VIII - Part 03

VIII

1. Stavre Nakovski was furious. He could not stop thinking about Zinda Niarhos. This man made him very uneasy. Stavre was returning from Boimitsa because he did not want to shop in Stefanos’s store. When he reached the tavern he peeked inside and saw the priest, Vasil Digalovski and Milkiadis sitting at a table playing Xira and drinking rakia. They laughed loudly and occasionally tapped each other on the shoulder.

“These bastards will destroy us…” mumbled Stavre and went home, sluggishly walking along the dusty road. His face was darkened by the sun and he was sweating.

“We will have to do something otherwise we will all become Greeks…” Stavre thought to himself. He then closed his eyes and shook his thick black hair as if attempting to shake the spurs out of his head. He went into the yard. He noticed Evangelia sitting in the corner with the twins. Both were suckling while kicking their feet in the air and swirling around their tiny hands, completely excluded from everyday life in the village.

“How is life at home, Evangelia?” he asked out of context.

Surprised by the strange question Evangelia laughed wildly. The twins got disconnected from her nipples and drops of breast milk flew out into the air.

“Life for me is you and these two children,” she said cheerfully, and turned to the children.

“May God have mercy on us all…” murmured Stavre quietly, went into his bedroom and lay down on his bed. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

2. Zinda Niarhos threw a card on the table. He laughed rudely.

“Your turn,” he said and knocked Vasil on the shoulder. Vasil laughed awkwardly and threw a card on the table.

“Is this the card you are dealing?” asked Milkiadis.

“Yes, but I do have a better one…” replied Vasil.

Zinda Niarhos scratched his head, tightened his lips and threw all his cards on the table. Milkiadis looked at him indignantly. Vasil Digalovski bowed his head shyly.

“What’s happening to you, Zinda?” said Milkiadis angrily.

“All sorts of things, Mr. Milkiadis. Some people in this village are privileged by the government and refer to the church as if it is some kind of toothless lioness. Like they were living in another country…” replied Zinda furiously.

Milkiadis Tsakondas tightened his belt and buttoned his shirt. He got up and, burning with anger, said:

“No one is privileged in this village. Are you making an ass out of me?” and grabbed at his pistol.

“If no one is privileged then why hasn’t Stavre Nakovski taken his children to church and baptized them as required by law in this country? Maybe he lives in another country and baptized them in another church?” replied Zinda sarcastically.

Milkiadis Tsakondas sighed deeply and lowered his hand from the gun holster. They both laughed out loud and looked at Vasil sternly.

“What kind of mayor are you? You need to visit Stavre Nakovski immediately and make him accountable. Tomorrow he must bring his children to the church!” Milkiadis loudly ordered Vasil.

Vasil Digalovski humbly bowed and squeezed his hands in fear.

“Everything will be fine, Mr. Milkiadis…” replied Vasil very quietly.

“Do it today! Do it now! Take us to him and he himself can tell us what he thinks. That bastard has chosen a new church, eh! You, Vasil, are you silent because you want to protect him?” the priest yelled out furiously. “Now let’s go! The three of us will go together when he does not expect us,” said the priest, got up and they all headed for the door.

“We must approach the situation carefully…” said Milkiadis cautiously. “We don’t want to create a quagmire.”

“What kind of governor are you Milkiadis? Let’s go! You have the power of the law on your side and you are afraid? If you are afraid then take youр gun out and let’s go! Shoot, kill somebody, you are the law,” said the priest and walked out of the tavern.

Milkiadis rubbed his face with his hands. He then grabbed Vasil by his coat sleeve and pulled him in front of him.

“Let’s go! You are guilty of everything. What kind of mayor did they appoint!? Why did they not ask me? Move now!” Milkiadis yelled at Vasil and pushed him hard towards the door.

Vasil Digalovski came out of the tavern and joined Zinda Niarhos. Milkiadis followed. He was red in the face and very angry.

“Let’s go! That bastard will pay for this!” mumbled Milkiadis and went ahead of the other two.

