Dreams

By Otilia Greco

Set in contemporary Greece, a man and a woman who met briefly decades earlier are mysteriously reunited when a massive storm virtually throws them together. Was it in the power of the ancient Greek Gods to manage the destinies of two very disparate people? As a young girl, Nina dreamt of a prince who would take her to another country. When an in

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Mar 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948654517

Otilia Greco

Otilia Greco was born in the Swiss Alps; was educated in Switzerland, England, and Paris; and is fluent in six languages. She graduated from Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and developed an appreciation for history and cultures. Otilia and her husband worked internationally, lived for several years in California, and now reside in Switzerland. This is her third book.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Sailing Boat in the Bay

Plastiras, the old fisherman, was sitting on his favourite bench selected for a great view of the sea. It was an evening in the early summer, and the Mediterranean was not as calm as usual. The wind had been blowing the whole day, but had now slowly calmed down; waves were still coming into the remote bay of his Greek island. Numerous times, Plastiras was out at sea, recognising Poseidon’s intentions by the smell of the air, the sound of the wind, or the special colouring of the water. He had witnessed the mysteries of the deep and had no doubt that old Poseidon was still a force to be reckoned with.

It was 1986, and Nina was back on her beloved island after yet another hectic period in her life. This had always been the right place to reclaim her soul. She had returned to this island many times over the past twenty years.

Nina had experienced great happiness and despair in her life, and this island was the place where she fled to find peace in her heart and recover from those difficult moments.

Today, the Meltemi, a strong wind, had been blowing all day long, which compelled her to sit by the sea to watch the waves. Sailing boats and yachts sat in the small bay nearby well protected from the wind, waiting for a calmer sea to sail upon. Was it the wind, with its melody, that brought back her energy? It was now licking her lovely, pale face and pulling her blonde hair. This fresh breeze cleared her brain and her soul. Slowly, it brought her inner peace.

Now, she was finally able to reflect over the past months, which had been so hectic. Besides working as a translator, she had remodelled her house. Finally, it was time for a holiday and to relax on this island. Lately, she had no time left for her most precious self.

Now, she would have the time to complete the translation and editing of her deceased husband’s memoirs. After finishing all the tasks on her list, there was no longer any excuse left to keep her from this meaningful work.

For hours, Nina had been sitting alone on the small balcony of her hotel room. Fixated on a familiar sailing boat sitting in the bay, she was unable to focus on the manuscript. This particular boat must have been floating there for years because she clearly remembered that every time she returned to the island, the same boat was anchored in that same place, just like an old friend. It seemed to belong in the bay, just like a piece of furniture in a room. Did that boat ever sail? What could possibly be the story behind it? Was someone on board?

Night fell, and the sailing boat was wriggling on the waves. The sails were down. The wind was still singing through the rigging, and it sounded almost like someone was playing a lovely melody on a harp.

Maybe, Nina wondered, by listening to the different tunes, it is possible to discern the boat’s history.

It was an older, well-designed boat with a dark blue body, a white deck top, and shiny railings, elegant and proud in appearance. It might even belong to an aged owner who didn’t sail anymore.

Nina found herself wondering if anyone lived on board.

The evening wind shifted and the boat, centring on its anchor, slowly changing its position. A small crest at the tip of a wave caressed its body. The waves looked like silver ribbons in the pale moonlight. As the night grew darker, the bay became quite mysterious. The wind blew even more gently than it had earlier in the evening, and silvery waves gently rocked the boat. Soon after, small lights from the houses appeared on the hill across the bay and reflected on the water. People were at home now, cooking, eating, and chatting. Once in a while, music could be heard, blown over the bay by the wind.

A light at the very top of the sailing boat’s mast helped to display the boat’s majestic height at night. Maybe a timer set this light off, as nobody seemed to be there to turn it on. The other fishermen were at home by now. Their small vessels rested at the bay’s end until early next morning, when they would take them out for the next catch. Far away, the last ferryboat had left with tourists, heading to another island.

All was quiet. This might be the time the ancient Greek gods chose to return to their kingdoms to enjoy past memories that appeared like dreams.

The cry of a frightened seagull interrupted the calm, and then everything was peaceful again. The music at a nearby tavern had concluded for the evening, and the lights in the houses on the neighbouring hill were extinguished one by one. A dog barked far away, breaking the silence and, again, the holy quietness of the night returned.

