The strong friendship of 2 girls, from the thousands of refugees, that started in the dark days of the invasion.
The whole story in TRUTH, page 17
MEETING IN REFUGEES
Saturday 6 of January 1962, the Surface, the Lights.
The third child of Tofi Englezos and Patos from Lysis is born at the Paraskevaidi Clinic in Nicosia. She is their first girl after two boys. She was baptized Maria, by her mother Maritsou.
Maritsos's brother was Giagos Souroullas, Lysis's mukhtar. A family that loved letters. Her uncle had a very good government position. Tofis comes from a rural family. He had a construction site in Solution and made concrete slabs for Electric. He also maintained a shop for home appliances and small motors. It worked quite well. His children Panikos, Grigoris, Maria and Margarita had everything they needed.
Her childhood was carefree. The family was very dear. She was playing with her sister and her classmates. Excellent student in elementary school. Wise and obedient. It was the father's weakness and the mother's pride. He was helping at home. In the summers, he and his uncle's family went on vacation to government residences in Troodos. In the past, they traveled all over Cyprus in their father's car.
In June 1974 he finished the first grade of Lyceum High School. They planned to go to Troodos with her cousins and aunt on July 17th. Her mother bought the shoes - platforms that she liked in Ledra. He would take them on vacation. He was very much looking forward.
On Monday, July 15, her brother Grigoris went camping in the mountains.
In Nicosia, there were armed soldiers around the archdiocese. They were told that a coup had taken place and that the roads were closed. They were forced to turn back. They could not return to the Solution. So they had to stay in a hotel until the roads opened.
At home, as in all of Cyprus, they heard that a coup had taken place. The whole family was very worried. Fortunately, the next day he returned to Solution.
The fear and anxiety about what would follow was great. 12-year-old Maria could not understand many things from politics. It was not her problem. But she did not like meeting armed people in the streets of the village.
Saturday 6 January 1962.
Giannoula and Andrea Pelopida's second child is born at Famagusta Hospital. She is a girl, they named her Panagiota after her grandmother Patou. They also have their eldest son, Pambos, who is five years old. Parents are happy with their two children. Andreas's grandparents lived with them. Shortly before going to primary school, her sister Yula was born. It was named after grandfather George. The family is complete. Both parents work. Their children grow up with a lot of love and care. Yota is a very good student. Her dream was to study in France. To become a French language teacher.
When the children were young, every Sunday afternoon Giannoula would take them for a walk in their father's taxi office, at the beginning of Evagoros Avenue, near Elektriki. It was their long and pleasant walk. From there they went to Vienna for cheese pie and toy on Lytridis ponies. They used to go to the hotel Golden Marianna for tea or milkshake or in Aktaio to play in the sand and eat ice cream. On the feast of the orange and the flowerbeds, they spent the whole afternoon in the Municipal Garden. Giota was crazy about fishing for presents from the small pond. The years passed carefree, happy.
In the summer of 1974, Giota is 12 years old. She finishes with honors the Class of the Girls' High School. Her brother turns 17 years old. Their little sister Yula is 6 years old.
The treacherous coup takes place on July 15.
At Giota's house they were terrified when they heard that Makarios was dead. With her childish mind she thought it would be the end of the world. She was more worried about her brother Pampos, who was a new recruit. Fortunately, he communicated often and came home even for a short time. But now they did not allow him. He had to defend the Homeland. On the night of July 17, she went with her mother to the Republic to get skewers for her brother and his friends. They were on their way to watch the Officers' Club. From whom this Club was endangered, its innocent childish little mind could not explain. It was not her problem. She was glad to see her brother. She kissed him and told him to come home quickly…
Maria's life changed dramatically when Turkish planes bombed Lysi.
A bomb fell near the grandmother's house and was covered by debris. The father ran with his children and siblings and they released her. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured. They were very scared.
This incident has stigmatized her life. For a long time he was afraid of the noise of planes. Every time the planes passed, everyone hid under the tables to escape. The night darkness frightened them even more.
But their fear and terror increased when on the 14th of August the Turkish tanks approached Lysis and the whole family (eight people) hurried into their car to escape.
They were wandering in the fields until someone told them to go to the English bases or to Dasaki. They arrived in Achna in the afternoon and did not know where they were going from to Dasaki. At that moment a good man came out of his house and said to them: "Come stay at my house tonight and see you tomorrow".
He was a bus driver and because he was hosting two other families from Lefkonikos in the rooms of his house, he gave them the bus that was parked in the yard. (Theodosis Giannaki, otherwise Hosis of Tsouris, the wife of Penelope. They had five children. Later the Turks killed him because he was going to Achna at night. Let the soil that covers him be light.)
—
They sleep in the bus for fifteen days. Everyone had a seat (cushion) on the bus.
Theodosius's house was on the main road from Achna to Dasaki.
At one point a taxi stopped in front of them. They were two elderly people, a couple and three children. A girl of the same age as Maria. They all went out to unwind and asked for some water. Maria entered the house and brought them a bottle. She gave it to her peer and she smiled sadly. They got in the taxi and left. Maria watched him as she went out on the street and waited in line to continue his journey. Pay attention to the inscription on the rear window of the car. Taxi office "RIGINA".
Later, sitting in her seat on the bus, she watched the countless cars passing by all night. And he saw in front of her the sad and frightened look of the girl. At one point he thought.
"Is my gaze so sad, scared?"
—
The anxiety was intense in Giota's house. From the days of the coup they knew that Pampos, their soldier, was in the city.
But from the 20th of July, when the Turks entered the island and started dropping bombs and mortars, they were very anxious. One mortar exploded in the house next door and another in the opposite, causing terrible damage, noise and terror. Each time the planes flew together, about 15 people were squeezed into the bathroom. There they felt some security. Her mother was constantly sitting near the phone. He did not leave the house. Maybe her son will call. The father, too, was anxiously going to work. But now he was silent and in no mood. Grandma Patou was crying in her house. But when it came to theirs, he tried to give them courage.
Finally, on July 29, they received a call that he was in the Nicosia Hospital alive. Her parents went and when they returned they told her the news. He was injured and in aphasia for 8 days. The next day they took her with them to see her brother. He will never forget what he saw. His head was like an all-black basketball wrapped in gauze. No eyes, mouth or nose stood out. They both cried as soon as they saw each other. Fortunately, little by little everything passed.
On August 2, her beloved brother was at their house. Giota was helping her mother heal his wounds. She sat with him for many hours. He became his guardian angel.
On August 14, when the Turks entered Famagusta, Giota with her parents, grandfather, grandmother and siblings were stacked in their taxi and left in a hurry until the bad happened. They also follow the endless motorcade.
Go to the British bases. There was no room for other people. They had to continue. They remembered Giota's godfather in Xylotympou. They made their way there. They arrive in Achna. The little sister is crying. He was thirsty and they had no more water with them. Their legs ached, they numb. They stopped in the yard of a house with a bus fixed.
They all went out. They asked for some water. A little girl, who got off the bus, entered the house and brought them a full bottle. He gave it to the girl, who was the same age as her. She took it and gave her a sad smile. Fear was painted on her face. She first gave it to her brother, who appeared to be ill. After everyone drank, they got into the taxi and continued on their way. Giota felt a little better.
The brief presence of the unknown girl calmed her…
Michalakis Tsaparilas
Paralimni 05.01.22
