Target: Tinos

Chapter Fifteen

Andreas made it back with Tassos from the monastery in time to spend most of his Sunday morning playing with Tassaki and reminiscing with Lila’s mother and father, his mother, sister, brother-in-law, two nephews, and niece. It seemed the best stories were those that made Lila blush and Andreas threaten to start shooting if another word were said. Maggie, Kouros, more friends, and family started showing up around two in the afternoon. It was fast approaching show time.

Traditionally, when two locals married, several hours before the service the bride, her family, and friends gathered at her parents’ home, and the groom did the same at his parents’ place. Amid singing, drinking, and nuts symbolizing fertility, everyone pitched in to make sure the groom was readied and the bride prepared. The groom and his entourage, accompanied by musicians, always arrived at the church first, to cool his heels waiting outside for his bride to arrive.

But Andreas was from Athens and staying at Lila’s family home, so the only traditions for him to observe were to keep out of Lila’s way and make sure that he made it to the church ahead of her. Two hours before the ceremony Andreas told his mother and sister that he was leaving for the church and that they should come with Lila’s family.

His mother laughed, calling him a “nervous bridegroom.”

Tassos and Kouros left with him.

It was a fifteen-minute drive to Ano Mera, most of it over one-time donkey trails and the last few on the main highway between Ano Mera and Mykonos town. At a road next to a walled-in field running from the highway up to the rear wall of the monastery Tassos slowed to make a turn. Andreas noticed that the access gates to the field were closed and two marked police cars sat in the field.

Tassos jerked his head in the direction of the police cars. “I told them no one gets into that field, and they’re to stay put until the ceremony is over and everyone’s gone.”

Andreas nodded.

Tassos parked at the upper edge of the monastery wall, taking care to block the entrance to the narrow lane running along the front of the monastery.

“That shouldn’t be a problem for Lila,” said Tassos. “She’s coming in from the other side. Does she know what to expect?”

“I told her Spiros went crazy on security, that he insisted on a metal detector and military.”

“Did she believe you?” said Kouros.

“I think so. After all, Greek government ministers aren’t very popular these days and she knows what an ass-kisser Spiros can be.” Andreas waved in the direction of the entrance to the monastery. “Let’s see how things are going over there.”

The three walked past the monastery’s fenced-in garden. Its gates were locked and two uniformed cops stood inside.

“So far so good,” said Andreas.

The wedding was called for six-thirty. Guests had been drinking for hours, either at Lila’s home or in one of the dozen tavernas surrounding the town square. Cops had been standing in the sun for most of the early afternoon with nothing much more interesting to do than look at each other and hustle an occasional passing girl. They were all young, and Andreas knew they had to be wondering what bad luck had them here, instead of at home with their families or hanging out with friends.

Kouros nodded toward the archway in the monastery’s front wall. “I’ll check on how that guy’s coming along with setting up the metal detector.”

“Those kids across from the entrance, are they yours?” said Andreas.

“Yes, they’re a crew of homegrown Syros islanders,” said Tassos.

Andreas walked over to a half-dozen uniformed cops. “Welcome to my wedding.”

The cops straightened up and looked at Andreas.

“I appreciate what you’re doing for me. Thank you.”

A mixture of nods and “you’re welcome, sir” came back.

“Let me tell you what we’re dealing with here today. In about an hour this area will be filled with government ministers, members of parliament, business and civic leaders, and, most important to me, my family. To some, those are called ‘targets of opportunity.’ I don’t have to tell you what our country faces. Political assassins, bomb throwing revolutionaries, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists willing to die for their causes. In other words we face the same challenges as the rest of the world.”

Andreas cleared his throat. “But we are not like others. We are Greeks, and we will not allow them to shut down our lives, threaten our family traditions, and attack us in our churches during our most vulnerable moments. No, we will not permit that. Ever. ”

Andreas looked each cop in the eyes and repeated separately, “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Each nodded yes.

“Thank you,” said Andreas and he shook hands with each cop.

While Andreas was shaking hands, Tassos walked over to Kouros and listened to him arguing with the metal detector technician. When Andreas joined them Tassos said, “Good thing our prime minister didn’t hear you. He might think you’re running for his job.”

