Free The Unquiet Mind (The Greek Village Collection Book 8) by Sara Alexi Page B

you have listened to a word.’ He pours them both another measure. ‘Drink up and we will go up to the kafeneio and I will explain it again. Stella, the bill.’
    At these words, Yanni drags himself to the moment, looks quickly at Babis and then at Stella, who is adding sums on her notepad.
    ‘How many ouzos did you have?’ she asks. Yanni has no idea.
    ‘Two each,’ Babis is quick to reply.
    Yanni half stands and fumbles in his back pocket for money.
    ‘No, no. You are in my village now, Yanni, my guest. Stella, take nothing from him.’ Babis pays and Yanni looks back across the road, but the woman has gone inside. ‘Here you go, Stella. Keep the change.’
    ‘Thanks, Babis. Nice to meet you, Yanni.’ She gathers the empty plates, glasses and forks on top, bread basket on top of that.
    ‘Oh, yes, nice to meet you too.’ Yanni manages to break through his own reverie and smile at Stella. Her face relaxes as if she has been worrying about something but now is not.
    ‘Hey Babis, take care of our island friend, won’t you.’ She smiles now and grabs the ouzo bottle with her free hand to take it inside.
    ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t I?’ Babis retorts as he stands. ‘Come on, Yanni.’
    Yanni looks from Stella to the empty doorway across the road and then to the side road that leads to Babi’s back door.
    ‘Who … Sorry where …’ Yanni’s words and feet stumble in unison. The village is moving slightly as if they are at sea.
    ‘Up to Theo’s, yes? I’ll tell you my plan again and the football is on later.’ Babis is almost level with the first chilled drinks cabinet outside the kiosk.
    ‘Look, er, it’s been a long day.’ Yanni looks up the side road. His feet seem to have grown a size and one is catching on the other as he walks.
    ‘You have all day tomorrow to sleep, my friend. Come, how many times do we have such a great reunion?’ Babis says.
    ‘It is very kind and I do appreciate …’ Yanni has turned his hips in the direction of the back door of Babis’ house, but he is looking over his shoulder at the sandwich shop. He is experiencing the calm feeling he felt earlier in the day after the second ouzo, as if he is floating. He wants to see her again, just a glimpse, to know she is real.
    ‘You don’t seem to be appreciating anything much. Why the rush for your bed? Come, I will tell you the plan again and once you understand, you will not want to sleep for a week.’
    ‘I must get up and go to the convent tomorrow.’ He hadn’t intended to say that.
    ‘The convent, whatever for? I thought you were here for a donkey?’ Babis has stopped outside the kiosk. Yanni lowers his voice to reply; he does not want the woman in the kiosk knowing his business.
    ‘I have to drop a letter off for Sister Katerina …’ As the sister’s name forms on his lips, he no longer floats. The woman in the sandwich shop becomes ... becomes what? He stops to think, a mirage perhaps. He looks back to where she was sitting. She is still not there, so how can he be sure she is real? Maybe she is an imagined temptation thrown to steer him off his course. No, to call her a temptress implies notions beyond her ability. A temptress she was not. She was angelic, serene, calm. What was he saying? Oh yes, ‘Drop a package off and maybe arrange to see one of the sisters there.’ It feels important to state this out loud, make it solid.
    The possibility of seeing Sophia is suddenly critical, a return to sanity, his real life. He rubs a hand across his chest, sucking in big lungfuls of air, images of the woman in the sandwich shop crowding his thoughts. One chaotic reaction has folded over another ever since leaving Orino Island; he has experienced such a wreckage of emotions since stepping off the boat that it is entirely possible he is losing all sense of reason. He is certainly struggling with his grip on reality. Falling asleep on the bus with all the noise and clamour around him, how was that even possible? And