Among the Olive Groves Page 15

  “Hello. I am Elena.”

  “Shush.” The man pushed her down and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Satisfied that they were alone, he pulled her noiselessly along behind him. Elena kept pace with the man whose long legs took the fields in great strides. It was not long before they arrived at a small wood. They crept stealthily through it using the thick trees as cover. Soon a small wooden hut appeared and they stopped again. Elena heard two owl hoots and then they quickly moved from behind the trees and towards the hut. Moments later, under the dead of night, they were inside sitting at a table. Every seat was filled and Elena noticed that she was the only woman. She should have been scared but she was not. She felt like this was where she was meant to be. Four men surrounded her at the table and they were silent for a few moments, until finally one of them spoke. Elena recognised his voice instantly. The man from the church.

  “Welcome to our group.”

  “What is this?” she asked.

  “I will explain. We are a resistance movement. We are small, but we have all agreed to resist those who oppress us. We are subtle and sleight of hand with what we do, but our message is spreading and we hope that many more will join us soon. You are a trusted part of our group now; you will be very useful in our cause. You must never talk to anyone about us, you must take care not to get caught, and you will address me as Dionysis. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. She was being asked, as a woman, to help fight the invaders. She felt very proud. Finally she could be herself, do what was right and follow her heart.

  “Wait a minute…did you say your name is Dionysis?” Elena asked.

  “Yes. It is the name I have chosen to give myself for this purpose.” The man grinned. “I think you understand the significance?”

  “Yes I do. You have named yourself after the patron saint of Zakynthos. It is very clever and patriotic.”

  “I thought so.” The smile left his face and he placed his hands on the table. “Now we must get down to business. I have heard grave news via a contact on the mainland. The Germans have begun killing Jewish people. It is said they have death camps and in these camps they exterminate the Jews by gassing them. We will have to make sure that we protect our own Jewish population. They are part of us, and an important part of this island and its community. We need to step up our campaign. I need you,” he pointed at two of the men, “to graffiti all over the island. Do not get caught and if you do, remember do not give us up. It is time to let our voices be heard.”

  He studied Elena for a moment before speaking. “For you, I have important work. You must find out from Angelos Sarkis what his father is up to. He and Stelios Makris spend far too much time with the Italians. We need to know what they are doing.” He then concluded, “That is all. Here are some more handbills, keep handing them out.”

  With that, they all stood, and then one-by-one the men left the hut vanishing into the night. Elena found herself alone with Dionysis. He shut the door and motioned to the seat she had just vacated.

  “I have one more thing I need you to do, but only you and I can know about it. I understand that you are already on first name terms with an Italian officer? A Captain Cipriani?”

  Elena was shocked, “How do you know that?”

  “It is okay. One thing you will learn about me, Elena, is that I know a lot of things. I am everywhere and yet nowhere. I see things on this island that most people will never learn of. You have been very good at resisting the captain’s advances so far, which is one of the many reasons why I know I can trust you. But from now on, this is what I need you to do.”

  Elena listened carefully to the plan Dionysis laid before her. She took it all in, every single word, her brain absorbing exactly what was expected of her. It shocked her. It sickened her, but she understood and realised that this was her destiny and, from that moment, she knew her life would never be the same again.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Zakynthos, Greece, 1942

  Elena awoke to the slow rumbling of thunder. It was still some way off, but growing closer with every reverberation. The summer had been hot and humid, and the current storm was one of many they had endured. As lightning flashed, it highlighted the silhouette of the man who was fast asleep next to her. She had been lying in his bed for just over a month now, but only one other person knew.

  She had hated herself the moment she started on this path. She was fraternising with the enemy and if people found out, she would be treated worse than Loukas Sarkis ever treated her. Wrapping a blanket around her, she padded downstairs and out into the dark night. The moon perched in the sky above, bathing the world in a bright silver glow. She looked up for stars but they were barely visible. Clouds were beginning to gather on the horizon, growing bigger and darker. The storm was getting closer. The earth beneath her feet felt damp and she could smell rain on the air. She jumped as another flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the hills around her. It would not be long before the storm was directly overhead, rattling the island.

  She took a seat on a log, and continued to watch the approaching storm as she thought back to that night in the woods, sitting in the hut listening to Dionysis. She had been shocked and horrified at what he had asked of her. She had been trembling and unable to speak as he explained what he wanted her to do.

  “I know this will be very hard for you Elena, but you must accept Captain Cipriani’s advances. We have a war to fight, and to have someone on the inside, someone like you who can get us information, will help our cause greatly. It will help us fight the enemy. Your personal sacrifice is needed, Elena. There is no one else I can I ask.”

  Elena had felt numb. Dionysis was asking her to sleep with the enemy. She desperately wanted to help the war effort in any way that she could, but giving herself to the Italian would be like selling her body. The thought revolted her. There had to be some other way. She would do anything but that. She had pleaded with Dionysis not to force her, but in the end she knew it was the only thing she could do. She had no choice but to agree.

