A sculpture with a proud fighter of life has recently adorned the Center of the Municipality of Sotira. A statue of a woman who does not hold a cane while she was ill, a woman who does not wear sandals, even though it was summer, a "noblewoman" in exile, a cancer patient, who, although uprooted from her place, the curse of pride adorns her face. Fighter, dynamic, patient and optimistic. In all personal afflictions, man is always first.
The History…
Christodoula had roots in Ayia Napa. Famagusta. She married Antonis Zembasis and they had four children. The oranges and the great love for them came after the purchase of land in Agios Memnon, Famagusta, where they built their house and a large orchard with oranges.
The tender…
Her house is a meal, as her grandson, Antonis Konstantinou, typically mentions. "If you are at the bus stop, Christodoula would come to ask you what to drink, to offer you a lemonade, a coffee, a cold water. "Everyone knew that if they went to Christodoula they would have a plate of food", he states characteristically.
And everyone confirms it… The sculptor who proudly and honorably created the statue of the Savior, Filippos Giapanis, met Christodoula through the words of his father, mainly, who was her neighbor in Varosi. Filippos Giapanis's father had lost his mother early and Christodoula was passing through the pergolas to see if the orphans had food.
As he mentions in "S", her physique was always elegant and haughty, never frowning and never showing that something was tormenting her. In fact, as she mentions, he paid so much attention to her appearance, that they never saw her wearing sandals, but a closed shoe, winter - summer. With these in mind, then, she created her statue at the invitation of the Municipality of Sotiras. Her sleek figure, her closed shoe and a suitcase, which Aron-Aron prepared with clothes hanging outside, showing the rush to leave her home that was taken over by Attila's hordes.
Cancer and Refuge…
Two years before the invasion, Christodoula was diagnosed with cancer. But it was too late. The tumor was at an advanced stage and so they proceeded to mastectomy.
When the invasion took place, in those dark days of the summer of 1974, everyone left Famagusta, but they had called on the soldiers and police to go back. Christodoula also went together. He stayed there for several days. Until the Turkish invaders asked them to leave. In fact, the narration of an incident by her relatives is shocking, that when the Turks tried to rape a girl, Christodoula came in front and the Turk hit her with the butt of the gun on the chest. It was then that Christodoula showed her chest to the cowardly invader. Her severed breast. From there Christodoula was led by the United Nations to the Savior. On her own…
Koutsa - koutsa walked from Agios Memnon alone and arrived at the Savior's camp. With only a suitcase in hand and few clothes. Elegant and proud, with a physique that did not betray the physical pain nor the uprooting.
The toils of a lifetime were lost. But again Christodoula remained a rock. Rock for the family, to give strength and courage to everyone. To hide the pain from everyone.
And cancer… reappeared. From the chest, he had metastasized to the liver.
Christodoula was lucky in her misfortune, because she met Dr. Souliotis, with whom she had developed a very special relationship and they trusted each other.
And it was only four months after the invasion…
Things are uncertain. There were no treatments, no matter how much the doctors wanted to help her. Christodoula had accepted the idea of death with the calm and strength she always had. She never talked about her illness. In fact he never complained that he was in pain or not feeling well. She did not want to upset anyone with her illness. He always thought of the good of the family.
"She had the oranges as her children"
The love for oranges was great. Christodoula's eldest granddaughter, Katerina Kalava, wanted to eat under the oranges. He always asked her to lay her under the oranges.
For Christodoula, the smells of nature after the uprooting from Famagusta were a great loss. She managed to convey this to her doctor, Dr. Dimitris Souliotis, inspiring him to write a poem about her…
Christodoula, August 26, 1974.
This is the painting I would like to paint if I were a painter.
Christodoula, 70, from Famagusta, now under an orange tree in Savior.
He came and saw me this morning. She was always cheerful. I teased her a lot.
Today I tried to make fun of her as always, but I did not succeed.
"Where are you now, Christodoula?", I asked her with a bittersweet smile.
"Under an orange tree in Sotira".
"Does the tree have flowers?"
"No, it has no flowers," she replied with her own bittersweet smile.
"Your jokes do not catch today, doctor."
"I know, Christodoula, forgive me. I tried to make you a little fun ".
He smiled again. I looked at her. She looked very sick.
I gave her "Prednisone" and sent her "home".
There was no bed.
The hospital was full of wounded soldiers.
"Come again on Monday, Christodoula. Good luck".
He smiled the bitter smile of despair.
I do not think I will see her again.
He will die under the orange tree in Sotira, near the English Base of Dhekelia in Cyprus. Victim of cancer and Attila.
I would like to be a painter to paint Christodoula sitting under the orange with her bittersweet smile.
Dr. Souliotis wanted through his poem to show the calm of a man who was born in nature and harmonizes in it.
The Anti-Cancer Association and the Christodoulas March
The course of Anticancer is the same as that of Christodoula. The paths are parallel. In the steps he walked. They have altruism, support and solidarity in them. People of all ages, cancer patients and not, unite to walk in the footsteps of Christodoula.
The Christodoulas March takes place today in all cities. In the province of Famagusta it starts a few tens of meters from the roadblock of Deryneia and ends at Sotira.
The Municipality of Sotira in an announcement expresses the feeling of honor that hosts such a course, as the story of Christodoula is directly connected with Sotira. "Christodoulas's course is a hope for the patients. "Hope that this course will be reversed and we will go to the city of Famagusta", said characteristically the Mayor Sotiras, Georgios Takkas.
The Christodoulas March is certainly an event of social solidarity and moral support to cancer patients and their families, but it is also an important source of income for the Cyprus Cancer Association.
The Cancer Association offers free Palliative Care services to thousands of our cancer patients. In addition to "Arodafnousa" in Nicosia, the Association operates the "Evagoreio" Center for Palliative Care in Limassol, as well as the Pancyprian Home Care Service, which serves patients at home. In addition to medical and nursing care, psychological and social support services, physiotherapy, aromatherapy, as well as services for transporting patients from all provinces to the oncology centers in Nicosia and Limassol are offered.
The foundation stone for the original monument, which has now been renovated, was laid in 1989 by the then Minister of Labor and Social Security, Takis Christofidis. The decision to create the monument was taken in 2018, while the project cost more than 200.000 euros. The inauguration of the Monument is expected to take place in the near future by the President of the Republic of Cyprus and High Patron of the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Association, Nikos Anastasiadis.
By Andri Flourentzou
Source: Today