CHAPTER XXVIII : ANNIE, AGAIN .
I went to London a few days later to a delighted Omar. His first question was about Annie. I told him that she was with us in Alex but that certainly she was not a happy person. That the couple was leaving Istanbul and returning to Athens in a month’s time and she might decide to spend a few weeks in London if her husband pressures her to live with his parents until his next posting abroad. Good, wonderful, Omar responded with enthusiasm, that’s the end of that. How can you be so sure, for heaven’ sake? I asked. It’s the end, you little simpleton. Two years of her life wasted. It was unfortunate I was in no position to intervene. Do you know what I believe? Her inability to conceive was purely psychological. She was in love with me and her body refused that creep’s sperm. Oh don’t talk nonsense, Omar, I said, all of a sudden you are Sigmund Freud. Next thing you’ll tell me she had penis envy – your penis. He laughed. By the way, he said, I retrieved your B.Sc. certificate. Second class honors. Congratulations. Same with me, old man. And you thought I’d never graduate. But thanks, you did give me a push. Now we must start looking for a job. With my wife about to join me. I had to laugh. You are a loony, I told him. But yes, we have to look for a job. How do we go about it? Damned if I know, he answered. The main thing is we have our degrees. I, to build houses, bridges and highways and you to become adept at bla-blabbing, he said laughing. Sorry, I forgot you know all about investments and interest rates. When I’ll need a loan I’ll come to you for advice.
So we began buying newspapers and looking at job offers. Omar in London and I in Hove and calling each other on the phone when something seemed appropriate for the other. Not long after, I read that American Express was transferring its European headquarters to Brighton. The project was in its planning stages but they needed employees to supervise and set up the machinery of this colossal organization. I thought I would lose nothing to go and inquire. I went to the temporary offices, which were to be demolished for a new, modern building, filed an application form and was told that if my qualifications suited them I would be asked for an interview. My last year’s specialization was in Money and Banking and I felt confident I would soon hear from them. Indeed, a month later I was called for an interview which went splendidly as the American interviewer was super friendly and when I was asked what salary I required I told him that the clever Jews never asked about the salary but inquired about the prospects. He laughed and said he would soon get in touch with me. Another two months went by and I worried that my application might have been lost in the mountains of files that were being processed for the hiring of new employees. Omar on his side went through a similar process of applications and interviews and hoped to find a suitable opening soon. I was eventually summoned again for another interview and met my future immediate superior, a middle aged Englishman, who told me that the decision to hire me was not final but at that point quite probable. So, I said, do you think I should refrain from applying anywhere else? To tell you the truth I had lost hope with the American Express and was about to start looking for other openings. Oh yes, he said, I should wait a week or two longer. I was relieved and so was my darling Diana who desperately wished me to find a job close to home.
Just then, a telegram arrived from Annie giving me date, airline and flight number. She would be in London in two days’ time. Omar, the realist, was right. Her marriage was either foundering or had quite simply ended. Nearly four months had gone by since our holiday in Alexandria which meant that she and Tasos had already moved to Athens and had most probably gone to live with the parents. I had not received a single letter since then and I did not know the latest developments though I very often wondered how Annie was faring. I kept the news from Omar. I wanted to hear what Annie had to say without his interjections, predictions and jubilation. I told Diana, of course, and on the appointed date I left for London in the morning. I went to my landlady and informed her that my sister would be staying for a while in my room. No problem there, and I went up to my room and tidied the few things that had remained behind making space in my cupboard and drawers for Annie’s affairs. I had a light lunch at South Kensington and returned to my room and slept for a while. At about nine I went to the West London Air Terminal and sat waiting for Annie. I knew it would be a long wait since the plane was scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at about that time but still with every bus arrival I got up and anxiously scanned the descending passengers. Eventually, an hour later I saw my lovely sister step down from the bus and rush into my arms. We embraced and she would not let go of me. She was sobbing with love and relief. Her months-long pent up frustration was dissipating with this outburst. I was glad I did not tell Omar. It would have complicated the reunion. She sobbed and sobbed and after a few minutes calmed down and we went to pick up her luggage. Two huge bags spoke eloquently of her intentions. We took a cab from the line of taxis lined up for the incoming passengers and ten minutes later lugged the heavy suitcases two floors up to my room.
