Chapter 12 Chapter 11

"Hey! Antonis! Wait a minute!" The order was indifferent, exactly the tone of a master to a servant.Andres stopped the car not far from Antonis, who was cutting down old and dead olive trees, and Andres waved to him, telling him to come over.Antonis put down what he was doing and leaned on the handle of the axe.He was not yet accustomed to obeying his young master.Although the wandering life in the past few years was very difficult and uncomfortable, they were happy and free without restraint.He found that he was not used to the same daily routine, and he was not used to jumping up and listening every time the boss gave an order.And if that wasn't enough, he had a special reason to hate the man who got up from the driver's seat and yelled at him.He really wanted to smash the ax into Andres' neck.

Antonis was glistening with sweat, dripping from his eyebrows, his shirt stuck to his back.It's only the end of May, but the temperature is already frighteningly high.He's not going to jump to attention, not yet anyway.He calmly picked up the empty gourd under his feet, pulled out the cork, and took a long gulp. Ana... just last week Antonis had paid so little attention to her that he hadn't even given her a second thought, but that All Saints' Day night she had aroused his desire and kept him awake.He reminisced about the moment they embraced over and over again.It was less than ten minutes, maybe even shorter, but to Antonis, every second was as long and memorable as a whole day.Then, it's all over.Right in front of him, the possible love was snatched away.Antonis had been watching Andrés Vandoraki since he arrived, watching him dance with Anna.He knew then, even before the war began, he knew the end, who would win it.He has no chance at all.

Antonis walked slowly towards Andres, but Andres was ignorant of Antonis' subtle attitude. "You live in Plaka, don't you?" Andrés said. "I want you to send this to me. Do it today." He hands over an envelope.Antonis knew whose name was on the outside without looking. "I'll go when I'm free," he said, feigning indifference, as he folded the letter in two and stuffed it into the back pocket of his trousers. "I want it delivered today," Andres said sternly. "Don't forget." The truck's engine roared to life, and Andres backed out of the field in a hurry. The dry dust from the ground, like a dark cloud, floated in the air and filled Antonis' lungs.

"Why should I deliver this damn letter for you?" Antonis yelled at Andres' disappearing back, "Damn you!" He knew the letter would seal his pain, but he also knew he had no choice but to make sure it arrived safely.If he didn't do it, Andrés Vendoraki would soon find out that he would pay the damned price.All day long the new letter sat in his pocket.Whenever he sat down, the letter rustled, and he wanted to tear it to shreds, ball it up, throw it down the ravine, or set fire to it with the sawdust he saw that day, and watch It burns off slowly.These thoughts tormented him.But the only thing that didn't bother me was taking it apart.He couldn't bear to read it.In fact, you don't need to read it to guess what the letter will say.

That evening Anna was surprised to see Antonis standing at the door.He knocked on the door, hoping that she was not at home, but she was there, still smiling brightly with her mouth open, no matter who stood in front of her, she always treated everyone equally and smiled whenever she met. "I have a letter for you," Antonis said without waiting for her to speak, "from Andrés Pandoraki." The words had been stuck in his throat, but he found himself saying them. Shi actually restrained himself very well, without showing a trace of emotion, and he was very satisfied.Anna's eyes widened, not hiding her excitement.

"Thank you," she said, taking the now limp and crumpled letter from him, carefully avoiding his eyes.She seemed to have forgotten the warmth of their embrace.Does that mean anything to her?Antonis thought.At that time, the hug seemed to be the beginning, and now he understands that the kiss he was looking forward to was just a momentary pleasure for her. Anna stood on one leg and could see that she was eager to open the letter and wanted him to leave.Antonis took a step back as Ana said goodbye and slammed the door behind her.The door slammed like a slap in the face. Back in the house, Anna sat at the low table and opened the letter with trembling hands. She wanted to savor this moment carefully.what will she findPassionate?The love words on the stationery exploded like fireworks?Sentimentality touches like a shooting star across a clear night sky?Like any eighteen-year-old girl with poetic feelings, she is destined to be disappointed by the letter on the table in front of her:

