Read Online The Art of Becoming Homeless by Sara Alexi - Free Book Online
Authors: Sara Alexi
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nothing, but if you could have seen where we were balanced you would be amazed. He passed the rope to me, to tie around myself, but I couldn’t, my shoulder was so painful.’
‘ Have they x-rayed it yet?’ Juliet asks.
Michelle tucks the hospital phone between her good shoulder and chin, and pours a glass of water. Her rucksack with phone, guidebook, and toothbrush are somewhere at the bottom of the sea, or floating off to Crete. Thankfully her passport and purse are safely in a money belt.
‘Yes, I’m waiting for the results. Dino is in the room next door, apparently. They have been cleaning up his chest, full of tiny stones scraped under the skin. It sounds horrible.’
‘ So Dino tied it for you?’
‘ Yes. Which was also not as easy as it sounds. We could either stand too far apart so he couldn’t reach me or so close we could hardly move, depending on which rocks we put our feet on. Such a hero.’
‘ He is a nice guy. One of life’s sweethearts,’ Juliet agrees.
The closeness of him had felt safe, the life in his eyes reassuring, his breath on her skin comforting. He had his own particular smell, earthy and young. His arm around her as he tied the rope was commanding, sure, older than his years. But then he had to let go.
‘The next bit was scary, after I was tied to the rope. He called to the donkey man, who got the animal to pull me up. I was not sure the rope would hold, and then I was even more worried about the branches of the bush spiking me, but they did it slowly. The really embarrassing part was, by the time I had got to the top and caught my breath, Dino had already climbed up, without any help. Goodness knows how. He was caked with dust and soil. His hair and eyebrows were white. The fisherman was cheering and clapped and shouted, “Bravo!” It all became a bit comical at the end ….’
‘ I’m just glad you’re safe,’ Juliet says.
‘ Anyway, listen, I didn’t want to worry you with this call. I could have told you all about it when I come, but I have a problem. The donkey man,’ Michelle drops her voice. ‘You should have seen his face when he realised what had happened. I think he thought Dolly had run off, at first.’ Michelle pauses, holds the phone between chin and shoulder and reaches for a tissue from the box on the bedside locker. ‘When we told him what had happened, his back straightened up; he just stood, so erect and still, his eyes not focused on anything. He was like that for so long I wondered if he had fallen into shock. Then he turned slowly, went to his other donkey and put his arms around her neck, whispering to her. I swear I saw him wipe his eyes, but he tried to hide it. He was devastated.’
‘ I imagine he was. It’s his whole living.’ Juliet’s voice is calm.
‘ It was more than that ….’ Michelle swallows and pats under her eyes with the tissue.
‘ I’m just glad you’re OK. Will they keep you in?’
‘ Oh, I don’t think so. I feel fine apart from the shoulder.’ She takes a deep breath. ‘Apparently there are only four rooms in this tiny hospital—a staff room and three beds. They can’t really afford to keep me in.’ Dropping the scrunched up tissue on the bedcovers, she takes a drink of water. ‘But Juliet, what should I do about the donkey man? How much is a donkey? Do I need to compensate him?’
‘ The donkey man will probably not expect anything,’ Juliet says, there is a slight crackle on the line.
‘ But surely, it was my fault his beast died. Oh it was horrible, Juliet, the poor thing was fighting for its life. And then its life suddenly gone … I feel so guilty and sad. She was such a lovely animal. What does the Greek law say I should do, do you know?’
‘ It is very sad,’ Juliet exhales slowly, ‘but life happens, and that is how the donkey man will see it, I expect. Just how life deals the cards; no one’s fault. It wasn’t as if you wanted it to happen or took the animal onto an extreme path.
‘ Have they x-rayed it yet?’ Juliet asks.
Michelle tucks the hospital phone between her good shoulder and chin, and pours a glass of water. Her rucksack with phone, guidebook, and toothbrush are somewhere at the bottom of the sea, or floating off to Crete. Thankfully her passport and purse are safely in a money belt.
‘Yes, I’m waiting for the results. Dino is in the room next door, apparently. They have been cleaning up his chest, full of tiny stones scraped under the skin. It sounds horrible.’
‘ So Dino tied it for you?’
‘ Yes. Which was also not as easy as it sounds. We could either stand too far apart so he couldn’t reach me or so close we could hardly move, depending on which rocks we put our feet on. Such a hero.’
‘ He is a nice guy. One of life’s sweethearts,’ Juliet agrees.
The closeness of him had felt safe, the life in his eyes reassuring, his breath on her skin comforting. He had his own particular smell, earthy and young. His arm around her as he tied the rope was commanding, sure, older than his years. But then he had to let go.
‘The next bit was scary, after I was tied to the rope. He called to the donkey man, who got the animal to pull me up. I was not sure the rope would hold, and then I was even more worried about the branches of the bush spiking me, but they did it slowly. The really embarrassing part was, by the time I had got to the top and caught my breath, Dino had already climbed up, without any help. Goodness knows how. He was caked with dust and soil. His hair and eyebrows were white. The fisherman was cheering and clapped and shouted, “Bravo!” It all became a bit comical at the end ….’
‘ I’m just glad you’re safe,’ Juliet says.
‘ Anyway, listen, I didn’t want to worry you with this call. I could have told you all about it when I come, but I have a problem. The donkey man,’ Michelle drops her voice. ‘You should have seen his face when he realised what had happened. I think he thought Dolly had run off, at first.’ Michelle pauses, holds the phone between chin and shoulder and reaches for a tissue from the box on the bedside locker. ‘When we told him what had happened, his back straightened up; he just stood, so erect and still, his eyes not focused on anything. He was like that for so long I wondered if he had fallen into shock. Then he turned slowly, went to his other donkey and put his arms around her neck, whispering to her. I swear I saw him wipe his eyes, but he tried to hide it. He was devastated.’
‘ I imagine he was. It’s his whole living.’ Juliet’s voice is calm.
‘ It was more than that ….’ Michelle swallows and pats under her eyes with the tissue.
‘ I’m just glad you’re OK. Will they keep you in?’
‘ Oh, I don’t think so. I feel fine apart from the shoulder.’ She takes a deep breath. ‘Apparently there are only four rooms in this tiny hospital—a staff room and three beds. They can’t really afford to keep me in.’ Dropping the scrunched up tissue on the bedcovers, she takes a drink of water. ‘But Juliet, what should I do about the donkey man? How much is a donkey? Do I need to compensate him?’
‘ The donkey man will probably not expect anything,’ Juliet says, there is a slight crackle on the line.
‘ But surely, it was my fault his beast died. Oh it was horrible, Juliet, the poor thing was fighting for its life. And then its life suddenly gone … I feel so guilty and sad. She was such a lovely animal. What does the Greek law say I should do, do you know?’
‘ It is very sad,’ Juliet exhales slowly, ‘but life happens, and that is how the donkey man will see it, I expect. Just how life deals the cards; no one’s fault. It wasn’t as if you wanted it to happen or took the animal onto an extreme path.
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