PART II - Part 01

PART II

I

1. Boimitsa was a small town with low houses and narrow muddy streets. There were puddles from the melting snow everywhere. The one level, lonely train station painted all grey was waiting for the train from Solun to arrive. The few passengers lined up under the eaves bobbed from side to side trying to avoid the drops from the roof dripping on their heads. There were barely twenty passengers on the entire platform. The station master, dressed in his railway uniform with a cap on his head, came out and stepped into a puddle. His shoe sank under water and he made a funny face. He took off his shoe, emptied the water and put it back on. None of the passengers waiting under the eaves laughed or moved. Everyone was nestling in their winter coats trying to avoid the cold. The station master went on the track and lifted his head up high.

“Now...” he mumbled and turned left, then right and joyfully yelled: “The train from Solun is arriving. Everyone step up to the platform and be ready. The train will stop for one minute only and will not wait for anyone!”

The people came out from under the eaves and got closer to the rails. The great steam locomotive appeared from behind the curve. It was bellowing a white cloud. A moment later it stopped in front of the station master.

“Welcome!” the station master yelled at the train engineers, while touching his cap with the fingers of his right hand.

The two men greeted him back. One of them pushed the dirty window open and said:

“What’s new, Iorgo?”

“Everything is peaceful here. Like there was no war,” replied Iorgo, the station master.

They were all silent. The two men came off the train and breathed the cold air deeply. They too were dressed in railway uniforms. Each wore a thin leather strap over their shoulders on which hung a leather bag of medium size. Then the conductor came out of the first train car, lit a cigarette and put his matchbox back in his pocket. He took a few puffs and then took a deep breath of fresh air.

“Life is good to you, Iorgos, you bathe in the fresh mountain air,” said the conductor.

“It is true Stefanos. Life is better in the wild. Is this how you joke with an old man?” replied Iorgos.

“The good life is in the mountains, Iorgos. I am not kidding you…” Damn these stupid cigarettes…” said the conductor, coughed several times, and threw the cigarette into a nearby puddle.

“Get on board, its time to go!” yelled Iorgos to the train men. “No one gets off at this damn place,” and then raised his baton high and blew the whistle.

The train men boarded the train and took their positions. The train stood still for a moment and then the engine began to emit a large cloud of steam causing the wheels to move and slightly slide on the rails. Then there was a chain of wagons banging one after another and the entire train began to move slowly. Iorgos smiled. He was amazed that not a single person had come off the train.

2. The train disappeared into the distance. The great smoke and steam that rose high into the sky also disappeared. Iorgos wanted to return to the train station office but his eyes caught a couple of unusual figures. It was Stavre Nakovski and Evangelia Gasparova standing on the platform. Iorgos was happy.

“Ah, finally I got to see someone get off the train…” Iorgos said to himself and smiled. “After being here for so many years I finally got to see people get off the train in my station…” he thought and could not take his eyes off Evangelia and Stavre. Then, at the same time,

he began to wonder what had led these people to come to this town. He stood there and kept staring at them.

Stavre Nakovski did not look at him. He took Evangelia by the hand and slowly crossed over the rails. They passed by Iorgos who still looked confused. They greeted him by nodding their heads and went around the puddle in which Iorgos had stepped earlier, and entered the train station building. It was warm inside and their bodies felt relaxed. Stavre turned around to see if Iorgos was still standing on the platform when he noticed him standing in the mud and laughed. He again took Evangelia by the hand and the two went through the narrow door of the station leading into the waiting room where one could buy train tickets to all directions.

Iorgos stood there dazed for a few moments and then suddenly he ran into the train station building as if looking for someone but no one was there. He then went to the window and looked outside. There on the street, about midway to the great water, he saw Evangelia and Stavre walking away. He then smiled contentedly.

“My station is no longer cursed,” he thought to himself. “It has been two years since I saw passengers getting off at my train station. Now I can say that I am real station master,” he said out loud and kept looking outside through the window.

3. Stavre Nakovski held Evangelia’s hand with one hand and with the other he carried a large suitcase. It was heavy and caused his feet to sink into the mud and his face to sweat. It was also getting warm. They walked quietly and Stavre often looked at Evangelia. She did not exhibit any noticeable fatigue on her smooth white face and often stretched a sympathetic smile for Stavre when he looked at her. Stavre kept looking at the short houses whose paint on the walls had faded. In some he noticed bullet holes. They slowly traveled along the street that divided the town in two. On the left there were small variety stores. Every store they passed by was closed.

“The town seems to have sunk into a deep winter sleep. Are there people in these houses?” asked Stavre.

“People are still shaken from the war and that is why they are sitting at home. They are still afraid to come out…” replied Evangelia.