Although the content of the letter excited her, and her desire to leave Plaka was further advanced, the believable formalization made her half cold.Anna thought that Andres was highly educated and that he could use words well, but this hastily written note was as heartless as the ancient Greek grammar book she threw aside when she got home from school. Lunch was held as scheduled, and many times since.Anna was accompanied by her father each time, in keeping with the strict etiquette observed by everyone rich and poor.A few times before, at noon, the servant would pick up the father and daughter in the car of Alexandros Vendoraki and take them to the mansion with a porch in Naples, and it would be punctual at three-thirty Send them home.The form is always the same.Once there, they were ushered into an airy drawing room where every piece of furniture was covered with delicate drapes embroidered with white lace.A huge cabinet displaying fine, almost transparent china.In this room, Aleftria Vendoraki brought them a small dish of candied fruit and a small glass of liqueur, and when they had finished eating and collected the empty plates and glasses, they went in together. A dimly lit dining room with a painting of a man with a bushy mustache looking down on them from the planks.Even here, the red tape must go on, when Alexandros appeared, folded his hands, made the cross on his chest, and said to father and daughter: "Welcome." The two visitors will say in unison: "I am very happy With you." Every meeting was the same, until Anna knew exactly what was going on minute by minute.

Visiting again and again, they sat on beautifully carved high-backed chairs with a black and shiny table in front of them, and they politely took every dish served by the servant.Aleftria cooks the dishes herself, trying to make her guests relax; years ago, when she was being vetted by the elders of the Vendoraki family to see if she was eligible to be the wife of Alexandros, she also once Subject to the same test.She remembered the unbearable stiffness of the entire meeting, as if it had been yesterday.Yet despite the woman's well-intentioned efforts, the conversation was cocky, and Giorgis and Ana were painfully aware that they were being scrutinized.This is to be expected.While no one has ever considered this a marriage proposal, if it were, there are many conditions of engagement that need to be established.

By the time of the seventh meeting, the Pandorakis had moved to the big house on the Elounda estate, where they would live from September to April.Anna is getting a little impatient now.She and Andres hadn't been alone since the dance in May, and one night she complained to the Fotini mother and daughter: "It's not like our business, the whole village is watching us! Why? To delay so long?" "Because if you want to be good for you and the whole village, you can't be in a hurry." Savina said wisely. Anna, Maria, and Fotini were at Angelopoulos' house, and were supposed to learn from female reds.But in fact, there, they repeatedly discussed the so-called "Vandoraki situation".Now, Ana feels like an animal at the local fair, being judged on her eligibility.Maybe she should lower her sights after all.But she was determined to maintain her enthusiasm.She is eighteen years old, school life has long been a thing of the past, and her only ambition is to marry a good man.

"I'm going to treat the next few months as a waiting game," she said. "Besides, Dad needs care too." Naturally, it was Maria who actually took care of Giorgis, and knowing she would be at home for a long time, Maria put aside her desire to be a teacher.However, she held back when she heard this.This is not the right time to confront Anna. It was not until the spring of the following year that Alexandros Pandoraki was finally satisfied with himself. Despite the huge difference in wealth and social status between them, it would be nice if his son could marry Anna as his bride.After all, she was very beautiful and very intelligent, and there was no doubt that she gave Andrés her whole being.One day, they finished lunch again, and the two fathers returned to the reception room alone.Alexandros Van Doraki puts it bluntly: "We all understand that the union may not be the right one, but we are satisfied that it will be neither bad nor bad. My wife advised me that Ann Andres will be happier with your daughter than with any other woman he has ever met, so as long as Anna fulfills her duties as wife and mother, we see little objection."

