Read Online The Explosive Nature of Friendship by Sara Alexi - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sara Alexi
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phrase it. ‘It is just a letter.’
‘ Oh!’ Juliet lets out a gentle peal of laughter and her spine curves softly as it relaxes. ‘You mean you just want me to read a letter to you?’
‘ Yes.’ Mitsos reaches into his breast pocket and takes out the envelope. He removes the single sheet which he carefully straightens, pressing it against his thigh. He passes the sheet to Juliet, who has to lean towards him to reach it. He is slightly reluctant to let it go.
‘ It is from …’ Juliet begins.
‘ I know who it is from. All I want to know is are they going ahead or not? Is it a yes or a no?’
Juliet scans the page, folds the sheet carefully, reaches over and takes the envelope from Mitsos ’ knee, returns the missive to its place and hands it back. He takes it in a daze, eyes wide, replaces it in his breast pocket, clenches his fist, his shoulders drawn back. He looks ready to pounce.
‘ They are going ahead,’ Juliet replies without ceremony.
Mitsos begins to smile, and then he opens his mouth wide and shouts ‘Opa!’ and tenses his fist and shakes it by his ear; his whole upper body judders. Juliet is now grinning at him. He stands up and offers her his hand, which she takes, and he pulls her to her feet, and spontaneously draws her towards him and kisses her on both cheeks. He regains control and feels his cheeks colour, and bows his head.
‘ Thank you, Mrs Juliet, thank you.’ He studies his sandals. His spontaneous reaction battles for attention with the news just imparted.
‘ All I did was read a letter,’ Juliet says.
‘ Ah, but you did it so beautifully.’ He looks up at her and grins widely before taking his leave. When he is by the gate he turns back to see Juliet leaning against the doorframe looking after him, smiling. He purses his lips and presses a tall finger against them. Juliet nods, zipping her lips with her hand. They both smile and wave farewell.
Mitsos hops and skips, as well as he can, all the way down the lane to the square. Such a weight has been lifted. He feels years younger. His balance returns, or at least it ’s better.
He briskly mounts the steps to the kafenio and takes a seat in the window. He wants to see the world. He orders an ouzo from Theo, who makes no comment on the change to his decades-long seating ritual. Theo just smiles and nods, his hair flopping, a frizzy crown. He serves an ouzo and pats Mitso on the back as he walks away, a gesture of support for whatever has happened, unconditional.
The square contains its usual assortment of children playing, women talking, immigrants waiting and dogs. The colours seem bright, the sunlight brighter. The children, wearing primary shades and dazzling whites, seem happy. The women’s housecoats, shouting tropical flowers and swirling designs, make promises of faraway places. Mitsos has always hated such bold designs but right now they seem to add to the pure joy of life. A dog runs around the immigrants; one of them pats him, no one throws a stone. Vasso, in her wooden box, is looking out, smiling. The sun saturates the colours and creates strong contrast with the patches of shade. Mitsos puts his hand to his breast pocket where the letter is safely stowed.
A stout but striking woman comes out of the pharmacy, dressed in blue, a blue like the sky. Mitsos studies her. She seems familiar, and he realises it is Marina. She is not wearing black. Mitsos cannot think what this might mean. Generally women who lose their husbands do not come out of mourning. Whatever her reason for wearing blue, she wears it well, and she looks like she has lost some weight, although she remains a lovely curvy lady. Mitsos shuffles on his seat, pulls the crotch of his trousers into a more comfortable position and straightens his shirt.
He is acutely conscious of his new-found power. He checks that the envelope is still there. Marina stops to chat to other women. She smiles, she looks happy, and Mitsos is glad to see this. She laughs,
‘ Oh!’ Juliet lets out a gentle peal of laughter and her spine curves softly as it relaxes. ‘You mean you just want me to read a letter to you?’
‘ Yes.’ Mitsos reaches into his breast pocket and takes out the envelope. He removes the single sheet which he carefully straightens, pressing it against his thigh. He passes the sheet to Juliet, who has to lean towards him to reach it. He is slightly reluctant to let it go.
‘ It is from …’ Juliet begins.
‘ I know who it is from. All I want to know is are they going ahead or not? Is it a yes or a no?’
Juliet scans the page, folds the sheet carefully, reaches over and takes the envelope from Mitsos ’ knee, returns the missive to its place and hands it back. He takes it in a daze, eyes wide, replaces it in his breast pocket, clenches his fist, his shoulders drawn back. He looks ready to pounce.
‘ They are going ahead,’ Juliet replies without ceremony.
Mitsos begins to smile, and then he opens his mouth wide and shouts ‘Opa!’ and tenses his fist and shakes it by his ear; his whole upper body judders. Juliet is now grinning at him. He stands up and offers her his hand, which she takes, and he pulls her to her feet, and spontaneously draws her towards him and kisses her on both cheeks. He regains control and feels his cheeks colour, and bows his head.
‘ Thank you, Mrs Juliet, thank you.’ He studies his sandals. His spontaneous reaction battles for attention with the news just imparted.
‘ All I did was read a letter,’ Juliet says.
‘ Ah, but you did it so beautifully.’ He looks up at her and grins widely before taking his leave. When he is by the gate he turns back to see Juliet leaning against the doorframe looking after him, smiling. He purses his lips and presses a tall finger against them. Juliet nods, zipping her lips with her hand. They both smile and wave farewell.
Mitsos hops and skips, as well as he can, all the way down the lane to the square. Such a weight has been lifted. He feels years younger. His balance returns, or at least it ’s better.
He briskly mounts the steps to the kafenio and takes a seat in the window. He wants to see the world. He orders an ouzo from Theo, who makes no comment on the change to his decades-long seating ritual. Theo just smiles and nods, his hair flopping, a frizzy crown. He serves an ouzo and pats Mitso on the back as he walks away, a gesture of support for whatever has happened, unconditional.
The square contains its usual assortment of children playing, women talking, immigrants waiting and dogs. The colours seem bright, the sunlight brighter. The children, wearing primary shades and dazzling whites, seem happy. The women’s housecoats, shouting tropical flowers and swirling designs, make promises of faraway places. Mitsos has always hated such bold designs but right now they seem to add to the pure joy of life. A dog runs around the immigrants; one of them pats him, no one throws a stone. Vasso, in her wooden box, is looking out, smiling. The sun saturates the colours and creates strong contrast with the patches of shade. Mitsos puts his hand to his breast pocket where the letter is safely stowed.
A stout but striking woman comes out of the pharmacy, dressed in blue, a blue like the sky. Mitsos studies her. She seems familiar, and he realises it is Marina. She is not wearing black. Mitsos cannot think what this might mean. Generally women who lose their husbands do not come out of mourning. Whatever her reason for wearing blue, she wears it well, and she looks like she has lost some weight, although she remains a lovely curvy lady. Mitsos shuffles on his seat, pulls the crotch of his trousers into a more comfortable position and straightens his shirt.
He is acutely conscious of his new-found power. He checks that the envelope is still there. Marina stops to chat to other women. She smiles, she looks happy, and Mitsos is glad to see this. She laughs,
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