On shaky ground

140 × 210

Philip R. Komninos (Lane)

On shaky ground

ISBN 978-618-205-243-3

Vatatzi 55, 114 73 Athens ΤEL.: +30210 6431108 E-MAIL: ocelotos@ocelotos.gr www.ocelotos.gr

SPINE: 6.7

FLAPS: 0

On shaky ground

Philip R. Komninos (Lane)

On shaky ground

— ATHENS 2022 —

Title On shaky ground Author Philip R. Komninos (Lane)

Correction Anne Lane

Material Editing Ioannis Komninos Layout - Design Myrtilo, Lena Pantopoulou Copyright© 2022 Ioannis Komninos

First Edition Athens, March 2022 ISBN 978-618-205-243-3

Vatatzi 55, 114 73 Athens ΤEL.: +30210 6431108 E-MAIL: ocelotos@ocelotos.gr www.ocelotos.gr

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of the author and of Ocelotos Publications.

Dedicated to the best person in my life to Philip «There is only one thing to keep me alive: hope, hope, that there is another life and I will meet you again» I. Komninos

Philip Komninos was born and brought up in Cheshire. As a young man he made Andros, Greece his home. In latter years he was looking to split his time between Andros and Southport.

Set in Greece, the writing in this book consists of short stories and some incomplete pieces.

Two of the pieces are about the same family and Red Dress and the later crime piece could be connected. It might be that these were intended to be parts of larger works.

Anne Lane, sister

ON SHAKY GROUND I really hadn’t been looking forward to this fortnight in Greece chaperoning my recently bereaved mother. There was, however, no getting out of it. Having recently finished my degree I had not as yet found employment.

“It looks just perfect, tennis courts, swimming pool and you can even go riding dear. The travel agent told me told me that most of the clientele are French. Who knows, you might meet a nice rich French boy.”

I rather thought not, it looked too much like a family hotel. Not unless I were to start cradle-snatching!

The day before we left I had a quick look at the astrology column in our local rag which covered the following week.

— 9 —

GEMINI Not too bright a week for the Twins.

Nervous complaints flare up. Family relationships under strain. Romances on shaky ground. If you intend travelling be prepared for a bumpy ride. On the bright side though finances seem to be looking up. Patience!

Not terribly encouraging. The flight was indeed bumpy and it was one of those planes whose overhead lockers shake and shudder like mad giving full rein to my over-active imagination. I had visions of us disintegrating in mid-air and being summarily scattered over the Adriatic. At least calming me down took mother’s mind off her last trip to Greece with father.

Everything else seemed to go quite smoothly. A hotel bus was waiting to take us on to the Hotel Margarita, named after a daisy and not a cocktail. It was on the northern shoreline of the Corinthian Gulf. One other young couple had come off our plane, but the rest of the passengers

— 10 —

On shaky ground

were French and had been waiting for us for about half an hour. One quick glance around the coach was enough to see that the possibilities for romance were likely to be confined to a quick bonk with the coach driver who had given my legs a long lustful look as we had got on. Our fellow travellers appeared to be middle-aged couples and a group of women attending some conference.

The hotel proved to be every bit as attractive as the brochure promised. The staff were welcoming. The rooms were spacious and clean with tasteful decoration and airconditioning which actually worked. The gardens were lush and sweet smelling. We changed out of our travelling clothes and headed straight for the pool.

One dip was all it took. As I lay on the lounger with a glass of cold lager in my hand, one by one the strains of the last month started to flow out of me into the earth beneath my outstretched body.

Breaking up with Brian, father’s death, the exams, mother and other pettier anxieties seemed to be drawn out of me by some mysterious magnetic force and drip into

— 11 —

140 × 210

Philip R. Komninos (Lane)

On shaky ground

ISBN 978-618-205-243-3

Vatatzi 55, 114 73 Athens ΤEL.: +30210 6431108 E-MAIL: ocelotos@ocelotos.gr www.ocelotos.gr

SPINE: 6.7

FLAPS: 0