"I don't have any dowry for you." Giorgis said directly. "We are fully aware of this," Alexandros replied. "Anna's dowry is her promise to be a good wife, and her promise to help manage the estate to the best of her ability. Managing the estate is of great significance and requires a good woman to be present. I will be retiring in a few years and the burden on Andres will be even heavier." "I'm sure she'll do her best," Giorgis said simply.He felt powerless.The immense power and wealth of the family terrified him, as did the size of everything around them: the great black furniture, the sumptuous rugs and tapestry, the costly icons on the walls all spoke of the family's magnificence.But he told himself it didn't matter if he felt at home here or not.The important thing is whether Anna can really get used to this kind of grandeur.Although Giorgis was at the Vandoraki's house, like a foreigner in a foreign land, he saw that Anna was not at all uncomfortable here.She could sip gracefully from a glass, eat gracefully, and speak with grace, as if she had been born to do so.Of course, he knew she was just acting. "The most important thing is that she was well-bred, and your wife, Mrs. Petkis, was very well educated." At the mention of Eleni, Giorgis fell silent.All the Vandorakis knew was that Anna's mother had died a few years ago, but he didn't want them to know more than that. Maria was waiting for them when they came home that afternoon.She seemed to know that this meeting was crucial. "Huh?" she said. "Did he propose to you?" "Not yet," replied Anna, "but I know soon. I just know." Maria knew that her sister's biggest dream was to be Anna Vendoraki, and she wanted Anna to be the same.It would get her out of the bulaka and into a world she'd dreamed of, where she didn't have to cook, clean, mend or spin. "They know very well," said Anna, "they know what kind of house we live in, and they know that I have nothing to take with me except a few pieces of jewelry from my mother, and that's all the dowry—" "They know about Mom?" Maria interrupted Anna suspiciously. "Only know that Father is a widower," retorted Anna quickly, "that's all they know." The conversation was over, as if it were a little box with a spring-loaded lid that snapped shut. "What's next?" Maria asked, taking the conversation out of the danger zone. "I'll wait," said Anna, "I'll wait until he proposes to me. But it's torture at the same time, and if he doesn't propose soon, I'm really going to die." "He will, I'm sure. Obviously he loves you. Everyone says so." "Who is everyone referring to?" Anna asked sharply. "I really don't know, but Fotini said that everyone in the manor thinks so." "How would Fotini know?" Maria knew she had talked too much.Although there have never been any secrets between these girls, the situation has changed in the past few months.Fotini confided to Maria about her brother's obsession with Anna, and the chatter of the manor workers contained nothing but the young master's ongoing engagement to a girl from the village.This made his pain even worse.Poor Antonis. Anna pressed Maria to tell her. "Antonis said it. He's obsessed with you, you must know. He told gossip at Fotini's manor. Everyone is saying that Andres is going to propose to you." Ana was content to know that she was the subject of discussion and speculation.She relishes being the center of attention and wants to know more. "What else did they say? Go on, Maria, tell me!" "They say he's married to a woman of lower status than him." Anna didn't think of this, and of course she didn't want to hear it.She reacted violently. "I don't care what they think! Why can't I marry Andres Vendoraki? Of course I won't marry Antonis Angelopoulos. He has nothing but the shirt he wears !" "Don't say that about our good friend's brother—and besides, he has nothing because he left home to fight for his country while the others stayed home and made money to fill their pockets." Maria did not like to hear Maria's last carbine, which was sharp and piercing.She rushes at her sister, and Maria, as she did when she was involved in a quarrel with the lawless Anna, will not be like Anna, she will just run out of the house, much faster than Anna, like a maze in one breath He ran out of sight down the side street until he reached the end of the village. Maria is a self-controlled woman.Unlike her moody older sister, Anna's emotions, thoughts and actions are all improvised for all to see.Maria, on the other hand, is thoughtful.She often sees someone regretting getting emotional and blurting out words without thinking, and she always takes her feelings and choices to heart.Over the past few years, she has been able to control her emotions better than before.In this way, she always maintains a satisfied look, mainly to protect her father.However, sometimes, she will let it go and vent her feelings to the fullest. At that time, it is no less than a huge thunder exploding in the cloudless sky. Despite the views of the manor workers and some hesitation of Alexandros Pandoraki, the engagement was fixed for April.After lunch, the newlyweds were left alone in the dim living room, which was more restrained than usual.Ana was so anticipating the engagement that when the moment finally came, Ana felt nothing when Andrés took her hand.She had played this scene so many times in her head that when it finally happened, it was as if she were an actor on the stage.She felt numb and everything seemed unreal. "Anna," said Andres, "I have something to tell you." There was nothing romantic, unimaginative, or even a hint of mystery about the proposal, it was as practical as the floor they were treading on. "Will you marry me?" Anna achieved her goal, won the bet she had made with herself, and could sneer at those who thought it impossible for her to marry