The AJK Anthology

By Katherine Korkidis and Artemios Korkidis

During the Nazi occupation of the island of Crete in 1941, there lived a young man, Artemios Korkidis. In a series of biographical memoirs, short stories, and a lifelong collection of personal reflections, be transported through the horrors and hardships of war as one man learns that there is always hope in the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
• Release date: Apr 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223383031

Katherine Korkidis

My name Dr. Katherine Korkidis. Over my many years in teaching my students have affectionately called me Dr. K. I currently have three master’s degrees, two in the physical sciences, a master’s in chemical physics and a master’s in physical chemistry, in addition to an MBA in International Business and Marketing. I received my PhD in Biophysical Chemistry and did two years of Postdoctoral work in Experimental Hematology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After completing my postdoctoral work, I began to work in Industry. I was paid to do my own original research. As part of my position I taught at many universities and developed new technologies while having the opportunity to travel throughout the US/Canada, Europe, Russia, and the Far East. It was a wonderful experience, and I could teach and write at every turn. Eventually I realized how much I enjoyed teaching and writing and returned to my passion. Today I am a writer of sweet contemporary romance and  historical fiction as my genres of choice. Josette is my first novel.

Book preview

Prologue

Ever since I opened my eyes to observe the world around me, ever since I noticed and understood the people immediately around me as well as the people beyond my immediate world, and more so, since my first school days I noticed a difference—well-dressed children with white socks and new shoes, poorly dressed barefoot children without shoes and socks. It was winter, cold, yet these children, the poorly dressed and barefoot ones, were they not cold? And why did they not warm their feet? Did God create the fortunate and the unfortunate?

My God placed me in the middle of these extremes, He did not give me new shoes, but he did not leave me barefoot either.

As I grew up, beyond school and learning, the question remained in my mind constantly, why the difference? Why this separation of people into those well dressed and those poorly dressed? Why some were rich, and some were poor?

I have waited over eighty years for the answers to my question yet when it came it did not satisfy my curiosity nor settle my frustration. Take that as you will.

Can it be that someday, many years from now, that this gap will be bridged and exist no more. Or will it remain forever what it is, people separated and living in two different worlds? That requires further thought and is explored here.

I have tried in the pages of this book to offer a glimpse of the daily lives of both the rich and the poor in our society. Their daily toils and their daily rewards.

I beg the indulgence of my readers if they notice some harshness in my descriptions. But I find it difficult to distinguish at times between the rights of the powerful and those of the powerless in a society where every creature on this earth should receive the same rights granted to them by their Creator. What role does the Creator play in all of this, if any?

From the Translator:

By the time this book was translated, my father, Artemios (Art) Korkidis passed away. It was his request that I translate this particular book for his grandchildren. I too am an avid writer, and my only regret is that I did not finish his book before his death. He lived a long and wonderful life with a loving family, children, and grandchildren, and many many friends. The last few years of his life he was a prolific artist and writer. He had written four manuscripts that I am slowly translating and hope to add to his collection. His artistic work was scheduled for a showing at a local gallery in March 2020 but was postponed because of the pandemic.

My father was a gifted and highly talented man. He was a philosopher and an intellectual. He loved to learn and read, particularly politics, and was always there to help all who knew him. I am proud to be his daughter and give an audience to his many works. His legacy to all of us is his love of others, his thirst for education, and most of all his love for our natural world.

I miss him every day of my life.

Dr. Katherine Korkidis

Part One

Short Stories of Daily Life

Chapter One

Irresponsibility

Georgianna rose from the chair, it was early morning, she tied on her scarf, placed the basket under her arm and left her house. She reflected on her situation, her husband and five young children would have nothing to eat for dinner. She proceeded down to the meadow. There would be something there, she was sure of it. It was October, dandelions and other eatable greens would still be viable to pick. She filled her basket with different types of greens and mushrooms that she came across. Then she went through the local vineyard and picked the remaining grape clusters. When she returned home it was almost dark. She lit a fire and set the greens to boil after rinsing them three times to wash away any remaining dirt. She prepared the pan to fry the mushrooms. The children surrounded her like hungry little birds anxious for their meal. The children were still hungry from their luncheon of a few olives and a bit of bread. Not enough to fill their stomachs and satisfy their hunger.

