THE GODCHILD

Η ΤΕΛΕΥΤΑΙΑ ΒΑΠΤΙΣΤΙΚΗ Αλέξανδρος Παπαδιαμάντης - Βικιπαίδεια (Διασκευή) Ἂν ἄλλη τις χρηστὴ γυνὴ εἶδέ ποτε καλὰ νοικοκυριὰ εἰς τὰς ἡμέρας της, ἀναντιρρήτως εἶδε τοιαῦτα καὶ ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα Κωνσταντινιά, σεβασμία οἰκοδέσποινα ἑβδομηκονταετής, κάτοικος παραθαλασσίου κώμης εἰς μίαν τῶν νήσων τοῦ Αἰγαίου. Τὴν ἐκάλουν κοινῶς Σαραντανού, καὶ πολλοὶ ὑπέθετον ὅτι τὸ ἐπίθετον τοῦτο τῇ ἀπεδόθη, διότι δῆθεν εἶχεν ἴσον μὲ σαράντα γυναικῶν νοῦν, ὅπερ δὲν ἐνομίζετο ὑπερβολή. Ἄλλοι ὅμως ἔλεγον ὅτι ἡ λέξις ἐσχηματίσθη κατὰ συγκοπὴν ἐκ τοῦ Σαραντανοννού, ἤτοι νοννὰ μὲ σαράντα βαπτιστικούς. Τὸ βέβαιον εἶναι ὅτι, ἂν δὲν εἶχε φθάσει εἰς τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦτον, δύο ἢ τρεῖς μονάδες τῆς ἔλειπον, καὶ ἤλπιζε προσεχῶς νὰ συμπληρώσῃ τὴν τεσσαρακοντάδα. Ὁμολογητέον δὲ ὅτι αὐτὴ κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς εἶχε βαπτίσει οἰκειοθελῶς μόνον πέντε ἢ ἓξ νήπια τῶν γειτόνων της, ὅσα καὶ πᾶσα ἄλλη καλὴ οἰκοκυρὰ συνήθως βαπτίζει. Ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ἅπαξ ἐγνώσθη καὶ ἀπεδείχθη ὅτι εἶχε καλὸ χέρι, τότε ὅλαι αἱ γειτόνισσαι, συγγενεῖς, παρασυγγενεῖς, κολλήγισσαι, ἤρχισαν νὰ τὴν πολιορκοῦν. Εἶχε πάρει καλὸ ὄνομα, ὅτι τῆς ἐζοῦσαν τὰ παιδιά, ὅσα ἀνεδέχετο ἐκ τῆς κολυμβήθρας. Εἶναι δὲ τόσον σπουδαῖον νὰ εὑρεθῇ νοννὰ «νὰ τῆς ζοῦν τὰ παιδιά», ὅσον καὶ ἱερεὺς «νὰ πιάνῃ τὸ διάβασμά του». Ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα ὅμως ὑπέφερε μετὰ χάριτος τὴν ἀγγαρείαν ταύτην. Εἶναι ἀληθές, ὅτι τὰ φωτίκια* εἰς τὴν ἐποχὴν ἐκείνην, χιτὼν καὶ κουκούλιον μετὰ σταυροῦ, καθὼς καὶ τὰ μαρτυριάτικα*, ἐαρινὴ βροχὴ λεπτῶν καὶ διλέπτων διὰ τοὺς ἀγυιόπαιδας, ἐκόστιζαν ἐν ὅλῳ δέκα γρόσια. Ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα ὡμοίαζε μὲ τὴν ἐπιμελῆ ἀνθοκόμον, ἥτις δὲν ἀρκεῖται νὰ φυτεύῃ μόνον τὰ ἄνθη της, ἀλλὰ τὰ περιθάλπει καὶ τὰ καταρδεύει. Ἠγάπα τὰ πνευματικά της τέκνα ὡς τέκνα της ἐγκαρδιακά, τὰ ἐθώπευε, τὰ ἐφίλευε, καὶ τὰ ἐπαιδαγώγει. Ὁ μπαρμπα-Κωνσταντής, ὁ πρῶτος γρινιάρης τοῦ χωρίου, δὲν συνεμερίζετο τὴν ἀδυναμίαν ταύτην τῆς συζύγου του. ― Ἄ, μπράβο! φίλευέ τα τ᾽ ἀναδεξίμια σου, μουρή!… ἐγόγγυζεν ἑκάστοτε, ὁσάκις τὴν ἔβλεπε μεριμνῶσαν περὶ τῶν ἀναδεκτῶν της· ηὗρες κι ἁλωνίζεις, μουρή!… Ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα ὀλίγον ἀνησύχει περὶ τῆς ἰδιοτροπίας ταύτης τοῦ συζύγου της, ὅστις ἦτο ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὰς καλάς του ὥρας. Ἔπειτα ὁ μπαρμπα-Κωνσταντὴς σπανίως ἐφαίνετο ἐν τῇ πολίχνῃ. Ἀφότου ἔπαυσε τὰ θαλάσσια ταξίδια, ἠσχολεῖτο ἀποκλειστικῶς εἰς τὴν καλλιέργειαν τῶν κτημάτων του. Κατὰ πᾶσαν πρωίαν ἵππευεν ἐπὶ τοῦ εὐρώστου ἡμιόνου του, ἐτρέπετο εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς, καὶ ἐπανήρχετο μετὰ τὴν δύσιν τοῦ ἡλίου. Κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, περὶ τὰ 184…, ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα εἶχε φθάσει εἰς τὸ τριακοστὸν ἔνατον βαπτιστικόν. Ἓν μόνον τῇ ἔλειπε διὰ νὰ τὰ κάμῃ σαράντα, πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν τῆς συνειδήσεώς της. Ἐβάπτιζεν ἀδιακρίτως ἄρρενα καὶ θήλεα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφρόντιζε νὰ δίδῃ ἀκριβεῖς σημειώσεις εἰς τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ πνευματικούς, διὰ νὰ μὴ τυχὸν γίνῃ κανὲν συνοικέσιον εἰς τὸ μέλλον μεταξὺ δύο ἑτεροφύλων ἀναδεκτῶν, καὶ κολασθῇ ἡ ψυχή της. Κατ᾽ ἔτος τὴν Μ. Πέμπτην, μεγίστη κίνησις ἐγίνετο ἐν τῇ εὐρυχώρῳ αὐλῇ τῆς οἰκίας. Ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα ἀνεσφουγγώνετο* μέχρις ἀγκώνων, καὶ ἐζύμωνε μόνη της τὰς τριάκοντα ἐννέα αὐγοκουλούρας διὰ τοὺς τοσούτους βαπτιστικούς της… Ἀλλὰ πλὴν τῶν βαπτιστικῶν ὑπῆρχον καὶ τὰ ἐγγόνια καὶ τὰ δισέγγονα, καὶ ταῦτα δὲν ἦσαν ὀλιγάριθμα. Ἐν συνόλῳ ἐχρειάζετο ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ πλέον κοκκῶνες*, δηλ. παιδικὰς κουλούρας, διὰ τοὺς βαπτιστικούς, διὰ τοὺς ἐγγόνους καὶ τὰ δισέγγονα. Εἰς τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦτον δὲν συμπεριλαμβάνονται αἱ μεγαλύτεραι κουλοῦραι, τὰς ὁποίας παρεσκεύαζε διὰ τὰς συντεκνίσσας, διὰ τὰς ἀνεψιὰς καὶ δισεξαδέλφας της. Μέγας δὲ ἐβόμβει ὁ ἑσμὸς τῶν ἀναδεκτῶν καὶ δισεγγόνων περὶ τοὺς ἀνθῶνας τῆς αὐλῆς κατ᾽ ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἀπὸ τῆς τρίτης ὥρας τοῦ δειλινοῦ, καθ᾽ ἣν ὁ μπαρμπα-Κωνσταντὴς ἐξηγείρετο τοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ ὕπνου, μὲ δριμεῖαν ἐπικαθημένην τῆς ρινὸς τὴν χολήν, καὶ ἐφόρει τὸ τσόχινον βρακίον του, ἐπύργωνεν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς μεγαλοπρεπὲς τὸ τυνησιακὸν φέσι του, ἐλάμβανεν ὡς σκῆπτρον τὴν μεγάλην ἠλεκτρόστομον τσιμπούκαν του, ἀνήρτα ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος βαθύκολπον τὴν μεταξωτὴν καπνοσακκούλαν, καὶ κατήρχετο εἰς τὸ καφενεῖον νὰ εἰσπνεύσῃ τὴν θαλασσίαν αὔραν, ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης ἡ εὐρεῖα καὶ τετράγωνος αὐλὴ παρεδίδετο ἐξ ἐφόδου εἰς τὴν λεηλασίαν τῶν βαπτιστικῶν καὶ τῶν δισεγγόνων. Μεγίστην εὐτυχίαν καὶ ἀνήκουστον ἡδονὴν ἐνόμιζον τότε τὰ παιδία τῆς γειτονιᾶς, ἂν κατώρθωνον νὰ παρεισδύσωσιν εἰς τὸ προαύλιον τῆς θεια-Σοφούλας, ὅπερ ἐθεωρεῖτο ὡς μυθῶδές τι. Πολλὰ αὐτῶν προέτεινον τὰς κεφαλὰς διὰ τῶν σχισμῶν τῆς κλειστῆς αὐλείου θύρας, ἥτις ἐμοχλεύετο ἔσωθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ζηλοτύπων βαπτιστικῶν διὰ τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα γάμου. Ἄλλα παιδία τολμηρότερα ἀνεῖρπον εἰς τὸν θριγκὸν τοῦ τοίχου τῆς αὐλῆς καὶ εὕρισκον τρόπον νὰ εἰσπηδήσωσιν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὰ ἔνδον. Ἀλλ᾽ ἀλλοίμονον ἂν παρετηροῦντο ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγρύπνων εὐνοουμένων. Ἀπεδιώκοντο μὲ τσιμπήματα καὶ μὲ δοντιές, ὡς ὁ κηφὴν ὑπὸ τῶν μελισσῶν. Τὴν Μεγάλην Πέμπτην τοῦ ἔτους 185… ὅλοι οἱ ἀναδεκτοὶ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῆς γραίας Σοφούλας. Ὁ πρεσβύτερος αὐτῶν ἦτο ἤδη νεανίας εἰκοσαετής, τὸ δὲ νεώτερον ἦτο κοράσιον διετές, εἰς ὃ ἡ νοννὰ εἶχε δώσει τὸ ὄνομά της. Τὸ βρέφος τοῦτο ἦτο τὸ τεσσαρακοστὸν πνευματικὸν γέννημα τῆς θεια-Σοφούλας. Εἶχε γεννηθῆ τέλος τὸ ἀπὸ πολλοῦ προσδοκώμενον τοῦτο συμπλήρωμα τοῦ προωρισμένου ἀριθμοῦ, καὶ ἦτο τὸ χαδευμένον τῆς θεια-Σοφούλας. Ἡ νοννὰ ἔτρεφε φιλοδόξους σκοποὺς ὡς πρὸς τὸ μέλλον τοῦ θυγατρίου τούτου. