Cruel Summer (5 page)

June 22

To: AmandaStar

From: ColbyCat

Re: Hi!

Hey Amanda,

So, that Penelope chick? The one in the pic who was hanging all over Levi? Does she go 2 another school? Bcuz I don’t know her and I’m jus Idering & U never really said.

Well, all my news is pretty much in my blog, so U should totally stop by and comment me!

Write back!

Ciao—

Colby

P.S. NE news from Levi???

Cruel Summer

June 24

So this is a picture of me (duh!) with my aunt Tally and her boyfriend, Tassos, whom I only just met because he was out of town for the last week “on business.” Though to be honest, I think he was just trying to give me and Tally some time and space to get to know each other before he came on the scene.

It’s funny how they kind of look like brother and sister, huh? I mean, they’re both tan, both have dark, wavy hair, both have brown eyes, and, um, strong noses (not a judgment, just a fact). But I know there’s no relation since no one in my family tree is Greek, but Tassos is. He’s actually from here, which makes him a Tinian. Anyway, they’ve been together for like, twelve years or something, though they’re not married and it doesn’t seem like either one of them even really notices that they’re not married. I mean, they act like they’re married (except they don’t fight), so when I asked them why they don’t just go ahead and do it already, they both just shrugged and at the exact same moment, said, “It’s not necessary.” And then I thought about my own mom and dad, who even though they’re busy getting unmarried, still can’t seem to stop yelling and screaming at each other, and I just shrugged too.

I mean, maybe they’re right, since everything’s so temporary anyway, since everything has a beginning, middle, and end. So it’s probably better just to leave the door open, since you never know when you’ll need to use it.

Anyway, I’ve already forgotten the name of this beach, but I guess it doesn’t really matter since it’s not like you’d know it, and I probably wouldn’t be able to spell it anyway—in either alphabet. I mean, even though everyone says Greek is phonetic, the second I see all those bizarre-looking letters, I’m lost. But all you really need to know about this beach is that it’s absolutely
NOTHING
like our beaches at home. Seriously.

For starters, all of the beaches here are just beaches. They don’t double as food courts or minimalls or gyms like most of ours do.

And second, there are living, breathing, ocean-dwelling creatures that can be found pretty close to shore, which is also unlike our beaches.

So, like the moment we got our towels all laid out and I started to settle in, Tassos tossed me some fins, a mask, a snorkel, and a large net bag, and told me to follow behind and stay close, but not too close.

And as we headed out into the water (which, I might add, is much easier here since there are no waves to dive under; seriously, the water is completely flat), I put on my gear and did my best to keep up while he swam way out by the rocks, searching for octopus and sea urchin, which, to be honest, I really doubted we’d find because it just seemed too weird to think there were octopus lurking around out there since I guess I always think of them as living
WAY, WAY OUT THERE,
like more in a place you can only reach by boat or submarine, and less in a place you can access with a snorkel and a pair of fins. But believe it or not, there was plenty to choose from and I watched in amazement as he proceeded to catch three of them, with nothing more than
HIS BARE HANDS
(!), before tossing them into the bag I was carrying.

I’d also like to mention that the whole entire time Tassos and I were swimming, my aunt Tally was lying on the beach, reading one of her many books,
COMPLETELY TOPLESS!

Seriously!

And believe me, I wish I was kidding, but from what I’ve seen around here so far, pretty much everyone goes topless at the beach.

Well, everyone
BUT ME!

And I can’t imagine I ever will. I mean, it’s just too weird, and it made me really uncomfortable. I seriously couldn’t even look at my aunt until it was time to leave and she put her T-shirt back on.

So then later, after we got back home and we all took showers and stuff, Tassos prepared the octopus and put together a big Greek salad, while I helped Tally peel a bunch of potatoes so we could make homemade french fries. And then they poured some wine (yup, they even let me have a glass!) and put on a Beatles CD (oh yeah, I forgot to mention that she has no problem with music, just television) and we ate our meal outside and sang that old song, “Here Comes the Sun.”

Only we changed the words to “There Goes the Sun” because while we were eating we were watching it set.

And even though it probably sounds pretty dorky and lame (I mean, it was totally and completely dorky), in some weird way, it was also kind of fun.

But that’s only because it’s so boring around here, that’s pretty much the best you can hope for.

The only bad thing is I didn’t get to the Internet café until now. And since it’s pretty late, Petros has spent the last five minutes giving me the international sign to skedaddle—which basically means he is now standing by the door and waving at me to get out. Which also means he’s just thirty seconds away from marching right over and grabbing my sleeve.

I swear, the customer service totally sucks around here!

Anyway, before I go I should mention that the last picture is of me eating octopus—which I know is probably pretty self-explanatory, but still, it is kind of hard to believe. I mean, I never thought I’d see the day, because—gag!

And trust me, the only reason I’m smiling is because Tassos was holding the camera and I didn’t want to make him feel bad.

Besides, you know what they say—“When in Greece…”

Okay, Petros is now yanking on my sleeve, muttering something in Greek. And even though I have no idea what he’s saying, trust me, the subtext is not good.

So…Good night!

Please, please, comment me!

Colby

June 26

To: AmandaStar

From: ColbyCat

Re: Um, remember me?

Hey Amanda,

Jus ckg in 2 say hey B cuz I haven’t heard from U in ages!

U haven’t 4gotten me, right?

Hope UR good—

I’m Gr8!

K, not really cuz IM actually completely homesick!

Write back!

Colby

P.S. Say hi 2 Levi! PLZ!!

Cruel Summer

June 26

I was going to post a bunch of pictures of this name-day festival that Tally and Tassos dragged me to, but since apparently no one is even commenting on this blog, much less reading it, I’m not going to bother. I mean, what’s the point?

But just so you know what you’re missing, a name-day festival is actually a really big party that’s held in honor of the Greeks who are named after saints (which, believe me, is practically all of them). And since just about every day of the year has been dedicated to the memory of a saint, they all celebrate their saint’s day or “name-day” like they do a b-day, with roasted pigs and music and baklava (which is like a really bizarre dessert, super crusty and drenched in honey), along with other assorted delicacies.

And just in case you’re wondering (though I know you probably aren’t), for those unfortunate few who are not named after a saint, well, they still get to party on All Saints’ Day, which is sometime after Greek Easter (yes, they even have their own separate Easter here).

Okay, well, I wish you all a warm, wonderful, and terribly exciting summer.

Because mine’s turning out to be pretty much the opposite.

Colby

Colby’s Journal for Desperate Times When She’s So Depressed She Refuses to Leave Her Room

June 27

Here is a list of
PEOPLE WHO SUCK
and the
VERY VALID
reasons why:

Okay, the reason I crossed Tally and Tassos off the list is because I just realized that they don’t actually suck. I mean, granted, they are a little weird, what with all their plant-whispering, meditating, hippie-music-loving stuff. But still, it’s not like they really bug me all that bad or anything. Because the truth is, they pretty much leave me alone.

Like right now for instance, I’ve basically been holed up in my room for the last two days, and all Tally has done so far is stick her head in each morning and go, “Hey, no Internet café today?”

And I just shrug, sigh, roll my eyes, and stare at the ceiling some more.

And then she goes, “Okay, well, just so you know Tassos is heading out to his studio.” (He’s an artist, does marble sculptures and also makes ceramics and stuff. He’s pretty good too, and kind of famous, at least in the world of marble sculpture and ceramics.) “And I’m heading to the shop, but we’ll both be back around two in case you want to go to the beach. But if not, that’s cool too.”