like the octopus?’
‘Absolutely. It’s poly kala.’
‘So you speak Greek, neh?’
Using the Greek word for yes, Alexander replied, ‘Neh.’ He laughed and then added, ‘No not really.’
‘But your Greek is good, yes?’
‘I’ve only been here a day.’
‘You speak Greek before you come?’
‘No, the few words I’ve learned have all been taught to me today.’
‘Well my friend, you pick up this language quickly.’
‘Efharisto,’ Alexander answered proudly. ‘We Dutch do that. We’re pretty good with languages.’
‘How many languages you speak? Asked the owner.
‘Dutch, English and German.’
‘Is impressive,’ replied the owner.
‘You stay on Tinos long?’
‘Maybe a week.’
‘You will like it here. Is very good life. No crazy people. All sigah, sigah … slowly, slowly. Why you travel? What is reason?’
‘To open my eyes and my mind,’ Alexander replied.
‘Is good answer. Just remember one thing my friend … seemerah, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Make it count, tomorrow too,’ the man said with a smile.
Alexander thought about these words as the owner went on with his chores, chatting quietly with his wife. Make it count, he thought to himself. That should be easy.
The men continued to play backgammon and a local bus pulled up outside depositing its passengers before the driver crunched the gears and drove off.
Alexander stood up, paid his bill and gestured a goodbye calling, ‘Yassu,’ to the couple behind the counter, as he walked out of the café.
‘Yassu,’ they replied in unison.
Alexander stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine, smiling at the men playing backgammon, and slowly walked off towards his accommodation. He was in no rush.
‘Hey Alexander Yassu.’ It was Polychroni from the mountaintop.
‘Yassu Polychroni.’
‘See I told you we’d meet again. Is a small island. Hey you want to have dinner afterwards?’
‘Sure,’ Alexander replied. ‘That’d be good. First I want to have a shower though.’
‘Endaxi, we meet in an hour?’
‘Yes but where?’
‘Here is good.’
‘Yes okay, see you back here in an hour then.’
‘Endaxi,’ replied Polychroni with a smile.
‘Endaxi,’ laughed Alexander, before walking off with a wave.
Returning to his room, he took a quick but invigorating shower, changed and headed off in the other direction in order to do a loop around the part of town he hadn’t yet explored, seeing how people went about their afternoon chores, watering their plants, bringing in the washing and just sitting and resting. Then he wound up back at the port a few minutes ahead of the planned meeting time with Polychroni. The remaining fishing boats were coming in with their catch. A few townsfolk were heading down to meet them. Alexander decided just to sit with his legs dangling over the side of the promenade searching for fish as he waited.
There were fish literally everywhere. Alexander had never seen anything like it. He thought for a moment that the fishermen didn’t need to go out in their boats at all. They simply needed to throw a line in from the side of the wharf. No, he thought, they must be hoping to net them in larger numbers.
Just then Polychroni approached. ‘Hello my friend, yassu.’
‘Yassu Polychroni.’
He sat down with Alexander and asked, ‘What would you like to eat?’
‘I’m happy with anything you choose.’
‘Well, do you like fish?’
‘I had some octopus before and it was great.’
‘My sister and her husband have the best seafood restaurant on the island, so how about we go there?’
‘Fine with me. Tell me Polychroni, what is your job here on the island?’
‘I am a teacher.’
‘What do you teach?’
‘Art and history at the local high school.’
‘Which do you prefer?’
‘I have no preference. I have a love for them both.’
‘I was never any good at history, but I love art. I carry a sketch-pad with me everywhere I go.’
‘I’d like to see some of your work. What do you like to sketch?’
‘People and animals mainly, but now that I’m travelling, I’d like to draw other things as well.’
‘Come on,’ Polychroni started as he got to his feet, ‘let’s go and eat.’
Alexander hopped up and together they headed off to the restaurant. It was nearing the end of the day and the sun was about to set next to or behind the island of Syros. It remained to be seen where the sun would sink.
They arrived at the restaurant and Polychroni introduced his sister to Alexander.
‘Maria, this is Alexander.’
‘Yassu Alexander. Pleased to meet you.’ She showed them to a seat with a view of the harbour, and brought a menu. Polychroni immediately ordered a bottle of Retsina.
It was a scrumptious dinner they ordered with Polychroni suggesting every plate. They had calamari, tzatziki, a Greek salad, saganaki and moussaka, all shared in true Greek fashion.
Over dinner Polychroni asked Alexander what his favourite pastimes were.
‘Reading and riding my bicycle,’ was his reply.
‘What you like to read?’ Polychroni inquired.
‘Today on the mountain I finished reading Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.’
‘That’s impressive. What’s next?’
‘I intended to look for a bookshop tomorrow.’
‘Perhaps