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ μπαρμπα-Κωνσταντὴς ἐξ ὅλων τῶν ἀναδεκτῶν μόνον τὸ μικρὸν τοῦτο ἠνείχετο. Ἡ στοργὴ ὅμως τῆς θεια-Σοφούλας πρὸς αὐτὸ ἔφθανε μέχρι παραφροσύνης. Τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἡ θεια-Σοφούλα ἦτο κλειστὴ εἰς τὸ ἰσόγειον καὶ ἐζύμωνεν. Ἐκ τῶν παιδίων τινὰ τὴν ἐπολιόρκουν ἔξωθεν τῆς θύρας παραμονεύοντα. Τὰ πλεῖστα ὅμως ἔπαιζον ταραχωδῶς περὶ τὸν ὑπερμεγέθη ληνόν, πλησίον τοῦ ἐλαιοτριβείου, τὸ κρυφτάκι, καὶ ἄλλα ἐθορύβουν περὶ τὰς κιγκλίδας τοῦ κήπου καὶ πλησίον τοῦ φρέατος. Ἡ μικρὰ Σοφούλα, ἥτις ἦτο μόλις διετής, ὡς εἴπομεν, ἐξέπεμπε χαρμοσύνους κραυγάς, ἐψέλλιζεν ὡς νεοσσὸς χελιδόνος, καὶ ἔτρεχε καὶ αὐτὴ κατόπιν τῶν ἄλλων παιδίων. Ἡ νοννά της ἐζήτησεν κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς νὰ τὴν κρατήσῃ πλησίον της, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μικρὰ ἐστενοχωρήθη, καὶ ἀπῄτησε νὰ ἐξέλθῃ. ―  Νὰ πάω κ᾽ ἐγὼ νὰ παίξω, νοννά μου; ―  Τί νὰ παίξῃς ἐσύ; ―  Τὸ κλυφτάκι, νοννά μου! ἐτραύλισεν ἡ μικρά. ―  Δὲν παίζουν τὰ κορίτσια τὸ κρυφτάκι, τῇ εἶπεν αὐστηρῶς ἡ νοννά. Ἡ μικρὰ δὲν ἐμεμψιμοίρησε μέν, ἀλλὰ ἐσκυθρώπασεν. Ἰδοῦσα τοῦτο ἡ νοννά, ἔκραξε τὴν Ἀθηνιώ, εἰκοσαετῆ τὴν ἡλικίαν, δουλεύτραν της, ἥτις ἦτο καὶ αὐτὴ μία τῶν βαπτιστικῶν της καὶ τῇ ἐνεπιστεύθη τὴν μικράν, συστήσασα αὐτῇ αὐστηρὰν ἐπαγρύπνησιν. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ Ἀθηνιὼ ἐλησμόνησεν ἅμα ἀκούσασα τὴν σύστασιν τῆς κυρίας της, καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὰς πεζούλας ἐκάθηντο τέσσαρες ἢ πέντε γειτόνισσαι, καὶ γνωρίζομεν πόσον περισπούδαστος εἶναι ἡ συνδιάλεξις τῶν ἀέργων γυναικῶν, ἐκάθισε πλησίον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἄφησε τὴν μικρὰν Σοφούλαν νὰ τρέχῃ. (1888) [εν όψει των εορταστικών ημερών του Πάσχα αποτόλμησα να λήξω το διήγημα εδώ, διότι το τέλος του είναι τραγικό. ΣτΜ]

THE LAST OF HER GODDAUGHTERS Alexandros Papadiamantis - Wikipedia Adapted and abridged by Vassilis C. Militsis If another virtuous woman has ever seen good households in her days, unquestionably that was Aunt-Sofoula Konstantinia, a venerable seventy year- old housewife, resident in a sea village on an island of the Aegean. She was known to all as Sarantou [Gk saranta=forty], and many surmised that she had acquired this epithet, because she was compared to forty able women, which was not considered an exaggeration. Others also said that the word had been shortened from Sarantanonnou, i.e. godmother of forty godchildren. It was true, if she could not make it to reach that number, she was only one or two units behind, and hoped she could shortly manage to complete the number of forty. It should be confessed that in the beginning she voluntarily christened five to six infants of the neighborhood, as every good housewife usually christens. But as soon as she was proven to have a lucky hand, then all the neighborhood and kith and kin began to besiege her. She had acquired a good name due the fact that all the children she received in her hands out of the baptistery font continued to have a healthy life. And it was a rare thing to find a good godmother for the baptized children to have a long life* as well as a good priest whose blessing came true.  