reading the local paper.Manoli came up, he raised his head, a wisp of smoke curled around his head. "Giorgis, may I sit down?" Manoli asked politely. "Of course," Giorgis replied, continuing to read his newspaper, "this isn't my place alone, is it?" "There is something I want to talk to you about. Let me be straight. I want to marry your daughter. Do you agree?" Giorgis carefully folded the newspaper and placed it on the table.It seemed to Manoli that he had waited a century for him to speak. "Agreed? Of course I agree! You've been courting the prettiest girl in the village for almost half a year—I thought you wouldn't open your mouth. At last you did!" Giorgis' snarling answer belied his utter delight at the proposal.Not one, but both daughters married into the most influential families in the province.Giorgis is by no means a snob. Now that his two daughters have the future to rely on, he only has pure comfort and happiness.This is the greatest hope a father can have for his daughter, especially for such a fisherman father.Through the half-closed shutters of the bar behind Manoli's head, he saw Spinalonga in the twinkling lights.If only Eleni could share this moment. He reached out and grabbed Manoli's hand, speechless for a moment.His expression said it all. "Thank you. I will take care of her, and we will take care of you." Manoli said, fully understanding the lonely situation of Giorgis after Maria's marriage. "Hey! We want your best Chicordia!" Manoli yelled at Ridaki. "We have something to celebrate. What a miracle. I'm no longer an orphan!" "What are you talking about?" said Ridake, strolling up with a bottle of wine and two glasses.He's used to Manoli's stunts. "Giorchis agrees to be my father-in-law. I'm going to marry Maria." There were still a few people in the tavern that night, and before the girl in question knew it, the men of the village were toasting her future with Manoli. Maria was going to bed when Giorgis came home that night.After her father entered, he quickly closed the door to block the cold February wind outside. The house was warmed by a fire, and Maria noticed that his father had a strange expression on his face.His face was full of excitement and happiness. "Maria," he said, reaching out and taking her by the arms, "Manoli has proposed to you." For a moment, she bowed her head, aching and happy, both emotions equally strong.Her throat constricted. "How did you answer?" she asked softly. "The answer you want - agree. Of course!" Never in all her life had Maria experienced such mixed feelings.Her heart is like a cauldron, but the various things in it resist being boiled together.There was a tightness in her chest.what is this?Does happiness feel like nausea?Just as she could not imagine other people's pain, Maria could not imagine other people's feelings of happiness.She was pretty sure she loved Manoli.His charm, his wit, make it easy to fall in love with him.But what about her whole future with him?Many anxieties gnawed at her heart.What about father?She immediately voiced her concerns. "That's great, Papa. That's great. But what are you going to do? I can't leave you here alone." "Don't worry about me. I can live here - I don't want to leave Plaka. I have a lot to do here." "What do you mean?" she asked, though she understood him perfectly. "Spinalonga. The island still needs me—as long as I can sail there, I'll go on. Dr. Lapakis is counting on me, and so are the rest of the island." There is still a lot of traffic in the leprosy quarantine area.There are new patient and supply deliveries every month, as well as building materials for government-funded renovations.Giorgis is the key to the whole project.Maria understood his attachment to the island.They rarely talked about it now, but they all agreed that it was his mission, his way of keeping in touch with Eleni. Both father and daughter slept soundly that night, and the sooner the morning came, the better.That day, Giorgis took Maria to Manoli's house in the Vendoraki estate.It happened to be Sunday, and Manoli greeted them at the door.Maria had never seen his house before, and it was now her home.When she did some calculations, she realized that it was four times bigger than their home in Plaka, and the thought of living here terrified her. "Welcome, welcome." Manoli said, these two words warmed Maria, "Come in, all of you. It's too cold outside." It was indeed the coldest day of the year.The storm was coming, and the wind was blowing in all directions, stirring up the dead leaves and swirling them around their ankles.Maria's first impression when she walked into the room was that there was no light and everything was messy. She was not surprised at all. This is what a house with only maids and no mistress looks like.Manoli led them into the reception room, which was a little tidy, with embroidered lace tablecloths and a few photos on the wall, which more or less