Sunday, 17 March 2013

We found that the last bus down to Livadi left hours ago, so Yannis enquired about the possibility of getting a taxi.We were told where to look, and did find the taxi, but no driver. After enquiring at all the houses where there were still lights burning without success, Yannis made us sit on the sidewalk while he went off to see what he could find, either the driver or a place to sleep. After a while he came back with the news that he found two men who were kind enough to go looking for the taxi owner. After waiting for  about an hour, two figures dimmed up from the darkness, supporting something looking like a sack of potatoes between them. When they dropped their charge on the ground at our feet, it seemed that it was indeed the driver. This being just lay where he fell, snoring his head off, his mouth wide open, showing a set of unexpected white teeth. The two Samaritans then slapped the man a few times, without response, and Yannis was now talking fast and furiously to them. They then nodded and disappeared into the night, coming back a while later with a flask filled with hot sweet coffee, which they poured without any sympathy down the poor man's throaght. The man spluttered and coughed, then tried to sit up, and assured Yannis that he was now ready to take us down. We were aghast, Dorah putting up one helluva squeal, and Yannis assured us then that he would wait till the man was sober enough. After the two do-gooders had walked him up and down for ages he could stand on his own, and Yannis decided it was safe, and we got into the taxi, me in front. Oh good heavens! The man pulled away with screeching tyres, going like a bally maniac, then put his hand on my leg. I tried to take it away, but the car swerved so violently that I left it, and looked to the back for help. But both Yannis and Dorah had eyes as big as saucers, Dorah desperately cradling the sleeping Nikos in her arms. As we left the town the little winding road became extremely steep, but the mad driver never once took his foot off the petrol pedal, neither put a foot on the brakes! We hurtled down at breakneck speed, but miraculously missed the little houses on the side. I was a wreck, as every time we swerved around a bend I thought we were going to topple down the hill, but we made it down, and we roared to a stop in front of the yacht, the bally man's hand now high up on my leg! I threw it off with force, just about fell out of the car, and started crying from sheer relief, and so was Dorah! Dawn was breaking when we at last got to our beds. Luckily for me Nikos woke up only at about ten, so I was quite rested when I came back to life!

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