Wish You Were Here

Chapter 31



Milo hated leaving the island but he had no choice. He’d called Lander at the villa to explain the situation and his colleague had said it was no trouble.

Boarding the first boat to the mainland in the morning, Milo stood at the rails and looked back at Kethos. The morning sunshine cast the water a deep peacock-blue and the white buildings of Kethos Town gleamed brightly. He wondered when he’d see his little island again and only hoped he’d have Tiana with him when he did.

He tried not to think of the worst that could happen – that Georgio wouldn’t let him see her or that he’d got some sort of lawyer involved with papers drawn up or that he and Sonya had actually moved house to some town that Milo would never be able to find. They wouldn’t do that, would they? Milo winced. Right now, he wouldn’t put anything past that brother of his.

He paced the deck of the boat. His body was still sore after his moped accident and he realised that he’d probably done himself more damage than he’d first thought but he didn’t have time for that now. A sprained ankle or wrist could wait; his sister couldn’t.

As they approached the mainland, he tried to think how long ago it was since his last trip there. It was probably Georgio’s wedding which had taken place in a big modern hotel in Athens. The whole thing had been a big, brash affair with very little heart, it had seemed to Milo. If he ever got married, it would be in the little church near his home where he and his bride would be surrounded by the people he’d grown up with. Milo and his new wife would walk out of the tiny church to bright, wide sea views and the reception would be modest but satisfying – wholesome home-cooked food prepared on the island, not the fancy fare that had filled Georgio’s reception.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about mythical brides and weddings that might never happen. He had to focus on Tiana.

Milo wished that the boat would pick up some speed. Didn’t they know that he was in a hurry? Georgio and Sonya had probably got Tiana signed up at some expensive school already and were trying to teach her how to speak without the gentle burr that was common to islanders. He felt his fingers curl up into an angry fist at the thought. He could well imagine Sonya pulling some godawful uniform onto his little girl and trying to flatten her unruly hair because she wouldn’t want Tiana as she was – oh, no. She’d want to turn her into a neat little doll-child that wore perfect clothes, had perfect hair and didn’t run around orchards climbing trees and falling out of them.

Finally, the boat docked and Milo sprinted off it and took a bus into the centre of Athens. From the station, he took a taxi and almost balked when told the price of his fare. He wasn’t used to paying for such luxuries but he hadn’t wanted to waste any time walking in the wrong direction whilst trying to find his brother’s place.

Georgio and Sonya lived in an apartment in a block which towered over a narrow street and overlooked several other blocks just like it. Milo grimaced. There were no fields or orchards or views of the sea here.

Reaching the door of the flats, he realised he should have a plan. If he buzzed his brother’s intercom, would he even let him in? Milo had a feeling he wouldn’t. He had to get into the flats first.

He hung around for a bit, waiting for an opportunity and, after five minutes, an elderly lady came to the door, a shopping bag slung over her arm.

‘Let me,’ Milo said, holding the door open for her as she emerged.

‘So kind,’ she said, her bright eyes beaming up at him. She didn’t turn around and question whether he should actually be allowed access to the flats and he walked quickly towards the stairs before she had the chance to realise that he wasn’t a resident.

His brother’s flat was on the seventh floor but Milo didn’t trust lifts and certainly didn’t want to risk being stuck in one when he’d come this far but his pace was a lot slower than he anticipated and he had to stop several times because of the throbbing pain in his right ankle.

Finally, he made it to the flat. Checking his battered watch face, he saw that it was half past ten. Would anybody be at home? He’d only thought of that now but surely they wouldn’t have marched Tiana off to school already? Even they wouldn’t be as cruel as to do that, would they? Surely they would allow her to settle in before forcing her into a new life.

He pressed his ear up against the door and listened. He could definitely hear voices and he felt his anger rise as he lifted his hand and knocked loudly on the door. He didn’t have to wait long before Sonya greeted him.

