The Eagle of Spinalonga

by Nike Azoros

  The boat carrying the Minister and his entourage, including Thanos and Angela landed at Dante’s gate. It was the Minister’s idea to do so. He wanted to see what the lepers experienced. The sight of the forbidding sign above Dante’s gate made them all fall silent.

  The guests disembarked quietly as they took in the sight of all the lepers all lined up along the shore at Nikos’s request, even Pavlos was there who was instantly captivated by the sight of Angela. The sea provided fresh breezes but the rank of festering wounds was obvious. One of the entourage addressed Father Manoussos who was standing closest to the boat,

  ‘Are you aware the Minister has gone to a lot of trouble to be here today?’

  ‘Are you aware a man died here recently trying to catch a fish?’ The kakomiris was so weak from starvation he couldn’t fight the waves and got smashed onto the rocks.’ Kontos stepped forward, this was not the way he imagined things to start off,

  ‘I am Andonis Kontos, the minister for Health.’

  ‘Welcome and not well come. This is the traditional Spinalonga greeting Sir.’

  Andonis Kontos had been experiencing deep emotional turmoil all along the journey to Spinalonga. He had kept the horrific death of his father a secret. If he had spoken out about the inhumanity he would never have risen to the career height he had achieved. His mother had spent the rest of her life indoors, never daring to venture out and speak to people again. His father had been given his funeral service through the doors of their barn and when the man shriveled to death after days of unimaginable terror the villagers waited for forty days before going in to retrieve his body to make sure his soul had finished roaming and would not carry out any ghostly reprisals. Andonis had buried his pain as deeply as the villagers had buried Socrates Kontos.

  Andonis and his mother never returned to their village and never spoke of Socrates unless asked and even then they said he died of pneumonia after a heavy winter. The enforced silence of shame had killed his mother before her time and had made him an old man by the age of thirty. Andonis Kontos lifted his head in gratitude of being finally able to do something to honor the memory of his father and asked, ‘Where is Nikos Lambrakis, the man who wrote me the letter?’

  ‘Here!’ Out of the shadows stepped forward a gaunt tall figure. His thick black hair was combed back, his clean white shirt collar loose at his neck. He walked towards him and stopped to position himself directly opposite him, a mere metre separating them but it was close enough to stare straight at him with his black eyes that were showing no gleam of warmth.

  ‘I am Nikos Lambrakis. I am the one who invited you here to witness how the great Hellenic race deals with its sick. Here you will see for yourself how we the people descendent from the creators of logic, democracy, science and medicine treat the most unfortunate? I have studied our ancestor’s great writings and nowhere could I find any instruction to torture and starve an unfortunate person in addition to his misfortunes, so what gives you the right to do so?’ Nikos was struggling to control his temper. He regained his composure by straightening up even further and clenching his fists. Kontos noticed.

  ‘Nothing Nikos, nothing gives anyone any right to mistreat anyone. I am here to help. What would you like to tell me?’

  ‘I stand before you to represent every leper resident on this island, each one of them is a member of the Brotherhood of Spinalonga. My words to you are their words also.’ Minister Kontos looked at all the gathered patients to show his understanding that Nikos was speaking for them then looked back at Nikos and nodded at him to continue. ‘I took responsibility for your health and well being and that of your family.’ The minister was visibly startled by Nikos’s comments. Before he could question its meaning Nikos continued, ‘I took responsibility by removing myself from the outside world so you and your family could live a healthy life. I took responsibility by allowing my life as I knew it to be terminated so you and your children could live yours. Ill fated souls like me respected your health and your life and so I live a half life but every life, even a half life such as the one I am living, must be a life of dignity. Minister, I took responsibility for you. Now you must take responsibility for me.’

  Nikos never even blinked throughout his talk, his full focus was on minister Kontos who reached for his handkerchief to wipe away the tears he was grateful to be finally able to shed in public.

  Maria stepped forward, ‘All we ask for is enough to eat.’