Suddenly, a small, bright glow seemed to move around on the sailing boat sitting in the bay, and then it disappeared. Could it be a man’s cigarette? Or maybe it was just a reflection from the waves illuminated by the moon. Again, the entire bay became quiet; nothing to hear other than the wind playing with the sailing boat’s rigging.

The sailing boat swung over to the other side of its anchor as the bright spot returned to move about on deck. A dim light turned on in the cabin and was switched off shortly thereafter. Nina was sure there was someone on board.

For another half an hour, the boat was still and dark—then another light went on for just a fraction of a second. A dark shadow moved on deck; Nina realised it was a man lighting his cigarette as he walked back and forth next to the railing.

An eerie light illuminated one single, small circle on the sea. This made the waves look translucent as they displayed a golden glimmer. The man on the sailing boat sat next to that illuminated spot, holding a fishing rod. This was an odd thing to do because it was illegal to attract fish with artificial light at night.

Suddenly his rod bent over, just like one grass haulm in a powerful wind. A strong pulling force clearly indicated that a fish was fiercely fighting against its destiny. The silvery fish bent to the right and left, looking like a hanging sculpture blown by the wind. The sailor pulled the fish on deck and turned the golden light off, changing the sea back to its black colour.

Nina watched as a light turned on in the kitchen of the boat; obviously, the man was cooking his dinner. Then he emerged to sit out on deck, eating by the light of a small paraffin lantern. It was now far past midnight, and he sat alone, eating and drinking. He raised his glass towards the sky, as if talking to the gods. Maybe he was thanking them for the catch. It looked like a ceremony.

Later, the man cleared the table and stepped back inside. Another small cabin light switched on and off; perhaps he’d gone to sleep. It was now two o’clock in the morning and everything was dark again. Only the wind continued its song through the sailing boat’s rigging.

There was no movement on the boat the entire next day.

For years, Nina had been intrigued with that sailing boat, and now her imagination began to create stories around it. The man on board might be able to train dolphins, or he could be a lunatic, expelled by society. Sometimes, the inspiration created a nice fairy tale for children. On other occasions, her overactive imagination created a dark story, but always, the boat absorbed her mind.

Later that night, Nina observed the very same ceremony on the boat as she had the night before. First, the man wandered about on deck with his cigarette, appearing like a dark shadow. A while later, a golden spot of illumination on the water attracted the one fish that he caught for his dinner. Once he cooked it, he again sat at the small table on deck. There was one difference from the previous evening. While he was eating, he lit a single candle, placing it in the middle of the table.

Compelled by the secret actions of the past two nights, Nina wanted to find out more about the mysterious man on the boat. She was inexplicably attracted to him, yet she had no idea why. Throughout the day, her vivid imagination took her back to the past few nights. She continued to invent reasons for this man’s solitude.

The next night, the bay was totally quiet, and the lights from the houses nearby had been turned off long before. Though midnight had passed, there was no action on the sailing boat. The full moon above seemed to shine more intensely than ever, so the man on board did not need to turn the light on to catch his dinner. Perhaps tonight the fish might swim close to his boat and check him out.

Disappointed by the lack of action, and sipping on her glass of wine, Nina decided to stay on her balcony a while longer. Transfixed, she watched as a huge golden fish swam towards the sailing boat and up to the mysterious man who sat by the railing. In the moonlight, the fish transformed, taking on the appearance of a mermaid. When the mermaid reached the boat, the sailor held out his hand, then pulled her gently on board. The two sat at a small table on deck—the same place where he had sat alone all the previous nights. A candle gave off a sensuous light as he poured some wine into two glasses. They each raised their glass towards the sky before taking a drink—exactly the way he had done the night before when he was alone.

After a while, they rose to embrace one another, melting into one being. His dark clothing made him look like a black shadow next to her ethereal, golden light. They were together like this for at least ten minutes when the mermaid suddenly jumped overboard. She swam far away and was enveloped by the sea. Smoking a cigarette, the man stood at the railing, watching as the mermaid disappeared into the dark waters.

Nina shook her head, unable to determine if the vision had been real, a dream, or just her imagination. Was it possible that she had fallen asleep? Regardless, she was now obsessed and absolutely had to find out the real story behind that sailing boat.

Not even her local friends, Penelope and Demetrios, the hotel owners, or their staff paid attention to it.

