Return to Korcula

As the breeze caught Pandora’s face, it flushed with excitement. She was finally going back.  It had been two years since she had last visited the tiny island of Korcula and as the boat neared the shore, the facades of the old town houses and stone wall shone bright like a beacon guiding her back. The town walls, once a fortress against invaders, now seemed to open their arms to her. She clutched the heart-shaped opal necklace against her chest, it almost seemed to be beating and she remembered the day he had given it to her. He placed it gracefully around her neck and told her to keep it tight until she returned. He had told her that the Greeks believed it would bring the owner the gift of prophecy and guard them from disease and the Europeans considered it a symbol of hope, purity and truth. She didn’t care about any of that, just the fact he had given it to her. She had guarded it with her life and now she was bringing it back to him.

As the passenger ferry drew closer, she could see his familiar figure standing on the quay. The two hour drive from Dubrovnik Airport to Orebic and then the 15 minute ferry was worth it, she knew this time he would ask her to stay and be a family, well almost. His dark silhouette getting brighter as she grew nearer, but something seemed off, his smile did not radiate, even though his extended arm was waving at her. He seemed shorter than the last time she had seen him, almost compressed in stature. Had she read the note wrong, she thought he had missed her and that he wanted to see her. She extracted the folded piece of paper from the envelope and re-read it.

‘Need to see you badly, come as soon as you can.’ He had never been one for long letters. Reading it back now she realised it might not be the heartfelt gush of emotion she had expected and that there may be something more sinister behind it. She queued to leave the packed boat trying to keep him visible, if only to judge his body language before they got to speak, but the throng of people made this hard to do and she felt anxiety rise in her throat. She quashed the irresistible urge to tell everyone to get out of the way, after all the majority were just sightseers who were out for a mosey round the old fortress or there to take in the spectacular harbour views or maybe even just sit in the café, sipping latte, watching the world go by. She was not, she had a purpose, a reason. She hoped to stay with her Dad and to once again be a family with him. She thought back to the holiday two years ago when they had visited Korcula, the sun had been shining and the holiday was going great, life couldn’t have been better, then it happened. They had been sitting down to breakfast in the apartment they had been renting for the past week, Mum had been complaining that she didn’t feel herself, but little regard was made to it as Mum always seemed to have some niggle or other. Like the boy who cried wolf, as time went on these niggles seemed more like a table conversation than a medical emergency. This time was different though and as Mum had turned to take her breakfast things to the sink her knees buckled and she hit the ground.

“Love, great to see you.” He was saying the words she wanted to hear but his eyes failed to convey the same message.

“Is everything okay Dad?”

“Let’s get you settled in and then we can have a little chat.” Her Dad was not one for little chats, that had been her Mum’s thing, he was more the strong silent type. Now in her absence she assumed he was taking on the role of both. Not that he had done a lot of that over the last two years, years she had mourned the death of her mother from afar, whilst he had ‘needed time to himself’ to get over her death. She understood how traumatic it had been for him, but hadn’t she been through it too? She had been packed off back to the UK to stay with her ‘Aunt’. Aunt was the family’s next door neighbour who in all honesty couldn’t give two figs about her. What was even more excruciating was seeing their own house every day and not being able to live in it, and not knowing when they would return.

Her Dad picked up her bags and led her past the harbour and up a set of concrete steps to the top of the hill, nestled in amongst some olive trees was a quant patio leading to a secluded front door.

“Where are we? This isn’t where you were last staying.” Part of her was relieved as to see where her Mum had died would have been excruciating but then again she wanted to feel the closeness of her Mother.

“I had to move love, but I will explain as soon as you are settled.” Pandora had a bad feeling about all this. Her anxiety antennas were on high alert. Why wouldn’t he just come out and say it? Why was there such a secret? He took her through the dark entrance and into a stone floored kitchen. The whole place was alien to her. She expected to see the apartment they had been in two years ago. How naïve was she? He took her through another door and into a dark corridor before climbing some narrow stairs, which then led onto another set of stairs. She thought she was climbing to the heavens. At the top stood just one single door, her father opened it and entered before beckoning her in.

“We thought you might like this room, I know it’s a bit of a climb but I think you’ll agree it is worth it?” Pandora stood in awe as she took in the beautiful view, azure seas that stretched out before her. She was going to question the “we” in his statement but she found it hard to concentrate on anything but the view. Patio doors opened to step out onto a balcony with views to die for. She stepped out onto the parapet and breathed in the warm sea air that circulated. She stood there speechless for a moment.

“I put the table and chair there so you could do your writing out here, we thought it might give you inspiration.” There it was again the “we” word.

“We?”

“Hmm, we need to talk.”

“I don’t like the sound of this.” Her anxiety antenna was off the scale now, attracting thoughts that belonged in the future not right here, right now. She knew it had been a tough one for Dad and she had respected his privacy and space but the “we” was a bit too far for her to comprehend. Had her Mum meant nothing to him? Two years and he had moved on already. She felt sick to the stomach.

“Really it’s not what you think.”

“Well, it’s beginning to sound that way to me.”

“Please sit down.” Her Dad indicated the wrought iron chairs by the side of the balcony. “There is something I need to ask you. Would you move out here, please?”

Pandora sat waiting for the punchline. Even though this was music to her ears and what she had been waiting for, she felt like there was more to it. The question was almost pleading. “You know I will, you only had to ask. I’ve been waiting so long to hear you ask. I’ve been lonely without you Dad.”

“I would have asked you before but I had my reasons.” His eyes weren’t smiling as she had hoped they would and a cold veil of grey . Then came the punchline.

“I’ve got a brain tumour, the “we” in the conversation was Milania, she’s been looking after me, this is her house.”

The statement hit Pandora like a bolt out of the blue, suddenly the bright blue backdrop to her reunion had turned grey and murky. She had so many questions, but none came to the forefront of her mind. All she could think about was that this beautiful island had taken her Mum and now it was about to take her Dad.  She felt in her pocket and brought out the opal heart and placed it in his hands.

“Now you need hope and purity and guarding from disease. It has kept me well but now it’s your turn.” She turned her back on the sea and looked into her Father’s scared eyes and hugged him. “I’m back Dad, I’m back.” A tear silently slipping down her cheek.