Annie looked around. How nice, she said. My new home for the coming months. Thank you, my darling George. You have always taken care of me and I feel safe to be once again in your care. Do you need any money? I asked. No my dear, not for the moment. Tasos gave me a thousand pounds. I told him I needed a break here with you because otherwise I’d have a mental collapsus. He thinks I’ll be going back in a couple of months but he shall soon find out that I left him for good. I don’t want to start asking why, I said. We can postpone the explanations for tomorrow. She smiled. She looked so beautiful and happy despite her tiring trip. She had matured in those two years of boredom and mute accusations that the childlessness was her fault and it came out in a saintly mellowness. She was and always would be a sensible but decisive young woman. She wanted a family and was prepared to build one with an ordinary, proper and stable person who did not enrapture her but when her hopes proved vain she turned away from him. Do you still make your wonderful Darjeeling tea? she asked. Yes, I said, but perhaps we should go out for a late dinner. No, George, all I have been doing is sitting on a plane munching away their miserable food. A tea will be fine. I got up and put some water to boil on my gas ring.
How’s Omar? she asked. Very well, I answered. He’s waiting impatiently for you. Looking for a job as well. Like me, he graduated with second class honors. Unbelievable, if you ask me. The only serious studying he did was in his last year, and do you know why? Early on he predicted that you would leave Tasos and wanted to be ready to be able to support you. I don’t know what his intentions are but on both sides you had me fooled. That your relationship was just a superficial sexual attraction and now I wake up to find that behind all that passionate sex was a far deeper love. Do you know that he has stopped talking to me about girls? I think he was afraid I might pass on the information to you and it might annoy you. Annie laughed. I did not tell him you would arrive today because I wanted to see you first and talk things over. I got up and prepared two cups of tea. I did not have any milk but I told my landlady to have the milkman deliver some every day for Annie. I asked her what finally pushed her to end her marriage since obviously that was what her relocation to London meant. Well, George, she said, you more or less knew what the situation was like from my letters. It was bad enough in Istanbul with the inactivity and boredom and trying to get pregnant. Lovemaking had become almost like forced labor, almost an ordeal. And what’s more, Tasos was totally insensitive to my pleading to live apart from his parents in Athens. His financial considerations weighed more than my peace of mind. So we moved in with his family and I was confined most of the day to our room. His mother was my problem. She was the ruler of the household. She was polite enough but I felt her contempt and displeasure so much that I rarely ventured out of my room. I tried to be friendly and offered to help with the house and the kitchen for cooking and she refused my help because when she asked me I said I did not know how to cook though I was willing to learn. In Istanbul I had no problem with a cook at home. In Athens I had to sit with them and eat her food, which in any case was nowhere near as good. I bought magazines and spend most of the day in my room and perhaps went out for a walk or window shopping in the neighborhood only to return for a silent lunch and sour looks. I took it for two months but enough is enough. I told him I needed a breather with you and he expects me to return. He can very well wait.
Annie did not tell our parents in Cairo of her intention to leave Tasos to avoid the inevitable pleadings to be patient, to think it over, to give her marriage a chance, to be fair to Tasos who was a good person etcetera, etcetera. She would write a letter within the next few days to announce that she was in London with me. I did not write to you either, George, she said, in case you would be accused of withholding information. Now I shall look for a job and try to make the best of it. I missed Omar so much. Perhaps we can manage to join our lives. Permanently or temporarily is almost immaterial. The main thing is to work out our passion. Now, immediately. We have wasted enough time. On and on we chatted way past midnight and suddenly Annie asked me how I would return to Hove, I laughed. I shall not, I said. I know this bed is not very wide but brother and sister will have to share it for one uncomfortable night. I don’t think I snore, by the way, or at least Diana never complained. I have a pair of pajamas somewhere and let me show you where the bathroom is. We lifted one of the heavy suitcases on the bed from where Annie retrieved a nightgown and went to the bathroom to change. Giggling, we lay on the bed, under the sheets and closed the bedside lamp. We talked some more in the darkness about Diana and Alice until our silences became more frequent and extended, and suddenly I thought it the perfect occasion to tell Annie about Alice. You know, Annie, I said, I love you very much and I trust you. She laughed. Is that a confession? Are you going to make love to me? she said. Almost, I replied. I shall tell you a secret that I expect you to bury in your heart and forget about it. My goodness, she said with a laugh. What is it? Alice, Marian, Helen Ioannides is not my daughter. Her father is Edgar Mackenzie. When Diana told him she was finished with him, they quarreled and he raped her and she became pregnant. She went to Hove with her mother to get away both from him and from me because she was not prepared to have an abortion and could not tell me to my face that she was pregnant with Edgar’s child. The circumstances of our separation before I left for Cairo were very odd and troubling but nevertheless I had to know the truth. I was in love with her. She left a letter with Omar telling me, without any explanations, that our relationship was over. When I returned from Egypt and Omar gave me the letter. With a little detective work I found her in Hove and proposed to marry her. And we did, Annie, and we are very happy and we have a wonderful child called Alice Ioannides who is now my daughter. Annie was silent for a long while. In the darkness I wondered if she had gone to sleep but she turned and hugged me. You remind me of Prince Myshkin from Dostoyevski’s novel The Idiot. You really are an idiot, George. A rare, wonderful idiot. I am proud of you. Okay, okay, I said, now forget about it and let’s go to sleep.
