Exit Lines

Justice

Description

One thing I detest in this life is injustice, and certainly I see much unfairness in my life. My second name is Justice! As far as I am concerned, the greatest injustice of all is the forced uprooting from my own home and the ensuing Turkish occupation of Cyprus. We need to break down the wall of hatred and unite that little island so that its people can live together in peace. Make my wish come true! Break down the dividing line of hatred in Cyprus!

Sujets

• justice
• Women
• Biography
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris AU
• Date de parution: 31 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493115266
• Langue: English

Extrait

EXIT LINES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(MARIA FENNER) JUSTICE
 
Copyright © 2013 by (Maria Fenner) Justice.
Library of Congress Control Number   
2013918555
ISBN:   
Hardcover   
978-1-4931-1525-9

Softcover   
978-1-4931-1524-2

Ebook   
978-1-4931-1526-6
 
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
 
Rev. date: 10/16/2013
 
To order additional copies of this book, contact:
Xlibris LLC
1-800-455-039
www.Xlibris.com.au
[e-mail]
504394
CONTENTS
Chapter 1Family Matters
Chapter 2The Early Years
Chapter 3Starting School
Chapter 4Teenage Years
Chapter 5High School Years
Chapter 6Senior School Years
Chapter 7Into The Big Wide World
Chapter 8Changing Times
Chapter 9Unplanned Events
Chapter 10Turning Upside Down
Chapter 11Shattered Dreams
Chapter 12Unwelcomed Reality
Chapter 13New Horizons
Chapter 14No Turning Back
Chapter 15New Role
Chapter 16Widowed Mother
Chapter 17Migrating to Australia
Chapter 18Life in Australia
About the Book
About the Author
Chapter 1
Family Matters

