{"id":478,"date":"2015-01-08T22:06:31","date_gmt":"2015-01-08T20:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/giorgistaxideutis.gr\/?p=478"},"modified":"2026-05-08T01:17:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:17:39","slug":"from-the-unfinished-novel-in-memory-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/giorgistaxideutis.gr\/?p=478","title":{"rendered":"In memory…"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the unfinished novel<\/span><\/p>\n

That evening, Panayiotis made her his for the first time. As his lips met hers and his body struggled against hers, his desire did not subside \u2014 it flared even hotter.<\/span><\/p>\n

He felt like a stormy sea crashing against rocks, only to pull back and strike again with greater force.<\/span><\/p>\n

The flame that had burned inside him for so long did not die down; it roared suddenly, fiercely, consuming every inch of his body and soul.<\/span><\/p>\n

He understood then that he would never escape this feeling. It was beyond his power.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he kissed the untouched skin of her neck, the raw intensity in his eyes frightened Vaso.<\/span><\/p>\n

This man \u2014 her husband now \u2014 felt things for her so immense that she knew she could never fully return them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, she gave herself to his experienced hands and lived her first night with him with all the strength she possessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

But for Panayiotis, it was not enough. When dawn found them exhausted in each other\u2019s arms, he whispered hoarsely:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cEven though you became mine, you are not mine. And if my eyes ever see you looking at another man, or another man looking at you\u2026 I will kill you first, and then myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

The funeral procession moved slowly up Maratou Street toward Anthoupoli Cemetery.<\/span><\/p>\n

The coffin was carried by the dead man\u2019s brothers, followed by his mother and a large crowd of relatives and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Alexandra walked at the head, almost defiantly, though her occasional unsteady steps and waxen face betrayed the turmoil inside her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaso had been waiting at her front door. When she saw the procession, she turned to her sister Nikolitsa and said, \u201cGive me your red jacket.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo inside,\u201d her sister replied. \u201cWhat you\u2019re about to do is wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight or wrong, I\u2019m wearing it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She took the bright red jacket, slipped it on, pulled out a tube of red nail polish, sat on the top step, and began painting her nails slowly and deliberately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nikolitsa tried to drag her inside. \u201cHave you lost your mind, Vaso? He was your husband, after all. Get inside \u2014 you\u2019re making a spectacle of yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Death, the joy you bring me today,\u201d Vaso answered, \u201cand sorrow you take away.\u201d She stood her ground, refusing to move.<\/span><\/p>\n

And they all saw her. They saw the unquenchable hatred burning in her eyes \u2014 a hatred that refused to die even with Panayiotis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Had there not been so many people present, his brothers would have attacked her on the spot. Instead, they only muttered curses under their breath, their teeth clenched.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Vaso, this funeral procession was her triumph. Her justice. A joy she would never trade for anything in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they reached the grave, the priest spoke the final words. The brothers lowered the coffin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It was the only moment Alexandra broke. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps then she finally realized her beloved son was gone forever. Or perhaps she understood \u2014 too late \u2014 that when fate writes something, we have no right to interfere.<\/span><\/p>\n

And if we do, the price is too high, too painful, and lasts forever.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That evening, Panayiotis made her his for the first time. And as his lips were touching<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,244],"tags":[349],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articlesinenglish","category-short-stories","tag-in-memory"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t