Her husband was seated on a bench in the yard with a piece of paper and a pencil on his lap. He was absorbed in calculations and making plans. He had never worked a day in his life. Work, he would often say, is for the less intelligent. A clever man such as I should be boss, not a worker. You can see that I am indeed highly intelligent. I will buy a large boat and hire people who will work for me. I in turn would sit in my office and collect the money they bring to me. He continued to fill his sheets of paper about his income to come. This much profit from the fish caught, this much profit from the transports. And when my business exceeds my expectations, he thought, I will purchase an ocean liner. Then I will be as rich as any billionaire in the shipping industry, such as Onassis.

George, put your dreams aside for a while and come in and eat, his wife called from inside the house. She had set the table. The children were eating the greens and mushrooms available to them with much vigor. He went into the house, pulled a chair up to the table, picked up a fork, and put the first bite in his mouth.

Good for you, my wife. You are quite capable, where would we all be without your efforts! You are quite capable at everything you do but certainly not as intelligent as me.

I totally understand, my dear husband, that I am not as intelligent as you, for if I was so intelligent, I would not have allowed you to sit in the sun with pen in hand, calculating nonexistent profits.

The wife’s family was poor. She had six sisters and among them she was the eldest. Her father tried to marry her off to anyone to allow the other sisters their future. The dowry that prospective bridegrooms sought did not exist. The only one that agreed to marry her was young George from their village. He did not ask for any dowry for he knew that he did not have the right to do so. He could not offer anything as a perspective bridegroom. At the age of forty he had no prospects. He lived still with his parents, eating with them, and contributing nothing in return. He did not like to work and chose not to do so. Yet he loved family and contributed to Georgianna two sons and three daughters for now. His poor wife had nothing to offer except her two hands, hard work, and a little vineyard with seven olive trees that she was given by her father-in-law. How could she continue to feed her children? She took on work wherever she could find it, doing laundry and cleaning houses. She was used to work since the age of thirteen, she worked in the fields. Now she was the one that would work in her vineyard and would harvest the olives. She was convinced that her husband did not wish to be useless to the family. He was born that way, she thought, and excused his behavior. In her mind he was just another child she needed to care for. The truth of the matter is that her husband did not care about his family’s wellbeing. He was too engrossed in his fantasy world to care about mundane things such as making a living. As the children grew barefoot and hungry, the mother became desperate. How could she continue to support them? How could she send them to school? How could she afford their books? The eldest was called John and was now ready to enter second grade. The second eldest, Antonis, would be ready to start the following year. How could she afford to buy them clothes and shoes that they needed? Caring neighbors that pitied her situation and admired her courage stood by her and tried to help. They offered her work whenever possible. She was both a mother and a father. What worth was her husband to her with his fantasies of owning skyscrapers and ocean liners one day? Yet, he was there, home, and could take care of the younger children, so she could work outside of the home.

John, even at the tender age of eight years old, understood the reality of his household. He watched his mother struggle to be able to offer them sustenance. He watched his father dream away his life. Yet his father was intelligent, or so he said. John’s emotions were confused. He loved his father, but he hated him for who he was. With time their father-son relationship became even more distant. He could no longer accept his mother’s toil. He was a young boy now and knew he could help relieve her tiredness and stress.

At school he stood out, devoted to his studies and a quick learner. All his written work excelled those around him. But he was apprehensive, for studying would take away the time he could spend helping his mother. When he turned ten years old, he had finished fourth grade with exceptionally high grades. His intelligence and in particular, his mathematical abilities far exceeded his age. He was considered gifted by all his teachers. Yet he came to the decision that he had to leave school as much as he loved education. He needed to find a way to help his ill-fated mother. One day he said, Mother, I will not be going to school any longer.

His mother responded with confusion and deep concern, Are you mad, my child? Why?

John responded, Because I do not like sitting at a desk and doing nothing.

No, I will not allow it. You will not leave school. I cannot understand what has come over you. Why this sudden resistance to returning to school? Do you have a problem at school with someone? Did someone harm you or did you harm them?

"No Mother, neither. I just wish to work so I can help you. You cannot continue to sacrifice your life for all of us. I am the eldest, my brother and sisters look up to me. I must set a good example. I have a responsibility to support my family.

My son, I am grateful, but save your willingness to help me for later when you are all grown up. You are too young to work now. I will not allow you to abandon school, your studies.

John did not say a word and respected his mother’s feelings. He picked up his book and went to a small table in the corner of the bare room to study the lesson of the day.

Chapter Two

Unemployment

After twenty years of continuous employment as part of the editorial staff of a well-recognized journal, Demetrius suddenly found himself without a consistent salary. The magazine company went bankrupt. All his fellow colleagues were on the streets looking for a new employ. He was in his fifties