Turning to her companion, Anna said, "Before you go back to your unit, I want to ask you a favor, Petros."
"Anything you ask, Anna," he replied.
"Please find my parents and tell them I am all right."
"But where will I find them?"
"Possibly at the Hotel Minos or at the harbor."
"The harbor? And whom shall I ask for?"
Anna looked away, mumbling her last name.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."
"Just ask anyone at the hotel or at the
Port Authority for Stavros and Melpomeni
Bouras."
Petros slammed on the brakes. "Are you kidding me?"
"Why should I?" Anna replied.
***
When they came to a little chapel on the road, Anna asked Petros to stop. She went inside to pray. In the chapel, she lit the oilburning lamps in front of Christ and Mary. "Please, Mother of God, keep my Nikolas safe." The squeaky wooden door opened, and closed. Anna did not turn around. "And thank you for this wonderful man Petros. He is the brother I never had."
Once outside, Petros helped her back into the jeep, all smiles. He drove cheerfully, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and making noises with his lips whenever they hit a bump in the road.
"Brother, eh?" He smiled widely at her, and then they both burst out laughing.
"Sorry Petros. The other positions are all filled."
"Seriously Anna, I can't leave you in the middle of the road hitching a ride to Souda Bay. Not my little sister." He wiped his forehead with this sleeve, looking at his watch. "Let's see ... I have two hours left. Just time enough to take you halfway to Souda Bay."
"Thank you, Petros." Anna closed her eyes and relaxed in her seat. Petros drove on.
***
Anna had never seen this part of Crete before. The road wound around hills dotted with flowers, cypresses, olive trees, grape vines, and aromatic thyme. The scent was invigorating. At a distance, snow-capped mountains could be seen, and along the shore there were cozy little coves and vast open sandy beaches. Narrow bridges and dangerous curves, combined with the high volume of army trucks, civilian buses, and thousands of troops on the march in both directions, made the road difficult.
"I am not from a well-to-do family, Anna," said Petros with hesitation. "I mean, we are not rich. But I am very proud of my family."
"I wish I could say the same about mine, Petros," Anna replied.
"Would you ever marry a man who wasn't wealthy?"
"That's exactly what I am going to do."
Seeing a medical unit on the side of the road, Petros stopped.