Tuesday, 26th November 1974
Being in the sixth class now, I think it's time I got rid of my bad reputation. In general, I try to control myself, so as not to occasion being mocked by the others. I also try to contain my nervousness and I refrain from talking much; I prefer to keep my mouth shut. However, this technique doesn't seem to bring significant results: Sometimes, when I am with other children, I crack bad jokes and the others make fun of me. It is just too difficult for me to always contain myself; as if there were a sinister force inside me, urging me to say what I shouldn't.
Coming home from the English tutorial school this evening, something odd happened: While I was walking under a bright street lamp, I saw the enlarged shadow of a man, which rose about 3,5 metres high. The man seemed to be wearing a coat and a hat. I found it odd because the shadow wasn't formed on the road or on a wall, but it was standing tall before me! I stopped walking and tried to discern who was really there, making such a big shadow, but I saw nobody. Apart from me, there was no one else on the road.
When I got home and told my mother about it, she said it were nothing and that I should forget the whole thing; then, she started crossing me, praying “Jesus Christ wins and dispels all evil”.
Monday, 10th February 1975
Is something changing in my life? The truth is that I've been feeling a lot better about myself lately; I have become more sociable, I have gained some self-confidence, I even dare talk back when somebody makes fun of me. Not that I have a choice: When I try to ignore them, they fight me even worse.
This afternoon, as we were returning from a school treat, suddenly two girls started teasing me:
“You walk too slowly, go back!” exclaimed Mary, who was walking next to me, and pushed me to the back line.
“No, stay where you are!” shouted Nora from behind, and pushed me to the front line.
“No, go back!” Mary pushed me again.
“Stay in front, I said!” cried out Nora and pushed me too.
For a few seconds I let them push me around passively, while some other children were giggling. All at once, as if I had just woken from torpor, I made so bold as to yell at them: “Leave me alone, both of you!”. Mary sought to say something but I anticipated her: “If you want to run on a marathon, here, the road is empty! Get out of the line and run as much as you like!”. Both smart alecks shut up.
Friday, 21st February 1975
Strangely enough, my position in class has risen lately. I am no longer everybody's beck and call. First of all, I have become a very good pupil: I excel in all subjects and our teacher, Mr Panos, likes me a lot. Even my classmates often show their admiration for my overall knowledge.
This morning, the teacher asked the whole class: “Does anyone of you know the names of the three American astronauts who first stepped on the moon?”
Only I raised my hand, gave the right answer and left everybody speechless.
“But, sir, is it possible that she knows everything?” some children wondered.
Saturday, 19th April 1975
It's happening more and more often, and I have been thinking about it: Every time she sees me, aunt Penelope sends me on errands. This happens almost every day, sometimes more than once in a day.
This afternoon she told me to go and buy her a water melon, which proved to be too heavy for me and my hands ached a lot. It really gets on my nerves when I have to interrupt my games and do her favours, but I just can't refuse.
In the evening my godmother paid us a visit and brought presents and Easter candles for me and my sister. Weird, though: Just before unwrapping the candles, my godmother's seven-year-old daughter exclaimed: “Watch out! One of them is broken!” Indeed, as soon as we took the candles out of their cardboard cases, we saw that one of them, in fact mine, was broken in two pieces. I wondered how the kid had known that, although I had expected it: Every year, the Easter candle my godmother brings for me happens to be broken; maybe because of the long car journey from Piraeus to our house...
Monday, 12th May 1975
This afternoon, aunt Penelope came to our house steaming with anger. Obviously, she had some grievances against us.
“You are making us curse!” she snorted wrathful. “You have filled the two plots between us with building materials and Orpheus, my son, goes there all the time and he gets black with dirt! I demand that you do something about it as soon as possible!”
“But what can we do?” asked my mother passively.
“Fence the plots! Fence them both with wire! Otherwise, I don't know what happens!”
I wondered at Penelope's demand, as well as at my mother's promise to fence a stranger's land. For the last two years we have been building two more storeys over our house. Thus, we put the building materials in the adjacent empty plots. Where else could we put them? On the road? Besides, Penelope's son, the two-year-old Orpheus, is nothing but a handful. Neither his mother nor his father can handle him, and he usually goes around stark naked. That's why the children of the neighbourhood have nicknamed him “Adam”.
Monday, 23rd June 1975
To my great disappointment, neither this year was I meant to be upgraded with full marks. I got the elementary school certificate with a 9, just like many other children who didn't deserve it at all.
“Their mothers come and tell me: Give him a 9 on the certificate, otherwise my husband will beat him up”, explained Mr Panos to my mother.
Anyway, I can't see what this has to do with me: He could have given me a 10, because I deserved it this year, especially in comparison with some others.
There is another thing that's bringing me down too: Since the end of the school year, my good friend Angie has vanished. It is said that her family has moved to another city. This means that I shall never see her again...
Chapter 8: Class A Gymnasium