Birkibrisli wrote:Birkibrisli wrote:Back to real time now...We have just left Captain's Table,full on a seafood feast...Headed for Limassol to find my old school...Let me tell you something now I am dying to get off my chest...I think all Cypriot drivers have a death-wish...There is no other explanation...Why else would you be driving compulsively 40-50-60kms over the speed limit,smoking and talking on your mobiles at the same time??? Now I don't want you to think I have a lot of phobias...When I am swimming I panic about sharks. When I am in the air I worry continuously about plane crashes. And when I am on the road,I am sure it will be my last voyage. Apart from that I am quite normal.
Driving towards Limassol on the highway,I was not ready to die yet. I had just returned home for the first time since 1969. And hadn't even visited my village yet. But I was very brave. My TCB (True Cypriot Brother!) must've thought I was very tired and emotional after the journey from Greece,and after what we had just been through. Because I had my eyes closed tightly,and my right foot kept twitching. It was an involuntary attempt to slow the car down by remote muscle action.
By some miracle we reached Limassol in one piece,and I was soon standing in from of my old school. There was the courtyard we assembled every monday morning to sing the Turkish national anthem,and to shout out "Turkum,Dogruyum,Calishkanim..." (I am Turkish,I am Honest,I am hardworking...) There was my classroom where I sat with my sister and became a school spectacle...There was the tackshop where I bought my 'tahinli bitta' (Bourek with tahini)...The place was used as a high school still,so nothing much had changed. We tried to take pictures but it was getting dark. We decided to leave that and come back another day during daylight. I didn't want to and we never did...
I was getting really tired by now. And we had a long way to go to Paphos.
And we had made arangements to meet Andreas(humanist) and his mate Jim from Canada in the evening at the hotel where kafenes sung...So I closed my eyes again and predended to go to sleep. But my mind was on something else. I knew that soon we would come to the road leading to the Fateful Village. And I knew that all those terrible events I described to you earlier would come back flooding my mind...
(to be continued...)
Our actual visit to the Fateful Village took place on Wednesday,the 5th day of the trip. We were on our way to Nicosia for a two-day journey which took us to Famagusta and Ayia Napa as well. I was 12 when I was last here,so I remember it well...
It took us no time to find the house I lived in,and across from there, the House of Horrors stood defying time and memory. It looked in good nick.
We found out why a little later. The corner shop and the House next door was turned into one big taverna/restaurant complex. In comparison, the house I lived in looked neglected and sad. We found out later that it was rented to someone who normally lived in London.
While my TCB got busy taking pictures I tried to compose myself. My head felt heavy,and my heart fluttered gently. I could feel my palms get cold and sweaty. Just then a man dresses in what looked like 'battle fatiques' came running towards us. He was waving his arms around exitedly,asking something or other in Cypriot Greek. A feeling of gloom snuggled up to me. Did I make a big mistake coming here? Was I face to face with a bad spirit from times past? He came right up to me and stood about one metre away. I had no idea what he was talking about. I turned and looked at my TCB who seemed a bit uncomfortable. The two of them exchanged a few words and the man looked physically deflated. He looked at me and at the House of horrors across the road. And switched to speaking good English:
"Do you know what happened in that house?",he said enthusiastically.
I froze. Even my TCB didn't know the hanging story at that point. Who was this man? And how did he know? My mind slowed to a tortoise pace.
"W.w.what?" I stuttered. "What do you mean?"
"Someone was killed there!" he said triumphantly. "Got his balls shot to pieces by the local Turkish Cypriot mafia boss.He was a GC but it had nothing to do with the Cyprus problem.It was purely mafia business..."
I swallowed hard and let out a deep sigh.
"Yes," I found myself saying, "it does look a bit haunted!" I was trying to look reasonably shocked. So at least two people died in that House of horrors...
Then the man told us he was the Muhktar of the village.His mother was an English woman and father a GC who had lived in England for a long time. He had made an official submission to the Government asking for funds to repair the mosque and the Turkish cemetery. He was sick of waiting and the work had started anyway. He thought we were government officials coming at last to investigate his submission. He invited us to his office nearby and offered us cold drinks from a fridge in the corner. The cold orange juice burnt delightfully as it went down the hatch...
We got back into the car as soon as it was polite to do so,and headed for the school. The building was still used as a school so it was well looked after. We told one of the teachers who came out to investigate why we were there. She was very pleasant about it and made us welcome. I looked around,saw Father's old office,and the two classrooms. After a brief conversation with another teacher we took some pictures and took off in the car,passing by the mosque which was under repairs. And headed again,after 44 years, for the bright lights of Nicosia...
(to be continued...)
But before Nicosia,back in real time,we have Istinjo,the village in which I found life. And Yalia,the village in which I found the TMT and the fear of EOKA...But even before that we have to get to Paphos and meet up with humanist and kafenes and Jim from Canada...This has been a long day,and I better put it to bed before it jumps up and bites me...
The Turkish Cypriots call the city of Paphos "Kasaba" which literally means "the town". For the people of Istinjo Kasaba was the big apple. The place where everything happened,especially the place where they went when they were very sick.Or when they had to go through difficult births.
Remind me to tell you one such birth,not mine but my older sister's. It involves one GC midwife,and two GC doctors. It is not a pretty story,and I checked its substance with Mother only yesterday. And I am convinced it is genuine. But that will have to wait as well...
Finally we reached Paphos in one piece and in good spirits. I badly needed a shower and a change of clothes. I was last here in 1967 I think.
A lot had changed in 40 years. The provincial third world town had gone. I was now standing in a bustling European city...After refreshing we got back into the car and headed for Hotel Astria,a 5-star complex where kafenes was performing. His booming voice greeted us as we walked in. He was behing the piano but I could see his sparkling eyes and his beeming warm smile. We sat down and let his soothing songs wash away our tiredness. With the help of some delicious KEO beer I began to unwind. I was now in danger of falling asleep. I was saved from embarrassment by humanist who burst into the room with enough energy for all of us..He is exactly as his posts suggest. Genuine,enthusiastic,lover of life and living.And Jim's calm,witty and eager presence was a welcome addition to our little party. At the interval we were joined by kafenes,a truly generous and good-hearted human being. He introduced us to his lovely wife who was sitting at another table with some friends. We all got talking and getting to know each other. And made plans for the following day to visit Istinjo and other places of interest. When kafenes went back to his singing he had a surprize for me...The next song was dedicated to me...By special request from The Precious One in faraway Greece who had put me on the plane bound for Cyprus just that morning...I sat back with a smile as wide and as long as Cyprus itself,and let kafenes' voice play their magic. The song went "You are just to good to be true...Can't take my eyes of off you...You've been heaven to touch...I want to hold you so much..."
