THE STORY OF A BROKEN TOOTH

19.06.04


My friend Sophocles, I don’t know whether the mermaids were able-bodied or not. They were beautiful creatures anyway. They still are. If they never existed, they never died. I would definitely like to know about them at some point in my life. When I was young, my sister challenged me (or, you can say, invited me) to dive deep in the sea to see the dolphins. I never saw dolphins, neither mermaids, although I always had them in mind.

She asked me once to swim with her. I wanted to, yet I didn’t want to. Actually she carried me on her back, since I was a very little human being back then. We were swimming for a long time and I’m not sure whether any of the two of us had even the slightest idea where we were going. I could be very descriptive. I could tell you that the sea was light blue and then deep blue and was divided in zones; we met people of various ages in each of them. Little children at first, then middle-aged guys, then very old guys and then nobody. I could also tell you that we found rocks in the middle of nowhere, even in the water, which changed colours all the time and turned from blue to black. One could see a few bushes or little trees on the rocks and use them as signs in order to use the same route to return. I could have really described all that but I hate myself when I give you so much information, as if you guys have no right to imagine whatever you want regarding the place and time that I am describing here.

And there, about in the middle of our route, among the deserted boats and the buoys, there was –and still is- a small bay where you can rest for a while and then stand still in order to catch a breath. If you turn your head upwards, you will see a white house. Only rarely will you see its dwellers, as rarely as you can see the other swimmers who used to rest there as well. I used to call this place a hideout. Today it is a meeting point in the middle of nowhere. Its waters are too warm; in fact, they are so warm that you suspect that some people spend their pennies at the same place where others dive at close or further distances in order to gaze at the crabs and the urchins.

My sister and I went there many years ago. We sat there to have a rest for a little while and then she came up with this idea: ‘We’ll play a game. I’ll be the queen and I’ll be throwing pebbles at you and you’ll be my servant.’. I got upset. I just hurried to shout a big ‘no’ but it was too late. A little ‘pebble’ landed right onto my middle tooth and broke it. I cried like hell. The pain was unbearable, and my surprise as well. I didn’t even understand how this thing happened. I was touching my tongue on the freshly uprooted part of the tooth and started screaming. My sister was screaming as well, since she didn’t exactly intend to kill me. As our salty tears were being mixed with the salty water, we started swimming to reach the beach.
For some strange reason, I didn’t want anybody to tell my sister off for what she had done to me. I got out of the sea saying: ‘Mom, please don’t tell her off’; even though a month had to pass before I got rid of the pain. I didn’t want anybody to be punished for that. Many years later, something unbelievable happened.

I was sitting at the terrace of our house in Kypseli and was talking to the little parrot that my mother had bought me (instead of a little dog). I wanted so much to talk to my parrot; but I didn’t know how to do that of course. I said to myself: ‘Dear God, if you exist, please make me able to chirrup’. So I placed my tongue over my palate and let the air come out of the small hole between my lips. I didn’t manage to believe in God but I can assure you that I can chirrup perfectly well to this day. The birds answer me (especially the canaries), I just don’t understand what they’re saying. I hope they’re not swearing at me. As a doubting Thomas, I tried many times to explain scientifically how a thing like that happens to me. I found no specific explanation and I ended up to this conclusion: nothing would work without this hole which was due to my broken tooth. From time to time, various dentists suggested me to cover it. I refused of course.