Flash Fiction Anthology

Mamma Mia!

"I don't wanna talk, about things we've gone throooough, though it's hurting meee, now it's histooory...." I whisper-sang.

I tore my gaze off the screen of my tablet, not bothering to pause the movie I've been watching for the last half an hour at least, as I let my eyes stroll over the clear blue water of the swimming pool rippling in the hot, Greek summer breeze. It belonged to the small, family run hotel in which I was spending my first afternoon on Skopelos Island, Greece. Alone.

Feeling still a little jet-lagged I stretched my white legs on the comfortable sunbed luxuriously, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of this place. Like the water in the pool, even the wind coming from the nearby sea to caress and tickle my skin seemed to be blue, and fresh, and tempting... whispering about summer adventures... Making me sigh with... sadness, melancholy and longing.

When my eyes found their way back to the small screen propped in my lap, I thought I could as well switch the movie off. I knew it by heart, I saw it 'only' four times over the last two days, feeling as if it was getting better, and better yet, each time I watched it. As if it was... about me. This 'Winner takes it all part' of it at least. About me and Pierce-- yes, the coincidence was not lost on me-- who had left me after a nearly five years long relationship for a woman ten years younger, ten years prettier than myself, a few months ago. I could still feel a little pang in my heart each time I thought of him... her... the two of them together. Even though by now it wasn't about the lost, wasted love anymore, it became all about his unexpected betrayal. I was sure I'd never be able to forget about it, not completely.

"I was in your arms, thinking I belonged theeere, I figured it made sense, building me a fence..." I intoned with the suffering protagonist sotto voce, jumping at hearing a voice speaking to me from behind my sunbed.

"Would you like another one?" A waiter asked as he came closer, filling my field of vision, towering above me while pointing at my empty glass.

"I didn't know there was service by the pool." I said, feeling embarrassed that he had heard my awful singing voice.

"There isn't, normally. It's just my father telling me to look after you." He smiled, perfect white teeth flashing against his olive skin. "He said you have just arrived and might need some information about our hotel and the island."

So that's why he looked slightly too old to be a waiter. He was at least thirty like me, maybe older. The son of the owner of this small hotel which I was sent to inspect by my aunt, the owner of the travel agency where I worked, as a potential place to channel our increasing number of clients eager to spend their holiday on Skopelos, aka the Mamma Mia! Island.

I never quite understood why anyone would want to do that until, persuaded by my aunt, I saw the musical myself. The songs were... so perfectly woven into the plot, or maybe the plot was so flawlessly built around the lyrics written years ago by Abba, and taken, out of all possible places, to a spectacular Greek island. It was one of those rare, nearly perfect movies which made me dream of a different life.

Knowing that my stay here was meant as a punishment for my moping around for months after the breakup with Pierce, I rebelled against the idea initially. But now, sitting by the pool overlooking the sea in the shade of an ancient mushroom pine tree, inhaling the scents I could only imagine and dream about in the city, feeling absolutely free and relaxed after the drink the name of which I could not pronounce offered to me by the old, friendly owner of the hotel when he saw me heading for the pool half an hour ago, I was thrilled to be here, planning my tomorrow's tour around the island. I definitely wanted to see the chapel from the song.

"Ok. The same thing I had before, please." I told the man who smiled before he disappeared into the white stone building.

"But tell me does she kiss, how I used to kiss you..." I muttered, switching the movie off and shoving the tablet into my bag as I saw the man approaching me again after a while, two large, sweating glasses complete with brightly coloured plastic straws and tiny paper umbrellas in his hands. He even managed to get changed, I noticed, there were swim shorts instead of jeans on his tanned legs. It seemed that he decided to keep me company.