Chapter 19 Chapter 18

The days slipped from autumn to winter, and the whole island of Spinalonga was filled with the smell of wood burning smoke.People go about their daily business, wrapping themselves tightly from head to toe in woolen garments against the cold, for the whole island bears the full force of the wind whichever direction it blows. In Maria's room, the ghosts of those who lived here in the past are cast out.Every picture, every dress, every piece of furniture was hers, and in the center of the table was a glass dish filled with lavender and rose petals, the sweet scent of which wafted through the air.

To Maria's surprise, the first few weeks on the island passed so quickly.The only time she felt visibly disturbed was when she had just moved from Elpida's warm and beautiful home into her more familiar surroundings.When she turned from the alley to the main street to buy some daily necessities, she bumped into a woman.She was much smaller than Maria, and they each took a step back, and Maria saw that she was much older than herself, with a wrinkled face and a skinny face. Even more terrifying.The old woman's cane flew into the middle of the street. "I'm sorry," Maria gasped, grabbing the woman's hand to steady her.

Those dark eyes stared into Maria's eyes. "Be careful," said the woman suddenly, grabbing her cane. "Besides, who are you? I've never seen you before." "I'm Maria Petkiss." "Petkiss!" she spat out the name as if she had just eaten sour olives from a tree. "I used to know a Petkiss. She's dead." There was a triumphant tone in her voice, and Maria immediately realized that the bent old woman was her mother's old enemy. The two women went their separate ways.Maria continued up the hill to the bakery, and when she looked back to see where Mrs. Crosstalakis had gone, she saw her standing at the end of the street, where the public water tap used to be, staring at her.Maria quickly looked away.She shuddered.

"Don't worry," said a voice behind her, "she's really in no danger." It was Katerina, who had just seen Maria collide with her mother's old enemy. "She's just an old hag marinated in her own bitterness, a viper without its venom." "I'm sure you're right, but she gives the impression that snakes still bite," said Maria, her heart beating faster than usual. "Well, trust me, she won't. But she's very good at making people unhappy—she did succeed in you." As the two women continued down the street together, Maria decided not to think about Christina Krostalakis.She had seen many people on the island adapt to the environment, and the last thing they needed was someone who would destroy it.

Meeting Dimitri Rimonias for the first time was a more pleasant encounter than Maria's past with her mother.Elpida invited them to her home one evening, and both came with trepidation. "Your mother was so kind to me." After drinking some drinks, both of them sat down.Dimitri began, "She treated me like her own son." "She loves you as her own son," said Maria, "and that's why." "I think in a way I should apologize. I know people think I'm responsible for what she has," said Dimitri hesitantly, "but I discussed it with Dr. Lapakis at length. For that matter, he thinks it's almost impossible for me to pass the germs on to your mother. My symptoms developed so slowly, he thinks we got it from different places."

"I don't believe anything about it now," Maria said. "I'm not here to blame you. I just thought it would be a good idea to meet. After all, you're almost like our brother." "You're very generous when you say that," he said. "I don't think I have a home long ago. My parents are dead, and my brothers and sisters have never been in the habit of writing letters. Needless to say, they feel I've let them hold their heads down. God knows." , I can really understand." Hours passed, the two of them talking about the island, the school, and Eleni.Dimitri was lucky.On the island of Spinalonga, he first enjoyed the love of Irene, and then that of Elpida.One is an experienced mother, the one who treats him like the treasure he always wanted, and the love and care given to him can sometimes overwhelm him.Maria was delighted to meet the brother-to-be, and the two often met for coffee and even dinner, which Maria would cook for Dimitri when he was preoccupied with work.Now there are fourteen children in his school, and he plans to teach them to read when they are seven years old.Being with someone who loved her work made Maria realize that she couldn't let being a leper dominate her waking moments.A bi-weekly hospital appointment, a small house to tidy up, and a small plot to tend to.Meeting her father, these were the foundations of her life alone, without children.

At first, Maria was nervous telling her father about her friendship with Dimitri.It seemed like a betrayal, because the family had always believed that the boy had infected Eleni.Giorgis had spent a lot of time with Lapakis and knew that wasn't the case, so when Maria admitted that she was now friends with Dimitri, her father's reaction took her by surprise. "And what about him?" he asked. "He's as dedicated as my mother was," she replied, "and he's a good company. He's read every book in the library." It's not easy.There were five hundred books in the library, most of them sent from Athens, but Giorgis didn't feel that, he wanted to know other things.