3. They entered Stavro Nakovski’s house with fury, ready for trouble. Evangelia Gasparova greeted them with kindness and respect. At first she was startled but soon she calmed down.

“Welcome, gentlemen. Come on in,” she said.

Zinda Niarhos looked enraged.

“Where is your husband?” he yelled out and stamped on the floor with this boot.

“He is not here. He is in the mountain collecting firewood,” Evangelia lied, without blushing.

Zinda Niarhos became even more furious and looked around. Evangelia was gripped with fear, she could hardly stand on her feet. She was afraid they might do something to the children.

“Why so much anger, Mr. Milkiadis? We are honest people. The whole village knows that…” she said in an attempt to calm Zinda Niarhos’s fury.

Milkiadis scratched his head and calmed down a little. He then grabbed the priest by the sleeve and escorted him to the door. The priest pulled his sleeve out of Milkiadis’s hand, sternly looked at Evangelia and furiously said:

“Tell Stavro I want him and you to come to the church tomorrow and bring the children to have them baptized. If you don’t bring them I will cut off your head!” He then walked out of the door. Milkiadis and Vasil Digalovski followed. They walked down the dusty street in silence.

IX

1. Zinda Niarhos’s threat spread through the village like wildfire. The lamps in village homes glimmered all night. They prayed to avoid evil. Stavre Nakovski got up much earlier than usual that morning. He prepared himself quickly and went to the mountain to collect firewood. Evangelia escorted him to the first chestnut trees behind the house.

“Look after the children for me! I may be a long time in the forest…” said Stavre gently and stepped into the dense woods.

“Go, my dear, go! Don’t worry about anything! I will manage. It’s best I don’t know anything…” she muttered to herself contentedly. “Maybe I should have told him about what happened yesterday? But he is a man and he would have done something. No, no! It’s better this way. It is better that he doesn’t know! They will kill him. I am a woman and they won’t touch me…” Evangelia thought to herself, smiled and returned to the room. She sat beside the children who were still sleeping. She sat on the bed thinking. As time passed she became increasingly alarmed. She suddenly opened her eyes and jumped out of bed.

“Where is he? I told you to bring him to church, bitch!” barked Zinda Niarhos furiously, knocking nervously on the floor with his boots.

There was a noise behind him. It was Milkiadis mumbling. He was nervously pacing back and forth in the room.

“Stavre has not yet returned from the mountain,” she said with a shaky voice and got out of bed. “Please, sit down! I will pour you a rakia.”

“I will pour you a rakia, you Slavo-Macedonian bitch!” bellowed the priest and kicked her hard. Evangelia covered her face. She did not cry. The priest then repeatedly punched her in the face. She began to bleed from her nose and mouth. Milkiadis hit her on the face with his rifle butt. Several of her teeth were loosened by the blows. Her mouth turned red and her lips swelled up before she fell on the floor.

The priest moved away from her and so did Milkiadis. They were sweating. Evangelia lay on the floor beaten, bleeding and barely breathing. Her face was covered in blood.

“Prepare your children for church!” raged Zinda Niarhos.

Evangelia lay there silent, wildly looking at his eyes which sparkled with serious threats. She did not move. He came closer to have a better look. She spat a mouthful of blood in his face.

Milkiadis laughed. The priest overlooked his laughter. Zinda Niarhos became even more enraged, pulled out the double-edged dagger from under his mantle and quickly jumped towards the bed. He grabbed the male child and put the knife to his throat. Frightened, the baby screamed out loud. Tears covered its face. The child was too young to recognize good from evil but the knife must have awakened something in him. The other child also began to scream. Zinda Niarhos got no reaction from Evangelia. He again threatened by placing the knife even closer to the child’s throat.

Evangelia Gasparova sighed deeply and stood up.

“I am all yours… Do as you wish with me…” she replied.