We woke up early, slightly sore from the lack of space of the bed and lack of movement. We both avoided to twist and turn so as not to disturb the other. Sore or not, Annie looked fresh and lovely with her disheveled hair falling over her eyes and shoulders. She went out to the bathroom to wash and dress and I did the same in the room. I made some Darjeeling and descended to the street for my bottle of milk and we sipped our tea while Annie unpacked her bags and stuffed the cupboard and the drawers. With so many clothes I had to collect the remainder of my clothing, put them in one of her bags and take them downstairs to the basement storeroom. I said, I’ll go and call Omar for breakfast. She looked worried, looked at herself at the washbasin mirror and asked, do I look okay? You are lovelier than ever, I said. I went upstairs and knocked at Omar’s door. It was past ten and he was already up. Hey, when did you come? he asked. Last night, I answered. Come to my room. Someone is anxious to see you. Who, he cried, who? Annie? Is it Annie? Come on, I said, don’t waste time with silly questions. He pushed me aside ran down the steps and burst into my room. Annie was sitting on the bed waiting. She stood up and he gazed at her mesmerized. Then they embraced and kissed and kissed and moved from cheeks to mouths and I stood awkwardly watching them as Annie was once again in tears and Omar was murmuring something in her ear. They held each other tightly and caressed each other and I thought they would make love right there in front of me and I said, come on you people, let’s go for breakfast. We went to Lyons at South Kensington and had a hearty and merry breakfast and I cautioned Omar that I was leaving Annie in his care and, boy, would he be in trouble if he displeased her in the least. And Omar said that I should forget the patronizing tone, that Annie was henceforth his responsibility. A friendly dispute was brewing over Annie’s sovereignty so I left the couple who at a rough guess would be rushing back to 95 Queensgate to make up for lost time, and I moved on to Victoria station to catch a train to Brighton.
A week later I was hired by American Express and within a month Omar found a position in an international construction firm for big projects. Diana, who was overjoyed with my appointment decided to wait another year until Alice would go to kindergarten before looking around for a job. I was relieved to be able, finally, to contribute the lion’s share of our household’s expenses. Annie, the last one to be employed, was hired by a business set up by a woman architect of Greek origin who bought rundown houses, renovated them and resold them. As soon as she arrived she went to visit Aunt Agatha and kept up her visits at regular but more spaced intervals than before. All in all, good fortune seemed to be on our side. Our parents accepted with a minimum of fuss Annie’s fait accompli and Tasos after waiting some months for her return said he would not file for divorce but wait until Annie decided to return to him. Annie’s comment was, what utter rubbish, from where does he derive this assurance that I shall go back to my dear mother-in-law? And she let things drift as they were, neither contemplating a return nor asking for a divorce but keeping in touch with him through a sporadic correspondence. Presumably, she was quite blissful with a reformed Omar though cautious about formalizing their relationship and using her suspended marriage as an excuse to avoid matrimony. She repeatedly rejected his marriage proposals. I am already married she would tell him laughing and I cannot take a chance that you shall not return to your womanizing ways. It seemed the more she refused his proposals the more she attached him to her. As they put aside a little money they began looking for a small flat and eventually found a two-bedroom flat quite near 95 Queensgate. Omar left his room and I helped Annie move her affairs to their new flat and regained possession of my room with its precious memories. With Annie I kept in touch daily by phone and saw her on every occasion I found myself in London.
Father sold his business and bought a house in Athens for my mother. They moved there permanently after his illness caused his kidneys to stop functioning and needed to undergo renal dialysis initially twice a week and later three times a week. He was a tough cookie and bought a small car and drove himself to and from the hospital for his dialysis sessions. Tasos visited my parents now and then to get Annie’s latest news and to find out her intentions. It came as a most severe shock to him when Annie announced that she was pregnant two years after cohabiting with Omar. He had a strange fixation on her and even with her pregnancy he did not ask for a divorce but told my parents he would take her back the moment she asked. I think he realized he had been unjust to force his parents on her by insisting on living at their home. Losing her was his fault and he hoped the loss was temporary. On the other hand his career was in high gear. He was promoted to First Counselor at the Greek embassy at Caracas, Venezuela, and left for that city of South American beauties, reputedly the most beautiful women in the world.
