Little Cherine - A Special post for a special friend -:- Niko ( @nikosnitza )

Niko mou, just for you, a small part of the Book 05, as, what happened to Samantha and to Alki, happened to me many years ago. I hope you see the beauty in it, and it helps make you feel I am closer...not just a stranger living on the other side of the world.


Νίκο μου, αφιερωμένο μόνο σε σένα, ένα μικρό μέρος του βιβλίου 05, όπως, αυτό που συνέβη στη Σαμάνθα και στον Άλκι, συνέβη και σε μένα πρίν πολλά χρόνια. Ελπίζω να δείς την ομορφιά σε αυτό και να σε βοηθήσει να νιώσεις ότι είμαι πιο κοντά... Όχι μόνο ένας ξένος που ζει στην άλλη πλευρά του κόσμου.

Alexandros

Little Cherine - Book 05

Years in the future - it is the birthday of Aganthi - and family and friends are celebrating at the Neraida Club in Glyfada.

Robbie stood up and the room went quiet, the music stopping.

“My friends. Before it is too late and midnight turns our sweet princess back into an Albanian rose, I ask you to toast our Aganthi and wish her a happy birthday.” We all did so and the room was noisy with voices filled with love as everyone tried to call out their wishes. Aganthi has a special place in many hearts because she goes beyond what we normal Cherinians do. She gives of her time and heart to the poor and works hard to see to the education of children who would have otherwise been trapped within the world they were born in.

Savva stood up and waved his arms, calling for silence. His wife Sophia stood up next to him, her face alight with pride and joy.

“A long time ago, two Albanian children, brother and sister of Aganthi joined our family. Sophia and I were simple people, this Cherinian stuff beyond us. The one thing we can understand is the need children have for love. Now we can look back and see we received far more than we gave. Aganthi, you too have been like a daughter to us, always taking time off to visit and fill us with joy. You are as lovely as a flower, but you have a strength within you that is rare. If we had more people like you this world would be a better place. Aganthi, kori, we wanted you to be the first to know. Sophia and I are expecting a child, a daughter. Will you be her sister?”

Aganthi squealed and ran to them, hugging Sophia, tears wetting her cheeks. She quickly called her own daughters to her and they spent most of the evening all together. The family of Apostoli were made part of their warm love and Apostoli must have been feeling them, for he was not much good at keeping the club running after that. We all felt at home though and helped the waiters keep the food and drinks flowing.

This family stuff seemed to affect everyone. Gina and Goldi stuck to me, the daughters of Cherine and Dommi stuck to them. It was fast turning into a mother daughter night and the males were feeling proud and happy as they saw our love, but there was a tiny bit of envy they tried to hide. At a moment when all were dancing, my daughters up on the pista (dance floor), I found myself alone and worked my way through the crowd to the door. I wanted a breath of fresh air, and a walk along the beach alone felt like a good idea.

It was crispy cold, but there was no wind. The moon was being reflected in splinters on low sleepy waves that made their way to the glistening sand, hardly making any noise so that I could hear the noise the sand made as it absorbed the water. I did not bother to use my healer to warm me and with my arms hugging myself I walked for a while. In the background I could hear the music and voices from the club, further back the low murmur of traffic, now and then more penetrating as some youngster revved, straining to get every atom of power and speed out of his car. It made me think.

That night, the clubs all over Athens were filled with young people, boys out searching for some girl to warm their bed for an hour or two; girls out hoping (most of them) to find the one man who will warm their hearts with love. Despite the differences in what they want, a few of both sexes will get what they want, tonight. After all, the boys just do not know that they want the same thing the girls do.

It must be such a different life from ours. No cares beyond their personal ones, or their heads full of dreams and ideals. Meeting friends to pass a few hours with company, but always wondering if they are really liked-loved. I decided that to carry on thinking this way will only make me feel a melancholia I was not in the mood for. This night was too lovely for that.

I stopped and facing the sea allowed the sounds to fade as my mind wandered along a different path. I was conscious of Athens being behind me, the Parthenon in the distance, not visible, but it’s presence dominating. I thought of the Delta, the bay, being lit by torches as ships sailed in, the cries of sailors almost reaching across the centuries, men with weapons rushing from the sea to be met by others from the beach as battles were fought again and again throughout the bitter life of this city, and a feeling grew within me I’d never felt before. My heart opened and for the first time I loved something that was neither man nor woman nor alien nor had a soul and yet has all of these. I was suddenly in love with Athens.

The city must have chosen, for I turned and saw Alki standing by me and as his eyes met mine I saw tears were also wetting his cheeks. He took a hankie from his pocket, wiped my face and pulled me to him.

“Strange lovely Samantha, I felt you. She got to you.” I looked up at him and smiled, nodding. “She does not call out to any heart my precious daughter. She is very choosy, only the finest souls are allowed to love her.”

Embarrassed I gave a small laugh. “Pappou, I’m not special. It was the moon and the mood of the night.”

“Athens is the daughter of the moon. Have you not noticed how she becomes beautiful at night? You were seduced Sammy mou.”

I think I saw deeper into his heart than he’s ever allowed any of us before. In wonder I said, “The same happened to you!”

He nodded. “I was much older than you, but she has had a place in my heart ever since. You may forget at times Sammy mou, the people that flow through her sometimes anger you, but at moments when you stand under the moon and listen to your heart, you will find the love for her nestled within. She’ll never leave you, whatever world you are upon, whatever galaxy.”

“It sounds good pappou. It means I belong somewhere.”

He pulled me to him, overcome with love for me and I felt how love can hurt and I was so grateful I have this wonderful man to love back. How wise Cherine was to have seen how special he is from the first time she met him.

Slowly we walked back, his arm around me giving me a tighter hug every now and then. No further words were needed, just the presence of the other filling the moment for us.

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)

^{7th March, 2019}

• posted on Steemit: 7th March, 2019