Zinda Niarhos smiled an evil smile and forced Evangelia to go to the village church with him. Milkiadis followed behind, occasionally

letting out a cynical laugh. Both children were screaming. They slowly walked down the dusty street holding their mother’s hands. Dust burrowed into their little shoes. The villagers watched from inside, hiding behind their curtains. They walked down the street and then turned into the churchyard. Evangelia stopped. The priest pushed her hard. She let go of her children and fell down face first. Her bloody nose penetrated the dust. The children screamed with fear, yelling for their mother. Evangelia felt warm blood flow from her nose. She took the hands of her children tugging at her dress. The priest grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged them all inside the church.

The villagers started coming out into the street. They heard Evangelia screaming. The screams penetrated down to their souls. They ran wildly in silence following one another. They followed Evangelia’s trail of screams. They entered the church. The fear disappeared from their faces and was replaced by anger. There, on the floor, lay Evangelia Gasparova Nakovska raped and sinking into unconsciousness. Her children were screaming frantically tugging at her dress. The villagers took the twins, wiped their tears and tried to calm them down. Gone Slivarov and three other men picked up Evangelia and carried her out of the church. They were taking her home. They walked slowly. Kolio Bochvarov met up with them some distance from the church yard and said:

“The priest and Milkiadis are gone. They disappeared...”

“Did you look for them?” asked Gone.

“Yes! They are nowhere to be found. They will never breathe again if I find them.” threatened Kolio and sighed deeply.

“Those bastards!” yelled Gone and kicked the yard door open. They went inside Evangelia’s house, put her violated body gently down and went outside. The two women who brought the children stayed with Evangelia. Hrisanta Slivarova picked up the kettle with warm water that hung over the fireplace and cleaned the blood off Evangelia’s face. Her eyes welled up with tears, crying over her destiny. It took the women two hours to bring Evangelia back to life. After that they left her alone with the children. Evangelia put the

children to bed and lay beside them. Fear flowed from her eyes as she anticipated the new storm.

2. Zinda Niarhos and Milkiadis ran far away from Kostaneria. They looked frightened. They often looked back to see if anyone was following them. Milkiadis was breathing hard.

“You are the guilty one, you bastard. They will kill my wife and children because of you!” yelled Milkiadis as he ran behind the priest.

“Stop whining and be careful you don’t stumble over a root or I will leave you here and they will chew you alive. They will rip you apart with their teeth,” warned the priest.

They ran for a long time and arrived in town. Panting and scared they entered the gendarmerie. The commander welcomed them. He was the same commander who had appointed Milkiadis governor of the village. He was wondering what they had seen that frightened them so much.

“The villagers have raised a rebellion. They will destroy the country!” shouted Zinda Niarhos agitated.

“They will kill my wife and children!” cried Milkiadis and covered his face with his fat hands.

“Help us, commander, for God’s sake help us,” said Zinda Niarhos humbly while his eyes gleamed wildly.

“Calm down! We will go there immediately. We will find out who the troublemakers are that rose up against the government and against the king,” replied the commander loudly.

“Hurry up commander! They will kill my wife and children. Those God damned freaks!” howled Milkiadis.

“We are leaving now!” yelled the commander. “Prepare the horses!” he ordered the gendarme standing around staring at the priest and Milkiadis.

The commander left the office and told everyone to be ready to leave by the time he returned.

“We are all ready to go commander,” replied one of the gendarmes humbly and stepped out of the office. He was followed by the commander, the priest and Milkiadis. They jumped on their horses and rode off. They followed the road through the lush forest but had no desire to admire nature. They were preoccupied. When they arrived at the village they stopped in front of the tavern and got off their horses.

“Welcome commander!” said Vasil Digalovski humbly with fear in his eyes.

“Who here dares to rebel against our kingdom?” the commander yelled at him.

Vasil Digalovski was silent. He did not know what to say or how to answer him.

“We are looking for the rebels, where are they?!” the commander yelled again.

“This way sir,” said the priest and led them to Stavro Nakovski’s house.