‘Milo!’ she cried, her eyes wide.

‘What? You think I wouldn’t come as soon as I found out what you’d done?’ He pushed past his sister-in-law and strode into the immaculate living room filled with furniture made from leather and glass. His brother was standing by the window on his phone but he hung up as soon as he saw Milo.

‘Where’s Tiana?’ Georgio demanded.

For a moment, Milo was confused. ‘What?’

‘Where is she?’

‘What do you mean?’ Milo said, a look of fear crossing his face.

‘She’s not here, Milo,’ his brother told him.

‘Then where is she?’

‘You think we’re not trying to find out? We’ve been going out of our minds with worry!’

‘You’ve been going out of your mind?’ Milo said. ‘You’re not the one who’s had her taken from him. You’re the one who put her in danger, Georgio! You took her from her home and brought her to a place she has no business being.’

‘But this should be her home too – here with us!’

‘How can you say that? She hates the city and – right now – she’s probably out there lost in the middle of it. God!’ Milo’s eyes were dark with fury. ‘How could you do this? How could you be so selfish?’

‘I’m doing what’s right for her.’

‘No, you’re not – you’re doing what’s right for you! You just took her, damn you! As if you had a right to do that.’

‘I have every right,’ Georgio said.

‘Goddam it!’ Milo cursed. ‘Have you ever had a conversation with her? Have you? And I mean something that goes beyond “How was your day at school?” because conversations with a kid are about more than that, you know?’

‘Oh, and you know exactly how to behave around a kid, don’t you?’

Milo bristled. ‘I might not be the best father-figure to her. You might be older but she loves me!’

‘Milo – please!’ Sonya said.

‘She’s ten years old,’ Milo continued, ‘and you’ve taken her from everything she knows and loves. She doesn’t want to be here. How many times do I have to tell you that? When are you going to understand that she’s happy with me?’

‘Stop, please!’ Sonya begged, her eyes filling with tears. ‘This isn’t going to help Tiana. We’ve got to try and find her.’

Georgio had started pacing up and down the room. He looked pale and Milo’s anger suddenly ebbed away as he realised that his brother was just as terrified as he was.

‘Have you taken her anywhere since she arrived?’ Milo asked, his voice calmer now.

‘We haven’t had time,’ Sonya said, wiping her eyes with an immaculate handkerchief. ‘We came straight home from the boat.’

‘Which is her room?’

Sonya led Milo through to a bedroom at the back of the flat. It was tiny and Milo could smell fresh paint on the walls and couldn’t help noticing that they were pink just like her bedroom at home. The bed was covered in brand new soft toys and Milo felt himself softening just a little. They might not have gone about it the right way but it was obvious that they adored Tiana and were desperate to make a home for her here.

He cursed under his breath and turned around. ‘Have you no idea where she might have gone?’

They both shook their heads.

‘There’s nowhere to go here,’ Sonya said, her eyes filling with tears again. ‘It’s just streets.’

Milo nodded. He’d seen. There were no parks, no playgrounds, no open spaces that Tiana might feel tempted to visit. Anyway, this wasn’t about running away to a park because she wanted to play. This was about her trying to get home.

‘She’s trying to get back to Kethos,’ he said as the idea dawned on him.

‘What?’ Georgio said, the word exiting his mouth like a gunshot. ‘That’s crazy! Why would she do that? How would she do that?’

‘Remember when we came over last year for the day?’ Milo remembered the day he’d dragged himself away from Kethos so that they could exchange Christmas presents with Georgio and Sonya. He’d thought his last trip to the mainland had been for Georgio’s wedding but it hadn’t, had it? He’d almost forgotten about the rough boat ride over in December. Both he and Tiana had felt queasy but had she been paying enough attention to get herself home again on her own?

‘You don’t seriously believe she’d try to get back to Kethos, do you?’ Sonya said.

Milo shrugged. ‘I think we have to believe it. It’s our only hope.’