Hope eternal by Jennifer Myers-Kirton However, aunt-Sofoula bore this chore ungrudgingly; for it was certain that at that time the christening gifts, the so called fotikia – a baby’s mantle and hood and the gold cross – as well as the myrtiatika – the usual handout of para*** coins to the street urchins – cost in total of ten kuruş. Aunt-Sofoula was compared to a diligent florist, who was not content merely to plant her flowers, but to tend and water them. She loved her spiritual children like her own – she called them children of the heart, she fondled them, treated them to meals and educated them. Uncle-Konstanti, the worst grouch in the village, did not approve of this soft spot of his wife. “Fine, you silly woman!” he used to grumble whenever he saw her caring for her godchildren; “feed them. You’ve got the luxury to run rampant, you crazy fool!” Little did Aunt-Sofoula care about this crankiness of her husband, who was normally a good man when he felt like it. Besides, uncle-Konstanti rarely made his presence in the village. Since he had given up his sea travels, he took to occupying himself exclusively with tilling his land. He would ride his sturdy mule each morning heading to his fields to return home after sundown. In around 184…, aunt-Sofoula managed to christen her thirty-ninth godchild. Only one was missing to become her fortieth so that she could put the whole matter to rest and have a clear conscience. She used to christen indiscriminately both male and female, but she saw about giving detailed instructions to priests and to confessors at christening dreading a match between two of her godchildren of opposite sex – for they were spiritual siblings. She did not wish to imperil her soul by eternal damnation. There was a great commotion in aunt-Sofoulas spacious courtyard every year on Maundy Thursday. She would roll up her sleeves to her elbows and kneaded thirty-nine Easter bannocks for her respective godchildren. However, besides her godchildren, she also had a host of grand and great-grandchildren. Therefore she needed to knead more than seventy bannocks for them all, not to mention bannocks larger in size to be given to her nephews and nieces and to the rest of hen kin.  Easter bannocks The throng of godchildren, grand-cum- great-grandchildren buzzed around the flower beds of the yard like a swarm of bees on that day. After three in the afternoon uncle-Konstanti woke up from his siesta, in a choleric mood, donned his baize breeches, put on his head his gorgeous Tunisian fez, grabbed his long amber pipe like a scepter, hung his large tobacco pipe on his waist and headed to the village coffee-house to relish the sea breeze. At that time the spacious and square yard was invaded by her protégés. The neighborhood kids felt great and unhear-of happiness if they managed to slip into aunt-Sofoula’s