  Ikaros stepped forward, ‘All we ask for is a place to sleep.’ Others spoke up too,

  ‘All we ask for is for somewhere to sit.’

  ‘All we ask for are some medicines and bandages so our wounds don’t stink.’

  ‘All we ask for is to be able to read a book.’

  ‘We would like to hear some music.’

  ‘A movie would be nice.’

  ‘I want to work and feel useful.’

  The patients were asking for basics, not luxuries, in exchange for their freedom being terminated. Andonis Kontos put his hands up to signify he wanted the chance to speak,

  ‘Mr Lambrakis, patients of Spinalonga, your words have been heard. Believe me. And I am the right person to hear them because I can and will bring the changes you require and deserve.’ Kontos thought it was time to lighten the atmosphere, ‘But Nikos, we each got so involved in our meeting that not all the correct introductions have been made. I have brought along the new junior assistant to the Minister’s office as well and he is someone who wanted very much to come here and see you.’ Nikos was taken aback, he was not expecting any surprises, and he was even more taken aback when he saw who it was that emerged from the boat.

  ‘Thanos? Is that you? I can hardly recognize you with that fine suit on.’ Thanos went up to Nikos and embraced his friend with no hesitation or fear of touching him. His spontaneous display of affection moved Nikos, ‘Thank you Thanos.’

  ‘Nikos, I thank you, I wear it because of you and Father Manoussos and your mother. I work in the ministry now and I was given your letter by Nurse Angela, she was the one to read your letter first.’

  Nikos acknowledged Angela with a gentlemanly bow, as he was returning to upright he saw Pavlos and on reflex his gaze hardened. He was hoping Pavlos would behave and gave him a withering look which only made Pavlos sneer. Angela leaned forward to see who Nikos was looking at and caught the entire visual exchange. Pavlos was clearly the troublemaker of the island. She looked over at him too and saw Pavlos looking straight back at her. She lowered her eyes in a flirty manner and the two kept exchanging glances during the entire visit.

  ‘Thanos brought the letter to me and made sure I read it too,’ said Kontos.

  ‘My friends, Mr. Lambrakis, the Ministry of Health asks for your forgiveness. As its head I do promise you that I will bring your queries to the attention of all the relevant ministries and all of your concerns will be met. He tried to keep things light hearted and positive but had to look down so no one could see the pain in his eyes. He wished his village had a Nikos Lambrakis, maybe his father would not have had to suffer such a horrific end. He didn’t care if his heartache was mistaken for shame. ‘Yes Nikos I do agree with you, the health of our citizens is indeed a political responsibility.’ As he was speaking another boat drew up to shore. He waved at those onboard and signaled for them to come over.

  ‘We have already begun to acknowledge our responsibility. These arrivals are the workers. We are going to build you a medical centre, a special hospital for you, an infirmary. You will have full time medical care right here on Spinalonga.’

  Eva clapped her hands together with joy and she held her Kimon close to her. The other patients took her lead and gave a round of applause. Those who could not use both their hands tried to cheer but only managed to utter awful moans but the effect was perfect. It gave the visitors a quick insight into how poor the condition of the patients really was. Only Pavlos did not clap or cheer, he just stood there with a look of evil on his grotesque face and kept his arms folded ag
ainst his monstrous chest.

  ‘Construction begins today. Until it is finished Nurse Angela has very commendably volunteered to stay here on Spinalonga to tend to you.’ Nikos could see the minister was truly sympathetic to them otherwise he wouldn’t be standing here but Nikos took the opportunity to keep asking for more. He had also hidden Artemis. She was their little secret and he was also afraid that if they saw that they had found a way to source food then they might be less generous with the requests that Nikos had to make of them.

  ‘Thank you minister for bringing to us what are the most basic of human requirements as opposed to what has been happening up until today. The infirmary is a long overdue necessity. We can now feel a little more secure knowing there is some medical care instead of the current situation of being abandoned to die a slow and painful death here alone but I also informed you of our total lack of power. An infirmary will require power and the staff will require food. I fear we will have a situation where we will have a hospital and staff but they will not be aware that just meters away the patients do not have enough to eat?’

