Some Like It Greek - Sue Roberts Page 0,42

in that case.

I try to imagine what Kefalonia will look like, and what it must have been like growing up near the sea and having long summer days messing about on the beach with other children. I love the sunshine so much that Mum used to joke that I should have been born with skin like Dad instead of pale skin like hers. Dad is deeply tanned in all of his photographs from his travels, his fair hair naturally bleached light blonde by the sun. He was a handsome man with laughing, almost mischievous green eyes and a ready, easy smile that showed a set of straight white teeth. Mum, auburn-haired and pale-skinned, was a real beauty when she was younger. She wore the fashions of the nineteen sixties beautifully, carrying off the miniskirts perfectly with her long slender legs and glossy hair styled into soft curls.

For a second, my mind flits to Joel and I wonder how I could have been so attracted to someone who never wanted to settle down, despite the fact he stubbornly refused to leave his home town. Or maybe he just didn’t see a long-term future with me. I clearly wasn’t enough to stop his attention wandering. He was the polar opposite of Dad, who despite his desire to travel as a young man, put down roots the minute he fell in love with my mother. I suppose everyone wants that forever love. Maybe one day, I’ll find mine.

‘So what time do you think we will be arriving at Brindisi?’ asks Demi as she removes her soft fabric rollers and brushes out her hair, turning it under with the round brush like I showed her.

‘A couple of hours from now, I’d say. When we get there, we’ll have a couple of hours to have something to eat, then we’ll be setting sail for Greece.’

All I seem to think about on this journey is food, maybe because it’s all been so different in each place we’ve been to. I think I’ll have to attend some of Roz’s workout classes when I get home, but for now, I’m enjoying everything that passes my lips.

Demi sighs, placing her brush down onto the small table and she doesn’t notice me watching her as she wrings her hands together. I imagine she feels a little apprehensive about seeing her family after so long, so I leave her to her thoughts as I tidy the van before we set off on the next leg of our journey.

A few hours later we see the signs for the ferry terminal and I park the van for us to stretch our legs and find a place for a drink and a bite to eat. Once we get to Greece, the plan is to drop Demi at her sister’s before I head up to Skala and spend some time there. I’m doing well with money so far, so have decided to treat myself to a few nights in a hotel. Dad spent time in Skala and told me it was one of his favourite places. I’ve enjoyed my travelling with Demi but I can’t deny I would like a few days to myself to gather my own thoughts while she reconnects with her family.

Demi has been oddly quiet today and it’s been strange not having her chattering and laughing about something or other for these last couple of hours as we travelled along.

After having a bite to eat at a roadside café, we’re back inside the camper van as I put some clothes away and have a bit of a tidy up before we set off again. ‘Is everything alright, Demi?’ I ask, feeling a little concerned about her as she’s unusually quiet. Normally when I ask her if she’s OK, she plasters a smile on her face and jokingly reassures me that of course, everything’s alright. But not this time. She turns to face me with a serious, almost anxious look.

‘I’m sorry, Anna, but I’m just not sure I’m doing the right thing in coming here.’ She looks down at the floor.

I’m not entirely sure how to respond to this. ‘Well, it’s a bit late now,’ I say in a jovial manner but she doesn’t laugh along with me. It’s beginning to concern me that her reluctance to return to Greece is about something more than being afraid of flying. Surely it can’t be that she’s just worried about turning up unannounced?

‘I’m sure your family will be so happy to see you. You