“Only the devil knows what is happening. Let’s hurry. There is a long and arduous road ahead of us. Kostaneria is far…” added Evangelia and they picked up the pace. They followed the same road to the last house which then led them into a great dense forest. They walked rapidly in silence. The road was muddy and unused and their feet kept sinking deep into the soft soil. Stavre did his best to help Evangelia navigate the rough inaccessible road. They did not stop. And even though they traveled uphill in mud, they were not hindered and exhibited no fatigue on their faces. They climbed the first hill and went down into the valley. It started to snow. Stavre Nakovski laughed out loud and said:

“The winter is welcoming us Evangelia, it is welcoming us to our place of birth.”

“I am cold…” complained Evangelia and put on her winter coat. Her lips were blue and freezing. Her nose began to drip and caused her to constantly sniff. Her eyes were tearing.

Stavre Nakovski stopped. He put down the large suitcase, opened it, took out a wool cotton undershirt, tore it into two pieces, took off Evangelia’s boots and wrapped her feet with the dry cotton cloth.

“Now put on your shoes!” he said. “It feels better, right?” he asked her and kissed her. He then closed the suitcase.

“Do you remember our first trip down the mountain?” asked Evangelia.

Stavre Nakovski smiled and helped her put on her boots.

“As long as we don’t pass by Lefter Tsipuriazovski’s house,” muttered Evangelia quietly.

“Why, are we taking a different path?” asked Stavre.

“You never did tell me what happened in the Tsipuriazov house. I found the people murdered, massacred in their own yard. Even though the time was stormy I looked for you everywhere... you have not told me what happened here,” said Stavre.

“The war passed and with it passed the terror. We are alive and healthy and that’s what is important at this moment. Don’t remind me of the war days. I hate them. They make my soul restlessness and I can’t sleep,” replied Evangelia.

Stavre decided to leave that subject alone. He picked up his suitcase, took Evangelia by the hand and said:

“Let’s go! We don’t want the mountain upset with us. We will freeze in the woods…” and gently pulled her by the hand. They again found themselves walking in mud. The air in the forest was clean and fresh but cool. It filled their lungs as they pressed on. Stavre Nakovski began to cough. Evangelia got closer to him. They walked in silence. Their view was blocked by the deep chestnut forest whose length was deceiving. A cold wind blew and pinched their cheeks. Evangelia took shelter behind Stavre. She did not feel the cold in her legs. Snowflakes clung to her nose and she clumsily rubbed them off.

“Are we going to take a rest? I am tired,” she complained.

“A little further up is a water spring. We will stop and rest there. But for now we must go on or otherwise we will make friends with the wolves,” said Stavre jokingly.

“Are there wolves here?” asked Evengelia with a fearful tone of voice.

“Yes, for the city folk, there are wolves. We the villagers are accustomed to having them as friends…” replied Stavre.

Evangelia became a bit frightened and her eyes began to dart here and there, watching for potential wolves.

“Don’t worry, silly. Wolves are afraid of people…” he told her to calm her down.

“Where are we going?” asked Evengelia surprised when Stavre pulled her off the road.

“Over there, under that beech tree. There is a water spring there. We will stop and rest a bit,” he reassured her.

“I thought you told me that there was a water tap there,” she said.

“There are no water taps in this mountain, only water springs. There is only one water tap and that is in Kostaneria,” replied Stavte and sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree. He then opened his suitcase and pulled out some bread and dried meat wrapped in a white sheet. He put them on the tree trunk.

“Let us now eat a bit, we will need our energy. There is still a long way to go through the mountains,” he said, broke a piece of bread and gave it to her. He then said: “Take your meat and more bread if you want.”

Evangelia took the smallest piece of meat and began to chew on it.

“This mountain scares me…” she said excitedly.

“You will get used to it. Now eat!” he replied.

4. Two hours later Stavre Nakovski stopped walking. Evangelia, surprised, opened her eyes wide. Just in front of them they saw singed beams partly covered in snow.

“Where have you taken me?” she complained all upset.

“To Kostaneria, of course!” replied Stavre cheerfully.

“The village is incinerated and is devoid of life. Will we live like savages!” Evangelia rebelled.

“Don’t worry! This house is burnt down but we have another house, an older family house which is still standing. We will go and stay in that house until I fix my father’s house,” replied Stavre.

“My dear Stavre, why did you bring me to this desolate wilderness? I will be giving birth in two months. Who is going to help me? You!?” yelled Evangelia.

Stavre put his arm around her, placed his fingers through her hair and kissed her on her forehead.

