Mad

Colin

Colin lay basking in the Grecian sun after taking a swim in a nearby cove. He had left England six months prior and would be returning home in a month's time just in time for the new season. The journey to Albania had taken longer than the expected four weeks and taken them closer to six to arrive. The wind had been against them and the ship carrying him had come upon rough seas. Colin had stayed in Albania for only a month when he decided that he wished to travel to Greece again. He had written to Anthony explaining where he would be going but he had not received a response from him nor any of his family for that matter. Most likely they had not received his letter informing them of his plans and they were still sending his letters to Albania. He had given the innkeeper in Albania a forwarding address to the island he was currently staying at but doubted that his mail would ever get to him.

Suddenly feeling hungry, Colin stood and made his back into town where he stopped at a small restaurant where they had the most succulent spinach and cheese pies which he learned were called spanakopita and tyropita. He had discovered the restaurant when he had traveled to Greece last year and it had become a favorite spot of his, not only because the food was delicious, but it was conveniently located next to the inn at which he was staying. The restaurant was owned by a man named Dimitrios and his wife Stavroula did all the cooking. Stavroula had taken an immediate liking to Colin and was always giving him extra helpings of food saying that he needed fattening up, that he was too thin.

"Kolin!" called Stavroula when he entered into the restaurant. The older woman walked towards him with a wide smile and kissed Colin on both cheeks before having him sit down at his favorite table by the window so he could watch the people walking down the street.

"Stavroula! Eisai toso omorfi simera to proi" said Colin as the older woman blushed. He had been practicing his Greek and believed he had just told Stavroula that she looked beautiful. She swatted him on the arm before going back to the kitchen to get him some food. He did not care what she served him for the food was always good. As he waited for his food, he opened up the journal that he had brought him with him and started to write about the swim that he had that morning. He had found that writing had become a passion of his. He loved describing the places he went, how they looked, what they smelled like what the food tasted like. Writing fed his soul like nothing else had before and he had felt like he finally had a purpose. Colin was lost in his writing when Stavroula approached with his meal. She had brought a bowl of Avgolemono soup with roasted chicken and vegetables, along with a substantial pile of spanakopita and tyropita. For dessert were his favorite orange, walnut and honey biscuits which were called Melomakarona.

"Stavroula, you are too good to me," said Colin before diving into his food. Stavroula knew some English as her husband was a merchant before opening his restaurant.

"Aah, it is nothing," replied Stavroula as she sat across from him. She had often done this when the restaurant was not busy. She liked to watch Colin eating the food that she made. It gave her immense pleasure that he enjoyed her cooking so much.

"I will miss you when you leave Kolin. Who will I have to cook for?" said Stavroula sadly.

Colin paused and looked up from his plate and smiled. "Stavroula, I am sure that there will be plenty of people that will come to the restaurant. You make the best tyropita on the island. I must go home and see my family."

"Yes, you said before that your Mama will want you to find a nice girl to marry. Then you will never come back to visit me."

Colin smiled. "I will always come back to visit you Stavroula. Perhaps when I do marry, I will bring my wife with me."

"You could always marry one of my daughters Kolin. I know that they are not the fancy ladies that you are used to, but they would make good wives, especially Eleni."