courtyard, which was thought of as something legendary. Many of them tried to edge their heads in the crevices of the closed yard gate, which was resisted by the zealous godchildren from the inside against those who possessed no wedding garment [to enter the bridal chamber]**. There were also several more daring children who would climb up on the top of the wall and find a way to jump into the yard. Woe to them, however, if they had been caught by the watchful aunt-Sofoula’s protégés. They were being ousted with pinches and bites like drones out of the hive. On Maundy Thursday of the year 185… all old Sofoula’s godchildren gathered in her courtyard. The eldest of them was already a twenty year-old youth, whereas the youngest was a two year-old girl, whom the godmother named after her. That infant was aunt-Sofoula’s fortieth spiritual child.  That child was her pet as she was born to fulfill aunt-Sofoula’s expected number. The godmother had high expectations for the future of this little girl. Even uncle-Konstanti, of all the godchildren, was tolerant to her. But aunt-Sofoula’s love and affection bordered infatuation. The little girl was the apple of her eye. On that day aunt-Sofoula was in the cellar kneading. Some of the children were lurking outside the door. The majority of them were noisily playing hide-and-seek near the oversized wine and oil press. The rest were just causing a great din by the garden railing and near the well. Little Sofoula, as we have already mentioned, was only two years old; she was making merry vociferations, warbling like a swallow nestling and running after the other children. At first her godmother wanted the little one nearby so that she could keep an eye on her, but the little girl insisted on going out: “Lemme go out to play, too, go’muther!” “What can you play? You’re too little!” “I can play ’ide-an-sheek, my go’muther!” lisped the little girl. “Hide-and-seek is not a game for girls!” said her sharply. The little one did not grumble but her countenance was clouded over. Whereupon, the godmother summoned Athenio, her twenty year-old help, who was also one of her godchildren, and entrusted her with the little girl giving her strict instructions to be watchful. However, Athenio, soon forgot her mistress’s advice, and after seeing a knot of neighborhood women sitting on the stone ledge – and it is widely known how ‘profound’ is the chatting of busybodies – she joined them letting little Sofoula run freely about. Aunt-Sofoula’s expectations were thus fulfilled as she reached the goal of christening her fortieth godchild. [Ιn view of the festive days of Eater I have taken the liberty of cutting the story short as its ending is tragic.] *At that time there was a high infant death rate in Greece, hence the wish may,he/she live is prevalent even today. ** From the canticle sung on Maundy Thursday vespers: “I see Your Bridal Chamber adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment that I may enter therein. Make radiant the vesture of my soul, Giver of Light, and save me.” ***Para