Nobody else staying at the hotel watched the boat as intensively as Nina did from her balcony. It just sat there alone, year after year, and had simply become part of the view.

Nina loved Greek culture and she had learnt a great deal about the Greeks from her close friendship with Penelope and Demetrios and was aware that almost every person on the island had a unique history.

Chapter 2

Greece before and after World War I

In 1922, the conflict to recover territories on the Asiatic Peninsula that now belonged to Turkey failed, and over two million Greeks fled back to their home country. At that time, farmers on the islands were poor and lived on homegrown vegetables, goat’s milk, sheep, and the fish they caught from the sea.

The seemingly endless war ruined trade. Therefore, exporting fish or olives was not possible, and the isolated island farmers remained poor. Cash was scarce and people were not able to buy many necessary things. Neither tourists nor many Greeks travelled to these remote islands with scarce accommodations, and many children of these poor farmers immigrated to America in search of a better life.

Though affected by the hard times brought about by the war, Dimitra’s father, Heraklis, decided to send his daughter to school. He wanted her to read and write rather than just learn how to take care of a home. For a farmer’s daughter in the early 1920s, this was highly unusual. An education was deemed unnecessary because girls were expected to get married and raise a family.

In most families, it was the mother’s task to pick the husband for her daughter while the father would plan and secure her future. Because his wife was dead, Heraklis had to decide every aspect of Dimitra’s destiny. He loved his only daughter very much and was determined to find a deserving groom for his intelligent girl—a man who could give her a more comfortable life.

Dimitra was a strikingly beautiful young woman with the most unusual blue eyes. They were as clear as the transparent sea that surrounded the island. Blue eyes were rare and considered quite special on this island because most people’s eyes were usually all shades of brown and black. What Dimitra lacked in fortune, she made up for in beauty and intelligence.

Heraklis put together the best dowry he could for the daughter he loved so deeply. As a wedding present, he gave her the choice of an acre of dry land or a sewing machine. She chose the sewing machine because she thought she would be able to make some money with embroidery in the future. This was the only contribution Heraklis could make to Dimitra’s marriage.

Heraklis was quite impressed by a handsome young man named Costas who offered good prospects for making money. Even though Heraklis wasn’t very talented in judging a man’s character, he believed Costas could be a great match for his daughter. He was not a poor fisherman’s son who would be exposed daily to wind, sun, and sea. His father owned a small clothing store and, as the only son, Costas would eventually inherit the business. Heraklis was very flattered that Costas also admired his daughter. The couple married in 1933.

Once Dimitra’s husband was chosen, there would be no questions asked about whether she agreed or not. Love was not even an option—it was something that would hopefully grow between the couple once they were married. In those days, romance was not expected in marriage and was a bonus when it happened. Life was hard on the island; people worked just to survive. The majority toiled away in the fields, starting early in the morning until late at night, returning home exhausted from working under the hot sun. Then, the men would sit in front of their homes and smoke. The women prepared dinner for the whole family, and then spent some time with the children before giving them a bath and washing their clothes.

By the time most men turned forty, they looked old. The white circles that signified the beginnings of a cataract formed in their dark brown eyes. Men rarely knew how to read or write; still, they understood the great importance money had and dreamt about an easier way to earn it. Because of the lack of literacy, the local news was told via conversation, while smoking and drinking homemade wine in the evenings. Married couples slept in separate beds and sometimes in different rooms.

Women worked in the field right up until their babies were born. Sometimes they did not even have the time to return home, so they would just lie down in the grass and give birth, like sheep and goats. After a few days of recovery, the mother returned to the field with her baby in tow. While the mother worked, the baby slept in a basket next to a bush’s shadow. In spite of the inferior role, women still made the major decisions concerning the family and managed the money, too.

Sundays were the most important day of the week. Everyone walked to church. There, families, neighbours, and the whole village met. They had ample time to chat with brothers, cousins, and friends.

Early in their marriage, Costas got into a terrible argument with his headstrong father. He was hoping to increase sales in the store and suggested they expand and start selling household goods. Costas imagined new shelves that would display pots and pans. He also wanted to have tables set with nice pottery and glasses, just as someone would set the table in their own home.

It was Costas’s dream to see his young wife Dimitra selling these items to the war-weary villagers who were eager to fix up their homes, even though they didn’t have a lot of money.

A proud man, Costas’s father misunderstood this suggestion totally. He interpreted it as an insult from