Zorbus to the Sun by Tony Brown - HTML preview

18

The north coast. Yet again Iraklion had them in its grip. The port from where they planned to catch the next ferry to Piraeus. The road through Corinth and the drive along the Peloponissos coast to the port of Patra. The ferry to the Italy of their awakening, and now the leaving of their dreams.

'Right!' The Zorbus was ready and Kevin was excited, 'It's over three thousand miles to Falmouth, we've got a tank full of gas, half a packet of cigarettes, it's sunny and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it!'

And before Ben could say, 'Blues Brothers!' they were on the road again whisking high above the rooftops of Galini and the happy sandy beach and waving through the windows in case any friends were waving back.

But it was a silent Zorbus that shuffled north through the Messara Plain, over the hillsides, through village after village, past distant white chapels and goat herds led by thoughtful donkeys their joyful odours smothering the Zorbus through her windows whenever she dropped a gear behind them. Iraklion seemed like hours away and left them with thoughts and memories as their spirits fell with the settling sun. They hardly spoke at all except for necessity. Who wants to leave Nirvana?

England seemed so long ago, a foreign country to Ben then. Was it really so much his decision as to where and how he would live? He had changed. And at least with Amanda all felt calm and in place, all was over and settled. She was still a lovely woman, inside and out, and even if they could never live as a couple, there'd always be stepping stones to join them. Ben was glad their chance meeting had been fruitful and given them time to smile and hold hands again and draw away again as the people they'd now become. Peace of mind from understanding gave birth to a little wisdom and the freedom from tattle brought them the truth. They would always be friends.

In the mountain centres, the Zorbus cruised past newly-arrived tourists glowing with optimism, curiosity shining from their eyes. Such a contrast to the mood in the Villa.

Kevin was the first to break the silence, 'It's the feeling you get when you're young, when it's summertime and you're called in from playing outside with your friends because it's school next day and it's getting late.'

Yes, it wasn't easy.

Two and a half hours later they were there, surrounded by the chaos of this frantic Cretan city. They made their way to the port and immediately recognised their ship, the Knossos, floodlit and steady before them waiting in the dock. They had not yet bought their tickets and not yet booked a berth and weren't even sure what time the ship set sail.

It crossed Ben's mind they might not get a passage. It might be fully booked.

The echoing voices of truckers and car owners and crew members shouting to each other through the perfume of engine exhausts soured their thoughts and brought it home that vehicles were being loaded for the leaving. The sight of other ferries named Naxos, Santorini, Karpathos and other magical island imagery only served to torment and remind them of what they were leaving behind.

The Zorbus joined the queue. She was paused behind a shiny grey Mercedes. Ben and Kevin sat passively watching the shuffling and stowing of vehicles until the Officer of Traffic appeared at Ben's window with directions for loading her on board. He leaned on the window frame and said, with all seriousness, 'Hey Zorbus, please bash the  Mercedes in front of you for me, please. I promise I tell no one!' He cocked an eyebrow and laughed. Kevin and Ben looked into each other's eyes, and along with all those within earshot began sniggering and laughing like kids as they stored their home onboard.

'Excuse me, sir,' said Kevin. 'How long before you sail?'

'One hour! At six-thirty!' and he was gone, shouting orders to a deckhand.

'Ben, we haven't got our tickets yet so what say we leave the queue, get the tickets, grab a quick something to eat and come back in time to board. It won't take us long.'

After weeks of freewheeling on the Continent, they were returning to England conscious of a waning enthusiasm for a half-baked idea which might, just might, make some money yet deep down they both knew the dream was just a dream, and one rapidly withering. They were losing interest fast and to top it all, there was the growing sense of personal disappointment from failure.

Opposite the dock entrance, was a tiny, crowded kafeneion where they ordered some rakis, Greek salata and squid. Next door was a travel agency where cheap peasants' passages were for sale but in the window was a sign, 'No Berths'.

Conversation from the next table was impossibly boring between American and British businessmen about contractual grammar and commercial awareness. Waiting for their squid, and having finished their salads, Kevin suggested they nip next door and get their tickets. So, leaving their bags in the care of a total stranger, they dashed into the street and before they had gone two paces Ben grabbed Kevin's elbow.

'Wait! Kevin! Hang on! Wait!'

'What's the matter?'

'I can't do it. I'm not coming. I'm staying here.'

'What? But what about, The Dream?'

'It's all yours – and so is the Villa. Kevin, here's the keys.'

'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine. Something just hit me. Just then. I have never felt as free as I do now. Only it's not just the sense of freedom. It's something else. I don't know exactly what but I'm staying.'

'So you have a feeling. Is that all?'

'I don't know. I feel something spacious, something fragile and I have never felt as free as I do now. I don't need to go back. I'm out of the game.'

'You never were the sporty type, were you?'

Ah, Kevin. Some of us need laughter more than food.

'Now Ben, are you sure you know what you're doing?'

'No.'

'Good. No change there then.'

'Take care, Kevin.'

'What? At my age? Have fun and keep in touch dear chum. When I'm rich and famous, I'll be back in the Zorbus but with a polytunnel and a fresh pasty tied to the roof.' He winked, 'Come here, give us a hug.'

His look said it all. Ben realised everything then. Kevin was just the same sarcastic, cynical, spiky, touchy, funny old sensitive Kevin he'd always been and Ben was the same sarcastic, cynical, spiky, touchy, funny old sensitive Ben he'd always been and nothing had changed between them at all. They'd each had their shining moments and  some when their friendship had been tested and some when they had failed each other. They'd bruised each other as they had always done because they were not easily contained when they felt threatened.

What had Andrea said? 'Absolute freedom can be unsettling', and how right she was. Two peas in a tin can? Definitely, but Ben knew he would not have had that adventure with anyone else. When two friends know each other as much as they knew each other, there is never anything forced or false. You blast off when you need to and usually just before you explode. One takes the blast and the blaster feels the burn. And this is because once the other withdraws, the distance between is huge and you feel real sadness. Part of you is missing in pangs of sadness. And it hurts.

Their humour was sharp and private, esoteric, and the other side of this true familiarity allowed insulting criticisms, and intimate humour can keep you laughing or stop you killing each other, but only just. The odyssey of the Zorbus to the sun taught Ben what true friendship means, but also how very funny and very moody they could both be too, although he had an inkling of that before they left.

So thanks for the song, Kevin and Ben, we'll never forget the tune or what it meant.

The End

'.... OK. THAT`S ENOUGH. LET`S PARK IT HERE ....'