Pavlakis nodded. ‘I’ve found out details for you about a scholarship, if you’re willing for Yannis to continue with his education. You may have other plans for him.’
Yannis’s father drew on his cigarette. ‘How do you feel, Yannis? Do you want to go to High School?’
‘Oh, yes, Pappa. I want that more than anything.’
Yannis senior shrugged. ‘You’ll have to explain to me. I’m a farmer. What does he have to do to go to a High School, and more important, what does he do when he’s finished there?’
Mr Pavlakis smiled. ‘It’s quite simple. He has to complete some examination papers. If he reaches a high enough standard he will be given a scholarship. That means you will only have to pay for his lodgings and books. What he does afterwards,’ he spread his hands eloquently, ‘that will be up to him. He has a brain, Mr Christoforakis, a good brain, that should be trained and used.’
‘If he completes the papers, but doesn’t get a scholarship, what happens then?’
‘If he doesn’t gain a scholarship he could still be offered a place, but then you would be asked to pay his fees. You don’t have to accept a place. It would cost a good deal of money. Would you like me to find out the cost involved before you commit yourself to anything?’
Yannis was sitting on the edge of his chair, willing his father to agree to him taking the examination. His father appeared to be considering as he sipped his glass of wine.
‘If he went to Heraklion where would he live?’
‘That would be up to you to arrange. Do you have any relatives there?’
Yannis senior shook his head.
‘I could make some enquiries when I next visit the town,’ offered Mr Pavlakis. ‘Let’s see how he gets on before you worry about where he is to live.’
‘You’re quite sure, Yannis, that this is what you want?’
‘I’m quite sure, Pappa. I want to go on to University as well.’
Mr Pavlakis smiled. ‘One step at a time, young man.’ He refilled their glasses and handed one to Yannis. ‘To your success with the examination.’
The glasses clinked and each took a long draught. Yannis felt his head swimming, not from the wine, he was used to drinking wine with his meals, but the thought that he was going to High School. He was convinced that he would pass the examination. He could hardly wait to tell Annita. He excused himself from the men as the taverna began to fill up with its regular customers and ran back across the town to his uncle’s house.
‘Annita, Annita,’ he called. ‘I’m going, I’m really going.’
‘Where?’ Annita raised her head from her embroidery.
‘I’m going to the High School in Heraklion. ‘I have to take an examination first, then I might get a scholarship.’
‘Suppose you don’t get one?’
‘Pappa can pay for me to go.’
‘I thought your Pappa was a poor farmer. Where’s he going to find enough money to send you to High School?’
Yannis sat down. His world had suddenly begun to crumble around him. ‘Pappa seemed to think he would be able to.’
Annita snorted. ‘He probably doesn’t know how much it will cost yet.’
‘I thought you’d be pleased, Annita. Why are you being horrid?’
She folded her embroidery together. ‘I’m not being horrid. I just face facts.’ She flounced from the room, leaving Yannis feeling hurt and puzzled.
Annita walked down to the harbour, hoping Yannis would follow her. She sat on the wall gazing out to sea and tried to think rationally. She had overheard her parents discussing her future with Yannis and since that day she had looked at him in a different light, no longer as her cousin, but as her prospective husband. She had thought Yannis would stay and work in Aghios Nikolaos and in a couple of years they would be married, now he was planning to leave and would probably not want to return and settle down. She sighed deeply. A voice in her ear nearly made her fall off the wall.
A bearded man was eyeing her. ‘I don’t
Yannis’s father drew on his cigarette. ‘How do you feel, Yannis? Do you want to go to High School?’
‘Oh, yes, Pappa. I want that more than anything.’
Yannis senior shrugged. ‘You’ll have to explain to me. I’m a farmer. What does he have to do to go to a High School, and more important, what does he do when he’s finished there?’
Mr Pavlakis smiled. ‘It’s quite simple. He has to complete some examination papers. If he reaches a high enough standard he will be given a scholarship. That means you will only have to pay for his lodgings and books. What he does afterwards,’ he spread his hands eloquently, ‘that will be up to him. He has a brain, Mr Christoforakis, a good brain, that should be trained and used.’
‘If he completes the papers, but doesn’t get a scholarship, what happens then?’
‘If he doesn’t gain a scholarship he could still be offered a place, but then you would be asked to pay his fees. You don’t have to accept a place. It would cost a good deal of money. Would you like me to find out the cost involved before you commit yourself to anything?’
Yannis was sitting on the edge of his chair, willing his father to agree to him taking the examination. His father appeared to be considering as he sipped his glass of wine.
‘If he went to Heraklion where would he live?’
‘That would be up to you to arrange. Do you have any relatives there?’
Yannis senior shook his head.
‘I could make some enquiries when I next visit the town,’ offered Mr Pavlakis. ‘Let’s see how he gets on before you worry about where he is to live.’
‘You’re quite sure, Yannis, that this is what you want?’
‘I’m quite sure, Pappa. I want to go on to University as well.’
Mr Pavlakis smiled. ‘One step at a time, young man.’ He refilled their glasses and handed one to Yannis. ‘To your success with the examination.’
The glasses clinked and each took a long draught. Yannis felt his head swimming, not from the wine, he was used to drinking wine with his meals, but the thought that he was going to High School. He was convinced that he would pass the examination. He could hardly wait to tell Annita. He excused himself from the men as the taverna began to fill up with its regular customers and ran back across the town to his uncle’s house.
‘Annita, Annita,’ he called. ‘I’m going, I’m really going.’
‘Where?’ Annita raised her head from her embroidery.
‘I’m going to the High School in Heraklion. ‘I have to take an examination first, then I might get a scholarship.’
‘Suppose you don’t get one?’
‘Pappa can pay for me to go.’
‘I thought your Pappa was a poor farmer. Where’s he going to find enough money to send you to High School?’
Yannis sat down. His world had suddenly begun to crumble around him. ‘Pappa seemed to think he would be able to.’
Annita snorted. ‘He probably doesn’t know how much it will cost yet.’
‘I thought you’d be pleased, Annita. Why are you being horrid?’
She folded her embroidery together. ‘I’m not being horrid. I just face facts.’ She flounced from the room, leaving Yannis feeling hurt and puzzled.
Annita walked down to the harbour, hoping Yannis would follow her. She sat on the wall gazing out to sea and tried to think rationally. She had overheard her parents discussing her future with Yannis and since that day she had looked at him in a different light, no longer as her cousin, but as her prospective husband. She had thought Yannis would stay and work in Aghios Nikolaos and in a couple of years they would be married, now he was planning to leave and would probably not want to return and settle down. She sighed deeply. A voice in her ear nearly made her fall off the wall.
A bearded man was eyeing her. ‘I don’t
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