They entered the yard. Stavre Nakovski came out from behind the house. He was holding an ax in his hand. He looked very angry and ran towards the priest, ready to split his head wide open. The commander got his pistol out from his leather holster and fired twice at Stavre’s right leg. Stavre Nakovski fell down and rolled in the dust. The commander went towards him and looked at him with irony.

“Are you raising an arm against the kingdom? Tie him to that tree!” he yelled and smiled cynically.

Two gendarmes grabbed Stavre and tied him to the thick chestnut tree trunk with a rope. He squirmed but there was nothing he could do. Zinda Niarhos smiled ironically. Milkiadis entered the house. Evangelia was sitting on the bed. She was frightened.

“Get up and go straight to the church!” barked Milkiadis.

Evangelia got out of bed, approached Milkiadis and spat on his face. Milkiadis wiped his face with his hand, looked at her and, with a pleading tone of voice, said:

“I am not the guilty one here but I will kill you if you don’t listen to me.”

Evangelia ignored him. Zinda Niarhos entered the room and slapped her on the face. Evangelia did not react.

“To church with the children!” he ordered her out loud with a cynical smile on his face.

Evangelia was petrified with fear. She went close to the bed and hugged her children. They were frightened and screaming. The commander entered the room. The priest snatched the children from her hands and began to kick her with his boots. Evangelia did not move. The priest then punched her in the head and she fainted.

“Wake her up!” yelled the commander.

The gendarme that was following the commander grabbed a pot full of water and poured it over her head. Evengelia opened her eyes. The cries of her children blurred her mind. She lay on the floor confused. Two gendarmes grabbed her by her arms and took her outside. They dragged her down the street. A third gendarme with a moustache dragged the two children screaming frantically.

Stavre Nakovski screamed out loud as he tried to tear the rope. He was left alone in the yard tied to the tree. The villagers again looked outside from behind their curtains. Their gentle eyes became filled with fear and hatred, pointing at the belligerents like loaded guns.

They became filled with anxiety tugging at their own flesh and cursing the day they had decided to return to their village. But it was the only thing they had in the entire the world. It had always been theirs.

“They fooled us into expelling the Turks. And when we drove them out they took their place and not only robbed us of our material possessions but are now trying to rob us of our identity,” said Ichko Bonev to his wife and let go of the curtain he was holding open.

Evengelia Gasparova Nakovska again fainted inside the church. They were no cries to warn the villagers. Half an hour later she slowly crawled out with her children firmly clenched against her chest. She was going home. She did not look up at the windows. She knew that every eye in the village was following her. She did not look back, perhaps because her tears were blurring her vision. She arrived at her house. She did not see Stavre in the yard. Her eyes began to dance with fear. She put the crying children on the bed and went outside to look for him. She could not find him. She stopped in front of the thick chestnut tree.

“The damn bastards killed him!” she muttered with a shaky voice full of fear. She picked up the rope that Stavre had been tied on the tree with and wept.

“Stop crying, woman, Stavre is safe. Go, look after your children. We will help as much as we can. Stavre will visit you as soon he is better…” said a muffled voice.

Evengelia turned to see who it was but there was no one there. She went back inside and hugged her children. All three were crying.

X

1. The snow had melted. The grass on the mountain was loaded with moisture. The little Luda Mara River was already high with its wild water washing down everything that stood along its narrow banks. The river’s wild water rush was heard all throughout the village, especially during the night. Donka Popgoneva could not sleep. She

could not stop thinking of the day they killed Dimitar. She waited for her older son, who had left home without saying goodbye, to return home. The next day Donka Popgoneva began to inquire about him. Every time she ran into someone she asked if they knew anything about her son’s whereabouts. She wanted to know if he was at least still alive. She became more concerned with each passing day. Three days after Easter she went to see the Slivarovs. She sat at the table and began to cry. Gone tried to console her. He tapped her on her shoulders but said nothing.

“I don’t know why I came to you. Maybe because you are close to me,” she said.

“You are welcome to come here whenever you want. Our house is your house…” said Hrisanta and hugged her.

