Read Online YANNIS (Cretan Saga Book 1) by Beryl Darby - Free Book Online
Authors: Beryl Darby
Tags: Fiction
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certain amount of company for each other until we found our feet and made our own friends.’
‘I would really appreciate that and I’m sure my parents would, too.’ At this moment Yannis did not care where he would live.
Mr Pavlakis picked up his books from his desk and held out his hand. ‘Congratulations on your success, and let’s hope I manage to find somewhere suitable to stay together. I shall go to Heraklion during the holidays and look around. When I’ve found something I’ll pay you a visit in Plaka and talk to your parents.’
‘I’m sure they’ll be very grateful.’
‘Come along then, I must go or I shall be late for work.’
Mr Pavlakis walked rapidly away from his pupil who watched him out of sight before walking slowly back to his uncle’s cottage. His dreams had come true. He was going to High School. His imagination began leaping ahead of him, finishing High School and going to University in Athens, finishing University and becoming famous. How proud of him his parents would be!
Annita was helping with the washing when he arrived. She looked at him a little fearfully. ‘Why did Mr Pavlakis want you?’
‘Why do you think?’
‘You’ve a scholarship to High School?’
Yannis clasped his cousin around her waist, the wet washing between them. ‘I’ve passed and I’m really going! Isn’t it the most marvellous thing that has ever happened?’
Annita hugged him back. ‘I’m so pleased for you. Wait ‘til we tell Mamma and Pappa!’
‘That’s not all, Mr Pavlakis is going to Heraklion,’ he flushed in mortification. ‘That’s supposed to be confidential, so don’t tell anyone, please. He’s going to find us rooms together.’
‘Do you want to live with him?’ Annita was surprised at Yannis’s pleasure.
‘It will be better than being on my own in a strange town, and I do enjoy talking to him.’
Annita disentangled herself from Yannis’s embrace and the wet sheet. ‘What will your parents say?’
‘I expect they’ll be pleased that there will be someone with me. It seems strange to think that I won’t be coming back here.’ He gazed around the kitchen as if he were seeing it for the first time.
‘I must put the washing out.’ Annita went out to the yard so that Yannis did not see her eyes were full of tears. She would miss him so much.
Yiorgo had agreed to take the children to Plaka by boat, using the canal at Olous as a short cut. It would be more work for him, as the sail would have to be lowered so they could pass beneath the concrete bridge, but it would save the children a long walk in the blazing sun.
‘A special treat for Yannis,’ he grinned. ‘He’ll be able to see the houses.’
Yannis smiled contentedly. He had tried in vain to see the remains of the village that had been lost beneath the sea whenever his uncle had sailed in that direction, but never managed to catch more than a glimpse. Yiorgo and Yannis rowed strongly over the smooth water, whilst Andreas sat at the tiller. At Yiorgo’s instruction they shipped their oars and allowed the boat to glide gently over the clear, blue-green water.
‘Look, Yannis,’ he called and pointed into the sea. The three children hung over the side.
‘They’re just blocks of stone,’ said Andreas in disgust.
‘Could be anything,’ added Annita.
Yannis shook his head. ‘No, look. There’s the outline of a wall. See that large stone over there? That’s where the door would have been. You can see another wall going that way. Please, Yiorgo, move on a bit.’
Yiorgo did as he was asked, Yannis pointing out where the walls were until even Annita and Andreas became interested. Finally the water deepened until it was impossible to see the weed-encrusted blocks and Yannis sat up
They began to negotiate the tiny canal. There was just enough room for a boat to pass beneath the low concrete bridge with the mast down. The water looked so shallow that Yannis held his breath; sure they would be
‘I would really appreciate that and I’m sure my parents would, too.’ At this moment Yannis did not care where he would live.
Mr Pavlakis picked up his books from his desk and held out his hand. ‘Congratulations on your success, and let’s hope I manage to find somewhere suitable to stay together. I shall go to Heraklion during the holidays and look around. When I’ve found something I’ll pay you a visit in Plaka and talk to your parents.’
‘I’m sure they’ll be very grateful.’
‘Come along then, I must go or I shall be late for work.’
Mr Pavlakis walked rapidly away from his pupil who watched him out of sight before walking slowly back to his uncle’s cottage. His dreams had come true. He was going to High School. His imagination began leaping ahead of him, finishing High School and going to University in Athens, finishing University and becoming famous. How proud of him his parents would be!
Annita was helping with the washing when he arrived. She looked at him a little fearfully. ‘Why did Mr Pavlakis want you?’
‘Why do you think?’
‘You’ve a scholarship to High School?’
Yannis clasped his cousin around her waist, the wet washing between them. ‘I’ve passed and I’m really going! Isn’t it the most marvellous thing that has ever happened?’
Annita hugged him back. ‘I’m so pleased for you. Wait ‘til we tell Mamma and Pappa!’
‘That’s not all, Mr Pavlakis is going to Heraklion,’ he flushed in mortification. ‘That’s supposed to be confidential, so don’t tell anyone, please. He’s going to find us rooms together.’
‘Do you want to live with him?’ Annita was surprised at Yannis’s pleasure.
‘It will be better than being on my own in a strange town, and I do enjoy talking to him.’
Annita disentangled herself from Yannis’s embrace and the wet sheet. ‘What will your parents say?’
‘I expect they’ll be pleased that there will be someone with me. It seems strange to think that I won’t be coming back here.’ He gazed around the kitchen as if he were seeing it for the first time.
‘I must put the washing out.’ Annita went out to the yard so that Yannis did not see her eyes were full of tears. She would miss him so much.
Yiorgo had agreed to take the children to Plaka by boat, using the canal at Olous as a short cut. It would be more work for him, as the sail would have to be lowered so they could pass beneath the concrete bridge, but it would save the children a long walk in the blazing sun.
‘A special treat for Yannis,’ he grinned. ‘He’ll be able to see the houses.’
Yannis smiled contentedly. He had tried in vain to see the remains of the village that had been lost beneath the sea whenever his uncle had sailed in that direction, but never managed to catch more than a glimpse. Yiorgo and Yannis rowed strongly over the smooth water, whilst Andreas sat at the tiller. At Yiorgo’s instruction they shipped their oars and allowed the boat to glide gently over the clear, blue-green water.
‘Look, Yannis,’ he called and pointed into the sea. The three children hung over the side.
‘They’re just blocks of stone,’ said Andreas in disgust.
‘Could be anything,’ added Annita.
Yannis shook his head. ‘No, look. There’s the outline of a wall. See that large stone over there? That’s where the door would have been. You can see another wall going that way. Please, Yiorgo, move on a bit.’
Yiorgo did as he was asked, Yannis pointing out where the walls were until even Annita and Andreas became interested. Finally the water deepened until it was impossible to see the weed-encrusted blocks and Yannis sat up
They began to negotiate the tiny canal. There was just enough room for a boat to pass beneath the low concrete bridge with the mast down. The water looked so shallow that Yannis held his breath; sure they would be
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