  She had carried her secret with her for weeks now, all the while helping with passing handbills to villagers, standing watch while others marked walls with RESIST and smuggling much needed food up to the poorest families in the hills. She was honoured to be doing what she was doing. She was helping to fight against their oppressors and it made her proud, but at the same time her heart was heavy at having to prostitute herself for the cause. She knew it was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life, and it was a burden she would have to bear alone.

  She had been to see Angelos, waiting until he was alone in one of his father’s olive groves. She had crept up behind him and placed her hands over his eyes. He knew who it was before she even released them. Smiling, she realised how much she still loved him and wished that things were very different, but they were not.

  “What are you doing here?” He seemed baffled at her arrival.

  “I have missed you.”

  “You still wear the locket,” he said, brushing his fingers against her sternum.

  “Of course I do, and I always will.”

  “How is Athena?”

  “Beautiful. She is talkative too even at her young age. She is sweet and a little feisty.”

  “Just like her mother then.” They walked along the olive grove, to find their favourite tree, its boughs large and plentiful.

  “You remember this tree, Angelos?”

  He knew they were on dangerous ground. “Yes, of course.” Angelos paused a moment then asked, “Why are you here, Elena?”

  “I have already answered that. To see you.”

  “Why? I never see you anymore. We live separate lives now.”

  “I know and that needs to change. We are older Angelos, and things are different now for our island. We need our friends.”

  Resigned, Angelos sat under the tree, and leaned against its large trunk. Elena followed his lead and leaned against him.

 
; “Is your father not working today?”

  “No. He is in town and Maria...” He paused a moment, then continued, “Maria has gone out with my mother.”

  There was a heavy silence that fell between them, the air thick with unasked questions. Elena was the one who finally broke it.

  “I heard your father does business with the Italians now.”

  “I do not know.”

  “Oh come on, Angelos. You help him run the business; surely you know what is going on?”

  “Why do you want to know?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Just interested. I heard some gossip, and I wondered if it were true. I would hate to see you caught up in it.”

  He sighed and admitted, “Yes. I have heard him talking about it to Mother. They, him and Stelios, are working with some Italian captain called Cipriani. I do not know what they are doing exactly, but I do know that whatever it is, they are helping to protect the rich families and businesses on the island. Life is very different for us. We seem to be able to come and go as we please, and our food rations are bigger than others, too.”

  “Pah. I knew your father was a dog who would only do the devil’s work,” she spat.

  “Elena!”

  She sighed, “I know. I know. Do not talk about your father that way. But does it not make you mad, Angelos? Some of the poor families in the villages are finding it very hard. The Italians harass them daily. Food is scarce, what little they do have has to be hidden in pots buried in the ground so that the Italians do not steal it. Medicine is almost non-existent and we are ruled over by men who do not even know why they are here anymore. This war is a fool’s errand, and people like your father and Stelios do just as they please!”

  Angelos did not want to have this argument any longer. He stood and brushed down his trousers before helping Elena to her feet.

  “I should get back to work,” he huffed and walked away, leaving her where she stood, feeling empty and alone. She knew what she had done was very wrong. She had used him to get information, she had made Angelos believe she cared about him again, and it broke her heart. If this was war, then she would rather die now than continue the suffering.

  Another flash of lightning brought Elena out of her daydream and back to the present. Shifting on the uncomfortable log, she pulled the blanket tighter around her. Pietro was still stretched out on the bed asleep where she had left him. She liked the depths of night. It was a time when she was able to creep from his bed and sit in silence, alone with her own thoughts, with no one to tell her what she should or should not be doing.

  Her shame was ever present and never left her. She hated what she was doing, and wished that she could just walk away, but somehow, she found herself drawn to Pietro. It was not that she was in love with him, she barely even liked him, but there was something about him that fascinated her, and she felt powerless whenever she was with him, as though she was under a spell, unable to resist. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, swiftly followed by a ground-shaking rumble of thunder. The storm was almost overhead now and tiny drops of rain began to fall. She felt a hand on her shoulder and it made her jump. Pietro sat next to her and pulled her closer.

  “Piccolina. What are you doing out here?” She closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “I am watching the storm.”

  “Come back inside, you will get cold,” he said as he kissed her neck, making her shudder. Despite hating him, the merest touch from his lips or hands always sent her into a spiral. She tried to think straight but she could not. If she never had to see him again, she would be happy, but she was stuck with him. She was in too deeply, and knew she would never be able to escape. She hated Dionysis for forcing her to do this, but deep down she knew it was for the greater good. War, it seemed, brought out the worst in people.

  “Do you not want to watch the storm?” she asked.

  “Once you have seen one, you have seen them all. I would rather make love to you.”

  “You Italians, you are never sated.”

  Giving her no choice, he unfurled his arms. He stood and lifted her up in one swift movement and carried her inside. Laying her on the bed, he pulled the blanket away, threw it to the floor, and climbed onto the bed next to her. Elena closed her eyes and prayed for it to be over swiftly.

