Surrender: The Greek Affair Series Book One (28 page)

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The day rolls on; they go shopping and then go and sit outdoors in the swank inner city area of Kolonáki and have lunch. They do not talk about Hope’s health, because Hope does not want to, and Jason respects that, but he is determined to have the conversation as soon as possible, before she has her operation. Hope does not want to have the conversation, because she is formulating an exit strategy from Jason’s life. She is going back to Melbourne to deal with her health issues, and to be close to her son. But she knows in all fairness, that she has to tell Jason today.

They arrive home and it is time to talk. Jason knows that she is going to dismiss this, as only being about her and he should not get involved. But he is involved! He is more determined to stay by her side now. He has to convince her that this should not be a hindrance to their relationship, but he also knows that he has his work cut out for him. He sits on the edge of the bed, and watches her, as she gets undressed and says nothing to her.

She goes to the bathroom and he hears the shower running. He is not going to follow her. He wants to give her space and allow her to hopefully come to him. He undresses and goes into the other shower.

They have both put on underwear and shorts, with a T-shirt, and bump into each other in the kitchen. She looks at him and asks. “Would you like coffee or tea?”

“If you make tea I’ll have the same.”

“Ok, English.” She smiles.

“You do realise I’m not very English.”

She smiles back, while going about making tea, as he watches her every move.

“You’re a lot more English than you know.”

He approaches her from behind and wraps his arms around her waist, and he rests his hands on her tummy.

“You never cease to amaze me.” He hugs her tightly, kissing her neck and whispers,

“I love you more each day, and today I confirm what I already know. That I will love you forever.”

She sighs in his arms, and for the first time since she has known him, she feels she deserves this man. She deserves his love, his caring and his tenderness, and she now knows that it is not up to her, or to him, if they could be together, but up to the circumstances around them.

She is not sure what is going to happen to her with this confronting health issue. The doctor did not tell her she was going to die, but it was a cancerous fibroid that had to be removed, along with her uterus, and she knows she cannot drag him into this, with her.

They had made great progress with her finally surrendering to him and to their relationship. But now, Jason is painfully aware that she would try to erase all the progress they had made.

He also knows that she needs someone next to her, while she is going through this adversity. Jason knows intellectually she had her son, and from what Hope has told him about her boy, he was mature, like a man beyond his young years.

Hope takes him by the hand, and they sit on the couch, with what she considers to be one of the best views in Greece facing them, the Parthenon. And she tells him about her need to go back to Melbourne, to deal with her health issues close to her son, and all this time holding each other.

He listens to her and says nothing, but feels that her time of tribulation is only just starting, but he also knows he has to work out what is to happen too, as the job offer in London is sure to come to fruition soon. He has to have money. He cannot be of any use to her as he is. He is sure that if he applies for a visa to Australia, he would get it, with his education credentials and his personal relationship with Hope.

The down side of a visa application, is that it would take time, and he needed to work. He is confident that he would get the job after the interview he had had via Skype, but he is also trying to process the conversation they have had about Hope wanting to go back to Melbourne to deal with her health. Her health is first and foremost. Jason knows that. He would have to deal with the Melbourne issue after he was employed and earning, because only then could he give her all his love, as she deserved.

He is logical enough to know she must go and be with her boy, to a country that offers her all the things she is comfortable with. She needs to get well, and he could not hold her back. He loves her too much and he only wants the best for her!

He has to let her go, for now at least, but he knows that not being next to her while she goes through her ordeal will almost destroy him. But she must not know this. He needs to be strong for her.

He needs to strategise his moves, and make sure that Hope does not sabotage their love for each other, because he knows she is capable of doing this. Jason is trying to conjure up plans, as to how they would see this through for the future, because he has no intentions of giving up on her.

“Are you going to tell your son?”

“No, I don’t think it’s necessary at this stage. I will when I get there.”

“I think you’re wrong. You should tell him now to prepare him.”

She avoids any reference to what he just said and she strokes his hair and says,

“I think it is time you put yourself on a plane, and do what you have to do.”

He sits up and untangles himself from her, looking at her with tenderness,

“Since you brought it up, let’s talk about this. Let me tell you what I think will happen. I am waiting for a phone call about a position in London, that I’m pretty sure I will get, as we have already had negotiations. I understand why you want to go back to Melbourne. You must do what you have to do
agάpi mou
(my love) but be aware that I will follow….”

She puts her hand over his mouth.

“Listen to me now. You will do no such thing. You will go and start this job, and get yourself settled in. I have family and friends in Melbourne who will stand by me, and when all this is over, we will re-negotiate our relationship.”

Jason puts his head back on the couch and runs his fingers through his hair that is beginning to show signs of curls.

“What are you saying?” he moans in a frustrated fashion and looks at her. “What are you suggesting?”

She pulls back and touches his cheek,

“It is the sensible thing to do, I can’t hold you up. Let’s do it my way for once. Don’t make things more difficult than they already are. You need to leave straight away and Pétro and Alexander will pack up and finalise things for me here, and I will go back to Melbourne straight away to deal with my health and be close to my boy.”

“I can’t leave you alone.”

“You’re not leaving me alone.”

They look into each other’s eyes and don’t talk. Hope places her mouth on his mouth softly and mutters into his mouth. “I can’t really love you, unless I let you go my love.”