into a landowner's family.That was the first thought that popped into her mind as she took Andres' hand and kissed him completely and passionately for the first time. Traditionally, during the time of the engagement, the future husband's family kept sending Anna presents: beautiful clothes, silk underwear, expensive trinkets, although her father could not buy her anything, but in the end she became Fando When she was with the Lackeys, she had everything she needed. "It seems like every day is my saint's day," Anna said to Fotini.Fotini came to see the latest batch of gifts from Heraklion.The small house in Plaka was filled with the fragrance of luxury. In the days after the occupation ended, a pair of silk stockings was extremely hard to find for those without money. Anna's dowry was so spectacular that all the girls lined up to see it.Oyster-coloured satin underwear and pajamas, wrapped in layers of crepe paper and placed in a box, seemed to be something only seen in Hollywood movies.Anna picked up a piece of clothing to show her friends, and the fabric slid between her fingers like water into the pool.They were beyond her wildest dreams. A week before the wedding, Braca started making traditional crown bread.After the flour is fermented seven times, it becomes a large bagel decorated with an intricate pattern of a hundred flowers and leaves, baked and topped with sugar syrup to turn it golden brown.A complete bagel symbolizes that the bride will grow old with her husband.Meanwhile, at the Vendoraki home, Andrés's sisters got to work on the wedding decorations, using silk, ivy, pomegranates and bay leaves to create the wedding area in the couple's future room. A lavish party was held to celebrate the engagement, which will take place the following March.The engagement party was extravagant.Guests arrive at the Pandoraki home before the ceremony in Elounda.It was a strange group of guests, rich men from Elounda, San Nicolas, and Naples, mixed with the workers of the estates and dozens of villagers from Plaka.The people from Plaka breathed a sigh of relief when Anna appeared in front of the guests, her chest covered in gold coins, enough to fill a bank coffer, and her earrings were heavily jeweled.She is dazzling in the bright spring, wearing a traditional scarlet bridal gown, as if she stepped out of "Arabian Nights". Giorgis looked at her with pride and bewilderment, and was amazed that this was his daughter!Almost unrecognizable her.Now more than any other time he wished Eleni was here, seeing their eldest daughter so beautiful.He wondered how Eleni felt about her daughter marrying into such a wealthy family.The eldest daughter always reminded him of his wife, but there was something about Anna that was completely foreign to him.It seemed impossible that he, Giorgis, such a humble fisherman, could have anything to do with such a scene. Maria helped Anna get ready that morning.Anna's hands trembled so much that Maria had to button every button for her.She knew this was exactly what Ana wanted and she achieved her ultimate goal.Maria was sure that her sister had rehearsed how to be a lady many times in her daydreams, and she would have no trouble adapting to real life. "Tell me, it's true," Anna said, "I can't believe I'm really going to be Lady Vendoraki!" "It couldn't be more true," Maria assured her, wondering what it would be like to live in such a wealthy family.She hopes that doesn't just mean more expensive jewelry and nice clothes.Even for Ana, these things were not enough. The mixed guests made the engagement extraordinary, but what was even more extraordinary was that the pre-wedding feast was not traditionally held at the bride's home, but at the groom's.Everyone fully understands the reason, and there is no need to explain it.What kind of dinner party can Giorgis Petrakis's house throw?The noble ladies of Naples giggled and laughed at the thought of this, just as they did when they heard that the son of the Vendoraki family was going to marry the daughter of a poor fisherman. "What the hell is this family thinking?" they dismissed.But no matter what everyone thinks about this wedding, all the people who come here can enjoy the delicious roast lamb, cheese, and fine wine produced by Fandoraki. When the two hundred stomachs are full, the wedding ceremony begins .Cars, trucks, and donkeys loaded with things formed a long procession, meandering towards Elounda. For Cretans, rich or poor, wedding celebrations are the same.Two Stefanas, simple wedding wreaths made of dried flowers and tied with ribbons, are placed by the priest on the heads of the newlyweds and exchanged three times to cement the union.Later, the two wreaths would be framed by Anna's mother-in-law Aleftria and hung above the newlyweds' marriage bed so that, as the saying goes, no one could interfere with the marriage.Most of the time, the sacred wedding words were drowned out in the chatter of the crowd, but at the end, when the priest held the hands of the bride and groom together, there was a roar in the church.The bride and groom danced the Isaiah in silence around the altar, and the guests knew they would be outside in the sunshine before long. Next, the bride and groom rode in a carriage, and the people followed in procession back to the Pandoraki's house, where a long table had been set up for another feast.People ate, drank, and danced until evening, and before the sun rose, guns were fired to signal the end of the festivities. After the wedding, Ana all but disappeared from Plaka's life.At first she would visit her father once a week, but gradually, she only sent a car to pick him up and rarely showed up in Plaka.As the wife of a future manor owner, she finds her social status drastically altered.However, this is not a problem for her.That's exactly what she wanted - a