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ΜΕΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΧΟΡΟΝ
Ὁ χορὸς περὶ τὴν τρίτην μεταμεσονύκτιον ὥραν ἐτελείωσε τέλος καὶ ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος, ἀφοῦ εἶχε σκοτισθῇ περισσότερον ἀπὸ τὴν μποστομανίαν και τὴν εὐθυμίαν τῶν ἄλλων παρὰ ἀπὸ τὴν σιωπηλὴν καὶ ρεμβώδη ἐξάπλωσίν του εἰς μίαν πολυθρόναν καθ' ὅλην τὴν νύκτα, ἐκτὸς τῶν εὐχαρίστων στιγμῶν ἃς διῆλθεν ἐννοεῖται, πρὸ τοῦ μπουφέ, ἐσηκώθη καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ νὰ φύγῃ. Εἰς τὰ διάφορα δωμάτια θόρυβος καὶ σύγχυσις καὶ πανδαιμόνιον ἐπεκράτει. Οἱ φεύγοντες ψηλαφητὰ σχεδὸν εὕρισκον τὰ καπέλλα των, τὶς ὀμβρέλλες των, γυναῖκες, ἄνδρες ἀναμίξ, καὶ κατήρχοντο τὴν κλίμακα μὲ φωνάς, μὲ γέλοια, μὲ προκλητικότητα, σχεδὸν μὲ βακχείαν. Ἐσύρθη καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν προθάλαμον μὲ αὐξάνοντας ἤδη ρευματικοὺς πόνους χάρις εἰς τὴν κατάχρησιν τῆς… ἀγρυπνίας εἰς ἥν ὑπελήθη ὁ ἀγαθὸς πεντηκοντούτης τζέντελμαν, ἵνα ἱκανοποιήσῃ τὴν ζωηρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν της συζύγου του, τοῦ ἀστέρος τῆς συναναστροφῆς ἐκείνης τὴν ἑσπέραν, ἔχοντος περὶ τοὺς δέκα πιστούς δορυφόρους. Καὶ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τοῦ κυκεῶνος ἤρχισε νὰ ζητῇ τὸ ἀπολεσθὲν ἄστρον του. Δύο τρεῖς ὑποχρεωτικαὶ κυρίαι τὸν ἐβεβαίωσαν ὅτι ἡ κυρία εἶχε κατέλθη ἀναζητοῦσα καὶ αὐτὴ τὸν κύριόν της. Κατῆλθε, λοιπὸν, βραδέως τὴν κλίμακα, ἐφαρμόζων τὰ γυαλιά του διὰ νὰ δύναται νὰ διακρίνῃ τὰ σκαλοπάτια μέσα εἰς τὸν κυκεῶνα τῆς καθόδου τῶν προσκεκλημένων. Ἀλλὰ μόλις ἐξῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν τὰ ἔχασεν. Ὅπως συνήθως τοιαύτην ὥραν οἱ φανοὶ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν ἦσαν σβυσμένοι, πανσκοτισμὸς δὲ ἐβασίλευε πλήρης, βροχὴ ἔπιπτε καὶ οἱ προσκεκλημένοι θαμβωμένοι ἀπὸ βροχὴν καὶ τὴν ψύχραν ἔπιπτον συγκρουόμενοι ὁ εἷς εἰς τὴν ἀγκάλην τοῦ ἄλλου. Ὁ δυστυχὴς σύζυγος ἐψιθύρισεν ἀπελπισμένος. − Λουσί!… Ἐδῶ εἶμαι, Λουσί!… Καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πανσκοτισμοῦ μία χεὶρ γυναικεία ἐτέθη ὑπὸ τὸν βραχίονά του. − Ἔλα, λοιπόν, πᾶμε! εἶπεν ἀνακουφισθεὶς ἐκεῖνος. Ἤνοιξαν καὶ οἱ δύο ζευγαρωθέντες τὰ ἀλεξιβρόχιά των καὶ ἐξεκίνησαν ψηλαφητὰ βαδίζοντες, μαστιζόμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς βροχῆς. Ἔφθασαν τέλος εἰς τὸ σπίτι. Εἰς τὸν κρότον τοῦ κώδωνος ἤνοιξεν ἡ εὑρεῖα θύρα καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὴν φωτισμένην ἀπὸ τὸν κρεμαστὸν μέγαν λαμπτῆρα εἴσοδον. Εἰσῆλθον καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἐνῷ ἔβγαζε τὸ παλτό του εἶπεν ἔκπληκτος: − Μπᾶ! ἀκοῦτε νὰ πάρω ξένο παλτό!… Ἀλλὰ ἀπέμεινε ἐντελῶς ἐμβρόντητος ὁπόταν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τῆς συνοδοῦ τοῦ ἐξῆλθεν ἐντελῶς ἄγνωστος δι' αὐτὸν φωνή. Τὸ λᾶθός σας δὲν περιωρίσθη, κύριε, μόνον εἰς τὸ παλτό. Ἐπήρατε ξένο παλτὸ καὶ ξένην κυρίαν!
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AFTER THE BALL By Dimitris Chatzopoulos (1872-1936) Author: he also wrote: Τα σιγάρα του Τριανταφυλλίδου (Mr. Triantafyllides’ Cigarettes) Η εκλογή του καθηγητού ( The Professor’s Election) Rendered by Vassilis C. Militsis Around three in the morning the dance was over at last and having been more vexed by the bustle and the merriment of the others than by his silence and reverie as he was reclining in an armchair all night long, except of course for some pleasant moments at the buffet, the good man stood up to leave. A hubbub, confusion and pandemonium prevailed in the different rooms. As they were leaving, men and women together were groping for their hats and umbrellas and climbing down the stairs laughing and talking loudly in an almost bacchanalian, provocative way. He also dragged his feet to the foyer with already increasing rheumatic pains ‘thanks to’ the lengthy vigil this fifty-year old gentleman had been subjected to in order to satisfy the burning desire of his spouse, who had been the cynosure of that evening surrounded by ten faithful admirers. And in this medley he began to seek his ‘star’ lady, whom he could not find. Two obliging ladies assured him that his wife had walked down searching for him, too. He slowly dragged his rheumatic feet down the stairs, adjusting his spectacles to make out the stairs among the multitude of the departing guests. But when he came out into the street, he was bewildered. As usual the Athens street lamps were out at that time and pitch dark prevailed, while it was raining and the guests blurred by the rain and the chill bumped into one another.
The hapless husband whispered in despair; - Lucie!... I’m over here, Lucie! Whereupon, in the midst of this blackout, a woman’s hand was placed under his arm. - Come, then, let’s move on! He said relieved. Both of them, paired off, opened their umbrellas and started off groping their way lashed by the rain. They finally reached home. At the ring of the bell the large front door opened wide and they crossed the threshold, lit by the bright light suspended at the entrance. They stepped inside and while he was taking off his overcoat, he was nonplussed: - Darn it! How could I possibly have taken another’s overcoat? He said. But he was utterly dumbfounded when he heard a completely strange voice uttered by his companion. - Sir, your mistake has not been confined only to the overcoat; you have also taken another lady! |