“Let’s go!” he said and led the way. The snow was pretty deep. They arrived at Stavre’s old family house and went inside. The rooms were small, the ceilings were low and the floors were wet. There were cobwebs everywhere. Small animals scurried away and disappeared into the cracks of the walls.

“We will be fine…” said Stavre and put his suitcase on the wet floor. “We have a bed and bed covers. That’s enough for us to begin our lives in our new world.”

Evangelia sat on the bed, put her head in her hands and began to cry.

“I am going to look around,” said Stavre and left. He soon returned with a load of dried branches. He put them down on the fireplace floor and ordered them on top of one another. He then took out an old newspaper from his suitcase and slid it between the branches. He then lit a match and lit the newspaper. A flame appeared. Soon the room was warm and glowing. The flames began to lick the black copper cauldron that hung over fire.

5. Evangelia was lying on the bed crying. All this time she did not move from the bed. Stavre was smiling to himself and kept quiet. He left the room and went down to the yard. He then stepped outside, through the village streets and made his way to the village cemetery. He walked to one of the graves and stood there silent for a long time He was visibly upset and clenched his teeth. He plucked out the weeds from the top of the grave and straightened the lamp that had tilted over time. He left the cemetery in silence and took the long

way through the village streets. He stood in front of his father’s house and his heart trembled with excitement. He watched the charred beams in silence while clenching his teeth. He cleared the snow off the beams and removed them from blocking the entrance of what was left of the house. The upper floor was completely burned down. He went inside and looked around. His face eased a little bit. He then went down through the beams in the basement and smiled. The cellar was untouched. He came out of cellar and went onto the street. He suddenly stopped and listened. His ears were filled with creaking sounds coming from somewhere in the village.

“Someone is coming…” he thought and stood there in silence.

6. He stood there like a stone until the wagon loaded with furniture almost ran him over. The oxen pulling the cart stopped in front of him.

“What the hell are you doing standing in the middle of the road man?” yelled the wagon driver and went towards Stavre.

“Hello Dimitar, welcome to Kostaneria,” said Stavre in a calm voice.

Dimitar Popgonev was dumbfounded and, in a surprised tone of voice, said:

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Athens?”

Stavre Nakovski laughed loudly and hugged him.

“Come and have a drink with us,” said Stavre and led him to the old family house. Evangelia came out to greet them at the door after the oxen pulled into their yard. She was still whimpering when she invited them in. They gathered around the roaring fire and warmed their bodies. There were signs of happiness on their faces.

“Stay here, as our guest until you fix your house,” said Stavre.

“Thank you! That is very kind of you,” replied Dimitar cheerfully and swallowed several gulps of rakia from the bottle Stavre handed him. “Excellent!” he said, smiled and pointed to Evangelia. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

Stavre Nakovski apologized, laughed and said:

“This is my wife Evangelia. Soon we will have a new member in our family,” and tossed some more wood into the roaring fire.

“Congratulations and good luck to all of you. May God grant you a long, happy, healthy and prosperous life. Bless you!” replied Dimitar Popgonev and twisted his long grey moustache.

7. They sat around the fire watching the flames dance in silence. It was dark of night. Stavre took the boiling pot off the hook and placed it on the table.

“All we have is bread. We have no spoons. The porridge is ready. Help yourselves; you can scoop it with bread,” said Stavre and invited Evangelia and Dimitar to dinner.

“We don’t need spoons…” said Dimitar and sat at the table. They all gathered around the pot and began to slurp the hot porridge. They could not stay awake after they ate. They were all very tired. They went to sleep, one on the bed and the others on the floor. They all slept in that one room. They quickly sank into a deep sleep. Slowly the fire burned out and the room was conquered by darkness.

II

1. Stavre Nakovski cut the trees in the mountains and Peno Popgonev dragged them to the village with his oxen. He harnessed his oxen with a wide belt around their necks and tied a long chain with hooks to it. He then stuck the hooks in the log and had his oxen pull it.

“Don’t cut any more logs! We have enough for two roofs,” yelled Peno from the distance.

Stavre Nakovski lowered his ax, put it on the grass and laughed. He hastily put on his leather jacket and joined Peno, who had hooked a log and was guiding his oxen downhill with a long, thin twig. They came down the mountain through the clearing and soon arrived at the road towards the village. On their way they ran into a tall man who smiled at them. Stavre Nakovski smiled back and the man came closer and shook hands with them.

“Welcome to Kostaneria, Uncle Gone. The village is coming to life with you coming back…” Stavre said cheerfully.

“Several families have arrived with me. Kostaneria will be a big village again,” replied Gone.

Peno Popgonev ordered the oxen to get moving again and Stavre Nakovski followed behind.

