Andreas, under the careful watch of Major Mavros, served on the battlefront. He was in the line of fire but protected by Greek and Allied forces and did shoot an enemy soldier dead when he had advanced into the protected area of the lines.
Andreas shot the soldier as he had pointed his rifle directly at Mavros to kill him. Mavros had not seen the soldier. Andreas was shaken by having to take the life of a man during the fog of war, but he was given no choice in the protection of his country and his friend Mavros.
By late 1918, there was surrender in the north of Greece, and the Allies had control of the borders. Several treaties were signed by the opposing parties to bring conclusion to the Great War.
The toll this war had taken on Greek lives was estimated to be between 6,000 to 10,000 dead and mainly young men like Andreas. Thankfully both Mavros and Andreas had survived this human devastation.
As a reward for applying its troops to the war, Greece was formerly given Bulgarian territory on the Aegean Sea and Eastern Thrace, and Smyrna on the west coast of Turkey. King Constantine of Greece had left the country during wartime.
Later, it was shown that Churchill advocated the only approach that was safe and proper. An immediate and powerful assault on the Dardanelles to open the route between the Black Sea and the ever-important Mediterranean Sea was necessary.
Andreas was later told that the Anzacs consisted of two divisions of the finest soldiers brought from the Antipodes to complement the British-led force of approximately eighty thousand men in total.
The day 25 April 1915 was a disaster for the Allies, and many young Australian and New Zealand lives were sacrificed due to the ill-conceived battle plan created at that time by the British.
The Turkish force that was left to defend Cape Helles and Gaba Tepe was almost ninety thousand men with the added strength that they were defending their homeland.
Andreas had little knowledge of who or what the Australians were in the scheme of world politics. However, later in Kapelis’s life, Australia would play a dominant and decisive role in his lifetime.
Australia would accept most of his future beloved children as migrants after he had suffered the most unthinkable and atrocious abuse of power by the state against one of its most loyal and patriotic citizen.
Andreas could not imagine in 1918 that his future family would fragment and his soul would fracture and be wounded because of the illegal direction given to Andreas by yet another king of Greece in 1947 and the outcome that followed.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ATHENS, LATE 1918
The troops were loaded on to ships and returned to Athens. In December 1918, Andreas arrived safely back in Athens with his friend Mavros. The friends parted ways at Piraeus and promised to keep in touch.
Andreas walked quietly to his aunt’s house, as it gave him time to think what exactly he had been through at such a young age. He arrived at his aunt’s house to excitement and adulation and hugs and kisses in the hallway.
She was so pleased he was home in one piece. His aunt said she would immediately send communication to his parents that he was safe and sound and with her.
After a few days, Andreas received word from his parents that they were all beyond thrilled that he had made it home. Andreas now had to concentrate on seeing when the university year would recommence and submit the papers necessary for admission.
In early 1919, Andreas went to the university and obtained the necessary enrolment papers.
During the war and, because of many young men being conscripted to war, the universities were in hibernation. The activity was at a bare minimum, and funding for the universities was generally scarce. Most of the funds of the state had been applied to the war effort.
At the office of the university, Andreas was asked whether he had served on the battlefront. He said he had. He was asked to bring a declaration or statement from a senior officer to that effect, and he would receive a dispensation for his enrolment and tuition fees for three years. This direction had been ordered by the prime minister of Greece for service to one’s country.
Andreas tried to track down Mavros, who was living in Piraeus. He found Mavros, and they shared a meal of fish and endives at a local taverna.
Andreas told him what he required. After the meal, they went to Mavros’s house. He took out his official military files, which contained an officer’s Declaration of Facts document.
He completed the form, telling the reader that he had known Andreas for six years, that he was a sergeant in the Greek army, and that he had served at the battlefront, saving an officer from being shot, the officer being himself.
The friends parted ways.
The next day, Andreas took the forms and the officer’s declaration and submitted the documents. Andreas received confirmation that his entire fees for three years would be paid for by the Greek government and his attendance at university would cost him nothing for the first three years.
Andreas was ecstatic. He could not believe his luck. He asked when the university would open and start the academic year, and he was advised it was on the first day of February 1919.
Andreas had a very short time to get ready. He had decided to complete his degree in philology first, which was a three-year course.
Both Mavros and Ms Peppas had advised him that before he commenced any profession, he needed to understand the ancient philosophers. Such a course of study would give him insight, logic, and reasoning before his eyes were opened enough to be a professional. If both his teachers said that, it was sound counsel he needed to follow.