“My son Peno is gone. He left without letting us know. He has not returned and has left no information of where he might be. Perhaps they killed him somewhere. My soul is burning with pain,” replied Donka.

“He will return. Don’t worry, I am sure he will return. He is probably gone to the city. He probably found a job and is working. Don’t worry! Peno is an adult and a smart man…” said Gone to console her.

“Peno is in Solun,” Agapi Slivarova piped up, sitting on the bed combing her hair.

Donka Popgoneva suddenly jumped out of her chair.

“Solun? When did he go there? Are you lying to me my child?!” she said and looked at Agapi, distraught.

“We parted company at the Zlatolist pine. He left for Solun. He will be back,” replied Agapi.

“My good God, I would have died of anguish and would have never known where my child was…” Donka said.

“Now that you know, please stop worrying!” said Gone to calm her down.

Hrisanta served dinner. After that Donka went home.

2. Kosta Popgonev, Donka’s younger son, was lying on the bed. Donka went into the room and sat on the bed beside him. Her face was drenched in tears. Kosta got up from the bed and hugged his mother.

“Do not cry, mother! Peno will come back. You’re not alone in this house,” he said.

“Peno in is Solun. Agapi Slivarova told me,” replied Donka.

“How does she know?” Kosta asked.

“She is pregnant. She is carrying your brother’s baby. He went to Solun to earn some money. He promised he would come back for her later, after he earned some money…” she said and continued to cry.

“Then he will come back for sure. If he promised he will return. Don’t cry any more! Nobody needs a sick mother. What will I do if I you get sick? Should I be sitting here beside you worrying or should I be going out there earning a living for us? I need you to be healthy… Do you understand me? You must remain healthy!” he replied.

Donka did not wipe the tears from her eyes. She wiped her face and continued to cry. She then got up from the bed and went to the cupboard. She took some bread, paprika and two eggs out and put them on the table.

“Now get up and eat! You must be hungry?” she said and stopped crying. Her face was pale and she looked sad.

“I am not hungry. I am going to bed early. We are running out of kerosene and the lamp is going to go out any minute. Tomorrow I

will buy some kerosene from the Asia Minor colonist,” said Kosta and turned towards the wall.

Donka took the bread, eggs and pepper and put them back in the cupboard. She then went and sat at the table and began to think.

3. There was a loud bang at the front door. Donka jumped. She was startled, surprised and frightened. Her lips became rigid, her eyes gleamed and she looked confused when she saw the priest and Milkiadis breaking into her house. Kosta got out of bed and slowly went towards them. Right behind the priest and Milkiadis was the gendarmerie commander.

“What’s this? Who are you waiting for? Grab the bastard…” yelled the commander angrily, rushed by the priest and Milkiadis and grabbed Kosta by his shirt sleeve. Kosta did not resist and allowed the commander to pull him towards the door.

“I will be back, mother. Don’t worry!” said Kosta and went outside, followed by the commander, Milkiadis and the priest.

Donka covered her face with her hands. She had no more strength or tears to cry. She went to the window and watched them lead Kosta away. She stood there in the room stuck in a new world, unknown to her.

4. They walked down the street. The commander was hissing in anger. The priest bobbed up and down behind him, smiling away. Milkiadis walked last and was in deep thought. They entered the church. There were other villagers in the church. Kosta noticed Gone Slivarov and went towards him.

“What is the meaning of all this, Uncle Gone?” he asked.

“I don’t know, son. Perhaps they will tell us. Have patience!” he said calmly and tapped him on the shoulder.

Kosta was unable to settle down. He went towards Vasil Digalovski who was standing away from the group of villagers, scratching his big nose with his finger.

“What do you think of tonight? Is this some new game…? One day these people will leave! Where will you go? You will stay in this village! So be careful what you are doing?” warned Kosta.

Vasil Digalovski smiled a cynical smile and went towards the commander.

“Shall we start, commander?” he said humbly.

“Go ahead, all the people we want are here. And make sure they listen to you, otherwise your head will be flying…” said the commander with a serious look on his face.

