For the love of Christopher

Chapter 13 - Feminine wiles?

The court case was looming and I didn't know what to expect. I didn't trust Helen and her family and I hadn't a clue whether or not they were going to turn up in court. I had already booked my flight along with my mum and step-dad, Jack. The night before the flight, I decided to go out on the town for a few beers. There had been a lot of publicity about Christopher's abduction and no matter where I went, people, male and female, were coming up to me, asking what was happening with my son. What was intended to be a quiet drink turned out to be 'question time' at the bar. I appreciated their interest, but I didn't want to talk about the court case just before I was due to fly out to Greece, so decided to go back home. I didn't sleep much that night. I was thinking about Christopher and wondering if Helen would turn up.
I was up very early in order to be at Manchester airport for the morning flight. I had ordered a taxi to leave from my mother's house. We were all going in the same taxi to the airport. It seemed the most sensible. It was Saturday morning and we were going to stay in Athens for a week. I knew the court case was for real and the battling would begin.
We stayed in the same hotel as before in Omonia Square. We had three days to chill out before the court case on the Tuesday and I was adamant I would relax as much as possible.
The first two days, my mum and Jack visited the shops as usual, the clothes shops and lots of the souvenir shops. I visited the Acropolis as I always did whenever I visited Greece. I had always been fascinated by Greek history. I would just stare at the Acropolis shining like a lit-up wedding cake above the city. It felt like a magnet drawing me to it. That icon of ancient Athens was real to me now, no longer just a picture on a postcard or an image in a guide book. It was much better than seeing it in a movie and I felt inspired by it. Each view presented me with a photo opportunity and my camera was always at the ready.
While my mum was unpacking, I sneaked out and rang Helen to ask if it were all right to see Christopher. Much to my surprise, she agreed and told me to go on the Monday as they would be busy till then. On Saturday and Sunday, it was chill out time for us all. We went to a few bars and we had a good laugh and joked around. We were totally relaxed and we didn't mention the court case that was happening on Tuesday. On the Monday, I made the excuse I was going to Piraeus for a while. I didn't want to tell Mum and Jack I was seeing Helen and Christopher. I knew they would persuade me not to go, but I just had to see my little boy before the hearing. I had the confidence to go on my own knowing neither Helen, Maria, nor Vangelis would risk doing anything stupid with the court case the following day.
On my way there, I called at the police station in Perama to see if Remanos was on duty. He was sitting at the front desk with his feet up watching television. I laughed to myself thinking things would never change there with Remanos in charge. We gave each other a hug. He was happy to see me and he pulled a bottle of vodka out of his drawer as he winked and smiled at me with his broad infectious smile. I told him what was going on, about the court case and everything. I stayed about twenty minutes and told him I was going to Helen's house to see Christopher.
"Be careful, Ian," he said. "You and I know what they are like. Shall I take you up there to make sure you are all right?"
"Thanks, Remanos, but I'll be fine," I told him. "They won't dare try anything today just before the hearing." I said my goodbyes and left him.
As usual I walked up the long hill to Helen's house. I had nicknamed it the hill of tears after all the bad experiences I had had. I walked past the cafe bar where Helen and I used to go for a drink and a meal. It was the place where I'd hid in disguise on that fateful day when I surprised her and planned her escape out of Greece. I passed the small park where Christopher used to play. It was impossible not to recall all these things as I walked past all the familiar places.
When I arrived at the house, I stopped, took a deep breath and made my way up the stairs. Helen was waiting for me at the top. She smiled and let me in. Vangelis wasn't there and Maria was in her bedroom which seemed strange to me. Helen took me onto the balcony as it was a lovely day for sitting outside. She was very chirpy and went out of her way to be nice to me. I found it all very odd and decided it was because she was going to lose the court case and was trying to befriend me again. She was asking questions about Alder Street where we had lived together and about my family and friends. It was bizarre considering we were all in court the following day.
Christopher came on the balcony and sat on my knee. He was very talkative and loving and it made me very happy. It confirmed he still loved me. I played with him for over an hour, something I had missed very much; one of the simple things of being a father. We played Snap, a card game we always played in England. I stayed a while longer and Helen asked me where I was staying. I told her the name of the hotel and where it was situated. I actually felt quite comfortable, but the time came for me to leave. "I must go," I told her.
"Oh, can't you stay longer?" she asked.