clean break with her past. Anna throws herself into her new role and soon discovers that her responsibilities as a daughter-in-law are as great as those of a wife.She was with Aleftria and her friends all day, either visiting them or receiving them at home, all of whom, as she imagined, enjoyed this near idleness.Anna's main duty was to take care of the Pandoraki family's domestic affairs, most practically making sure that when the men came back in the evening, the servants had a good table. Desiring a change, Anna lives for the two of them, freeing them from dark curtains and dimly lit furniture.She babbled to Andrés until Andrés took her mother aside and asked for permission, while Aleftria turned to seek the opinion of the real head of the family.Everything in the house is decided in this way. "I don't want everyone to change too much," Alexandros Van Doraki told his wife, referring to the house in Elounda. "If Anna wants to, she can repaint the house in Naples. .” The bride started the job right away, and soon fell in love with all kinds of fabrics, wallpapers, and a small importer's shop in San Nicolás, specializing in French and Italian goods, which she visited countless times.The renovation kept her busy and focused, and Andrés also benefited from it, and he found that every day when he came home, Anna was lively and light. Another of Anna's responsibilities was hosting the All Saints' Day celebration, which Vandoraki hosted for the workers in their family.Anna is good at putting on a show.Sometimes during these dinners she felt the gaze of Antonis Angelopoulos upon her, and she would raise her head to meet his cold gaze.Occasionally he also speaks to her. "Mrs. Pandoraki," he would make an exaggerated meekness, bowing deeply, "how are you?" Ana cringes at his attitude, and she replies rather curtly, "Fine, thank you." With that said, she turned her back to him.His expression and his attitude are challenging her, as if saying that she is not his master, how dare he? Anna's marriage not only changed her own status, but her departure also meant a change for Maria.Maria is now the mistress of the house.In the past, Maria spent a lot of energy on currying favor with and appeasing Anna, but now that Anna is gone, her burden is much lighter.She devoted all her energies to running the Petkis family, and often accompanied her father on deliveries to Spinalonga. For Giorgis, who couldn't personally place flowers on Irene's grave, every visit to Spinalonga was an opportunity to remember her.He continued with Dr. Lapakis to and fro between the isle and Plaka, sunny or stormy, and on these voyages the doctor would talk about his work and confess to Giorgis how many lepers were dying, How much he missed the days when Crittis came to visit. "He brings a glimmer of hope," Lapakis said wearily. "I don't quite believe in myself, but I see how good it is to have faith, which is a goal in itself. For some lepers, believing in Kerry Tees can heal them enough to stop them from wanting to die. Many people already feel that there is nothing left to live for." Lapakis had received several letters from his old colleagues explaining why he hadn't come and saying they were very sorry.Kritis is still busy rebuilding the destroyed hospital in Heraklion at the moment, so he can't get away to continue his research for the time being.In private, Lapakis began to despair, pouring out his bitterness to Giorgis.Many people would kneel and pray to God, but Lapakis had no faith and could only rely on this faithful fisherman, whose pain was never much greater than his. While people on Spinalonga continued to die of leprosy, for those who were less seriously ill, life was full of the unexpected.Since the end of the war there were two film showings a week, the market was better than ever, and the newspapers were getting better and better.Dimitri, now seventeen, has been teaching five- and six-year-olds while another, more experienced teacher is teaching the older children; The arrangement brings joy to both parties.Everyone on the island is content.Even Theodoros Majridakis no longer wanted trouble.He loves bickering in bars, but has long since given up fighting for control that ultimately has the final say.Nichols Papatimitrio did a great job. Maria and Fotini were busy with their daily chores, which were like a dance, with repetitive steps, for several years.Savina Angelopoulos had three sons, and she needed healthy and capable daughters to help her, feed and take care of the men in the family, so Fotini, like Maria, was bound by housework in Bra Card. Although Eleni had hoped that her daughter would be better off and not be in the village, she did not expect Maria to be so conscientious.There was nothing else on the girl's mind but to take care of her father, even though she had imagined herself standing in front of the students with chalk in hand like her mother.But all these longings faded away, like the patterns stamped on their old curtains. For several years the two girls shared the joys and inadequacies of life, fulfilled their duties, and found nothing to complain about.To fetch water from the village pump, to gather wood for the stove, to sweep, to spin, to cook, to beat rugs.The entire thyme-strewn hillside facing the sea is where the beehives are located, and Maria comes here regularly to collect the honey; the honey is so thick that she hasn't had to buy sugar for several years.In their backyard, old olive oil jars filled with basil, mint, and small storage jars, while large mouthed ceramic jars that once held water or oil were cracked and unusable, are just the right time to be careful. Care for the home of geraniums, lilies and other plants. The girls are the heirs of folklore that has gradually developed over a thousand years, and they are now considered old enough