“When are you planning to move to your father’s house?” Gone asked Stavre.

“In a few days, but you and your family are welcome to come for tea at the old family home,” replied Stavre.

“Gone Slivarov laughed out loud and said:

“So you have become a host, eh? In that case I will come…” and veered off down the road.

2. Peno Popgonev removed the hooks off the log, took the harness off the oxen and took the oxen home. Stavre Nakovski followed him and then veered off the road and went into the yard of his old family home. He began to kick the tall grasses that had grown between the stones but it was an overwhelming job. He decided to go inside. Evengelia was lying in bed.

“How far are you with the construction of the house?” she asked.

“Tomorrow we will cover it. We will move into a new house, beautiful, clean and dry…” he replied.

“Tonight the Popgonev’s are coming over,” she informed him.

“Fantastic!” he said all excited. “I also invited Gone Slivarov. He tells excellent stories. It will be a lot of fun,” added Stavre and took off his jacket.

“Will you pour some water from the jug so that I can wash my hands?” he asked.

“Right away,” replied Evangelia and took the jug out to the yard. Stavre followed close behind.

“When are you giving birth?” asked Stavre.

“When they want to come out!” smiled Evangelia.

“They? You mean there is more than one?” wondered Stavre and asked: “How do you know?”

“Donka told me. She can tell by the size of my belly,” blushed Evangelia and poured water on Stavre’s hands.

3. Stavre Nakovski washed his hands and he and Evangelia returned to their room. He sat at the table and waited for Evangelia to bring him his lunch. He was rubbing his hands with anticipation.

Evangelia brought him a bowl of hot beans and some cornbread. Stavre grabbed the bread, broke a piece of it, dipped it in the bowl and put it in his mouth.

“They taste very good,” he complimented Evangelia.

She laughed and left the table.

“I will fix the bed for you so that you can have a nap. You look tired…” she said, pulled out a white sheet and covered the top of the bed with it.

4. After he finished eating Stavre drank some water. He was very pleased with himself and he did not hide his pleasure. He took off his shoes and lay in bed. Evangelia took his shoes out to the hallway and by the time she returned he was asleep. He began to snore which made her laugh. She too then went to bed beside him.

5. Evangelia woke up before sunset. She went out into the yard. She poured some water from the jug in one hand and washed her face. She returned to the room. She went towards the bed to wake Stavre but changed her mind and went into the other room. She changed her mind again and awakened Stavre. They both went outside. She poured some water for him and he too washed his face. They both returned to their room. Evangelia sat on the bed and Stavre sat at the table. There was a loud bang on the door which startled Stavre and made him jump off the chair.

“It’s probably the Popgonevs…” said Evangelia and ran downstairs, flung the door wide open and saw an older man with sharp eyes and a cheerful look on his face.

“Come on in,” she said somewhat surprised and moved to the side to let the man in.

“Don’t be afraid, my dear. People call me Uncle Gone and this is my wife Hrisanta. And these here are our children. God has not forgotten us,” he said and asked if Stavre was home.

“I am Evangelia, Stavre’s wife. Come on in, we have been expecting you,” she replied.

When Gone Slivarov entered the room Stavre stood up and they shook hands.

Hrisanta Slivarova and her three children also entered the room. Evangelia sat them on the bed and Gone sat at the table. There was another knock on the front door. The door flung open and Dimitar Popgonev, his wife Donka and their two children, Peno and Dino, appeared. Stavre cheerfully invited them in.

“Wife, please bring us some rakia!” Stavre ordered Evangelia in a gentle tone of voice. “Please sit!” he said and offered Gone and his two sons a place at the table. Donka Popgoneva walked past them and sat with Hrisanta Slivarova on the bed. The two women greeted each other and Donka hugged the children.

6. Evangelia was heard moaning in the next room. Stavre jumped from his chair and was beside her in a couple of steps. He grabbed her before she fell to the floor. He picked her up and brought her into the room. Everyone stood up. Evangelia looked pale in the face and was having difficulty breathing. Stavre laid her on the bed, brought a bowl of water and sprinkled her face. Donka Popgoneva laughed, went over to her and wiped her face with her handkerchief.

7. Hrisanta Slivarova looked delighted. She loved children. She had born three of her own, two female and one male, before age forty. Their oldest was 19 and her name was Agapi. The middle was 12 and her name was Kaliopa. The youngest was almost 2 and his name was Kosta. She was a healthy woman. She did everything in the house and in the fields by herself. She rarely allowed Gone to do anything other than to hunt and bring firewood from the mountains. Hrisanta sent her three children and Gone outside the room and then escorted Dimitar and his two sons out. When she returned, she closed the door behind her and went to the bed.

