Eternity and a Day Page #2

You lost

and you started crying.

We had no choice, father...

Only two people, Nikos and me,

in that immense house...

damaged by the earthquake

and surrounded by buildings.

We walked hand in hand

along the banks of the lake.

I tried everything...

you were inconsolable!

A glass of water, please,

and a sandwich.

I have a clandestine kid

on board...

So what?

A little refugee from Albania...

of Greek origin apparently.

So what?

How long does it take from here

to the Albanian border?

2 hours... Maybe more if it snows.

You need to cross the mountain.

Why don't you ask

that bus-driver?

He's going to Pentalofo in the north,

not far from the border.

He ran away!

They do it all the time!

The cops keep catching them

and send them back home...

All in vain! They keep

crossing the mountains.

How did you come to Greece?

Don't you want to tell me?

Is your village far from the border?

- Do you have a family over there?

- My grandmother.

That bus goes to Pentalofo,

close to the border.

I could not leave you there

after all that. Do you understand?

I'm leaving on a journey tomorrow.

I don't have the time...

Once there, the driver will find you

a taxi to get to the border.

Don't you want to go

to your grandmother's?

# Little exiled bird

# and unhappy

# a foreign country

is happy to have you

# and I long for you

# What can I send you

my little flower? #

Did you say "my little flower"?

Repeat...

What did you say?

The song... Say it again!

I could not leave you like that.

I had to find a solution.

I know what you want,

but I can't leave you like that!

I just can't!

Hello.

A glass of water.

Where can I find a taxi

to take the child to the border?

It won't be easy to find,

the road is terrible.

My son-in-law has a taxi.

Shall I call him?

Yes.

He'll be here in 10 minutes.

Giorgos, 4 rakis

and something to eat!

# If I send you an apple, it'll rot

# If I send you a quince

it'll dry

# a bunch of white grapes

will lose its beads along the way

# I'll send you a tear in a... #

What's wrong?

You're trembling!

Were you afraid of the police?

No.

It's yours.

Remember those words,

on the motorway...

"korphoula mou"?

Do you know what a poet is?

If I had the time, I would tell to you

the story of a poet...

who used to buy words.

I understand.

Let's go. You are going to freeze...

Let's go.

The armed gangs came down to the streets.

The men shot all night.

They entered the houses,

the babies cried...

The empty village...

The passage is up there.

My buddy Slim knew it,

he had already crossed it.

There are a few signs

left by some grown-ups,

some plastic bags

hanging from the trees.

If you don't know it, you get lost.

The snow eats you up.

From a bag to another,

you arrive to a bare plateau.

Slim started screaming...

because I didn't know it

and started walking.

"There are hidden bombs there, bonehead! "

- he tells me.

"Get down! "

I did.

He took a big stone...

and threw it in front of him

then he crouched down

before it fell on the snow.

Nothing happened,

so we advanced up to the stone.

He had me crouch down,

took the stone...

and threw it farther.

I was afraid, I was cold...

We started walking again.

And that way, throwing the stone,

we reached the other side.

We saw the lights far away.

I don't have anybody.

I lied.

I have to leave tomorrow,

I told you.

You've fooled me again!

A sandwich, please!

Thank you.

Don't you ever eat?

Sometimes.

- I know what a poet is.

- Do you?

I see...

Once there was a poet,

last century.

A great poet.

He was Greek...

but he grew up and lived in Italy.

One day, he learned

that the Greek...

who were under the Ottoman,

had put on their weapons

to conquer back their freedom.

Then inside he felt

his lost country, the years

of his childhood on the island,

his mother's face

who still lived there, wake up inside.

He had no peace anymore.

He walked and was delirious.

Every night, he dreamt of his mother

in her bridal white dress,

who called him.

I made up my mind!

I'm leaving for Greece.

I cannot stay here.

After so many centuries,

the Greek put on their weapons.

What can a poet do?

Sing the revolution,

cry over the dead

invoke the lost face of freedom.

The following day,

he took a boat in Venice

and went back to Greece,

in Zante...

his island.

He recognised the faces,

the colours, the perfumes...

his house...

but he didn't know the language.

He wanted to sing the revolution,

but he couldn't speak

his mother's language.

Then he started going through

the popular districts...

the fields, the fishermen's villages,

noting the words that he heard,

and paying for those

that he heard for the first time.

The news spread everywhere.

"The poet buys words! "

From then on, wherever he went,

the poor of all the island

gathered, old and young

and seized him to sell him words.

Abyss...

Fragrant...

Dew...

Stream...

Nightingales...

Sky...

Wave...

Lake...

Unknown...

Embalm...

Most light...

Most light...

Tell me, last night, what did you see?

A night enamelled with prodigies.

a night full of magic.

Most... light.

And so he wrote his Hymn to liberty".

Of course, he also wrote other poems...

among which a very long, incomplete one

that he called "The Free Besieged".

He spent the rest of his life

trying to finish it.

But he never did.

He lacked some words.

I brought the dog, Ourania.

I didn't have anywhere to leave him.

My son is getting married.

Forgive me, I didn't want

to spoil your feast.

I don't know where to leave him.

I am sorry...

Let me come with you

tomorrow.

The bride is beautiful!

You know, my daughter and her husband

sold the house on the beach.

I wish I...

I think he's hungry.

I see you smiling

but you are sad.

Do you want me

to bring you a few words?

They'll cost you alot!

Stranger...

Stranger... exile.

Stranger everywhere...

Do you understand that word?

No.

The women at the village said it.

Do you want me

to bring you others?

Where?

On the island, Anna?

Mom, I am afraid that

the sun can hurt you!

I've been dreaming

of your father, lately.

Every night.

I miss him so much!

He left too early.

- You were on journey, as usual!

- My first book was published in France.

You were never too close to him.

You always contradicted him,

and he suffered for that.

But I returned as soon as I could.

What are you two plotting?

Your hat, mother.

- I should have stayed with the baby.

- Melpo and the children are with her.

I should have stayed with the baby!

Melpo is with her.

don't worry!

"I try to kidnap you

between a book and another.

"You live your life close to us,

your daughter and me...

"but not with us.

"I know than one day you will leave.

"The wind pushes your eyes away.

"but today, give me this day

"as if it was the last.

"Give me this day!"

What are you thinking of?

I am going to climb up there!

Traitor!

Why you are angry, Anna?

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