Winter Hearts

Dinner with Siana and Mikhalis

Siana and Mikhalis walked into the brightly lit living area to find N and Leo standing sheepishly by the fireplace.

She smelled extinguished matches and guessed that they had tried to light the fire but failed. She and Mikhalis stood by the coffee table that was between the two sofas that had been set with plates, cutlery and glasses.

"It doesn't have an ON button," N said, deadpan. Leo nodded as Mikhalis peered into the fireplace, threw back his head and laughed.

"I think I have to introduce you to the concept of kindling," he said, pushing them aside gently to reach into the pile of firewood that was sitting stacked along the length of wall on one side of the fireplace. There, was a neatly folded old newspaper that had fallen to the side between the wood pieces.

N and Leo turned and gave their full attention to Mikhalis as he pulled out a leaf of it and folded the remaining paper up again. Then he peered at the firewood and pulled tiny branches and dried leaves off them where he could find any.

"These are tree trunks in here," he said, pulling the two large logs that they had placed on the metal plate that formed the base of the fireplace out towards the side. He grabbed a couple of thinner logs with loose bark on them, and a sturdier, smoother one, setting them up so that the logs rested against each other and allowed air to circulate between them.

With a tiny handful of twigs and leaves, he arranged them into a little pile under and between the logs and tore up half of the paper, scrunching them up into loose rolls. He lit one and held it under the kindling, watching for the twigs to take and start crackling. Before that paper burnt out, he had lit the other to keep it going. When he needed to, he blew on the dwindling flame to give it a boost. He looked up at the mantelpiece where there was a long wooden carved bowl filled with dried old pinecones, and took a couple to drop onto the little pile. They crackled instantly.

"Oh. We thought those were for decoration," said N, surprised. He and Leo giggled.

"I believe in multifunctional items," smiled Mikhalis.

Before long the logs had caught fire and were beginning to generate heat.

The boys turned to find Siana had made herself comfortable on one of the sofas, had rested her head on one of the arms and gone to sleep.

"She's multitasking on our behalf," joked Mikhalis, sitting on the sofa opposite her, gesturing to the boys to sit.

N could see that Leo was not sure where to sit: next to Siana on her sofa, or next to Mr Mikhalis on his. He smiled, knowing that in these situations Leo would wait to take his cue from everyone else. But N didn't indicate where he would sit, rather, left the living area to go fetch an extra chair from the dining table. As he did, the doorbell rang, and he paused to open and let Kkomae in.

"Really? Your bathrobe?" N sneered.

"I like it because it is loose and covers all the appropriate body parts," Kkomae stated indifferently as he breezed past and went to the living room. He and Mikhalis greeted each other with loud hellos as Kkomae spread his arms out. N followed after him with the chair and put it by the coffee table.

He was pleased to note Leo had perched himself on the ledge by the fireplace, the best choice out of the potential seating that he had. Good Boyfriend, he thought to himself.

"The food will be delivered soon. I got kokoretsi. I hope you like meat, fat and guts," Mikhalis said.

They all nodded happily. Someone clapped.

"Would you like a drink, Mr Mikhalis?" N asked.

"What do you have?"

"Milk, water and half a can of someone's soda," N smiled. Mikhalis laughed and got up, walking into the kitchen.