Winter Hearts

In Which Siana Catches Up With Dad

She thought back to last Christmas when Uncle Stavros, in the heat of the moment, got up on the bar in his restaurant and started gyrating with a soulful expression on his face. Panos had immediately taken pictures and was whooping and egging him on. It ended up being a wonderful night filled with warm memories.

She texted Panos. Will be in Itea soon. Basket?

She immediately got a text back. Yes! Am meeting the others at 4 at the school. Join us when you can.

She smiled. After a day of travelling, she wanted to move and sweat. She told her dad she would be out that afternoon with the cousins. He nodded, then turned to her in all seriousness.

"Just so you know, we have a long term booking starting tonight. Don't worry about it, I have prepared everything. But tomorrow onwards you need to handle most of it. Mostly being on hand to help them if they need any, because I have organised for a cleaner and they say they will handle meals on their own, except for breakfast."

"Oh, where will you be?"

Her dad smiled.

"I'm writing again, and I have a few contracts I have to finish before New Year's."

"Oh, wow that's great, dad! What is it? Jingles? Songs?"

"Yeah, mostly for ad agencies in Athens, but other things as well."

"Does that mean you have opened up the studio again?"

"Well, I don't need as much equipment as I used to, so I am working at home. The studio... well, maybe one day someone will need to hire it. Not many composers in Itea."

"You never know, some kids might form a band or something."

"Anyway, I will just leave it as it is, but if I don't start using it again, I may clear it out and make a studio apartment or something."

"Aww, wait another year, I would hate to see it go."

Siana sat back and thought about the times she had spent with her dad in that studio. She was barely ten when he made her sing for jingles he had made for kids' products, or nursery rhymes for educational videos. 

She enjoyed the late nights and just being alone with him, even though she had felt guilty that her mum was alone in their home. She remembered waking up late and being teased by the boys that because she was on holiday she was acting like a princess.

Then she would run just as hard and fast as them and make them eat their words.

She opened the window a little to let some chill air in for a moment. She felt the bright mediterranean sunshine on her face, and combined with the crisp cold air, made her feel both alive and sleepy at the same time. 

Her thoughts turned to the concerts she was going to miss at the end of the year. The closest venue was Singapore, a quick and relatively inexpensive trip from Kuala Lumpur, where she lived. She could easily make the money for the concert ticket, with a bit of scrimping and maybe borrowing. 

She felt a little hollow inside that, by sad coincidence, she would be away visiting a place and person she loved very much, just when the concert she had been waiting for years to see, was happening back home.

She looked out at the slowly fading industrial landscape of outer Athens and spotted the odd olive tree and orange tree in the now-harvested cotton fields and vegetable orchard. The land was rocky and mountainous in places, but where there were flatlands the soil was dark and rich. Very soon she would see some old traditional houses crumbling by the roadside, then modern and stark farmhouses and businesses, built for function rather than beauty. 

She anticipated the road rising up into the mountains on their approach to Delphi from the northeast, and seeing goats being shepherded along by young men in old wool cloaks with their faces buried in their mobile phones. 

It was on odd, old, heavy world with flashes of quirky weird modern contrasts.

After a while, the wind became fierce as they rolled along and her hair became frenzied whipping snakes that hurt her neck and eyes. She closed the window. Her dad glanced at her for a moment.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"If you say so."

"I'm okay, just found out I will be missing a big concert back home."

"Oh, do you want to go home early?

Siana's heart leapt and for an instant she felt relieved that her dad might be okay with that if that was what she wanted to do. 

But then she thought, in the big scheme of things, the fun and excitement of seeing the concert would fade once it was over, and she would have left her dad alone for a few hours of fun. She wanted to be honest, though, so she thought about what she wanted to say.

"Well, that would be great, but then I would miss out on another month here."

"Then come back after."

Siana shot her dad a scowling look. His comment made up her mind.