Family Tree - How my Grandfather Quit Being a Grkoman and Embraced "Macedonianism" (part 2)

By David Edenden

The personal rebellion of my Grandfather.

Even though my grandfathers family was Grkoman, (Hellenophile) he felt a solidarity with his fellow Macedonian relatives against the Greeks who pushed their weight around anytime they entered the village.(brainwashed by my grandmothers family, or so the story goes).

One time a group of Greek police (or army?) came to the village and entered the coffee shop where the men played poker, backgammon, etc during the winter months. Naturally, all the Macedonians had to stand and leave their seats to allow the Greek policemen to sit down. Apparently they took all the seats. It was a common occurrence for the police to "show the flag" and to show the Macedonians who was boss. The Greek Captain suggested a "sing-a-long" (yes you heard me). I think it was a new song about Crete (or Cyprus?) that was popular at that time.

My grandfather suggested instead that they sing a popular "real Greek Macedonian" song about "real Greek Macedonians" being the first to be subjugated by the Turks and the first to suffer, but that one day the Turks would be expelled from Macedonia and that "MACEDONIA WOULD BE A COUNTRY AGAIN". Those were the real lyrics of the song, and when they came to the last line, all the Macedonians sung (in Greek) loudly and with gusto.

Apparently, the Greeks were not amused and left in a huff and the Macedonians laughed and were congratulating themselves on this minor successful rebellion. The next day the police came and took my grandfather to the police station in the next village. I am not sure if he had to walk, take a donkey, go by bus or by car. Anyway he went and was interrogated for an hour or so.

The Captain said my grandfather was a traitor and an enemy of Greece. My grandfather protested that he was a true Greek patriot (yeh right!) as can be vouched for by his family. He dared the Captain to prosecute him for singing a famous "real Greek song". The Captain replied that my grandfather should stop being so smart. The Captain did not have to take him to court to smarten him up. The Captain warned my grandfather that if he continued being an asshole, "he would find himself walking with two feet in one shoe"

Ouch!