  The arrogant aide who had addressed Manoussos earlier stepped forward, ‘We can’t know everything. We have our jobs to do.’ Thanos immediately pulled on the man’s sleeve to drag him back but the man yanked his arm free and went back onto the boat.

  ‘We are your job!’ Nikos called after him in a manner that was both polite and berating but it was his bearing that had them all pinned down. The man found himself unable to give a mouthful of tirade back, which was what he normally would have done did in a confrontation. Nikos stood facing them all front on, making no dramatic gestures, his hands were only slightly clenched, his chin was not up in defiance and his eyes were looking straight into theirs. Angela watched him, she worked with bodies and this young man was in complete control of his. ‘We are not an inconvenience. We are citizens of Hellas.’

  Minister Kontos sat down on a folding chair an aide had provided, another one was brought for Nikos and the minister gestured for Nikos to sit and join him. The minister leaned forward, ‘Tell me what you need.’

  ‘We need to feel useful and informed. Here is my plan.’ Out of his pocket he pulled out some sketches and meticulous notes on what his vision was for Spinalonga. The minister studied them carefully,

  ‘A cinema! Piped music throughout the streets, working shops and cafes! Nikos you ask too much. Why even Elounda does not have power yet. Why should Spinalonga, this is quite irresponsible thinking?’

  Nikos stood up, ‘Why? We sit here in permanent misery and ask to be able to see a film, hear some music and have basic stores like a barber, a shoe repair, and somewhere to sit and have a coffee like a civilized person instead of squatting on the ground and crawling around for a lizard or a rat to cross our path so we can catch them to eat and you think this is too much to ask?’ Nikos was roaring now but was still in control of his body.

  ‘Do you have a reason why we should be exempt from such basic pastimes?’ Nikos was the one doing the talking but the minister had the moans of his dying father ringing in his ears. ‘No Nikos, I do not. You are right. Your plan is noble yet simple, sophisticated and organized. Well done.’

  ‘My plan is normal life, which is all we ask.’

  Nikos hesitated but only to catch his breath. ‘Actually there is one more thing. Money, we do not have any at all even though according to the laws of this land we are entitled to a proper disability pension. The only logic I can find for this barbarianism is that you hope for us all to starve to death so as to save the state money.’

  Minister Kontos was genuinely startled by this claim of Nikos.

  ‘No Nikos that is not the case but yes, I am aware your disability pensions are meager to say the least and we have been in communication with the Social Security department, we were told you wrote to them too.’

  ‘Yes, not only are our disability pensions so inadequate but many months they do not come at all. I have reason to believe there is a corrupt person in the council of Elounda that is tampering with the pensions. He has left us penniless and hungry and that makes him directly responsible for the deaths of many souls here who starved to death or died trying to find food. A simple discreet investigation should verify my claim.’

  Kontos got up and turned to Thanos, ‘How about you personally head the investigation for that Thanos? I will see to it that you have full cooperation from all departments.’

  ‘It will be my total pleasure Sir.’

  The three men stood together in a rich silence, it had been a productive encounter and all sides had experienced a profound life change yet it was all in a day’s work, the perfect situation. The loud mouth aide came forward and advised, ‘Minister it is your lunch time.’

  ‘Ah, very well.’

  ‘Yes Minister, it is our lunch time too.’

  Aides were running around setting up tables and bringing baskets from the boat. Nikos smiled knowingly. He and the Brotherhood too had arranged a lunch. They had made their plans to highlight their lack of food, and the visitors seemed to be conspiring to help his cause.

  Nikos went to the women, ‘Watch where they set up and then go set up ours. Let’s not scare them off, set it up about four meters away but just make sure they can see what we are eating.’ The women of Spinalonga went straight to work to set up their eating space right opposite that of the special guests, minus the benches and the food that Artemis now provided of course. Each setting was set up with the standard food that each group of people would eat on an average day. The settings told the full story.