Vasil Digalovski lifted his hand up high. The villagers turned towards him and stared at his ugly face.

“People!” he yelled out loudly. “You are causing me great injustice and forcing me to be rude to you. The priest complained to me that you don’t go to church. Is this not your church? Who are you defying…? Listen to me very carefully and do what I tell you, or your heads will roll. Starting tomorrow I want everyone to go to church regularly. You must also bring gifts and donate them voluntarily to the church. Early tomorrow morning you must come to church and each place two gold coins in its coffers. If you don’t do that you will be taken to the village square and punished and everyone will then know what kind of punishment awaits them if they don’t obey the law that prevails in this country. Anyone who feels brave enough not to attend will find their house burned to the ground with them in it. This country has given you everything: lands, a house, a family… so you should be happy.”

Ichko Bonev could not take it anymore. He stepped up out of the group and said:

“You little bastard! Are you trying to tell me that this country (Greece) has given us everything?! Surely you are not saying that

this country slept with my wife and gave birth to my sons? This land here is mine from time immemorial and I am not giving it to anyone! I don’t need the church either, I can do without it! We don’t have a piece of bread to put in our mouths and you expect us to give you gold? Are you trying to get rich from our plight, from the plight of the Macedonian people!? We fought for this country (Greece) and this country must respect that. I am not giving you my money. Not to you and not to these predators with whom you have surrounded yourself. Tell them to put their own gold in the church coffers. Is it not enough that we support them in this village?” concluded Ichko foaming at the mouth.

“What is this idiot saying?” asked the commander and grabbed his pistol.

“I don’t know. I don’t understand their language,” replied Zinda Niarhos and shrugged his shoulders. “From his facial expression, it seems to me he does not intend to listen to the authorities and obey the government’s orders. He is a rebel and a communist!” added the priest with a grin on his face. The priest’s intent was to provoke the commander to start killing the villagers.

“What did that man say?” the commander asked Vasil Digalovski.

“Tell him the man said that you should leave Kostaneria and leave us alone to live in peace!” yelled Ichko Bonev at Vasil.

“He said for you to go back to Greece,” Vasil Digalovski translated for the commander.

The commander opened his eyes wide in surprise and began to fume with anger. He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Ichko Bonev. The villagers all looked startled.

“Shoot me!” yelled Ichko. “That’s why you are here. But you will never exterminate us all. This land is ours and we are not giving it up. Shoot me you Monarcho-Fascist bastard!”

“Grab him!” yelled the commander.

Three gendarmes grabbed Ichko Bonev and tied him to a stake in the middle of the church.

“I will hang you all in the village square, you filthy bastards... Now all of you buy two candles each and light them for the souls of the living and for the dead. Whoever does not buy and light the candles will be hung in the village square at dawn,” threatened the commander.

The villagers were silent. They all looked at the commander with fear in their eyes. Milkiadis winked at Gone Slivarov and pointed with his eyes towards the pile of candles. Gone did not acknowledge him but went and bought two candles. The other villagers followed after him. Zinda Niarhos laughed cynically. Vasil Digalovski smiled contentedly.

Gone Slivarov lit the candles and stood in front of them in silence. Kolio Bochvarov went near him and said:

“Why, Uncle Gone!? Why are we bowing our heads to everyone?”

“Be quiet and do what they say. This is not the time for suicide. Our day will come and we will pay them back.”

The commander coughed slightly. He looked satisfied.

“You can go home now. He will remain here in the church for the night. Tomorrow we will execute his sentence. Also, tomorrow everyone must bring two gold coins and put them in the church coffers. You are free to go now...” said the commander in a milder tone of voice.

With his head raised high, Gone Slivarov led the villagers outside the church. They went through the yard in silence. They parted at the crossroads. Kosta said goodnight to Gone and, in a painful tone of voice, mumbled:

“This village is damn cursed! We are cursed!”

“Don’t mumble young man, go home, your mother is waiting for you,” he replied, gave him a gentle shove and went home.