“Warm some water in the big pot and bring some clean towels, I am sure they have some in the chest,” ordered Donka and then turned to Evangelia and, with a smile on her face, said:

“Are you going to give birth, woman?!” and lifted her dress up above her knees, took off her underwear and looked to see if her

water had broken. She then smiled and looked at the pot hanging on the hook above the fireplace.

“Now I want you to push hard and bring the baby out,” Donka said to Evengelia and gently raised her knees and opened her legs wide open. “You will be giving birth to twins,” she added and laughed out loud.

The water in the pot had warmed up and Donka took the pot off the hooks and placed it near the bed. She then took some towels out of the chest and put them on the bed and began to encourage Evangelia to start pushing harder. But all her effort was in vain because Evangelia’s contractions had subsided and she was all relaxed.

“No problem, we will wait,” said Hrisanta and sat down on the bed beside Evangelia. Donka agreed.

8. Stavre Nakovski stood outside the door and listened. The silence that followed was upsetting him. He was expecting to hear a baby crying. He wanted to enter the room but refrained and stood by the door. He stood there for two hours. Then suddenly he heard a baby crying. He smiled a wide smile but his heart kept pounding. He began to pace nervously. He was very excited.

“It’s a boy!” he heard Hrisanta Slivarova yell out. “May your son be safe and sound!” he heard her yelling.

“Thank you!” replied Stavre cheerfully. “May I come in?”

Hrisanta laughed loudly.

“Not yet! There is another baby in Evangelia’s belly. Wait until I call you,” replied Hrisanta.

Stavre began to pace up and down the hallway. Then he began to rummage through the rooms looking for something but could not find it. He was not sure what he was looking for. About an hour later he heard the cry of a child.

“Surely this must be the second baby?” he yelled out loud.

“Yes! It’s a girl! You have a daughter, Stavre!” yelled Hrisanta Slivarova and told him to wait a little longer.

“What? There are more?” responded Stavre.

“No! No! Wait!” Donka yelled sharply.

9. Donka Popgoneva put the children on the bed beside Evangelia and said:

“May God bless them and may they be healthy and alive and may they have children of their own…” She then covered Evangelia with a bed sheet. Evangelia thanked her by nodding, smiled gently and showed her love to her little babies. There was a creak at the door and Stavre was inside. Evangelia gave him a loving look. Stavre walked to the bed and kissed her and the babies on the forehead.

“Wife, we are now a big family,” he said. “I am a lucky and happy man!”

Evangelia smiled and hugged her children. Hrisanta Slivarova washed her hands and sat down at the table. Donka Popgoneva brought a bottle of rakia and three glasses from the other room. She put the glasses on the table and filled them with rakia.

“To the health of the twins!” she proposed and raised her glass. Hrisanta and Stavre did the same.

“May they be healthy and happy!” declared Donka and knocked off her shot of rakia in one gulp.

Hrisanta laughed.

“May they be healthy and happy and may they give us many grandchildren,” declared Stavre and looked at Evangelia who had her eyes closed. The twins were sleeping beside her.

“Let’s go home now, Donka,” said Hrisanta and stood up.

“Good night Stavre, and look after your wife and children. Now you are a real host…” said Donka and joined Hrisanta. They went through the door to the hallway and then down to the yard. Stavre accompanied them to the street.

“Thank you and say hello to everyone at home,” he said and went back to the room. He sat on the chair next to the bed and felt overjoyed just watching his wife and twins. He did not put out the candle and left the kerosene lamp burning. He fell asleep sitting on the chair.

III

1. It was getting light outside. Kolio Bochvarov was preparing to go on a trip. He said goodbye to his wife and went out onto the street. The road was covered with snow and he took careful steps, but with every step he took his feet sank deep into the snow. He stopped in front of Stavre Nakovski’s house. He was amazed to see Stavre with a hammer in his hand that early in the morning.

“When are you moving in?” Kolio asked Stavre.

“In three days. The old family house is too damp. I am afraid my children will get sick,” replied Stavre sounding a bit worried.

“God be with you. If you need help ask my sons, they will be glad to help,” said Kolio.

“There is not that much work left to do. The only hard part now is covering the roof… Where are you going?” asked Stavre.

“I am going to Solun. My wife wants me to buy her a number of things… some clothes and some other things…” replied Kolio and laughed.

“Can you do me a favour?” asked Stavre.

“Name it! What can I do for you?” replied Kolio.

“Please go to café ‘Macedonia’ and ask for Pondilaki. Ask him to come to Kostaneria for the baptism of my children. I want him to be their godfather,” said Stavre.

“No problem, except I don’t know the man,” replied Kolio.