  ~

  A few days later Elena and Dionysis were sitting in the hut. The others had been given their orders and moved on.

  “Tell me what you have learned,” Dionysis said.

  “Angelos is reluctant to talk about his father, but he did tell me that the island’s rich families are getting preferential treatment from the Italians.”

  “And the Italian. What have you learned from him?”

  Elena shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her gaze met his and she thought back to when it had all started.

  She had been walking up in the hills, along the west coast, completely unaware that Pietro was following her. Sitting up high overlooking the sea, she had been staring down at the crystal waters daydreaming. A crackle of foot on branch startled her and she looked up to see the Italian grinning.

  “You followed me!”

  “Yes piccolina, I did.”

  “Why?”

  “Because last time we met, you told me about your fear of what some officers from my army do, and I thought you may need some protection. It was also a nice day for a walk.”

  “I do not need protecting!”

  “Okay. But I am here anyway, so maybe you will allow me to spend a little time with you?”

  Elena laughed. She could not help it. Despite his uniform and the fact that he was the enemy, he made her smile. “Well as you say, now you are here, you may as well sit,” she said and patted the ground next to her.

  Pietro sat, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The bitter aroma wafted around her and she breathed it in. It was enticing. It struck her how very different to Angelos he was.

  “So what do you and your army do all day on our island?”

  He shrugged. “Many things. We keep the peace, report back to the Germans, we eat, we sleep, we laugh and we drink.”

  “You sound like a terrible army.”

  He laughed, “I think you are probably right.”

  They were silent for a moment, when Pietro asked, “And what is it you do all day, Elena?”

  “Not much. I look after my daughter, I help my parents, and I run errands. The rest of the time my life is my own and I do as I please.”

  “I have heard this.”

  “You have?” His response shocked her.

  “Yes. Sadly some on the island do not favour you. They call you names, not pleasant names, I am sorry to say, and they say that you are nothing more than a peasant.”

  He was surprised when she laughed. “It is good to know that Loukas Sarkis has still not changed his opinion of me. You would think he would find a new word. Peasant is becoming boring now.”

  “You know about this?” Pietro was surprised.

  “Yes. Loukas Sarkis has always hated me. It is because of him that his son Angelos and I never married and why my daughter is a bastard!”

  “Oh. I did not know. Do you still love this man, Angelos?”

  She hesitated for a brief moment. “No. I no longer love him. He is no longer part of my life. He is married and has his own life now.” She hated lying, but knew it was for the best.

  “That is good. I would not want to share you with anyone.”

  “You what?”

  He laughed, “I am no romantic Elena, but you must have guessed by now that I like you a lot. We could be good together. If the war ended tomorrow and I had to go home to Italy, I would ask you to come with me.”

  “But you are...”

  “I know. I am the hated enemy, you cannot be seen fraternising with me. So let us not tell anyone. Let us keep it as our little secret.”

  She looked at him, taking in his dark eyes and hair, and his tanned face and nodded. She thought of her family, of At
hena growing up in a peaceful world, of her parents and brother, their finally being safe. Having food on the table rather than scrabbling around for morsels. She made her choice. Leaning in, she ran her fingers through his hair, and grinned. “I like secrets, and I think you would be a fun one, Pietro.”

  Pietro did not speak; he pulled her to him and kissed her longingly. As Elena kissed him back, she closed her eyes, knowing that everything she did was for the sake of her island and her family. It was the only choice she could make. From then on, Pietro shared so much with her. He told her about his meetings with the Sarkis and Makris men, he shared the latest information from the Germans and she learned more about how his army worked and how they operated on the island. She fed all of this back to Dionysis and he listened with patience and understanding.

  “You have done well, Elena. Whenever you hear anything significant, you need to tell me. There are many people in our network now. They can get a message to me if you are unable to get away.”

  “Yes, Dionysis.”

  “One last thing before you go. You will need this.” To her surprise he laid a handgun on the table before her, and she shuddered with the thought of it being near her.

  “You want me to have a gun?”

  “Yes.”

  “But, why?”

  “What you are doing is very dangerous, Elena. I cannot guarantee your safety. You may need this to protect yourself in the future.”

  “Are things going to get that bad?”

  “That I cannot answer. None of us really know what is around the corner.”

  She lifted the gun feeling the weight of it. “I do not even know how to use it.”

  “You will. When the time comes you will.”

  A while later, Elena left the hut and ran through the woods in the darkness. She stopped to catch her breath by a tree and sank to the ground. She looked at the gun in her hand and, for the first time she really began to question her actions. She had aligned herself with the island’s resistance, a highly dangerous thing to do. She was putting her entire family at risk. God only knew what the Italians would do if they caught her, but she was fairly sure that they would make her family pay, too. She could not bear the thought of them being imprisoned or being sent off to concentration camps.