"I am going to prepare," said the priest and walked through the seven-meter-high door. Twenty or so nuns followed him to the round church of Saint George, climbing up the fifty stone steps and passing by the magnificent marble relief of the saint, proud on his Arabian horse, fighting evil. Father Agathangelos and the nuns bowed to him before entering the church.
"Do you need anything else?" asked the taxi driver.
"Yes I do ... we do," quickly replied Penelope. "After church I want you to take us to the Greek embassy." She turned her bag upside down to empty it on the large table. The contents included all her papers, and most importantly, Nikolas's old passport. "You see, I am ... We are leaving tomorrow and Nikolas is going with me."
"Mitera ... Mom ... Please, these things take time." Nikolas spoke in a calm voice, picking up his passport and looking at it.
"I know son, but we are leaving tomorrow."
"Then you have to go, Mom."
"I am not going anywhere without you!"
"It must have been hard for you, Mom."
"Yes, son, it has been hard for all of us." "Have you seen Anna?"
"Not for a while, since she came to visit me at the hospital."
"Hospital?"
"No, no, I mean clinic ... I was in one for quite some time."
"I am sorry, Mom, so sorry," he hugged her tightly.
"You asked about Anna. As I was saying, her heart was broken when you disappeared. She worked as a volunteer nurse, until the end of the Civil War."
"Civil War?"
"Yes, and then she finally decided to become a nun. She writes to me, but I can't write back. Anyway, I hope she is happy where she is."
"I will find her wherever she is, Mom."
"I am sure of that, Nikolas. Let's talk about that another time, son. Your sister Eleni is with me here in Egypt."
"Sister?" Nikolas said incredulously, as memories slowly began to come back to him.
The driver looked at his watch.
"She knows nothing about this yet. Now to the church!" said Penelope energetically.
After church, the driver took them to the hotel, but Penelope refused to get out. "I am going with you to the Greek embassy."
"But Mother, you must be tired."
"I am tired, son, but I want to go."
"To the embassy then," said Nikolas.
When they arrived at the embassy, the clerk who answered the bell opened the door partially and told them it was closed.
"Is the ambassador in?" asked Penelope.
"Yes, but we are closed," replied the short, wiry woman curtly, her words echoing her sullen facial expression.