Andreas smiled. “No comment.”

Andreas looked at the metal detector positioned outside the archway. It was right where Andreas wanted it to be but Kouros didn’t seem pleased. To non-Greeks, Kouros and the technician sounded as if they were about to kill each other. To Greeks it was just business as usual.

“What’s wrong?” Andreas said to Tassos.

“Don’t worry,” said Tassos. “Yianni will straighten him out. The guy wants to leave so he can watch a soccer match.”

Andreas nodded. “Oh, that’s why I heard Yianni say, ‘Would you like your nuts to be my soccer balls?’”

Tassos smiled. “Yes, the boy does have a certain way with words. So, what do we do now?”

Andreas looked at his watch. “Is there anyone inside the monastery?”

“Other than the florist, no. No one’s allowed inside until the metal detector is up and running. Besides, most of the guests will wait outside with you until Lila arrives.”

That was Andreas’ biggest concern. It was where he, and everyone else, was most vulnerable to attack. Inside, the monastery was a fortress, successfully withstanding generations of marauders of all kinds. It still had the slot above the archway for raining boiling oil and molten metal down on old time bad guys.

But standing around outside the church for an hour or so waiting for his bride to arrive-and tradition always had the bride arriving late-made Andreas and everyone with him easy prey.

The worst thing about the situation was that there was absolutely nothing Andreas could do about it. It was one of the most symbolic moments of the wedding: the groom standing outside the church waiting for the father and mother of the bride to turn their daughter over to him so that the two could enter the church and move on into their new life together as one. That exchange always took place outside the archway. If Andreas suggested a change, even something as innocent as his waiting for her in the courtyard just beyond the archway, it would send a red flag to Lila that something was seriously wrong.

“I’d like to start drinking,” said Andreas.

“Me too,” nodded Tassos. “But not today.”

Andreas shrugged. “Getting married sober was not how I pictured this day.”

Tassos laughed. “Coffee?”

Andreas nodded.

Tassos put his arm around Andreas’ back and led him up the few steps to the first taverna. Everyone moved aside to make room for the groom, smacking him on the back and teasing him as they did. That was the predictable way for people to treat the groom on his wedding day. Andreas hoped all else remained that way. Predictable.

It was now six-thirty and Andreas had successfully resisted most of what seemed a thousand proffered drinks. He had a slight buzz, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Or so he hoped.

The metal detector was up and running, military were positioned on the far side of the square restricting access to any building with a line of sight at the monastery, and a mix of cops and soldiers prevented vehicles from entering an established perimeter around the area. Everyone entering the monastery had to be on the guest list, show proper ID, and pass through the metal detector. No exceptions. Andreas had done all that could be done, or so he hoped.

“Are you ready?” asked Tassos?

Andreas nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good, your family just arrived and I think we should head down to the monastery entrance.”

“I’ll be right back.” Andreas stood and walked toward a door marked WC.

“Nervous!” said a matronly lady at a nearby table.

Andreas smiled. “For sure.”

The lady and the others at her table laughed.

The bathroom was illuminated by a single, bare light bulb over an unframed mirror above a tiny sink. Andreas pulled a few paper towels from a dispenser, moistened them, and pressed the wet towels against his face. He stood quietly holding them in place for a minute before throwing them in a bin. Andreas looked up and stared at the mirror. People always said he looked like his father.

“Well, Dad, the day is here. Wish you could be with us.” Andreas cleared his throat, combed his hair, and adjusted his tie. He took another look in the mirror and turned to leave. As he opened the door the light bulb began to flicker and would not stop. Andreas paused and looked back. “Love you too, Dad.”

Andreas and his family were standing in a line along the front wall of the monastery greeting arriving guests. When Andreas heard blaring car horns he knew Lila had arrived. He motioned for Tassos to come over to him and whispered in his ear. “No matter what I’d like to think, I know I’m going to be out of it from now until after the ceremony. I’m relying on you.”

Tassos smiled. “Don’t worry. Just enjoy your wedding.” He patted Andreas on the shoulder.