University was wonderful for Andreas. It was carefree and exciting. His level of learning was superior to anything he had encountered before.
However, the short-lived peace was again being interrupted by buzzes that Turkey was displeased with the allocation of territory in favour of Greece by the Allies.
The Turkish Empire had been pulled apart during World War I, and Turkey wanted its borders back. In May 1919, Greece launched its forces into Asia Minor known as Smyrna (Izmir).
The then prime minister of Britain promised that the English would help. This did not occur.
Andreas was anxiously waiting for a call to arms and his conscription to fight in the new Turkish–Greek hostility. The old adversary was repeating history and would not let go of the former country that it had occupied.
Andreas was not called to serve his country again, as he had served on the front. However, the now lieutenant colonel Mavros, who was promoted after the war to this higher rank, was called to lead a battalion of Greek forces. Mavros could not resist the temptation to fight the Turks again.
Andreas saw him for the last time at his home, where they shared a meal together. Mavros’s parting words to Andreas were ‘Education and knowledge is power. Be powerful in life, and finish your studies.’
A few months after they had met again, Andreas was informed that most of the battalion that Mavros was leading had either been killed or captured. The commander of the battalion, Colonel Mavros, was summarily executed for destroying sensitive military documents and refusing to answer questions put to him by his captors.
It was a very sad day in Andreas’s life to hear of the devastating news of the demise of Mr Mavros.
Andreas finished his first year of university with reasonably good results. Between 1919 and 1921, Andreas continued his studies in philology and completed his degree after three years.
He completed his undergraduate studies with a credit average entitling him to second-class honours as his post-nominals in his degree.
Despite some financial support from his aunt and his parents, he wanted to limit the financial burden by working. He decided to exercise the skill taught to him by his father, and he commenced making hats. He did so and made a small income from hat-making.
An English firm of tobacconists had just opened a store and wa
rehouse in Athens. Andreas, who was now a smoker, decided to go to the store to try some new tobacco and cigarettes of this newly opened store.
After he entered the store, he was greeted by a representative, and he bought twenty Dunhill red cigarettes. In chatting with the representative, he was provided with interesting information about the founder of the tobacco company.
Alfred Dunhill was an English tobacconist and inventor. The first store was opened as a tobacconist’s shop in St James in London in 1907, offering tailored tobacco blends.
Shops were opened in New York and Paris in the early 1920s, and the shop in Athens had just been opened for future expansion into the Middle East and Turkey.
Dunhill’s family background was harness-makers.
The store had pipes and lighters as some of its products and a variety of tobacco products.
Andreas said, off the cuff, that he had grown up growing tobacco and knew the different blends and qualities of tobacco leaves.
The representative said that Andreas’s comments were interesting. After purchasing the cigarettes, Andreas left the store. He enjoyed smoking the cigarettes in preference to the home-grown blends.
About two weeks later, Andreas went again to the Dunhill store.
On this occasion, the representative welcomed Andreas. ‘We are interested in you. Would you like a part-time job here as a salesman when I have my days off work?’ He went on to say, ‘It will start with two days a week and expand if the business here grows.’
Without thinking twice, Andreas said with excitement, ‘That would be wonderful.’
The representative said, ‘Can you speak English?’
Andreas said, ‘Not at all. I’m sorry.’
The representative said, ‘That can be fixed with a little effort from you and me.’
Andreas nodded.
The representative said, ‘There is one test I need you to undertake. It involves assessing five types of tobacco leaves and telling me what they are. Would you like to do that now?’
‘Of course,’ said Andreas without hesitation.
Andreas was presented with five leaves, and without indecision, he said, ‘In order, the leaves are brightleaf, latakia, dohka, perique, and shade tobacco leaves.’
‘You have the job, and you start Saturday,’ said the representative, thoroughly impressed by the answers. ‘And by the way, my name is Aristos. Your pay will be in English pounds. We receive the same pay as our counterparts in London. There is a no pay discrimination policy by Mr Dunhill.’
‘Fantastic! See you then,’ said Andreas.
After working in the store for two months, business was expanding, and Andreas was working three days a week in between attending university four days a week.
Aristos and Andreas had, during that period, become close friends. Aristos also taught Andreas how to speak English at times when the shop was not busy.
Andreas said to Aristos one day, ‘Look, I make hats as well. Can I have a small stand or rack to put my hats on display so I can sell them?’
Aristos said, ‘I will get approval from London, but I do not see a problem. Head office will no doubt want a percentage of the profits for the use of their store.’
