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Excerpt: Yasou Nikki
From all around the village, from all over the island, people came to the
party. The priest with his black hat and long beard, Uncle Yanni, Aunt
Sophia and handsome cousin Manoli, Mr and Mrs Zervakis, Nico and Chrisoula,
Yorgo, grandmother Ya Ya and grandfather Pa Pou, and everyone else in the
whole world that Nikoletta knew.
They had come to say goodbye to Nikoletta and her mother and father and baby
Pavlos.
Bright laughing excited words floated over quiet grey weeping words; sad
words swirled through happy words like yellow paint through red, till they
were all mixed up together and Nikoletta could hardly tell which was which.
She was happy because this was the biggest party she'd ever been to, and
there was dancing and music and people were laughing and there were kataifi
and baclava and all her favourite things to eat, and everyone wanted to kiss
her and hug her and say, 'Don't forget to come back to see us when you're a
beautiful young lady.'
But when the priest made a speech Pa Pou sniffed and blew his nose, Mama's
bright face crumpled, and Aunt Sophia cried noisy tears as if they were
dying instead of going away. And even though Baba said that when they got to
their new country he'd have a good business with Uncle Costa, better than he
could ever have on their island, and everything would be exciting and new,
at the very bottom of Nikoletta was a part that didn't care about Baba's
business or anything new, and just wanted to stay here where she'd always
been, where she knew everyone and everyone knew her.
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