Peace!!! That's all I have to say about my life! I was born poor and lived like a Queen. What could be more wonderful than a happy life, with a man as strong as a lion, who was not afraid of anything in our common life, and worked so that I, his beloved wife and our only daughter, would not lack anything. They say that the two happiest years of a person's life are 23 and 69. At 23 you start your life having gathered all the supplies of your early youth and years pour out before you. What a beautiful age! And at 69 you reflect on the whole of life and beautify it in order to await a peaceful death and when you have lived like me you don't have to be afraid that you will have a bad sleep in your coffin. Yes, it was indeed beautiful and I could express it as a wonderful year of 23, as a wonderful year, as a milestone year for my life. You will say why and you will be right, I was different from all the other girls my age at that time? The difference was, or rather what made the difference was that I met Petros: young, handsome, tall, blond, with blue eyes, educated, worldly and above all a shipowner.
It was October 1972 and I was working at the National Bank, and in a very good position. A few months earlier I had graduated with honors from the University of Economics. Petros was 10 years older than me and came to our bank to negotiate a loan for the family shipping company they had. His father was called Captain Ocean. instead of Georgios Athanasopoulos, which was his full name. Petros had been working in their shipping business alongside his studies since he was just 19 years old. He already had extensive experience in the shipping business and was also a gentleman in his own right, who made a splash among the fairer sex, the Greek and global jet set, leading a luxurious life of travel and partying around the world.
The first thing I remember about him was our first eye contact, he had the beauty of an angel, His blue eyes immediately met mine, then with a feeling that could be described as lightning love, we both smiled, bathed in the light that overwhelms all lovers. That is, I think it happens to all lovers, however, it happened to me that way and indeed this feeling was love and, to not tell you too much, it was the love of my life, as you understood from the context, I too had my experiences, as an educated, distinguished and metropolitan woman.
Every time Petros came to the bank, he would look at me and I would look at him and we would both laugh our heads off. This was the case for the next three months from our first meeting, which took place on a cloudy October morning in October 72, what a wonderful starting point for my life, for my life, I said, forgive me, for our life and for our later family, with our wonderful daughter Natasola. She was born five years later and has now given me two grandchildren, a boy and a girl, but I will tell you about that later. Now I have to tell you a huge story that still exists today. I will tell you everything, though, and it is all wonderful, you just have to listen to me, or rather read what I am confiding in you on these pieces of paper at the age of 69, taking stock of my life. Today, when I lost my beloved husband after 45 years of togetherness, relationship and marriage, and now I too am sick with cancer, but I am not worried that I will die in a few years or even a few months, in my life I have received a lot of love from many people and I am absolutely certain that I deserved it.
There is not a single act that may not be the first of an endless series, says C.L. Borges, and he is right. In February 73, towards the end of the month, when the sun appears timidly and begins to smell of Spring; all the young people experience the estrus of the arrival of the magic of nature; Petros came to my office and spoke to me.
- My beautiful lady, every time I see you, a smile always comes to my lips! It's like you're giving me Spring! With all the aura you exude! You'll see that in the end I'll conquer your smile! I'll be the winner!!!
- You will not succeed no matter what you do! Be sure of that! No matter how nicely you speak and how charming you are!
- Do you really think so? I will wait for you every day after work until the end of Spring across from the bank. If you don't come by then, rest assured that I will never bother you again! I will wait for you!
Spring had come for the flowers. Petros was waiting outside. When I looked at him, I laughed and tried to stifle my laughter and I was so happy that it is indescribable but at the same time I was afraid that he would leave and lose him and that he would not stay there until the end of Spring. He looked at me with such anxiety and saw that I seemed indifferent and later, as he confided in me, he felt afraid that I would reject him and not want him as a partner, despite his love that was evident to me but also to everyone who knew Petros and his patience. So you understand that I had gotten my information, but I also wanted to grill him a little like all girls do, to all boys and that is what I did, until May 31st.
- Hello Petros! I came and I am happy for your patience and perseverance and for that I reward you with my presence! and I smiled with all my love for him!
- "Slowly but on time!" said Peter! He leaned over, hugged me, and kissed me passionately on the mouth.
I thought I would push him away, that I would push him away from me, but I didn't, I surrendered to him at that moment, and forever. After a few months we went on a trip to New York and I will tell you how wonderfully I spent my first long trip with him.
As we arrived by plane at New York's main airport, we saw the skyscrapers of Manhattan from afar. We could see the Hudson River. We had gone to New York for some business that Petros had at the New York Stock Exchange, as his family's shipping company was listed here. Although his father did not appreciate art and culture in general and was a more practical man, Petros did not resemble him in this, as in hard work. I felt wonderful, we had already booked tickets for the best theaters and museums in the city, and we had also chosen an amazing hotel for our stay, despite this, Petros told me that he was preparing a surprise for me without telling me what it was. I felt like a Queen!!!
My husband took care of everything, we went and dined with excessive romance in the best restaurants, we attended performances in theaters and at the Metropolitan Opera, we went shopping, we went to museums and to Central Park, we walked hand in hand through the streets of the city, but something was missing: how long would I be unmarried? How long would I be the girlfriend or the girlfriend, or even worse, the chick, who accompanied him everywhere but had no say in his life since we hadn't even exchanged wedding rings?
On the fifth day, when we had finished our dinner, he suggested that we go up to the rooftop of the skyscraper where the hotel was located, the view from there was wonderful, he told me about such beautiful things that once again I felt like a Queen! Until a helicopter landed where we were and he said to me: "Come, this moment is just for us!" I didn't understand exactly what he meant but I followed him. Inside the helicopter, the view was magnificent and Petros spoke indescribably charmingly! Until he took out a ring and said to me: "Do you want to be my wife!!!". I don't know why but I felt irritated, but to tell you the truth I had nowhere to go, so after a few seconds of silence I said "yes" and from then on my life was like a fairy tale!
But the lottery of my life was not my wonderful marriage to Petros but my daughter, with her children, who I now see coming through the front gate of the villa, where she grew up with us in a wonderful life and became a wonderful person with an equally wonderful family.
- Hey mom, look who I brought you here!
- Grandma, don't worry about grandpa, I'll be with you!
- Then Giorgakis, I have nothing to fear, since now you and Maria will protect me!
My grandson, my Giorgakis, came and hugged me and I felt the warmth of my little one. There I slept forever in his arms, with Natassa and Maria next to me. Natassa, my lottery ticket, who so many times made me proud, cried next to me, moved, and the little ones hugged me with love! Peace!!!
Photo By Serresmap – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158067583, https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/