"No, I must get back to my mum and Jack. They will be wondering where I am." As I was leaving, she shook my hand and said goodbye. I gave Christopher a big hug and kissed him. "See you later, Chris."
As I was walking down the hill Helen shouted at me and waved. I don't know why I did it, but I waved back at her. I was letting my guard down and it was a dangerous thing to do when the next day we would be enemies in court.
When I arrived back at the hotel, the receptionist told me there was a message for me. It was from Helen. I looked at it wide-eyed. 'Meet me at the train station at 9pm.'
I felt totally confused. I didn't understand what was going on and what her intentions were. I met my mother and Jack and we went for a meal in a small cafe in Omonia Square. Jack wanted to go to KFC, his usual haunt, but my mum put her foot down and we went elsewhere. We had Greek food - Souvlaki which was like a small kebab with salad and chips. I told them I was going out later, but I made the excuse I was touring a few bars. I told Mum and Jack I needed to chill with the up-coming court case the following day. I didn't tell them I was meeting Helen as I knew they would be very annoyed.
I had already dressed for dinner so after we had our meal, I left Mum and Jack. "I'll see you later," I said. "I won't be late in."
Mum was worried. "Be careful," she pleaded. "I don't like the thought of you being out on your own at night."
"I'll be okay, Mum," I reassured her. "Don't worry."
I got a taxi to Piraeus wondering what the hell Helen wanted with me. I didn't understand it at all. I arrived early, but Helen was already there. She was dressed as though she was going on a date. Alarm bells should have been ringing. She was wearing a white see-through blouse displaying her ample breasts for all to see, black pants and white strappy shoes. Her long blonde hair fell in curls onto her shoulders; her luscious lips were shiny with pink lipstick and her green eyes were gleaming in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful and it took all my powers of restraint not to tell her.
"Why do you want to see me?" I asked.
"Let's go to the Alexander bar where we can talk," she replied. She smiled. "It's where we used to go, remember?"
"How could I forget?" I answered, still confused.
It seemed that the whole population of Athens was in that bar, but I ordered a bottle of retsina. We both liked the exclusive Greek wine with its pungent taste; although it is not to everybody's liking. The waiter came over and started to play a violin near our table. It was very romantic. The sense of the occasion started to affect me. The court case was forced to the back of my mind. I ought to have been more aware of what was happening, but the drinks were flowing and Helen was getting closer to me by the minute. Neither of us mentioned the hearing and as the night wore on, I didn't care.
I was very comfortable around Helen. I was totally bewitched by her. I gazed into her eyes and all the feelings I had for her came back. I could see the old Helen and I couldn't keep my eyes off her beautiful face and her voluptuous body. I touched her hand pulling her close enough to kiss her. When our lips met, I was lost. I was still in love with her; my feelings just came flooding back and I couldn't think about the bad things that had happened between us.
A young gypsy girl came over. She was only a child, but she placed a red rose on the table. I gave the child a hundred drachmas and I gave the rose to Helen. She bent over and gave me a long lingering kiss. I was falling in love with her again and I didn't try to stop myself. I was totally overwhelmed with passion.
The night was becoming more and more romantic. We couldn't stop touching each other. Catching my breath, I asked her, "Would you like to go to a hotel?"
"Yes," she breathed huskily and it completely made my raging passion take over.
We jumped into a taxi and went to the same hotel where I stayed when I smuggled her out of Greece. Once in the room, we stripped off, delighting in our nakedness and we made love over and over again; love or lust? In hindsight, I don't know, but it was just like the old times if not better.
"I love you so much, Ian," she whispered. "I realised how much I have missed you when you came to the house this afternoon."
"I love you too," I told her. "I always did."
I didn't care if she was enticing me into a web of deceit. I just wanted to be with her. I was so happy that she loved me. I cried in her arms and I didn't want that moment to end. When I looked into her eyes, she was crying too.
She held me close and said, "You will hate me for what I'm going to say tomorrow in the court." She didn't elaborate on what she meant.
Maybe I ought to have insisted she told me the details, but I just told her I loved her and I just wanted to cherish that moment. We got dressed and left the hotel. We kissed again and that was it. She left in a taxi.
I made my way back to the hotel in the early hours of the morning. I went straight to bed happy, with a big smile on my face completely unaware of what would happen in court the following day. For then, I went to sleep a happy man.