In 1974 Nikos Stamatis was found as a tank soldier in Myrtos, and in the surrounding areas, he wandered along with other soldiers of the Cyprus army and at some point he returned to Nicosia. There he learned that his family, namely Giannoula and the newborn Marios, were in a stable in Agioi Trimithias, as Mammari was a war zone and the village had been emptied! The Turkish invaders were outside the village and north of the Primary school where there was relative resistance from Greek Cypriot soldiers.
So he went to Agios Trimithias and found Giannoula and Marios to be well despite the suffering of the refugee. He also learned that Giorgos (Pontikos), brother of Giannoula had been captured by the Turks and was probably in Adana. In Agios Trimithias there were several Mammarites and relatives of Giannoula as well as her brother Charitos, who was a very good friend of Nikos.
The next day Nikos thoughtfully met Haritos and worriedly told him that the child, Marios, who was only 4 months old, had no clothes and baby staff and needed someone with a car to take him to Mammari to be taken from home. Haritos had a car but told him it was dangerous to go near the village as shots were being fired and the Turks were nearby. Nikos adamantly asked for his help for the child and in the end Charitos was convinced that it was necessary and that they would be careful and go quickly to get the necessary things and return.
They started in the afternoon and 30 minutes later they were in Mammari. Charitos drove carefully, arrived outside the house and Nikos quickly got in. 5-10 minutes passed from the time he entered the house, distant shots and mortars could be heard, no substantial danger arose, Charitos was consumed by his anxiety... and at some point Nikos appeared from the door holding in his back a large wooden screw from olive mill... running and trying to shove her into the back seats of the old Austin. Charitos doesn't know what to say, turns red with surprise and anger, starts yelling at Nikos... they're going to kill us for the screw of the olive mill, you... Nikos quickly got into the car, Charitos quickly started to get away from Mammari and danger!!! But let the Turks come in and take the screw from us, Harito? Nikos was talking and Charitos was running the Mammari hill with his second gear...
And in Nikos' pockets are undershirts and underwear for the child...
We heard this story when we were children at the table in our father's house from our uncle Harito who was died in the 1990s and our father Nikos. They said it and coughed with laughter, they laughed together, the relatives also laughed at the antics of the two and Nikos's love for old things and antiques and remembered their youthful adventures and we, the little ones watched them and wondered at the antics of the adults and we who were laughing laughed too.
The wooden screw of the olive mill in question was always in our parents' house and as children we used to play by making the little cars go up its turns... Now it is in one of our warehouses.
The story was written as I remember it from my childhood. It has been almost 5 years since Nikos Stamatis died, one year away from Giannoula and the blessed uncle Charitos with the big cheeks, the sweet smile and the strange speech when he got angry at the construction sites, it has been thirty years since he left us! May they be well where they are telling their stories and laughing.
Christodoulos Stamatis