Desperado Dale (Scenic Route to Paradise) (15 page)

“Funny about that boy, Dale,” commented Mr
Adams. “He never saw a dog he didn’t like.” It was a genuine observance. Anna
agreed with a nod but she thought about the times when dogs had to be
euthanized because they had been abused beyond recovery or the dog had been
wrongfully but irrevocably trained. Happily, most of the dogs were paired with
caring owners within a few months of being abandoned on their doorstep.

Missing Dale, Anna had sighed but since then,
she had kept busy “helping” with the orphans. At the time she said to Tina,
“And so, you have never met a child you didn’t like? I think I understand.”

In response, Tina laughed her nervous laugh,
flashing white straight teeth. She was a trim gal with alabaster skin framed by
wavy, almost black hair and dark eyes. Compared to Anna, whose light brown
locks and blue eyes gave her a “northern” appearance, Tina had the true
Mediterranean
look. At almost
twenty-four years of age, Tina had been raised in both
Greece
and
America
. Loving the comforts of
the good ‘ol
USA
, she loved
Greece
as well. The
conveniences, the consistency and the easy money to be made and spent in
America
had their place but as
a down-to-the-bone Greek, Tina called Kerkyra home. Her previous visits as a
child and teenager prepared her. She adjusted readily into village life
although never intending to make her visits permanent. Then the twins came
along; lovable, gentle babies left at her doorstep with a simple note attached
to the wicker basket. Click and Clack she called them because their baptismal
names were wieldy and cumbersome even for her knowledgeable tongue.

Like so many Greeks, Tina was a practical
person. Her love for the boys and later for all the children she became
responsible for was not so emotional as it was conscionable. Her love was based
on commitment rather than affection. When she stepped into the shoes of
accountability – accountable to her own conscience, Tina realized that she had
found her niche. The old proverb that it is better to give than to receive
became reality for her. She found an abiding joy in giving to the children. As
the needs of her orphanage grew, Tina endeavored to make others realize that it
was better for
them
to give than to receive as well.

That first day, Tina showed Mr and Mrs Adams and
Anna around and introduced the household members – the orphans to them. Gwyneth
fell in with the flock of children as if she had known them all her four years.
That evening before bed, the older children put on a drama for Tina’s guests.
There were several methods Tina used to persuade outsiders to donate goods,
money and talent to her orphanage. Drama and music were useful tools although
one eleven
year old who learned to
play the mandolin before joining Tina’s “family” was presently the sole
musician.

A short time ago, Tina’s operation would have
been considered illegal and perhaps it was illegal, even now. No one cared. A
short time ago when life was prosperous, donors would have been loading Tina
with goods and money to assist with her efforts but not now. A short time ago,
Greece
led the dirge into a
global economic depression. Austerity measures would not correct the
declination. Instead, austerity was the new reality for all but the very few
elite. Since the Greek Civil war there had not been such a need for Tina types
and the relief their efforts could bring.

Because donations were meager and the drama was
fun and the mandolin was novel, Tina won over the Adams’ and Anna.

Tina had a van. She traded her small, gas
efficient Japanese car straight across for the larger gas guzzler because she
needed it.

Now, Anna was driving the van and discussing
Greek food with Bean. Before finding Guppo’s home, they had dropped Tina and
Bernie off in the market area. When Anna returned to the designated paved lot,
Bernie hurpled forward carrying two canvas bags. Tina and two teenage men
followed behind, also lugging sacks of groceries. After twenty minutes to load
and to finish closing the deal, Tina pulled away with a van half full of pantry
goods. The next stop was the equivalent of a pawn shop.

It was evening before the loaded van returned to
Evangelos. Two sets of bunk beds were strapped to the roof of the van. They
would need to be reassembled but Tina reassured Bernie that she knew just the
person to perform the task.