“Ask for him at the café. Everyone there knows him,” said Stavre.

“I will do that for you,” said Kolio and began to walk away. He then yelled: “When I return I want to see you moved into that house!”

“I hope so, Kolio. That is my wish too. I hope to move before you return…” he replied.

2. Pondilaki was sitting with the dock workers in café “Macedonia” drinking rakia. Suddenly he smelled the aroma of a mountain fragrance and felt a strong arm grab him by the shoulder. Pondilaki turned around and looked at the man’s face. He did not recognize him.

“Are you Pondilaki?” the man asked.

“Yes! From the top of my head to the bottom of my toes,” replied Pondilaki with a smile on his face.

“I am Kolio and I bring you greetings from Kostaneria,” said Kolio.

“Please sit!” replied Pondilaki and yelled at Stoios to bring over some rakia.

Stoios Panagopoulos brought the rakia. Kolio Bochvarov picked up the glass, sipped enough to wet his lips and said:

“I bring you greetings from Stavre Nakovski. His wife gave birth to twins, a male and a female, and he is inviting you to go to their baptism.”

Pondilaki laughed out very loudly. The customers in the café turned and looked. Some looked upset. Stoios Panagopoulos came over to the table trembling.

“Stavre Nakovski has twins, a male and a female,”declared Pondilaki cheerfully.

Stoios Panagopoulos laughed even louder than Pondilaki and disturbed even more customers.

“A drink for each of Stavre’s twins, the greatest actor in Macedonia and Greece,” yelled Stoios who ran to the bar, grabbed a bottle of rakia and filled the glass of every customer in the cafe. He then raised the bottle up high and yelled out:

“May Stavre’s angels be happy and healthy!” and took a couple gulps of rakia directly from the bottle. When he was done drinking he again laughed out loud and, while walking way, said:

“Free drinks for all! Stoios is paying!” He then said: “And while Foti Steriov, our proprietor, has disappeared, his delightful wife is upstairs spinning in her room with his majesty the Ukrainian... Now drink. You too Sofia… If none of us cares about the café then to hell with the café. Drink to the health of Stavre’s children…”

Sofia Geleva picked up another bottle. She drank the rakia directly from it. The customers were killing themselves laughing. Pondilaki cheered her on. He then began to sing the song about ‘Apostol Voivoda’. His gentle lyrical voice surprised the dock workers and filled the café with warmth. Stoios Panagopoulos slowly turned around and was surprised to see Pondilaki singing. He could not close his mouth from the surprise he got when he saw Sofia Geleva sit on a bar stool and stealthily follow every move Pondilaki made. His gentle voice and romantic demure made her tremble with excitement. She could take it no more and disappeared into the kitchen. She hid behind the big stove and poured countless tears of regret that she could not have his heart, if not forever, then at least for a moment.

Even though he did not understand the words of the song, Stoios Panagopoulos felt chills run down his spine. The melody of the song made him feel like something sacred was raised in his soul and caused tears to roll from his eyes. He knew those tears were rolling because of the song but he was glad to hear it. He would sing it himself if he knew how to sing. Suddenly Pondilaki was accompanied by the lyrical baritone voice of Manoli Strezovski. All the customers in the café showed great admiration for the song sung by their beautiful voices. Then, suddenly, another voice joined in. It was the voice of an olive-skinned young man sitting by the window in the old part of the café. All the customers in the café turned to see who it was. The boy, feeling the admiration of his audience, raised his voice and tried to sing louder. Iani Rongov, the best bouzouki player in Solun who was in the café performing that night, watched with interest.

The song even drew in Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin who came down from the boarding house. The melody and the voices were overwhelming and were knocking on his heart as if he had something in common with them. He did not know the words but felt like he did. Some words he understood and slowly began to open his mouth and follow the melody. He had images of the Don leaping in his mind, which caused his eyes to gleam and a lot of tears to roll down.

“My God, this beautiful song speaks to me,” Alexei yelled out and tried to follow the melody.

Kolio Bochvarov too joined the singing by releasing his lyrical bass. He was not as good a singer as the other three, but the strength of his voice made up for it. He shook the place and made the windows vibrate. Iani Ronkov no longer wanted to follow the song as an observer… he pressed his bouzouki firmly against his chest and went wild, his fingers taking measured strokes to produce a gentle sound that matched that of the singing voices.

Pondilaki smiled but did not stop singing.

“The bastard has not forgotten his roots…” a thought crossed Pondilaki’s mind.

Iani Ronkov began to cry quietly while gently playing his strings.

“A gene is a gene. I just hope we don’t lose them in this mess and find ourselves alone…” Pondilaki thought.