to learn unwritten trades that have been passed down from generation to generation.Fotini's grandmother knew much of this, and told them how to dye wool from the petals of irises, hibiscus, and chrysanthemums;And women who taught them the miraculous powers of local herbs, who went into the mountains to find wild sage, sweet-scented clover, and chamomile for their healing properties.If they were lucky, they would gather baskets full of the most precious herb, white oregano, which was said to heal wounds, as well as sore throats and stomach ailments.When Giorgis fell ill, Maria always prepared the right dose for him to take, and soon her reputation for herbal remedies spread throughout the village. As they hiked far into the mountains, they also picked jota, an iron-rich alpine green that was an important part of their daily diet.As children they played on the beach and made sand pies, now flour crust and vanilla pies are a way for grown-ups to pass the time. Between late autumn and early spring, Maria had the most important job of keeping the fires burning in the house.Fire not only keeps them warm and sanity when the winter winds blow outside; it keeps the soul of the house alive. Spiti—the word the Greeks used for "house" and "home"—was the divine symbol of harmony, and their home, more than any other home, required constant nourishment. No matter how onerous Maria's domestic chores might seem to city folks—at least it seemed to Anna, who was living so luxuriously now—there was always time for gossip and love affairs.Fotini's home is one such center.Since idleness was considered a sin, the serious work of gossiping could only be done alongside such ignorant activities as sewing and embroidery.Not only does this keep the girls busy, but it also gives them the opportunity to prepare for the future.Every pillowcase, cushion, tablecloth, and rug in a married woman's home was embroidered by herself, by her mother or grandmother.Only Anna is an exception.For several years she sat and sewed with older and wiser women, and she only finished a small corner of the pillowcase.That was her constant rebellion.It's not easy to see her being lazy.Her fingers were idle while the other girls and women sat talking and sewing.She would swing the needle in circles, make gestures, and draw patterns in the air with thread, but she seldom sewed cloth.Fortunately, she married into a family that lacked everything. The girls' hands have to change their work with the seasons, and sometimes they have to go outdoors during the year to join the battle of picking grapes, and they will compete to be the first to jump into the barrel and crush the juicy grapes.Then, just before winter, they join the crowd in tapping the olive trees, causing a cascade of olives to fall into the open baskets below.On days like this, there is laughter and flirting everywhere.Whenever this kind of collective labor is finished, there must be dancing and carnival to celebrate. As the days passed, the carefree but heavy burdened young girls left the circle one after another.They found husbands, or, more commonly, husbands were found for them.In general, they were either young men from Plaka or young men from neighboring villages.The parents had known each other for years, matching them when they could count but not write their names.When Fotini announces her engagement to Maria, Maria sees her world coming to an end.She pretends to be happy and happy, but privately she reproaches herself with jealousy and envisions her life to be nothing more than sitting on a threshold with old widows in the evenings as the sun goes down, crocheting Lace. Fotini was the same age as Maria, twenty-two now.For years her father had been supplying fish to a small restaurant by the sea, and the owner of the restaurant, Stavros Davalas, was his good friend and reliable client.Stavros' son, Stefanos, has already worked with his father and will take over the business in the future.There are not many customers in this small restaurant at ordinary times, but it is full on weekends or saints' days.Pavros Angelopoulos felt that Stephanos was a good match for his daughter, and the interdependence already established between the two families provided a favorable basis for the marriage.The young couple have known each other since childhood and are confident that they will develop a bond that will add spark to what is, after all, an arranged marriage.A small dowry has been negotiated, and the wedding will take place as soon as the engagement procedures are completed.Maria felt comforted that Fotini's married home would not be much farther away than her current home.Although Fotini now had a different, more onerous job—working in a small restaurant, running a home, and dealing with the complications of living with her in-laws—the two women saw each other every day. Maria found herself the last one left in this fading circle of friends, determined not to let people see her frustration, and devoted herself to her father with greater fervor than before, accompanying him to Spina more often. Runge to make sure the house is always spotless.For a young girl, that's not much fulfillment.Her devotion to Giorgis was admired by the villagers, but at the same time, her lack of a husband was looked down upon.Spinsters are seen as a curse, and in villages like Plaka, old age is a daily public humiliation.Had she been older and had not found a fiancé, the filial respect for her would quickly turn to ridicule.The problem now is that there are not many suitable men in Plaka, and Maria doesn't even consider marrying to another village.It was inconceivable that Giorgis would move away from Plaka, and therefore it was impossible to imagine Maria leaving Plaka.The chances of marriage, she thought, were as remote as seeing her dear mother walk through the door.