She strokes his face and feels the wet on his cheeks. She kisses his tears away.

“Don’t cry my love. I consider myself the most fortunate woman, because you have come into my life. Thank you, for everything.”

He holds her tight and he knows that she is right. He knows that he must go and set himself up, not just for him, but for her too, if he ever wants to be with her. Leaving her now in her moment of need is impossible, but it’s as if all the gods have aligned to make sure that they can’t be in the same city while she is sick.

She holds him and begins to recite words (in Greek) from a Greek song she loves, while looking at him, with both their eyes brimming with tears:

“Tonight turn back the hours that we lost,

Look how the sunset is crying now that you are leaving.

Somewhere, night is falling and the sun is freezing.

The road vanishes and I have nowhere to stand.

Somewhere, darkness is falling, don’t cry, it doesn’t matter.

Imagine that the world is ending right here.

A wind is sweeping away my life tonight,

I close my eyes so that I won’t see you leave”

The very next day Jason receives the news to go to London. Hope has told Pétro about her health news and he is immediately next to her for whatever she might need.

Jason would like to throw caution to the wind and not go to London but he knows this to be a great opportunity and he has to grab it now, while he can. Hope is right and he admits to himself that she has been more of an adult in this situation than he has. She has been calm, right through the emotional and physical preparation for her adventure ahead. His heart is bleeding, knowing he has to put so much physical distance between them, but he has to go and find their future, because he wants her in his future. He tries to envision a future without her and he can’t, and he knows he has to earn a living, if there is to be any future together, but he needs to earn more than just a living. He needs to become very successful. He wants to come home to her, watch her paint, watch her brow scrunch while she reads, he wants to hear her joyful laughter and he wants to wake up next to her.

Jason can’t comprehend that he they are parting under these circumstances, but they have gone over this many times. It seems to be the only solution. His only regret is that he would not be near her for her ordeal to hold her hand, to caress her brow, to kiss her lips.

This has been very difficult for both Hope and Jason, but they both know there is no other way. Life has sent them a curve ball that they have to deal with, as best as they can under the circumstances. He understands that she wants him to think of his future and he is going to, but he has in mind that he can have a future with her! Life has dealt them a hand of cards that has to be manipulated and bluffed with. This was life’s poker game at its worse.

The day before Jason’s departure, they meet up with Pétro and Alexander for a quiet night out. The evening rolls by and the night is still warm, but it is rolling into September now, and the hard heat was over. It was mild and warm and comfortable. People are back from holidays and the schools have just started. Most holidaymakers have to go back to work and slowly, the city is finding its winter rhythm. Hope and Jason are leaving all of this behind. She is leaving three loves behind, Athens, the island that has become their island, and the most important love of all three, Jason.

On this night, Pétro sits on one side of Hope and Jason on the other, as if guarding her. She revels in their love and caring. She is not sure when they would be together again like this.

Hope leaves for Melbourne the day after Jason’s departure for London.

Epilogue

“Being in love is the only state of being that can be sufficient to give and not to receive.” Jason had said this to Hope but it was proving to be wrong, as the years rushed by.

The pain of parting was more than both of them could bear; their hearts and all other innards had been torn out and thrown to a pack of wild animals to devour. Who knew of this pain? Neither of them could have predicted what would happen to them, when they first got together, fuelled by their lust for each other on that strangely beautiful Greek Island. But they had to now love from afar and live with the memories of this love.

Jason had fallen into work easily and worked hard. He worked so hard that very soon he had formed his own company, taking his finances to places that even surprised him. He became a work-alcoholic, but his heart was always filled with his love for Hope. He loved her without her body and he worked hard for her. He had become manic in his work ethic. He did not complain. He liked working and he dared dream and hope that the wealth he was accumulating he would one day share with Hope.

He stayed in touch. Everything had worked out well for her. She had had a couple of operations that made her well. She had resumed her art career and was happy, judging from her words. He spoke to her at least once a week, but avoided Face Time so he could stay sane, although it was difficult as time went on, to not look into her face. He had secretly hoped for their reunion, although he dreaded that with the years, he might stop wanting her as much. He knew he would never forget her, but he wanted to stop needing her. Nevertheless, he could not get to that point.

He still loved her as much with the passing of the years. Nothing had changed for him and he often swore at the universe that had conspired against them. How was it that everything that needed to pull them apart had aligned, just when they had come together completely and totally? He knew that he needed to see her again, and make sure she would never doubt what he felt for her. He owed her that much, but he also thought that maybe she was over him. He needed to find out.

Hope was happy at last, for the first time in her life. She was well now. Her son had excelled in his studies of political science and journalism, and she had revived her painting career. She loved living in Melbourne. She missed Greece of course, and she missed the island, but most of all she missed Jason. But she was happy, considering all that she missed, and life had taught her much since meeting Jason, on that fated island in that fated summer.

Life had taught her what true love was. She had lost much but had gained a fortune.

She knew she would never see Jason again, and she often wondered why he stayed in touch with her, after so many years. Not that she did not like this, but she wondered why. He was young, handsome and from what she gathered, had become successful in his work. One day, he would meet someone she was sure, and the phone calls would stop.