showed that the room was still being tended to. "My uncle and aunt will be here soon," he explained, almost nervously, before turning to Maria and saying, "Your father has agreed to my proposal. Will you marry me?" She paused for a moment, and it seemed to them a century had passed.He looked at her with begging eyes, puzzled for a moment. "Yes," she finally said. "She said 'yes'!" Manoli roared, suddenly regaining confidence.He held her, kissed her hand, and hugged her around until she begged him to stop.There were always surprises with Manoli, and she marveled at his exuberance.This man is a living open waltz. "You're going to be my wife!" he said excitedly. "Maria, my uncle and aunt are waiting to see you again. But Giorgis, before they come, we must talk about one important thing about you .Would you like to live here with us?" Manoli, as enthusiastic as ever, invited Giorgis to live with them.He wants to recreate the traditional model of life where parents are ultimately cared for by their children, which is most like it.Although Manoli knew that Maria wanted to be closer to his father, he had not discussed the matter with Maria, let alone its sensitivity. "It's very kind of you. But I can't leave the village. Maria understands, doesn't she, Maria?" Giorgis said, asking Maria for help. "Of course I understand, papa. I don't mind, you can come if you want—we'll visit you often in Plaka anyway." Giorgis knew that Maria meant what she said, and he could look forward to her coming without worrying about being disappointed.She was not like Anna, who hardly wrote or visited him now. Manoli didn't really understand his future father-in-law's attachment to his old house in the village, but he didn't intend to press any further.At this moment, there was the sound of wheels on the gravel road outside, followed by the slamming of the car door.Alexandros and Eleftria stood at the door, and Manoli walked in with them.Everyone took turns shaking hands warmly.The Pandoraki and Petkis families hadn't seen each other in months, and they were happy to see each other.Alexandros - As the head of the family, it is his duty to speak up. "Giorgis and Maria. It is a pleasure that we once again welcome you into our family. My brother and his wife - Manori's deceased parents - will be as grateful as we are for Maria to be our niece-in-law Happy." These words came from his heart, and Maria blushed with embarrassment and joy.Alexandros and Eleftria understood that, like Anna, the bride would have no dowry, just some embroidered lace to soften the modest home of their nephew.But they wouldn't dwell on it, because Manoli had more to gain than to lose by marrying a local girl and settling down.This union fully fulfilled their promise to Manoli's father to ensure his son's well-being.When the boy disappeared to Europe, Alexandros felt like a failure.Everything he promised to Yiannis failed to keep.During Manoli's absence, Alexandros didn't know whether he was dead or alive, and which country he was in most of the time, but once Manoli married Maria, he would be bound in Elounda, and would Has been here to help Andres manage the Pandoraki Manor. The five of them toasted each other to wish each other good health. "In the name of God!" they shouted in unison as the glasses clinked together. Before long they were talking about when the wedding would take place. "Let's do it next week," Manoli said. "Don't be stupid!" retorted Aleftria in surprise. "You don't understand how much preparation goes into a big wedding! It will take at least half a year." Manoli was joking, of course, but he continued to tease: "Of course we won't have that long. Let's go to the priest. Come on, let's see if he wants to marry us today." Manoli is half serious.He is now like a tiger that cannot wait to eat his prey.His mind was racing: Maria, beautiful, pale and strong, her hair hanging on the pillow; a beam of moonlight shining on the bed, illuminating the perfect body, waiting for him.A full six months of waiting.My God, how could he wait so long! "We must try to follow your parents' wishes," said Alexandros. "Be decent!" he added, fully aware of Manoli's impulsiveness. Manoli glanced at his uncle.He knew that his uncle thought he needed someone to supervise him, and he, who loved Alexandros very much, was willing to cater to his uncle's concerns about him. "Of course we'll do it decently," he said now, with all his heart. "We'll do it by the rules. I promise." As soon as Maria was free, she rushed to Fotini and was the first to tell her the news. "There's only one thing that worries me," she said, "my dad." "We'll take care of him here, and so will my parents," Fotini reassured her. "Well, Maria, it's time for you to get married too. Your father will understand, I know he will." Maria tried to make herself feel at ease, but her worry about her father kept her from getting the most complete happiness.