Kouros was in front of the metal detector checking identity cards against the guest list. The florist had done a terrific job of covering the detector in flowers, but it still had a serious purpose and a sounding alarm meant a mandatory, no exceptions, physical search. “Be courteous, but firm,” Kouros told the cops assigned to do the screening. “If the detector goes off, no one talks his or her way out of a body search.”

Andreas heard the three musicians before he saw them. One was playing a santouri dulcimer hung from his neck, striking away at its strings with two small, wooden, cotton-tipped hammers. The two other musicians played accordions. It was the simple, old-style Mykonian way of arriving for a wedding, and about the only thing at the moment that seemed simple to Andreas.

That, and his decision on what to wear to his wedding: a midnight blue suit, white shirt, and silver-blue tie. But what to wear was simple only because Lila had picked everything out for him. When Lila told him who designed her dress, “just in case anyone asks,” Andreas promptly forgot, but always smiled when the subject came up. He never had the courage to ask her to repeat the name.

But Andreas had been to enough weddings to know that as much as women might like to say otherwise, weddings were significant fashion events for them. Athenians came dressed to impress, and locals to show they could do better.

I sure hope no one asks me who designed Lila’s dress, he thought.

Andreas caught a glimpse of Lila’s father behind the musicians, then a bit of her mother. As soon as the musicians reached Andreas they stepped aside and there was Lila, linked arm-in-arm between her parents, her dark hair pinned back in flowers.

Andreas felt a smack against his chest. It was the florist jamming the bridal bouquet of white roses into his hands. “You forgot this.”

Andreas gave a nervous smile. “Thank you,” and wondered what else he might have forgotten. He gave a quick glance at his brother-in-law whom he’d chosen to be his koumbarous, an honor akin to, but far more significant than, best man.

The koumbarous smiled, and gave Andreas the thumbs-up sign.

Lila and her parents stopped directly in front of Andreas. First her mother, then her father kissed Lila on each cheek before turning to face Andreas. He embraced them both, everyone smiling. Andreas handed Lila the bouquet and they lightly kissed before turning and stepping toward the archway.

“You look terrific,” said Andreas.

Lila smiled. “The color is ivory, it’s a Lanvin gown, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Susan van der Linde headpiece and veil-just in case Yianni or Tassos ask. If anyone else does, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered.”

Andreas laughed and squeezed Lila’s hand. At that instant an alarm went off freezing him in his tracks.

“Sorry about that,” shrugged an obviously embarrassed Kouros. He waved for them to move on through the metal detector. “You can frisk each other later.”

The line was moving very slowly. The old man looked at his watch. I knew I should have gone inside before the bride arrived. He put down the four red shopping bags bearing the symbol of his store and waited patiently. The line began to move. He picked up the packages, took a few steps forward, put them down again, and waited to repeat the process. As he approached the archway, he watched two men examining identity cards and checking them against a list of names.

“Hello, Inspector Stamatos,” said the old man.

Tassos looked up, “Why Mister Ilias, how nice to see you, sir. How are you?”

The old man shook his head. “Tired. It was a lot easier carrying wedding gifts from my shop to new brides when I was younger.”

Tassos smiled. “I remember when you carried a few to my wedding. That was a very long time ago, my friend.” Tassos looked at the shopping bags. “What’s in them?”

“Candle sticks, silver bowls, picture frames, the usual.”

Tassos nodded. “Sorry, but you’ll have to go through the metal detector. We can’t make any exceptions.”

The old man smiled. “I understand. There are a lot of very important people here this evening. But what about the gifts?”

“No gifts are allowed inside the monastery. You’ll have to take them back to your car and leave them there.”

The old man’s smile faded.

Tassos paused for a moment, leaned over, and whispered. “A few family members also forgot they weren’t supposed to bring gifts to the church. Don’t worry, I won’t make you carry them all the way back to your car. Let me have them. I’ll put them with the family’s, in the corner of the courtyard next to the church.”

The old man nodded thank you and stepped inside, followed by Tassos carrying four carefully wrapped packages.