5. Kosta Popgonev’s mother Donka was waiting for him. She was sitting at the table thinking… contemplating her family’s fate. Kosta approached her and, seeing how she was, put his hand on her head and said:

“Go to sleep, mother, its late!” He then lifted her from the chair and escorted her to bed. He helped her lie down and covered her. He then went into the other room and stood by the window. He noticed three dark shadows moving down the street. He recognized them. It was the commander, Vasil Digalovski and the priest.

“You may all go to hell! I swear you will not be alive for too much longer,” he said to himself and lay down in bed. He lay on his back with his eyes open. The night slowly passed. He greeted the next day with his eyes still open. He again went to the window and waited to see what would happen in the village square. He was concerned.

6. Early in the morning the commander with five gendarmes entered the church. The gendarmes untied Ichko Bonev and escorted him towards the village square at gunpoint. Kosta Popgonev watched them from his window. He was feeling terrible for not being able to help Ichko. He almost tore the curtain off the ceiling from nervousness. The gendarmes stopped in the village square. The commander approached Ichko Bonev and cynically said:

“Now we will see who is going to leave Kostaneria.”

Ichko Bonev spat on his face and quietly said:

“This is my country. It is you who will be gone from it. I will remain here…”

The commander became enraged. He wiped the spit off his face with his hand.

“Hang him!” he yelled at the gendarmes in anger.

The gendarmes threw a rope over a thick branch of the chestnut tree that was casting a shadow on the window of Vankov’s tavern, prepared the noose, placed it around Ichko’s neck and tightened it. They then brought a table from the tavern and made him stand on top of it. They pulled the rope tight and tied it to a branch on the opposite side. They then pushed the table allowing Ichko Bonev to hang by the noose. The angry commander entered the tavern and poured himself a shot of rakia in one of the many glasses that sat on the counter. He drank the rakia in one gulp and sat down at one of the tables.

“What should we do with the body?” asked one of his gendarmes who entered the tavern.

“Let him hang there until his flesh rots and falls off his bones so that they will all know who they are dealing with,” he said, put his glass down and poured himself another rakia. The gendarme left the tavern. Zinda Niarhos accompanied by Vasil Digalovski entered the tavern. Zinda Niarhos sat at the same table opposite the commander and smiled vaguely.

“Is this what you call God’s service!? Are you satisfied now?” the commander asked the priest.

“Of course, very satisfied, commander. Now the scum will know who holds the power in this village. The monarchy should reward you for this. I too personally want to thank you and bless you as a good son of His Majesty King George, the father of our country,” said the priest, raised his hand and made a cross in the air. Then he mumbled something unintelligible and grabbed the bottle. He poured rakia into the glass that Vasil handed him and drank it.

“Today God walked in Kostaneria…” said the priest and made a face.

The commander was silent. Vasil Digalovski kept shaking his head agreeing with everything the priest said. He too then went silent.

7. Kosta Popgonev kept looking at Ichko’s body hanging by the tree. He was unable to move away from the window. He nervously ground his teeth and kept cursing. He did not go out into the street. No villagers went into the street that day. Stefanos, the Asia Minor colonist, did not open his shop that day. Everyone was anxious and fearful.

XI

1. The days went by quickly. The villagers walked the streets in fear. They went to work in the fields in groups. The summer passed quickly. The first rains started.

The children played in the dusty village street uninterrupted. The only time they left the street was when they caught sight of Zinda Niarhos’s distorted face.

Vasil Digalovski, the village mayor, became inseparable from the commander. He constantly played ksira in the tavern. Milkiadis began to smile at the villagers. Some even waved back by raising their arm. Sometimes he avoided the company of the priest and the commander and spent most of his time with the Asia Minor colonist.

2. As always, the commander spent most of his time sitting in the tavern drinking rakia and playing ksira with Vasil Digalovski and Zinda Niarhos. One day a man of medium height, with combed hair and a pimply face entered the tavern. He greeted everyone by raising his arm and then stood by the counter.

