Eléni’s First Visit - Part 9

This is the ninth part of the tale. I am planning twelve parts or perhaps fourteen. It depends on Shakespeare. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth parts are all required to fully follow this ongoing story, and each part is still around a five-minute read. Anthi Psomiadou and R Tsambounieri Talarantas have both graciously agreed to appear as fictional characters in this first visit of Eléni to Greece, where she had hoped to speak to Goddess Athena and find the missing Patrick. The continuing story spans the rest of her two-week visit to sky-and-marble Greece.

Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts and eloquence, native to famous wits. John Milton

Anthi reminded me of the restaurant she and Eléni had gone to in the previous part. It was one of her favourites. I wonder why. It was called Archaíon géfseis (Ancient Flavours) in the centre of Athens, though Athens is already the centre of the world. Thank you, Anthi! I can feel your mind in this story of mine, and Athena really loves you. I think that she is also watching over you.

I had left Anthi, Eléni and “you know who” in the garden with two falcons, Eleonora and Aphrodite, and a number of olive trees. We will have to ask “you know who” how many trees there are. I tried but I cannot. Her name is beckoning to be pronounced and even sung. Rigópoula. And again for the first omission. Rigópoula. I feel better now. So, these birds understand enough Greek to reply yes or no with their heads to Rigópoula’s questions, and the olive trees as well by rustling their leaves gently or more vigorously for similar questions by Rigópoula. It feels magical but it is not. Athena, my city, my world, has just whispered something interesting in my left ear. Apparently, one of the falcons has been observing one of Rigópoula’s guests lovingly. It is not a secret, really. It is the subtitle of this part. Aphrodite loves Anthi. Another woman with a falcon on her shoulder is coming up. I was amazed to picture Rigópoula with a falcon on her shoulder and now I have to picture Anthi with one as well.

Greece is really a dream. They should bring back the drachma and forsake the Euro. What a quaint name! It is like the US calling their money the United ((giggles)). By Zeus, the Greeks should. But who am I to even suggest such a move? Athena is smiling again. Now she has to massage my wooden heart. Her smile just kills me. You must have heard of the kiss of death. Athena has the smile that one would not mind dying for and from. I am surely one of those. Here she goes with her hands. I had to shave my chest to feel their smoothness better. I now look like a swimmer who could never win a race, even against an olive tree. Now Athena is laughing. Come on! I have to write this part. I have about twelve fans waiting to read it, including Anthi and Rigópoula.

All three ladies, I mean beauties, were chatting about the birds and the trees when all of a sudden Aphrodite flew towards Anthi and landed on her right shoulder. Anthi was only scared for a second before seeing the love in the bird’s eyes. Rigópoula quickly asked Aphrodite, Do you like Anthi, pointing to her? Aphrodite looked and Anthi and moved her head, yes. Next, Rigópoula did something that she had not done before other people with a bird. She asked Aphrodite, Why do you like Anthi? The bird looked embarrassed. Incredible! Rigópoula surmised from Aphrodite’s reaction that she actually loved Anthi. It is no surprise, really. She is a lovable woman. Eléni loves her. Athena loves her. M apparently likes her a lot. I love Athena, but if I move the n in Athena three spaces back, the name becomes Anthea, which is remarkably close and is pronounced, Anthía in Greek, which means flowery. So, Anthi means flowers and Anthea means flowery. Athena concurs. And flowers come from trees and smaller sibling plants. It is like the circle of life.

There was a lot of laughter and joy in Rigópoula’s garden overlooking the sky and the sea. The olive trees were happy too. One could see it in their leaves. There were some olives on the ground which the falcons took up with their claws and passed to each other as if they were playing catch in the air. Our three beauties watched them and even cheered when they did not miss. All the trees were rustling their leaves as if they were an extended audience. It was more than magical. I am sure that Zeus was watching from time to time, as Athena kissed his cheeks to let him know how much she loved him. She told me that he was happy to be back even if he had never left. But she stopped there. I understood that I had to wait for the rest of the story.

The Sun was beginning to say its goodbyes so it could be welcomed on the other side of the world. Rigópoula suggested that they could go out for supper. We could go to the same restaurant Anthi had taken me once before, Eléni proposed. I really liked it and it is one of Anthi’s favourites. Archaíon géfseis (Ancient Flavours). I hope that I pronounced it correctly. Do you know it, Rigópoula? she asked. I do, Rigópoula replied. It is one of my favourites too. Archaíon géfseis it is, then, all three beauties agreed. Rigópoula left some meat for the falcons, asking them to behave like good birds, and all three took their leave in a taxi to the centre of Athens.

If Athens is the centre of the world, Athena must be the centre of Athens. I wonder if there is a statue of her in this ever-changing centre as Athens grows like an olive tree. Rigópoula has her falcons and Athena has her talking owl. It really converses. We even talked about evolution and the meaning of life. Athena taught it well. I should have come to Greece much sooner. Hey, M, reading this! Move your ass! Get the vaccine and pack your bags! Greece is heaven and it has real gods. I live with one and she is the best. Eléni needs you by her side. You have many trees here, the bluest sky and sea, and Athena will take care of the flying roaches for you too. They are afraid of the owl, and falcons hate them too. We will manage. It seems that our three beauties will protect us too from these hellish creatures.

I have reached the five-minute read and the scene in the restaurant is legendary as far as I know. I will thus stop here and wish you all good day or good night. All afternoons are good wherever you are. You may agree if you read a story M wrote yesterday or the day before titled, The Other Side of Noon: When Pussy Is More Than a Snack. I will not link it. You have to want to read it. It is actually M’s, not mine. He does not like it when I link his pieces. M is a strange creature. Until Part 10, then! Athena is smiling at me. Here we go again.

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I would like to thank Anthi and Rigópoula for continuing to take part in this story of everything Greece. Goddess Athena has been instrumental in allowing me to continue writing this collection of pieces. Dedicated to my future father-in-law, Zeus. May he come back soon and get rid of all greed and ignorance. I love you, Zeus, but not as much as I love your daughter. She makes my life beautiful and she always smiles when I look at her, and that is all I do when I am not writing.