Discussions

A woman describes how her husband approached her and reports her brother’s advice.

Res.: And you told me that you married your husband, where did you meet him?
Μ.Τ.: I didn’t meet him, he met me.
Res.: When (Laughs)?
Μ.Τ.: I was working at the hospital and the sister of the landlady where we lived, was from Kastoria, Katina my friend, and she had a room and we lived there. Eh, she had a party, and she wanted, I was making good ‘diples’. And she wanted me to go along with Katina, make diples and serve them. She had fifty people. I was fresh there in Canada, I didn’t know anybody. I knew father Salamis and the late Andreas, who was also a teacher of my daughter and he was a chanter as well. I knew two-three people and the family. So, my husband was there, he was friends with that family. He saw me but he didn’t say anything to me. Afterwards, he told the landlady “The brunette girl with the curly hair, is she available for marriage?” says he, “I shall ask her but I don’t think so” says she, “She’s recently come from Greece”. Anyway, it stayed there. George though was watching me, but I didn’t know him. Even if I saw him afterwards, I didn’t know him. Anyway, when he said to go and discuss, Aglaitsa, the one who was preparing the arranged marriage, tells me “Go discuss and if he doesn’t suit you” she says. Like if he’s a good man, if he’s up for a family and so on. I get my brother, we were very intimate, we were good friends, and I tell him “Let’s go” sorry, this and that I tell him. He says to me “Look, go” says he, “Open up some topics and if he’s answering and you think that he’s for your life, say yes, but if though, you understand that it’s not working out, say no”. And my brother now tells me “Look on the dining table, put ten types of food, and you look at them and choose, it may be roast, it may be a salad even, if the man is in chance”, he tells me. But I praise God, 55 years married, not even to cross there, I’ve never made breakfast, anyway. Then we went to the house, he took me to, in order to discuss, to the Indian village. Oh, myself “Holy Mary” I say, “Where is he taking me now, he thinks he found some bumpkin”, I say “I’ve got money to get a taxi”. Anyway, we went and discussed, he started one topic, he answered, he started another, he answered. Afterwards, without realizing it, I said “Cheers” and he took out the gift. He had bought a Francisco and he gave it to me- then we went, we returned home, he went upstairs to say it to my brother as well, and it was over. Then we got engaged and after six months, on Mother’s Day, we got engaged and on 14 September, we got married.