“A beer please,” said the stranger to Stefanos.

“Right away, Sir!” replied Stefanos and handed him a beer.

The stranger drank the beer and sat next to the commander. He looked into the priest’s eyes and said:

“Don’t you recognize me?”

“The priest looked at him carefully, gasped in surprise and hugged the stranger.

“Mr. Karahopoulos, welcome to Kostaneria. Forgive me, I did not recognize you,” said the priest. He then turned to the commander and said: “Commander, this is Ioannidis Karahopoulos our teacher. He was sent here to teach the children of Kostaneria.”

The commander smiled as if he was pleased to meet Karahopoulos, extended his hand and they shook hands.

“Please sit down! I am hopeful that you play cards, Mr. Karahopoulos?” said the commander.

“Some people think so. They say I am a pretty good card player, Commander. I am glad to meet you and to be with you in the same village,” said Karahopoulos smiling and sat down.

“This is the village mayor, Mr. Digalovski. He is one of our boys…” said Zinda Niarhos and pointed at Vasil.

“I am happy that we are all together…” replied Karahopoulos and nodded his head. He did not extend his hand for a handshake with Vasil.

Vasil Digalovski pulled his hand back and stopped smiling.

“There is plenty of time, Mr. Teacher,” Vasil thought to himself and went back to playing his cards.

2. Milkiadis came into the tavern. The priest rushed to introduce the teacher to him. Milkiadis and Karahopoulos greeted each other and the two men left the tavern. They walked down the dusty village street.

“The school building has been preserved. We will organize one part of the building as classrooms and the other part we will turn into living quarters. This will be okay with you I hope?” asked Milkiadis.

“What kind of people are the villagers like?” asked Karahopoulos.

“They are okay. They are tame people. Like any other people. They are good as long as you don’t step on their sore spots…” replied Milkiadis and tapped him on the shoulder.

They entered the school. The inside of the building was filled with dust. The benches were scattered all over the place. After that they took a tour of the other part of the building. Then they went out into the yard. Ioannidis Karahopoulos put his luggage on the grass.

“It’s not bad for a start,” he said and sighed.

“You will do well in the village. Now I have to leave. I will drop by in the afternoon. I have to introduce you to the villagers. Have a rest until then, Mr. Karahopoulos…” said Milkiadis and left the school building. Ioannidis Karahopoulos remained outside for some time. He then went inside.

“I must go to the priest. I need someone to clean this place,” he mumbled to himself and left the dusty room.

3. In the afternoon Milkiadis pulled the rope and rang the church bell, spreading its sound throughout the entire village. Frightened, the villagers quickly ran to the church. Many decided not to go because they were afraid of what might happen to them. Milkiadis stood there and waited for them.

“Don’t worry, people! It is not bad news. I just wanted to introduce you to the teacher,” said Milkiadis and pointed to Ioannidis Karahopoulos. “This is the teacher. His name is Ioannidis Karahopoulos. He came here from Trikala to teach your children.”

“How is he going to teach our children? Does he speak Macedonian?” asked Gone Slivarov. The teacher looked surprised.

Ioannidis Karahopoulos did not understand what Gone Slivarov asked because he did not speak Macedonian. He just stood there smiling and showing his small teeth with wide gaps between them. He looked at Milkiadis.

“The children will be learning Greek. The teacher will take care of that. Your duty is to send them to school regularly,” ordered Milkiadis. “Also, don’t you dare make jokes about the teacher!” He then made a waving motion with his hand and said: “Now go! Starting this Monday all the children must attend school. They need to be washed and properly dressed.”

The villagers looked upset and had a wild look in their eyes but no one spoke. They silently left the churchyard and went home. Milkiadis tapped on the teacher’s shoulder and said:

“You are invited to my house for dinner. My wife Evridika is a great cook. You will also meet my children. They will be your students.”

The teacher nodded his head and they both left. The teacher went to the school and Milkiadis went to the tavern where he sat beside the commander and joined the game.