Monday 9 March 2009

Sad day

While I'm stuck at home feeling very sick, this is what is going on outside my house.

sad day in my neighbourhood

A very popular neighbour was killed in a car crash at the weekend. He was a highly successful businessman, and had lived the last few years of his life as a bachelor looking after his 90+-year-old mother, who had once cooked my family a traditional Cretan lunch when I was newly married. Vassilis himself had been helping all the young people in the neighbourhood by providing them with the opportunity to get their first job in one of his many successful business ventures, including a taverna, medicine warehouse and mini-market.

People came to pay their last respects. We live on a hill with narrow roads, which is why the cars were parked haphazardly.

sad day in my neighbourhood

In traditional fashion, the funeral notice was pinned onto the lamppost (tree-trunks are also used), and in this way, everyone could find out where the funeral would be held.

Just a couple of kilometres away, as he was driving to come home, 62-year-old Vassilis died when a brand new 4x4 pick-up truck driven by an unlicensed 16-year-old (his daddy's a well-known businessman in town, and yes, he knew his son was driving the new car) rammed into Vassilis' lane and crashed head on with Vassilis' car. Vassilis wasn't wearing a seat-belt; the other driver insisted that the seat-belt saved his life...

Goodbye Vassilis, you will be sorely missed.
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12 comments:

  1. Gemma Wiseman9 March 2009 at 12:09

    O help! These moments are tough! Vassilis though has left a wonderful legacy helping young people. Let's hope the young man involved in this tragedy may just choose to continue his work! Let's hope!

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  2. Dina9 March 2009 at 12:10

    Sorry to hear that. What a shame, a needless death. Zichrono levracha, we say, may his memory be a blessing. And from what your say about Vassilis, it will be.
    In Israel we use those paste-up notices too. Someday when you are feeling up to it, can you tell us about Greek funeral customs?

    Be well soon.

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  3. martha9 March 2009 at 22:30

    So sad to read about your friend Vassilis. Which Taverna did he own? I'm wondering if I knew him.

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  4. Maria Verivaki9 March 2009 at 22:57

    he owned three tavernas - a summer one at Ayious Apostolous, another at Gerani, and an all-year one called Gourmet in Nea Hora

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  5. Anonymous9 March 2009 at 23:08

    What a collection of vehicles.

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  6. Cloudia10 March 2009 at 06:02

    Warmest Aloha to you and your community!

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  7. antigoni10 March 2009 at 11:43

    I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you feel better now, in body and soul. It's very sad when people die in this way, When they have so many things to do in their life. Who's going to look after his mother?

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  8. antigoni10 March 2009 at 12:22

    I know what you mean about hubbies. It's like you have one more child in the family. The most demanding one.

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  9. Louise11 March 2009 at 01:09

    That's just awful.

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  10. Kris McCracken11 March 2009 at 07:09

    That's a shocking story.

    That said, I'm sure that Vassilis will be honoured.

    The Hobart Greek Festival is on at the moment, and it is a reminder that as a general rule, Greeks certainly know how to properly celebrate/commemorate an event.

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  11. Alexandra Badea11 March 2009 at 20:21

    sorry for the loss in the community! perhaps this will lead though to the reinforcing of traffic rules.

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  12. Tinsie12 March 2009 at 14:08

    I can't imagine why anyone would let a 16-year-old drive a big car, or why anyone would drive without a seat belt. How very sad :-(

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