Jellybean and Bernie had always been a very
generous couple. People, who knew them well, usually said so. Friends also
noted that while being extremely generous with others they were often niggardly
toward each other. No one ever pointed this out to the estranged husband and
wife; after all they
were
divorced and perhaps the emotionally stingy
attitude toward one another had been the cause. The elderly Adams’ would have
denied the allegation as both were painstakingly civil to the other – most of
the time. Civility was the very trait that highlighted their lack of liberality
toward the other but they didn’t know it.

In Tina’s case, Bernie and Bean had had another
late night tête-à-tête concerning the cache that had mistakenly landed in their
midst.

Why not use some of the wealth to help the
orphans?
Bernie had suggested.

I thought the same when that little boy finished
his piece on the mandolin!
Bean told him.

And so they did.

Two topics continually circulated
from Tina’s lips that
made Anna attentive each go-round. First was Tina’s worry over the children’s
future and the second was a young man by the name of Zeff who had written her
from the
Serendipity
.

“Somehow we need to move the children into
environments conducive to well rounded growth. I don’t see how they will get
that here in the village. Our island is isolated but Greeks on the other hand
are without parameters,” Tina would say using various wording but conclude the
same. Anna would listen and try to find suitable solutions but Tina wouldn’t be
mollified.

“...so, your sister-in-law, Merry is on the same
boat. Zeff says they are coming here to pick you and your family up. It
shouldn’t be long now.

Zeff sounds like such a great guy! I haven’t
heard from him in days but I hope he and Merry stay a few days,” expounded Tina
warming to her second favorite topic. “I wish I could have asked him more
questions… Do you know Merry told him that I am a fat lady in an athletic body?
What is that suppose to mean?” Tina asked as she spread a thick layer of goat
cheese on a hunk of freshly baked bread. It was her third piece Anna observed.

Then she would switch to the orphans again. “I
feel it in my gut that children are going to be needing places like my house
all over the world. The very young and the old and the weak get thrown under
the bus as soon as there is any emergency. I wonder if I cannot get old Gustania
to donate her big house in Avliotes. We could fit 50 or 60 children in there
easy!”

“Did you know Zeff went to ASU? So did Sal’s brother,
Frank! I can’t wait to meet this guy… Zeff is short for Zeferano…”

Chapter 26  Fireside Baklava

Dale opened his eyes. The younger Klein child, Adi
stood over him. She held a calico kitten less than a foot from Dale’s face. His
eyes and mouth were swollen. His upper lip cracked and his expression made her
giggle. She ran off to get her older sister.

The little girls reminded Dale of his daughter.
He missed Gwyneth. He pulled back the cotton blanket but when he swung his legs
around to stand up from the couch where he spent the night, the dried blood
from his encounter with Karlo stuck to the sheet under him. As the scabs pulled
free, he let out an involuntary squeal. Sam ceased snoring on the other sofa
and sat up.

“Dang it… That hurts!” Dale said through
clenched teeth. His jaw ached and his ribs hurt where Karlo and company had
kicked him but the throb and burning coming from the back of his legs overrode the
other pain including the stiff neck he had from sleeping so sound in the same
spot for six hours.

It had been late when they arrived in Avliotes
the night before. The original sanitizing and tending to the wounds by Bethania
had been hours earlier on the side of the road after the New Dawn agents
departed. She had planned to apply some salve and wrap his legs and forearms
after returning from the tavern but Dale was comfortably sleeping. Deciding he
needed the rest, she let him be.

Bethania showed up with water, coffee and a
medical kit taken from the warehouse office. Sam left to get some real food for
breakfast and leaving the calico behind, Liraz and Adi went with him.

The old Jewess explained to Dale that the
barkeep said Karlo and the others left in a hurry just after their meal.

“I suppose they decided you were not the one
they were looking for after all. It’s a curious situation and dangerous too,”
she commented.

As Bethania began ministering to his abrasions,
Dale concentrated on what the New Dawn people were looking for and how it might
affect him in the future.

