"Your breakfast, Miss Bouras," said Giovanni with a broad smile as he brought the tray to the table. "Would Miss Anna care for anything else?"
"Thank you for asking Giovanni. Yes, I would."
The steward looked at her, narrowing his eyes.
"Please deliver this message to Cabin 312," she said, handing him a small white envelope.
"Yes, Miss Bouras, of course." His subtle facial expression changed to indicate that he knew what was going on. He continued to stare at Anna, looking at her body lustily.
"You may go now, Giovanni," Anna said as she crossed her robe over her breasts, turning away toward the table to avoid further contact with the penetrating eyes of the Italian steward.
Anna raised her cup to take a sip of tea when her mother's bedroom door swung open. Melpo stood at the threshold, hesitated for a moment, and then charged toward Anna, her long black nightgown flowing behind her. The unusually long and wide sleeves covered her arms and fingertips, making her look like a bat.
Giovanni tried to say something, but with a swift movement of the back of her hand, Melpo brushed him aside. Wide-eyed and avoiding Melpo's glare, he exited the room quickly.
Melpo stood over Anna, her fists firmly on her hips. Her piercing icy glare startled Anna.
"Where have you been?" she shouted.
Anna set her teacup down.
"I was going to ask you the same thing, Mother," she replied calmly.
Melpo was caught off guard by Anna's returned question. She threw her head up:
"I have been here, yes." She paused for a moment, as though loading a gun. "And by the way, who are you to question me where I have been and what I have been doing?"
"You are right, Mother ... Who am I indeed? Yes, who am I to you?"
"How dare you! You know perfectly well how much I care about you!" retorted Melpo, her face clouding over with anger. "You are just like your father! Oh yes, there is no doubt you are his child. A spoiled little brat."
Anna felt her long-suppressed resentment arising.
"You've never been here for me when I needed you. Never!" Anna started eating her breakfast recklessly, and with a full mouth continued, "What do you want from me, Mother?" She shoved larger and larger bites in her mouth.
"Look at you! Just look at you, eating like an animal! Stop it! Why are you doing that?"
"Leave me alone, Mother. Please, just leave me alone!"
"You asked me what I want from you," Melpo raised her voice. "Nothing! You hear me, nothing! And you are nothing to me, too!"