"Did he mention your mother?" "Not much. He probably thought that was cruel. But he told me once that if he hadn't come to Spinalonga, life would have been worse than he had here." "It's strange to say that," Giorgis said. "He made me think that his parents' life is really difficult. If he hadn't come to the island, he would definitely not be a teacher...Anyway, how is Anna?" "I can't really tell, I guess it's all right. She was supposed to come to see me at the San Grigio festival, but she sent a message saying she wasn't feeling well. I really didn't know her Where does it hurt."

Always the same, Maria thought.Promised to meet, then canceled at the last minute.Giorgis had expected it a long time ago, but Maria, who was far away, was still very angry that her sister treated her father who had worked so hard to bring them up so coldly. Within a month, Maria knew she had to find something to keep herself busy, and she picked up a battered notebook from a shelf.Inside are her handwritten instructions on how to use various herbs.On the cover, she neatly wrote "Healing and Healing" in student handwriting.To a leper these words seem so naive, so optimistic, utterly far-fetched.However, in addition to leprosy, there are many diseases that afflict the people of Spinalonga, from stomach bugs to colds, and it would be quite nice if Maria could free them from these afflictions, as she has done before. Meaningful giving.

When Fotini came to visit, Maria was excited about her new project, telling Fotini that she planned to forage for herbs in the uninhabited rocky parts of the island when spring came. "Even on those salt-sprinkled limestone cliffs, there's obviously a lot of sage, water rhinoceros, rosemary, and thyme. These herbs are good for at least the common ailments, and I'm going to try growing them in my field Some other useful plants. But first I have to get permission from Dr. Lapakis, and once I get permission, I will advertise in the Spinalonga Star," she told Fotini.And Fotini, in such a cold winter, felt very warm to see her dear friend full of fire-like enthusiasm.

