Welcome To Crete Chapter 14

Fay and Sal go hunting for an apartment

“So, in case I’m not around and you want to do this on your own, you need to look for the yellow signs in the windows saying ‘enikiassis’ which means ‘to rent’,” Fay explained to Sal.

“Sure, but if I find somewhere will they speak English to me?”

“Hmm, you may have a problem there but we’ll see what we can get done today anyway. I know I saw an apartment to rent here somewhere the other day.”

 

Fay wandered along a row of buildings, looking upwards for any signs in the windows.

 

“Damn, where was it now?” She stopped suddenly in the middle of the pavement to think and Sal went careering into the back of her.

“Will you give me more notice before you do that in future?” Sal frowned.

 

Fay was lost in concentration. She grabbed Sal’s arm suddenly and dragged her across the road.

“Come on, I think it’s the next road along.”

Half an hour later, and several roads further down, they eventually found the apartment that Fay had seen. They entered the building in the hope that they might see someone in there: either the landlord or someone who would know where the landlord was. The building was dark however and showed no signs of life.

“Where is everyone?” Sal asked.

“Unfortunately this happens all the time, if you find an apartment you may take days to get in touch with the landlord. We should ask around too, ask everyone you meet and you never know we may get you somewhere yet. Come on, let’s see if there is a telephone number on the sign that you could ring later.”

They went back outside and glanced up at the sign but it was worn away by the weather and any number that was once there was indistinguishable now.

“Now I remember why I haven’t moved apartments for so long! You will have to keep coming back if you are interested and you’ll eventually find someone. Take your phone with you and if needs be I can speak a bit of Greek to them over the phone if they speak no English.” She grabbed Sal by the arm again and dragged her away from the steps. “Let’s go up that road, we may find something there.”

"Hell Fay, talk about dragging me around! This is a nightmare!" Sal thought to herself.

They soon found another apartment block with a sign in the window so they entered the dark and dusty entrance hall. At first glance it seemed to be as void of people as the first apartment but then, just as they were about to leave, Fay spotted an old man sitting on a chair outside a room a little way down the corridor. She strolled over to him.
“Do you speak any English?” He gave her a blank look.

What was she saying? Of course he didn’t speak any English; he looked as though he was around before English was ever spoken by anyone!

She tried again. “Ise spitonoikiris?” He shook his head. “Pou ine spitonoikiris?” He failed to respond so Fay gave him a vague smile and strode back out onto the street in frustration.

“No good then?” Sal asked.

Fay frowned. “I was speaking Greek to him; you’d think he could at least utter one word back to me. You’d have thought I was speaking Swahili or something!” She grabbed Sal's arm again. “This way,” she said pointing up the road and dragging Sal behind her.

"Please let us find an apartment soon, preferably before she pulls my arm out of its socket!" Sal thought.

Towards the end of the road they passed a small hotel and a man who was sat outside drinking coffee watched them looking up at the buildings as they passed by.

“You looking for somewhere?” he asked.

Fay stopped, glanced back at him and then turned with a smile. “Yes actually, we are looking to rent an apartment, do you know of anywhere?”

“I have rooms here, you want to see?”

“No, my friend is going to live here for good so she will need more than one room.”

“Hmm, I have friend. Maybe he can help, I phone him now,” the man replied.
Sal looked hopefully at Fay.

Don’t hold your breath Sal; it’s never this easy.

The man motioned towards some chairs. “Here sit, wait.” He disappeared into the hotel and came out about ten minutes later. “My friend is coming, has an apartment very close. He will show you.”

“Thank you very much for your help,” Fay said politely.

The man sat back down next to them and grabbed Fay’s cheek. “I help you, you nice girl.” She smiled at him and then turned to Sal with a look of ‘please save me from this man.’ Sal tried not to laugh.

Soon the man’s friend turned up and walked them a couple of yards down the road to a ramshackle building with flaking plaster on the outside and very unstable looking balconies. Sal and Fay exchanged looks. He led them up to the second floor and unlocked a door, gesturing for them to enter. The apartment smelt very musty and consisted of two rooms, a bedroom with a shower and sink in the corner and lounge with a makeshift kitchen area at one end.

“How long you stay?” he asked.

“It’s for my friend here; she will be here for good.”

He looked quizzical. “It is good?”

“No, I meant that my friend will be staying here all the time.”

“Oh.”

He doesn’t understand.

“So it is good?”

She turned to Sal and spoke under her breath. “I don’t know, Sal is it good?” There was sarcasm in her voice.

Sal backed towards the door. “We will think about it.”

“Yes, thank you, we will think about it,” Fay said turning to follow Sal and making a hasty exit.

They came to the end of the road and turned onto a much busier street lined with tavernas. Fay paused, sighed and turned to look back at Sal. “This way I suppose.”
“Okay.” Sal looked in pain.

"Drink would be nice; drink would be lovely right now. Rest please Fay. Please no more."

Sal trudged after her.

“Anyone here know of an apartment to rent?” Sal said out loud in desperation, to no one in particular. “Apartment? Know of one?” she asked a passing woman who turned to give her a strange look as she walked away.

“What on earth are you doing?” Fay asked in bewilderment.

“Well you said to ask everyone, so I was.”

“Sal, I meant everyone you know, not random strangers!”

“Fay, shall we leave it for today and continue the torture another day?”

Fay sighed. “Well I said it wasn’t going to be easy. You can try looking for signs in windows tomorrow and I’ll ask around for you, how’s that?”

Sal’s face lit up. “Good plan. Shall we have a drink here somewhere?”

“You can but I’d like to get back and make some lunch before I meet up with Adam. I’ll have to phone him at some point.”

“Oh yes, so have you been beating your boss up or something? He said he had bruises. What have you been doing to him?”

“Nothing! It wasn’t me. Don’t ask me to tell you about it though, it’s not my place.”

“Fair enough, but you two are okay now anyway?”

“I guess… for now.”

“Look I’m staying for a drink, then I’ll pop to the kiosk and I’ll meet you back at the apartment. I’ll not be long.”

“What you getting from the kiosk?”

“Felt like a huge bar of chocolate, I could do with one after today! You want anything?”

Fay paused for thought. “Surprise me.”

Author's Note

This has happened to me so many times! Finding an apartment really is that difficult out here!