  The guests had picnic tables spread with clean white cloths, glasses, plates, cutlery and plentiful food. The menu was simple, carafes of wine and water glistened, baskets of bread bloomed all the way down the centre of the table. Plates of succulent lamb with lemon potatoes and bowls of green salad were placed at each setting as well as tempting little side dishes of fried whitebait, olives, tomatoes, cheese, spanakopita and some piquant dips of eggplant and garlic.

  The patients had no table, no cloth, no utensils and they sat on the rocks. One of them had gathered wild greens from the hill top and boiled them over the campfire they had built, they each got one slice of bread and a handful of caper berries, a bowl of mushy lentils was the main course. Father Manoussos said Grace and all set to eating. The patients ate from the communal pot of lentils using the bread as spoons.

  No one at the guests table could eat as they had the shame of their neglect and ignorance at their feet. The Minister got up an offered his seat to Maria, every else got up too and offered their seats to the other patients. As part of the Brotherhood rules Nikos now insisted every leper resident of the island was now referred to as a patient. The healthy were nourished by watching the sick eat a real meal in comfort for the first time since they arrived on Spinalonga. The moans of appreciation soon gave way to silence and the shores of Spinalonga became a picnic ground as every single patient wolfed down their feast. Everyone except Nikos, he would eat later, plus he had deliberately withheld a large salmon from Artemis’s last catch for his own feast the previous night. He never had done such a thing before but he knew he needed to be well sustained so he could be at his peak for this very moment. He had eaten guilt free in the knowledge that he had done a lot of work and still had more to do for the rights of the patients of Spinalonga. One fish in exchange for that was, in his opinion, a fair deal. Right now he needed to negotiate some more demands. He could eat again later.

  The Minister looked around him, ‘Mr. Lambrakis,’

  ‘Nikos.’

  ‘Thank you Nikos, please show me around the island. Let me see with my own eyes how you live.’

  ‘Gladly.’ Nikos was like an efficient tour guide, a voice in the ear guiding the eye towards what must be seen and felt. His voice over work was delivered with clarity and sangfroid. He said it as he had seen it himself on his first arrival, ‘The newcomers always arrive here at Dante’s gate. It is a very frightening time in their life b
ecause they have already been to hell after having been diagnosed then the shock of the shunning by the community and of course the fact that they have to stand in church and get pronounced dead. Coming face to face with that sign above the gate makes the blood turn cold in your veins. Then we enter the Street of Pain….’ He did not omit any details. He wanted the minister to feel what they felt and had succeeded. The two men talked more as they walked around Spinalonga and Kontos almost collapsed twice when the sight of the more seriously affected patients made him recall his ill fated father’s last days.

  ‘I’m sorry Nikos but this is terrible to look at.’

  ‘Try living here.’

  After looking through a dozen or so pitiful excuses of bathroomless, kitchenless hovels and a church with half a roof the Minister said, ‘Nikos, I have seen more than enough.’ They had stopped just before Nikos’ house. He was pleased that the timing was so perfect, that way he could keep Artemis a secret but something made him speak up.

  ‘Actually Minister, there is one more thing I would like you to see. I want to show you the reason why most of us have not starved to death. Please follow me.’ The Minister followed Nikos into his humble shelter. The first thing he noticed was how clean it was and he inwardly marveled at this extraordinary young man who even in the face of complete rejection and destitution had created an inviting home.

  It was bare but it was clean. There was no dust smearing the floor and no cobwebs lacing up the corners. His furniture was books. He used stacks of them to form bases and using planks taken from derelict and empty houses placed across the stacks of books he had made a bench. Another stack of books with smaller planks on it formed his table. More planks and some stones formed a bookcase and before it, was a desk made from taller stacks of books and more planks. A final stack of books was his chair.