"But tell me what happened to Plaka," Maria asked, not wanting to be the only one talking. "It's nothing really. My mother says Antonis is as bad-tempered as ever, and he really should get a wife, but last week Angelos met a girl in Elounda that he seemed to like. So, who knows , perhaps one of my bachelor brothers is getting married soon." "How is Manoli?" Maria asked quietly. "Is he still here?" "Well, Antonis seldom sees him at the estate... Are you sorry for him, Maria?" "It sounds bad, but I don't miss him as much as I thought I would. I really only think about him when we sit down and talk about Braca. Feeling a little guilty. Do you think it's weird?" "No, I don't think so. I think it might be a good thing." Because Fotini had been hearing gossip about Maria's fiancé from Antonis a few months ago, she never fully trusted Manoli, and she knew that from a long time Come to see, it was better for Maria to leave him behind.After all, it was impossible for her to marry him again. It was time for Fotini to go.Maria looked down at her friend's protruding belly. "Is the baby kicking you?" she asked. "Yes," replied Fotini, "it often happens now." Fotini is going into labor soon, and she's starting to worry about the huge waves as she crosses to see Maria. "Maybe you shouldn't have come here," Maria said. "If you're not careful, you'll give birth on my father's boat." "I'll come to see you after I have a baby." Fotini reassured her, "I will still write letters. I promise." It was now a regular route for Giorgis to visit his daughter in Spinalonga.Although Maria was comforted by the thought that her father sometimes came and went several times a day, she did not feel the need to see him every time.Seeing too often, she knew, would be bad for both of them; it would give the illusion that life was the same as before, only in a different scene.They decided to limit their meetings to three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.These days are the highlights of her life.Monday was the day Fotini came to see her, Wednesday Dr. Kritis came, and Friday she saw her father alone. In mid-January, Giorgis brought the exciting news that Fotini had given birth to a son.Maria wanted to know the details. "What's his name? Who does he look like? How much does he weigh?" she asked excitedly. "It's Mateos," Giorgis replied. "Just a baby, no recognizable resemblance. I don't know how much he weighs, about as heavy as a sack of flour, I guess." The following week, Maria embroidered a small pillowcase with the baby's name and date of birth, and filled it with dried lavender. "Put it in the baby's cradle," she wrote a note to Fotini, "it will make him sleep well." In April Fotini came back to see Maria.Even with her new responsibilities as a mother, she knew every detail of what happened in Plaka.Maria liked hearing gossip about the villagers of Plaka, but she wanted to hear Fotini describe her trials and joys as a new mother.Maria also talked about what happened on Spinalonga, and the two of them always talked for more than an hour, almost non-stop in between. Wednesday's meeting with Dr. Kritis was a completely different feeling.Maria found the doctor a little disturbing.Thinking of him always reminded her of the moment when he announced the diagnosis, his words were still echoing in her mind: "...the leprosy is already in you." The faint assurance that one day she will be healed.It's bewildering that the worst and possibly the best are all connected to him. "He's so noble," Maria said to Fotini one day, as they sat talking on the low stone wall.The wall is against the pier, surrounded by a circle of tall trees with deep shade. "And a little cold, like his hair." "You talk as if you don't like him," Fotini replied. "I don't know if I like it or not," Maria replied. "He seemed to be staring at me, but he looked at me as if I wasn't there. He seemed to please my dad, though. So I Think it's a good thing." It was strange, Fotini thought, how Maria could talk about this man, especially if she didn't like him. Within weeks of Krittis' first visit, two doctors drew up a short list of people they would monitor for drug suitability.Maria's name was among these people.She was young, healthy, just arrived, ideal in every way, and yet, for some reason that Crittis didn't even want to tell himself, he didn't want her in the first group, which from now on Injections are given for several months.He wrestled with this irrational behavior.For years, he'd passed unpopular diagnoses on to people who could have had better ones, and he'd trained himself not to show his emotions easily.This objectivity keeps him calm, sometimes even expressionless.Although Dr. Crittis was generally very caring about people, he was still perceived as aloof. Krittis decided to reduce the list from twenty to fifteen, and he would monitor these cases closely for several months, deciding on the dosage and suitability of the medication.He dropped Maria's name from the final list.He didn't need to justify this to anyone, but he knew it might be the first irrational move he'd made in his entire career. He told himself it was for her own good.Not enough was known about the side effects of these drugs yet, and he didn't want her to be the first to try them.She may not be able to bear it. One morning in early summer, on the way from the mainland to the other side, Crittis asked Giorgis if he had ever stepped through the gates of Spinalonga. "Of course not!" Giorgis replied, a little taken aback. "I never thought of that. That's not allowed." "But you can go and see Maria at her own house," he said, "with almost no danger." Krittis, now well aware of Maria's symptoms, knew that the chances of Giorgis Petkis contracting leprosy from his daughter were remote.There were no germs on the surface of Maria's smooth skin, and unless Giorgis came into direct contact with her broken skin, it was virtually impossible for him to be infected. Giorgis looked at Kritis thoughtfully.Neither he nor Maria had imagined that they could spend some time together in Maria's house.It's definitely more refined than meeting on the pier, where it's windy in winter and exposed to the sun in summer.Nothing beats this advice. "I'll speak to Nichols Papadimitrio about it, and seek advice from Dr. Lapakis, but I see no reason why it shouldn't be." "But what will people think when I go back to Plaka? If they know I've been in quarantine instead of just sending things to the jetty." "I wouldn't say anything if I were you. You know as well as I do what the people there think of life here." People all thought that shaking hands with an infected person, or being in the same room with an infected person, would catch leprosy.If they think you're