"Snow on the belfry? Snow is for rich people, warm ones, daring ones.
Not for the frozen, poor and disabled. (as for the belfry we let the
archeologists take care of it).
The orange sun rises over the mountains of Turkey (Minor Asia), in one
of the sweetest winters of my life. Orange is also the boat, from all
the refugees’ life vests, that slowly comes closer to the shore. (I get
informed that after hard negotiation the bad weather forecast is
prolonged, the castaways are limited and “Removable value Tax” remains
reduced to the islands of the eastern Aegean until December 31).
Kneeling on the seaweeds of the shore I take off the soaked shoes, the
little socks of the child that stands shaking. I rub the frozen feet
hard. I put dry ones on him. I put the silver paper all around him. I
give him tea.
He looks at me, then his mum amazed. Who knows what kind of hardships
he’s been trough. What did he see? It is impossible for him to
understand how, why, a kneeled “grandpa” is taking care of him, says
words that makes no sense to him and cries behind his glasses. That boy
is my king on earth, my riches and my treasure. I won’t bargain him with
any darn Czech prime minister. I don’t allow to any (*insert name of
Greek not pro-refugees politician here*) to “avert” him. I take him from
his hand and deliver him to my crumpled prime minister, my exhausted but
durable Muzala, not drowned but alive, to travel with him at the World
Summits, where humanity is in an unequal battle against violence, a
battle with painful compromises, unbearable pressures, humiliation.
In a day like this, I salute captain Avgerinos and the rest of Sikamnia,
with the children that you gather from the waves. I salute you too
foreign volunteers (exact. Foreign “solidary” people), that are far away
from the Christmas tables of your homes. All of us who knows what kind
of New Year’s Eve are we going to have. Who knows what we are going to
say instead of a fairytale."
Written by Stratis Pallis, member of Siniparksi (Coexistence and
Communication in the Aegean), local organization, and ex mayor of
Mytilini town (1982-1990)
here the greek version:
http://www.emprosnet.gr/blogs/hronografima/79736-hristoygenniatiko-alla-ohi-paramythi
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» Greece "Christmas, but not a ferry tale." by Stratis Pallis in Lesvos.