excerpt
Hermes felt so overwhelmed by the euphoria of the company
that his pride rose again. The blood of the immortals that ran
through his veins was the Same blood that ran in the veins of these
people, with their hairy chests and their large hands that could crush
rocks and turn them to dust.
The party wound down slowly as the early dawn hours
approached. Hermes’ group boarded the same bus that brought them
there and returned to their village.
Days went by, and he still couldn’t have enough of admiring
this and that, observing ways of the locals, enjoying everything that
came along. Then, one evening, while Hermes was out on a long walk,
his uncle called from Athens, leaving him a message that the exam
results had been posted and the graduation ceremony was scheduled
for a few days later, and the time had come for Hermes to leave his
village. The next morning, he went to the city and reserved a ticket
for the boat ride to Piraeus.
Manolis Aligizakis 