drinking coffee in a leper's room, I think you know what to expect. Giorgis knew better than anyone that what Kritis said was true.He was all too familiar with the prejudices against lepers, on the subject for years—he had been forced to listen to ignorant opinions—even from those he called friends.But what a dream it would be to sit with his lovely daughter again over a pot of coffee or a glass of ouzo.Could it be achieved? On that day, Kritis proposed to the island owner and asked for Lapakis' opinion.When he saw Giorgis at night, he told him that his request to visit had been officially granted. "If you want to go through the tunnel," he said, "you can." Giorgis could hardly believe his ears.He couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd felt this excitement, and he couldn't wait to see Maria so he could tell her about Kritis' proposal.Maria knew what had happened when he stepped out of the boat early Friday morning.Father's look said it all. "I can go to your place!" he blurted out. "You can make me coffee." "What? How is it possible? I don't believe it... are you sure?" Maria said in disbelief. Such a simple thing was so precious to Giorgis, as if his wife and daughter were standing in front of him.Trembling, he walked into the dark tunnel and passed through the thick walls.As he stood in the bright sunlight of the leprosy colony, this new discovery was to him as it was to a leper.It was a warm day in early June, and though the clear light soon turned into a cloud of fog, the intense colors of the scene facing Giorgis almost made him dizzy.Clusters of bright red geraniums cascaded from large flower beds, pink oleanders shaded a litter of kittens, and dark green palm trees swayed softly by the royal blue door of the hardware store.Glittering silver disks hang from strings, glinting in the sunlight.There is a large vat in front of almost every house, in which green basil is planted, which adds flavor to even the most tasteless meals.No, it was completely different from what he had imagined. Maria was as excited as her father, but at the same time, she was still a little nervous about his arrival.She didn't want him to go too far in the leprosy quarantine area, not only because he would attract strange looks, but also because his appearance might arouse the envy and hatred of other leper patients.She wanted her father to stay with her. "This way, Dad," she urged, leading him off the main street and into the small square, where her house was.She opened the door and led the way.Soon the small room was filled with the smell of coffee bubbling on the stove and a plate of baklava on the table. "Welcome," Maria said. Giorgis really had no idea what life on the island he had imagined was going to be, and it wasn't like that anyway.Here is a replica of their home in Plaka.He knew photographs, iconography, and some china, the same as the ones at home.He vaguely remembered that Eleni had brought some plates and cups from the set at home so that she could eat from the same utensils as at home.Later, these porcelains came into the hands of Elene, who kept some of Irene's things after her death, and now they have passed into the hands of Maria.He also saw the dresses and turbans that Maria had spent months embroidering.He suddenly felt sad, thinking of Manoli's home in the Olive Grove, where she would have lived if all had gone according to plan. They sat down at the table and sipped coffee. "I never thought I'd be sitting at a table with you again, Maria," he said. "Me too," Maria replied. "Thanks to Dr. Crittis," said Giorgis. "He has a lot of very modern views, and I like those." "If you told your friends in Plaka that you had been in quarantine, what would they say?" "I won't tell them. You know what they'll say. They're as stubborn about Spinalonga now as they were then. Though there's a line of water separating the ghetto from them, they still think leprosy is contagious through the air." They. If they knew I was in your house, they probably wouldn't let me in the tavern again!" The last sentence might have been flippant, but Maria was still worried. "Then it's best not to tell anyone. It goes without saying that your frequent visits are enough to worry them." "You're right. You know some people even think that I brought you some germs from here and infected you in Plaka." Maria found the idea horrifying, that her leprosy might stoke fears on the Continent, that her father would face the prejudice of his old friends, those he had grown up with.If only they could see them both now: father and daughter, sitting at the table eating the sweetest pie money could buy.Nothing could be more contrasting and at odds with the traditional picture of a leprosy colony than a scene like this.Even the rage she felt at the thought of all the ignorant talk on the mainland couldn't break the peace of the moment. When they finish their coffee, it's time for Giorgis to go. "Father, do you think Fotini can come one day?" "I'm sure she will. You can ask her when she comes next Monday." "It's just...it's so much like normal life. Having coffee with other people. I can't say what it means to me." Mariah, who is usually steadfast in her control of her emotions, now had a choke in her voice.Giorgis stood up to go. "Don't worry, Maria," he said. "I'm sure she'll come—and so will I." The two of them walked back to the boat and Maria waved him good-bye. As soon as Giorgis returned to Plaka, he told Fotini that he had been to Maria's house, and her daughter's best friend didn't hesitate to ask her if she could go too.Some would find this reckless, but Fotini was more enlightened than others on how leprosy was contagious.On her next visit, she grabbed Maria's arm as she stepped off the boat. "Come on," she said, "I want to see your home." Maria was all smiles.The two women got into the tunnel and soon reached Maria's door.The room was cool and comfortable, and instead of espresso, they drank canalada, their favorite iced cinnamon drink as children. "It's very kind of you to come and see me," Maria said. "You know, I used to imagine there was only solitude here. But having guests here makes such a difference." "It's much better here than sitting on that low wall in the damn heat," Fotini said. "Now I can imagine what it's really like where you live." "What's the news? How's little Mateos?" "He's fantastic, what can I say? He eats a lot and grows bigger than his peers." "It's good that he likes to eat, after all he lives in a restaurant," Maria said with a smile. "What happened to Plaka? Have you seen my sister lately?" "No, I haven't seen it for a long time." Fotini hesitated to speak. Giorgis told Maria that Ana visited him often, but now she doubted that was true.If Ana kept