Page 27 of The Greek Café

I arrange to meet Ireta early the following morning outside the gates of the lemon grove. Beyond them a faint mist seemed to float along the ground, the leaves on the trees above glistening with the morning dew.

She is already waiting for me when I arrive, carrying a small basket.

‘Kalimera. I hope you have not been waiting for long?’ I ask.

‘No.’ She smiles. ‘I wake early. I came to gather some wild oregano and wild garlic in the nearby forest.’ She lifts her basket. ‘I make the stew to simmer all day.’

I wonder if she has invited someone over, or if she dines alone since her husband’s death.

‘So, do you want to buy the kafenion?’ she asks a little warily.

‘I spent a lot of time thinking about it last night,’ I tell her. ‘In fact, I tossed and turned. It’s a strange feeling but the pull of the café is so strong, I feel I need to be here.’

I realise it isn’t just the discovery of the café though. Rhodes is already beginning to feel like a new home.

‘Destiny.’ Ireta nods.

‘So, what is the price?’ I ask.

She regards me carefully, as if assessing how much I can afford.

‘What do you want to pay?’ she eventually asks.

I really have no idea. I am hoping the café is structurally sound, despite it needing renovating.

‘Perhaps the wise thing would be to get a valuation from an estate agent.’ I tell Ireta this and she shakes her head.

‘They will take more of your money. Pay me; it will be easy and fast. And no charges.’

As we are speaking, a text pops through from Kai’s friend asking if he would like me to come over tomorrow and give a price for the work on the building.

I quickly tap out a reply and arrange to meet him at the hotel tomorrow during my lunch hour.

‘I promise I will call you tomorrow,’ I tell Ireta. ‘A builder will give me a quote on the renovation, then perhaps we can agree a price. Can you meet me here with the front door key so I can take a look inside tomorrow at, say, one o’clock? And maybe documents of ownership. Of the café.’

She frowns. ‘You think it does not belong to me?’

‘Of course not. But everything must be legal.’

A slow smile spreads across her face. ‘I joke. Of course I understand that.’

‘So, do you live far from here?’ I ask as we walk. She points to a cluster of houses set back from the forest on a slope.

‘The village,’ she explains. ‘One shop, no taverna.’

‘I suppose Rhodes town isn’t too far away,’ I remind her.

‘I do not bother.’ She waves a hand. ‘It is too noisy for me.’

We walk side by side until she reaches a slightly uphill road that leads to the village.

‘You should get yourself a moped,’ I suggest.

‘I like to walk. Keep the legs strong,’ she tells me. ‘Tomorrow, I will see you.’

I feel it only right to get an accurate valuation from an estate agent. And perhaps it will prevent me from making any hasty decisions.

Back at the hotel, I excitedly get ready for my shift as the sun pours through the window. I imagine the little building transformed into a snug place for me to live. Maybe I will get myself a dog. I was never able to have a pet in my apartment, and it could serve as a guard dog too, I suppose, the location being slightly remote. I could build it an enclosed pen. I realise once more that I am getting carried away with myself.