The melody flowed through the bodies of everyone present in the café and gave them a sense of grandeur. It was like the music made them bolder, stronger and no longer lost in their own lair. Pondilaki raised his voice and so did Manoli and the olive-skinned young man. Iani Ronkov began to play his bouzouki much clearer and with stronger feelings. The participants who did not know the lyrics or could not sing began to clap their hands to the rhythm of the bouzouki. Urania Papaioannou in her festive night gown, grey in colour and rather transparent, appeared at the top of the stairs. She leaned against the wall and allowed the music to penetrate her body. The words she did not know, but the melody was engraved in her mind a long time ago. She had heard it from her grandfather Panaiot. Even after so many years later, the song restored the image of her bearded old grandfather who always sang it. It was like the song was reminding her of what once was, of the good things they had.

“My brother Hristo sang this song. That’s why they locked him up,” Urania thought to herself. She felt sad deep down in her soul and no longer wanted to listen to the song, but could not make herself leave. The more she tried to escape from it, the more she absorbed it into her pores. She felt like she was nailed to the stairs.

Foti Steriov surprised everyone who knew him when he entered the café. The song was upsetting him but he kept on singing it until he reached the counter. He smiled at Stoios Panagopoulos.

“What is Pondilaki celebrating?” he asked with great interest.

“Stavre Nakovski has twins…” Stoios cheerfully replied.

“Sons?” Foti asked.

“A son and a daughter…” replied Stoios.

Foti Steriov laughed out loudly.

“Fill everyone’s glasses with rakia!” ordered Foti.

Stoios Panagopoulos grabbed the bottle and topped everyone’s glasses with rakia.

Foti Steriov again began to sing, this time even louder, but suddenly stopped when he saw Hash appear at the café door with Peter McDonald and Dustin Brown, two of his companions and supporters of the King.

The song stopped them cold at the door of the café. Large goose bumps suddenly appeared on Hash’s face. The veins on his neck swelled up. One of his veins above his right eye and forehead began to throb. He began to foam at the mouth like a rabid dog and his eyes looked like they could kill. The scar under his left eye began to pulsate. He loudly knocked with his foot on the floor and promptly turned his eyes toward the audience. He sent blood curdling glances with his evil eyes at everyone he looked at. His eyes were promising death. But even with all that, he was unable to stop the melody that filled the café.

“Stop! I forbid you to sing! This stinking song has been forbidden!” he yelled out furiously at the top of his voice while stomping on the floor with his boots and dripping foam from his mouth.

Pondilaki saw his insolent behaviour but did not stop singing. He continued to sing the song to its conclusion and then took a sip of rakia. He looked satisfied. He winked at Iani Ronkov in gratitude. He then got up from his chair, approached Hash and sternly and menacingly said:

“Collect your rags and get the hell out of here! You should be eternally grateful to Stavro Nakovski’s twins for your existence… I should have killed you the first time we crossed paths…” Pondilaki then approach the olive-skinned young man who was earlier singing with him.

The young man asked Pondilaki to join him and introduced himself. “My name is Vangelios Kotinaris…” he said.

“You are not Macedonian, are you?” asked Pondilaki and was very curious to know how he learned that song. Vangelios Kotinaris smiled and said:

“Beware of dogs the likes of Hash. I am a Greek but also a Democrat,” he declared and proudly raised his head up. His gaze stopped at Hash who gave a sign to his two companions, Peter MacDonald and Dustin Brown, to sit down at the neighbouring table. They all laughed.

“Your friend is not leaving,” said Vangelios Kotinaris to Pondilaki. He also noticed the five very masculine dock workers, who had muscles from loading and offloading ships at the docks. They moved on Hash and, without saying a word or making a facial expression, without paying attention to his distraught foamy mouth distorted by fear, they grabbed him and threw him out on the cobblestone road. They then calmly returned to the same table and resumed their conversations.

“And that too is done!” said Vangelios to Pondilaki, sighed and with great interest asked him: “And what are you celebrating?”

Pondilaki laughed out loud and quietly said:

“Our friend, Stavre Nakovski had twins…”

“Stavre Nakovski?” asked Vangelios very surprised.

“Stavre Nakovski was my friend. We fought together in the last war. I thought he was dead…” said Vangelios Kotinaris surprised. “Maybe he is not the same Stavre. The Stavre I knew and fought together with was from Kostaneria. He was an actor in Athens,” added Vangelios Kotinaris.

“Yes, he is the same Stavre and he is alive,” replied Pondilaki. “Recently his wife gave birth to twins. Now please take your rakia and come and join us. The democrats in this café sit at that table,” he

said and they got up to move, but before they reached the other table Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin got in their way. Pondilaki did not like the situation he was put in but calmly accepted Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin’s intrusion.