getting out of her shiny car, Fotini would know.The Pandorakis were furious at the news of Maria's leprosy, and Maria was not in the least surprised, since Anna had not written a letter since she had come to Spinalonga.Maria would not be really surprised if her father was lying when he said that Anna visited him often. The two women were silent. "Antonius sees her now and then, though, when he's working," Fotini said at last. "Did he say how she looked?" "Fine, I think." Fotini knew what Maria was really asking.Is her sister pregnant?After so many years of marriage, Anna really should have a child.If not, there must be something wrong.Anna was not pregnant, but what else happened in her life, Fotini thought for a long time, thought very hard, and didn't know whether to tell Maria. "You see, I probably shouldn't have told you this. Antonis had seen Manoli come and go in Anna's house." "That's allowed, isn't it? He's family." "Yes, he's a family, but even a family doesn't need to come every other day." "Maybe to discuss the estate with Andres." Maria said, taking it for granted. "But he doesn't go when Andres is at home!" said Fotini. "He goes during the day, after Andres is out." Maria finds herself defending Manoli. "Well, it sounds like Antonis is spying on something." "He's not snooping, Maria. I think your sister is too close to Manoli." "Well, if that's what they are, why doesn't Andres do something about it?" "Because he never thought they would be like this," Fotini said. "He didn't even think about it. He didn't see it or think about it. He didn't need to know." The two women sat in silence for a while until Maria stood up.She pretended to be busy washing the glasses, but she couldn't bring herself to get out of what Fotini had just said.She was completely disturbed, and suddenly remembered the strange behavior of her sister when she and Manoli went to see Anna a few months ago.That's probably what happened to them.She knew her sister, and it was entirely possible for Anna to commit such infidelity. Annoyed, she twisted the rag around and around in the glass until it squeaked.As always, she thought of her father.She felt keenly that, even if it was predicted, it would deepen his shame.As for Anna, wasn't she the only one of the three Petkiss women who had a normal, happy life?It sounds now that everything she does seems to want to smash this happy life into pieces.Tears of anger and frustration filled Maria's eyes.She hated Fotini for thinking she was jealous.She knew that Manoli would not be hers, but it was still difficult to accept the fact that he was with her sister. "You know, I don't want you to think I care about Manoli because I don't care about him anymore, but I care about my sister's behavior. What will happen to her? Does she really think Andres will never find out? ?” "Obviously she doesn't think he'll. Or even if she thinks he'll find out, she doesn't care. I'm sure the whole thing will fade away." "That might be too optimistic, Fotini," Maria said, "but we can't help anything, can we?" The two sat in silence for a while before Maria changed the subject. "I started using herbs again," she said, "with some effect. People started coming to me, and the diphtheria cured an elderly gentleman's stomach problem almost immediately." They continued talking, but what Fotini had revealed about Anna was haunting them. The relationship between Anna and Manoli did not fade as Fotini said, on the contrary, the spark between them was rekindled, and it was not long before it was burning brightly.Manoli remained completely faithful to Maria during his engagement to her.She was so perfect, a virgin, his Virgin Mary, that she would undoubtedly make him a happy man.Now she is just a fond memory.During the first few weeks after Maria went to Spinalonga he was listless and depressed, but the days of mourning the loss of his fiancée soon passed.Life must go on, he thought to himself. Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn back to Anna again.She was still in that house, so close, so longing, and her body wrapped in the piping tights felt like a gift somehow. One day at lunch time, according to the old custom, at the time of visiting, Manoli went into the kitchen of the manor house. "Hello, Manoli." Anna greeted him without a trace of surprise, warm enough to melt the snow on Mount Dikti. His confidence that Anna would be delighted to see him matched her arrogance.She knew he would come, sooner or later. Alexandros Vendoraki recently handed over the entire estate to his son.The burden on Andres' shoulders became heavier and he spent less and less time at home.It didn't take long for people to see Manoli frequenting his cousin's house again, not every other day, but every day.Antonis was not alone in noticing this, but many of the workers on the estate also knew about it.Ana and Manoli had a double insurance net to fall back on: Andrés was too busy to notice anything himself; walking up to the boss and telling him about his wife's affairs was enough to put anyone out of a job.With these reasons, the two of them enjoyed themselves without fear of punishment. There was nothing Maria could do, and the only thing Fotini could do was press her brother to keep it secret.If Antonis had mentioned this to Pavros, it would have reached Giorgis' ears, as the two men had been good friends. During the days when Fotini was absent, Maria tried to forget about her sister.There was nothing she could do about it, not just the distance between them, Maria knew that even though she was on the mainland, Anna would still do what she wanted. Maria began to look forward to the day when Kritis would come. She always stood on the pier to meet her father and the gray-haired doctor.One beautiful summer day, Crittis stopped to talk to her.He heard from Dr. Lapakis that Maria had the ability to cure diseases with herbs and wine.He had always had a strong faith in modern medicine, and had always doubted the power of these sweet and gentle flowers that grew on the hillsides.What advantages do they have over twentieth-century drugs?However, he heard many patients on Spinalonga say that after using the medicine formulated by Maria, they felt much less sick.He’s ready to give up his contempt for herbs and tell her what’s on his mind. "After I read it, I knew I would believe it," he said. "I also saw some real evidence on the island that these herbs really work. I don't have to doubt anymore, do I?" "Yes, you don't have to doubt it. I'm glad you approved of them." Maria said excitedly, realizing that she had successfully persuaded the man to change his mind, and she was very satisfied.She looked at him, watching his face slowly break into a smile.She is happier.he's changed.