Sam returned as Bethania finished wrapping
Dale’s elbow. “Sam, we got get to my wife’s village. I really think they might
be in trouble,” Dale said as way of greeting.

Sam put a loaf of brown bread on the desk.
Coming behind him, the little girls carried a bag apiece. Getting up, Dale
smiled and nodded to Bethania in thanks for her doctoring.

Sam said, “Okay. Yes, I thought of that too.”

The men made a plan and they soon had all the
truck goods unloaded. The warehouse was officially closed for the day but Sam
knew that the proprietor, his friend Erik would be in after lunch sometime.

Bethania and the girls had been absent for more
than an hour when Dale noticed that they had returned and were sitting quietly
on a bench in the shade near the truck. Adi held the kitten on her lap. There
was the sound of far away strumming from a guitar.

Dale walked over to the bench after Bethania
motioned to him. She sent the children inside on an errand and then said, “Your
wife… You mentioned that she was from Evangelos.” Dale nodded as he swallowed a
gulp of water from the jug he carried. “The orphanage I spoke to you about… I
had heard it was near Avliotes and I have discovered that it is actually in
that village. Do you know Tina Evangelos?” she asked.

Dale was in mid swig. His eyebrows shot up. He
coughed. “I know her very well! She is my wife’s first cousin! She used to live
in the states. That is where we were headed when we landed here last week!”

“Well, Tina Evangelos runs the orphanage,”
Bethania said.

Dale wondered if it could be the same Tina.
Greeks were famous for using variations of the name of Christ in naming their
children. “I was hoping to leave the children here and out of harms way but
coincidentally… I suppose, we are headed for the same village and the same
house!” Bethania said with an amused look playing about her wrinkled lips.

Arriving, just before supper, Dale hugged Anna
not wanting to let her go. He did let go with a yelp when Gwyneth coming from
behind began hugging his injured legs, although the bandages were hidden under
his jeans. Anna was horrified at his blackened eyes and bruised mouth but she
put on a brave face for Dale and the others.

“Here he is and just in time for dinner!” said
Bernie ignoring the obvious on Dale’s marred face. The old man had been
thinking hopefully of dinner since right after lunch. He found that food was
always a good diversion.

There was a long wooden table with a dozen
plastic chairs on the right side of the front room of the house. To Dale it
appeared to be the house of Snow White and her dwarves as the table and chairs
were clearly sized for children. Boys and girls were arranged around the table;
the oldest being about 10 years old and he sat at the head. Plastic bowls and
cups – all empty still, were in front of each child.

Jellybean sat at one end of the adult table
which was arranged on the left side of the large square room. On either side of
her, was a baby strapped into a highchair. In each of Bean’s hands she had a
wooden spoon taken from the table center. Drumming on the highchair trays, she
attempted to keep the babies preoccupied. Everyone else from that table had got
up to receive Dale and his friends at the front door. Waving a wooden spoon,
Bean greeted Dale as he hugged Tina. Dale grinned over Tina’s shoulder and
saluted his grandmother.

Tina and Gwyneth began to chatter excitedly as
Dale introduced Sam, Bethania and her charges, Liraz and Adi to the others. A
shrill whistle sounded and the mesh of voices stopped in mid sentence. As one
the group, they turned toward the table.

“Thank you,” said Jellybean; a serene look on
her face. “The food is getting cold and Dale although we are overjoyed to have
you join us, you need to go borrow some chairs for our other guests.”

Mr and Mrs Adams had been with Tina for most of
the week. She had fond memories of their generosity and their oddities too from
her teen years when she lived in
Philadelphia
. After their first day in Evangelos,
Tina remembered rather quickly how unconventional they could be. Now, she
responded accordingly, “Yes, of course! You must be famished! Anna, please show
Bethania and the girls the washroom. And you… Uh, Sam please help Dale get the
patio chairs from the back.” Tina had Dale go through the front door and around
the back, with Sam in tow. She and a very young woman, a teen orphan named
Nerah began serving the food from the kitchen.