“Here, let me get a close look at you! You are Hristoforos already? My you’re practically a man now!” said Hristoforos’s uncle who was the youngest brother of his father.
Everybody was surprised to see a tall Hristoforos who has the sultry eyes of his mother and the nose and ears of his father. His father’s relatives were mostly from the eastern part of the country who migrated up north when their ancestors changed their means of livelihood.It was only Hristoforos’s father who left the clan and settled in Bulgaria where he finally met Hristoforos’s mother and married her.
They were to spend a week and a half with their relatives and although it was his first out-of-town experience Hristoforos felt he was missing home already. He had cousins of his age as well. They played and ate together but they seem to have a different outlook on life. They are more childlike and do not seem to mind about the future. Helpless and childish are what he thought of them.
“Mother, why can we not leave early? There isn’t much activities here that can be done we always eat and play and sleep and eat and play and sleep,” the bored lad said to his mother as they were in their room preparing for bed.
“Are you bored already Hristoforos? Aren’t you and your cousins not getting along well?”
“We are fine but there seems to be nothing left to be done. I want to fix my bike back home. Its’ horn got broken.”The boy sounded annoyed but has kept his tone down as he pulled his blanket up towards his chest and lied flat on his back.
“Shhh, quiet now and sleep. I’m pretty sure you will change your mind tomorrow morning when you wake up,” said his mother who kissed him on the forehead and went to their bed where her husband was already sleeping.
The following morning Hristoforos was awakened by the loud noises of the people from downstairs. As he hurried down to see what the commotion was all about his uncle saw him and yelled.
“Hurry down boy and get your butt in the truck! We are going down to the sea port to have a tour on the cruise ship that’s open for tourists!”
Upon hearing this, Hristoforos went back up their room, put on some trousers and jacket, wore gloves and boots and flew down the stairs. He heard that the cruise ship docks on this part of the island on such very rare occasions and opens itself for public viewing as it dry docks for a week then off to circumnavigate again. It would be the first cruise ship he would see and enter. The mere thought of it made him feel a shiver run up his spine.
His mother was at the foot of the stairs when he came down again and as she winked at him and gave him a hug before he joined his cousins and uncles in the truck. He knew this was the highlight of his vacation he never can afford to miss.
Everybody was surprised to see a tall Hristoforos who has the sultry eyes of his mother and the nose and ears of his father. His father’s relatives were mostly from the eastern part of the country who migrated up north when their ancestors changed their means of livelihood.It was only Hristoforos’s father who left the clan and settled in Bulgaria where he finally met Hristoforos’s mother and married her.
They were to spend a week and a half with their relatives and although it was his first out-of-town experience Hristoforos felt he was missing home already. He had cousins of his age as well. They played and ate together but they seem to have a different outlook on life. They are more childlike and do not seem to mind about the future. Helpless and childish are what he thought of them.
“Mother, why can we not leave early? There isn’t much activities here that can be done we always eat and play and sleep and eat and play and sleep,” the bored lad said to his mother as they were in their room preparing for bed.
“Are you bored already Hristoforos? Aren’t you and your cousins not getting along well?”
“We are fine but there seems to be nothing left to be done. I want to fix my bike back home. Its’ horn got broken.”The boy sounded annoyed but has kept his tone down as he pulled his blanket up towards his chest and lied flat on his back.
“Shhh, quiet now and sleep. I’m pretty sure you will change your mind tomorrow morning when you wake up,” said his mother who kissed him on the forehead and went to their bed where her husband was already sleeping.
The following morning Hristoforos was awakened by the loud noises of the people from downstairs. As he hurried down to see what the commotion was all about his uncle saw him and yelled.
“Hurry down boy and get your butt in the truck! We are going down to the sea port to have a tour on the cruise ship that’s open for tourists!”
Upon hearing this, Hristoforos went back up their room, put on some trousers and jacket, wore gloves and boots and flew down the stairs. He heard that the cruise ship docks on this part of the island on such very rare occasions and opens itself for public viewing as it dry docks for a week then off to circumnavigate again. It would be the first cruise ship he would see and enter. The mere thought of it made him feel a shiver run up his spine.
His mother was at the foot of the stairs when he came down again and as she winked at him and gave him a hug before he joined his cousins and uncles in the truck. He knew this was the highlight of his vacation he never can afford to miss.