My father’s condition deteriorated steadily after he and mother moved to Athens. Besides his kidney problem he developed a severe ulcerous colitis and had frequent hemorrhages that necessitated blood transfusions. The doctors decided on an exploratory intestinal operation which turned out to be the coup de grace that ended his life. Mother had called Annie to tell her about the operation the day before and we decided to rush to his side. I came to London and we boarded a plane, the two of us, a pregnant, stressed but blooming Annie in her sixth month and her equally worried brother. When we landed we called home and mother told us that father had left us the previous night and that his funeral was to take place in an hour’s time. We left the airport and headed straight for the cemetery at the northern Athens suburb of Kifisia, where the happiness of the reunion was blighted by father’s death and smiles mingled with tears. We met many relatives and members from both sides of the family residing in Greece and commiserated and deplored that modern life had become so hectic that the only occasions of big family reunions were weddings and funerals. It always amuses me that at the after-burial traditional coffee the dead person is instantly forgotten and an animated, noisy, and almost merry conversation takes place where the latest extended family news are exchanged as well as the latest gossip. Almost all our relatives were not aware of Annie’s marital circumstances and congratulated her on her pregnancy telling her they imagined that Tasos must be overjoyed. Yes, yes, of course he is, she replied smiling. The noisy funeral reunion eventually petered out and we would see the same faces again at the next funeral or marriage. For our immediate family the loss was great but it would be hypocritical not to admit that so was the relief that a hopeless, years-long struggle for survival had ended. Annie and I spent the night at mother’s home and left early next morning for London where our jobs awaited us.
I found it strange that Omar was as happy as Annie about her pregnancy. I would not have expected such delight from a Casanova of Omar’s caliber. A man who changed his sexual partners frequently and thoughtlessly. Having a baby meant being tied down to one woman and for two years he had been, as far as we could tell, quite steadfast with Annie. He laughed and told me, remember what I used to tell you that Annie’s body rejected her husband’s sperm? Do you know that we have been taking precautions these past two years until we were sure that our relationship was solid? It was one of Annie’s conditions for living with me. And as soon as we stopped, wham, her uterus opened up and gobbled up my sperm. I laughed. No kidding. Is that what happens? The woman’s uterus opens up and gobbles the male’s sperm? Don’t laugh you ignorant banker. Haven’t you heard of psycho-somatic interactions? No, I said, not of this particular kind. But tell me, aren’t you thinking of getting married? I asked. Annie doesn’t want to, he replied. She wants to keep me balancing on a tightrope. She says she is already married and one false step from me and back she goes to her insipid husband. Plus, she says that out of wedlock births are totally commonplace these days. And, after all, she is right. Nothing will change with a piece of paper. She is working and earning well and even if we split she will not be lost.
Annie kept in close touch with our Aunt Agatha. Once or twice I joined her in a visit to Russell Square. I don’t know what she thought of Annie’s switchover from Tasos to Omar but in any case she was absolutely delighted with Annie’s pregnancy. She said when the baby was born she would be there to help Annie. In fact, despite her advanced age she was healthy and relatively strong and promised to take care of the baby during the first difficult months when Annie had to return to work. I shall come every day, she promised, five days a week, to help you out. Saturday and Sunday you will be at home and will not need me. I shall just ask you to pay my subway fare because my budget is so skimpy that I cannot bear this additional expense. Nonsense, Annie told her. You shall come to live with us in our spare bedroom and take the weekend off to go home and rest. And this is what happened when the baby, a healthy, beautiful boy was born and Annie returned home from hospital. Aunt Agatha was indefatigable and during the first month that Annie had a pregnancy leave she learned the routine of the baby’s sleeping and feeding times as well as the tiresome task of changing the nappies. She was, moreover, discretion itself in the house and kept out of Omar’s way. She left the house on Friday evening and returned early Monday morning. Annie regularly gave her pocket money which she accepted after considerable protests saying that this new occupation gave new meaning to her life.
Annie asked Omar if he had any objections to name the boy Michael after our recently deceased father. Omar had none, and the baby was declared and recognized by him as his son with the strange Christian-Moslem name of Michael Omar Abdel Moneim. Bless Great Britain for its liberalism, which would have been unthinkable in narrow-minded, religiously obsessive Greek Orthodox Greece. Omar was a tender but often absent father whose occupation often forced him to travel abroad to supervise projects in Africa and the Middle East. He was advancing rapidly in the hierarchy of his firm and began earning serious money. He bought a car and the family often visited us in Hove on weekends and Alice was delighted to watch and pet little Mike.