“Let me ask you something. Do you and I have something in common?” asked Alexei with a calm expression on his face.

Pondilaki did not answer. All present in the café turned their eyes on them. They all expected another storm. Foti Steriov turned pale with fear. Peter MacDonald, looking at Urania’s facial expression, bypassed them and leaned on the counter while keeping his eyes on them at all times. Dustin Brown seemed like he was experiencing extreme pleasure. He wanted to see a big fight break out, in which Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin would get the worst of it and permanently leave Urania Papaioannou’s bed. He was confident that Alexei would lose considering the number of dock workers present in the café and how they were preparing themselves for a new fight.

The entire café went silent. Stoios Panagopoulos pulled out an iron bar from under the kitchen stove, which he used to open wooden crates, and held it in his hand.

“I want to sing the song again,” said Alexei with a distressed and pleading tone of voice. “The song made me feel like I was back on the banks of the Don and in the broad, endless fields of my country.”

Pondilaki bypassed his enormous body, stopped in front of the table at which Vangelios Kotinaris had just sat down, turned to Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin and said.

“The Slavic lands are great but we don’t differentiate between people. We don’t classify them in groups and subgroups. We are all people of this world. We are all the same and all the songs belong to everyone equally... Come and sit at the head of our table so we can sing some songs together. Perhaps we will sing the song about ‘Apostol Voivoda’…” concluded Poindilaki and waited for Alexei to decide. Then, after contemplating the idea in his big blond head for a while, he sat down at a different table.

Urania Papaioannou immediately went to him, took him by the hand and led him up the stairs into her room. Stoios Panagopoulos returned the iron rod to the kitchen, pleased that he did not have to use it. Foti Steriov loosened up a little and nervously laughed out loud.

“Drinks for all! I am buying. I want us all to celebrate the future of the Nakovski twins…” declared Foti while standing at the end of the counter with his glass of rakia raised. Stoios left the counter with a bottle and began to top everyone’s shot glasses so that they could all toast the twins. When he was done serving Stoios returned to the counter and filled his own glass. When the toasting was done Stoios smiled and happily put down the empty glass on the counter and began to fill it again. When he filled it about halfway up he was startled by Pondilaki’s loud start of a new song. The customers came alive again. Pondilaki was joined by four others and by Iani Rankov’s bouzouki.

The café shook from the loud voices. The song touched Urania Papaioannou because she came out of her room smiling. She wanted to hear this song because it was part of her. She did not come down to join them, even though she had a strong desire to sing the song herself. She stayed with Alexei Ivanovich Starovkin who, it appears, was more interested in her smooth hips than the song.

It was late in the evening and the boarding house, for the first time in a long time, cancelled its regular program. For the first time Sofia Geleva did not get to show her audience her magnificent naked body from which sprang the aroma of carnations. But she was happy to take a rest. She looked over at Pondilaki and he caught her glance but it remained just that. Kolio Bochvarov could not get a grip of himself from all the excitement he was feeling, evident from the way his body moved. He never expected this kind of honour to be bestowed on Stavre Nakovski. He sang even louder. Late in the evening Kolio left the café and spent the night in Pondilaki’s house at Eptapirgon.

IV

Agapi Slivarova was a young, beautiful and healthy girl. She left home and headed for the cemetery. Peno Popgonev crossed the road, joined her and the two ran through the woods and stopped at the edge. They were breathing hard. They were a few hundred metres away from the cemetery. Peno began to stroke Agapi’s smooth hair. Agapi blushed. They kissed but felt timid. They were deceived by the desire to make love. They lay down in the snow. Peno stripped his upper body revealing his bare chest. He gently pressed his body against hers and kissed her on the neck. Agapi Slivarova felt excited all over. She trembled with passion. Her left leg stiffened. She suddenly let out a moan and her leg began to loosen. Peno got off her and buttoned his pants. He again lay down beside her and they rolled in the snow. They laughed. After that Peno stood up and stood straight, looking in the distance. Agapi watched him with admiration and with curiosity.

“What’s the matter?” she asked timidly.

“I am leaving…” he said and turned his back on her.

Agapi Slivarova blushed again but this time she was angry. She jumped out of the snow and grabbed him by the sleeve. She was trembling.

“Where are you going?” she asked while tugging at his sleeve.

Peno Popgonev pulled his hand away from hers.

“I am going to Solun to find work. The village can’t support the entire family…” he said quietly and went down the hill. Agapi Slivarova ran after him. Again she grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him hard.

“You are not going anywhere! You made me pregnant and now you are running? You will remain in Kostaneria!” she yelled out angrily at him.