Aerial view of Karmi village.
It was a cold January day. By 2:30 p.m., the shadow of Pentadaktylos (five peaks) mountain range was cast on my charming little Greek village of Karmi. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Pentadaktylos, you could see my little village, Karmi, with its whitewashed little houses dotted amphitheatrically around the slopes, looking like sheep grazing in the distance.
The winter sun was playing hide-and-seek with the pale grey and white clouds. Eleni was gathering twigs and logs to light the fire for the family to warm up and at the same time cook the evening meal. Dinner on that day was not ready by sunset, as usual. Chick peas with celery and silver beet, sautéed in tomato paste, were cooking in the pot to feed five children and two parents. It was a hard life, no choice to eat anything else. Most of the daily nutrition consisted of pulses and vegetables that the majority of the villagers used to grow in their gardens. All the children had to sit round the square wooden table, covered in plastic ‘tablecloth’, to start eating out of one big bowl positioned in the centre of the table. Soon after dinner, Eleni, 42, felt unwell and a little dizzy. She didn’t pay much attention to it since she had always worked hard and was permanently exhausted by the end of a hard day’s work.
A few days later, olive picking was in full swing. It may be winter, yet the days are usually blissfully warm, perfect for the olive harvesting. At this time of year, Cyprus becomes a nation of olive pickers as the precious olives are harvested to produce the all-important olive oil.
Parents and children were walking in line long distances in the dirt roads and pathways, with two donkeys and goats in tow. Father Athanasis was sometimes sitting on the donkey, taking it in turns with wife Eleni. Children had to go on foot and, if any one of them complained of sore feet or anything else, perhaps would get a sit on the donkey saddle for a while. Eleni’s youngest sister, Eugene, was sometimes working in the adjacent fields of olive groves, which were nestled between the mountain and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. She was also a short, thin-built woman with sky blue eyes like Eleni’s. Eugene had already eight children—six boys and two girls, including one set of twins. However, she was again pregnant with number nine!
The two sisters came together at lunch break to share their food consisting mainly of bread, olives, and tomatoes. Eleni, by this time, was feeling a little dizzy and nauseous.
‘Perhaps you should see a doctor’, Eugene encouraged, ‘in case you are pregnant!’
‘Shut up, sis,’ said Eleni. ‘I am over 40; I don’t want any more kids!’
The next day, Eleni, out of curiosity, visited Anna, the village midwife. She could not believe her ears when she heard the extraordinary news. Indeed, her sickness was pregnancy! Eleni was shocked to hear this news. It was neither planned nor expected. A new baby brother or sister for the three brothers—George, Michael, and Kosta—and the two sisters, Eve and Despina. More than eight years since her last baby was born, poor Eleni had to start all over again, just when she thought her production line ceased!
Working around the house, trying to keep all the children clothed, fed, and happy was a Herculean task for Eleni. In contrast, Maroula, her younger neighbour, was also expecting her first in line baby, just a couple of months after Eleni. Now Eleni, sister Eugene, and neighbour Maroula were all expecting!
Eleni’s family home was an L-shaped structure, with whitewashed internal and external walls. It consisted of three longish rooms—kitchen, middle bedroom, and parents’ bedroom/lounge room. One side of the house was facing the mountain, whilst the other side in the far distance was overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean Sea stretching in the distance below. There was plenty of land around the house for children and animals to work and play. Tree-lined boundaries were acting as fences around the house and land. Olive, almond, and carob trees were lining the edges of the house, offering their fruit and nuts to the family. Chickens were roaming free around the house all day long, rewarding everybody with their beautiful and nutritious free-range eggs. Two goats kept their supply of milk, and the two donkeys were transporting the father to and from work each day.
Nine months after the initial shock, Eleni—an expert in producing babies by now—was in labour pains. The two girls, Eve and Despina, hearing their mother painfully calling them, ran to fetch Anna, the only midwife and saviour of the village’s production! It was Sunday morning, the tenth of October, and the village clear church bell was ringing, calling the faithful to come to God’s home. During this time, a new baby girl made her entrance into this world! The family brood consisted now of equal numbers of three boys and three girls. Being God-fearing and faithful, the new baby girl was named Maria, after Panagia, Jesus’s mother. Maria was also her godmother’s name. Maria and Eleni were the most common and popular names in those days. Every family in the village had either a Maria or an Eleni or both. My own family had both.
The oldest boy, George, loved his tiny new sister. A few days after baby Maria was born, George sneaked clandestinely near the baby cradle and placed a lolly under the baby’s head! When his mum found it later on, she asked 13-year-old George if it was him who put it there and why.
George replied, ‘I love my new baby sister and this is my gift to her. It is also my wish to her for a sweet life!’
Chapter 2
The Early Years
With the addition of baby Maria, the family was now equally distributed between males and females. Eleni and Athanasis were the proud parents of three boys and three girls. Maria, being the baby of the family, was doted on by the seven family members. It was definitely an innovation, a life-changing event. With the love and adoration came the responsibility from the older ones, especially the older girls—Eve and Despina—who had to help their mum with all jobs around the house as well as with work outside the house and in the fields. There was no party or bell ringing for the new arrival. Life in the village was tough, but enjoyable. You could not find any modern amenities in a small sleepy village such as Karmi, nestled at the foot of the mountain. A mother would wrap her newborn baby round and round her little body, hands and feet tucked inside a large capote white cloth. Only their little head would be visible to the outside world. It was customary in those days for all new mothers to avoid going out visiting friends or relatives for forty days. All relatives and close friends were visiting the lehona and her brand-new baby. A basket full of goodies was the customary gift to the new mother and baby. To sweeten the mother up, you could always find some sort of sweet delights such as dhaktyla (fingers) rolled in ground almonds and dipped in syrup, or pishidhes (fritters) sprinkled with sugar or honey. Another custom also was for the new-born baby to be taken to church by a young virgin, between the first and before the sixth week of birth, so that the new baby will be blessed by the local priest and welcomed into the Church of God. Eleni, with her big family of eight, had no time to scratch herself or visit anybody. Home duties and work outdoors in the fields were the order of her day. The chickens and goats had to be fed and cleaned. As soon as the children were old enough, they had no choice but to help their parents in the fields and around the house. Many times the older girls had to look after the little one whilst their mother was tending to the garden, busy cooking, fetching water from the spring, washing, picking olives and carobs, and doing a thousand other jobs. Working from dawn to dusk was very common for everyone in the village. Eve, being the oldest girl, was over 17 at this stage. She never completed primary school nor did she go to high school. Since she was not at all academic, her mother decided to send her to