Andreas agreed.
After a few more weeks, London had approved the sale of Andreas’s hats with the insignia ‘Kapelis’ on the hats. Many men who bought tobacco, pipes, or cigarettes from the Dunhill store in Athens also bought ready-made hats or ordered hats and caps from Kapelis.
The income from working in the Dunhill store and his hat sales paid for his all his expenses. The exchange rate from pounds to drachma was excellent, and the comparable pay of the London employees was ten times greater than an employee in Athens.
One day Aristos said to Andreas, ‘London is very happy with your efforts here as an employee. You have been invited to travel to London to meet Mr Alfred Dunhill, the founder of the enterprise and chairman of the board. When are your next extended holidays from university?’
Andreas said in early July and finishing after 15 August, the celebration of the Holy Virgin Mary.
Aristos said, ‘Fine. We will get you on a ship bound for London on Friday that week. All your expenses, including food and board, will be paid for by the company.’
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LONDON, 1922
Andreas travelled to London. He was awestruck when he arrived in London. Such a polished and ordered city! It was a busy city.
When he went through Mayfair, he saw gentlemen and ladies walking in beautiful attire and the ladies carrying umbrellas to protect them from the sun. As he travelled through the Strand, there was the hustle and bustle of a busy city, but it was classy and grand.
He could also see Big Ben and Westminster, where Parliament conducted the business of the state. He saw Knightsbridge and Buckingham Palace, where the king ruled.
He wished Athens could be the same.
He went to a grand home in Chelsea, and he was welcomed by a servant of Mr Dunhill.
True to the running of his enterprise, Mr Dunhill came out to greet Andreas with a beautiful wooden pipe hanging tightly from his mouth.
‘Master Kapelis, please come in. Mavis,’ he said to the servant, ‘bring some nice tea, scones, and cream with jam for our guest. He has come a long way from a very ancient land.’
Alfred Dunhill had been educated in very expensive private schools, where he learnt philosophy and, to Andreas’s great surprise, both the ancient and modern Greek language. He was in tune with Andreas’s learning.
Between the two men and the use of both English and Greek, they could conduct a reasonable conversation.
Dunhill said to Andreas in Greek, ‘pas poli kala’. It meant ‘You are going very well.’
Andreas said in English, ‘Thank you, Master. I am trying my best.’
‘You will stay here in my home for two weeks. I will show you our shop outlet and our warehouse and factory, introduce you to all our employees, and show you London. After I have completely exhausted you, you will return home.’
Andreas said, ‘I have a gift for you—a Greek fisherman’s cap to give you a feel of my country.’
Dunhill was pleased with the gesture and promised he would wear it when he went sailing with his friends.
Dunhill and Andreas did what Dunhill had promised.
Andreas was impressed by Buckingham Palace and Westminster, where he saw the parliamentarians debating domestic and world politics, but above all, he was fascinated in seeing both a criminal trial at the Old Bailey and a civil trial over a breach of contract.
The advocates—or barristers, as he was advised later by Dunhill—wore black jackets, black robes covering the jackets, and a French-style jabot covering the tie area. The most impressive element of the attire was the wigs they wore. The wigs were made of horse hair.
Likewise, the judges hearing the matters wore black robes like the advocates in civil trials and red robes in criminal trials and they also wore wigs.
The conduct of the trials was well mannered, polite, and impressive. Andreas thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
On the final day of their time together, Dunhill said, ‘I understand you have completed a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and you are currently studying law. Is that correct?’
Andreas nodded.
‘When you finish your law degree, I have a proposal for you, and we will speak then, because I don’t want to interfere with your studies. We will speak again. Farewell, and it has been invaluable meeting you and spending time with a lovely young man like you,’ he said.
Andreas bid him farewell and boarded the vessel.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ATHENS, 1922
Andreas then arrived in Athens and went directly to the store to tell Aristos the news.
Aristos said, ‘Yes, I know. I als
o went on the same tour of duty. I have great respect for Mr Dunhill, and he pays us so well.’
Andreas agreed.
During studies involving the ancient philosophers—like Aristotle, Thales, Plato, and Socrates—Andreas came to terms with logic and reasoning. Of all the philosophers, he enjoyed the life and times of Socrates.
His favourite saying of all came from Socrates, who said, ‘The only thing that I know is that I don’t know anything.’ It was an aphorism that would have been said by Mr Mavros had he lived.
The political world in Athens was fractured. There were infighting factions causing national calamity. The monarchists were fighting with the democrats, and the new communist party, based on the new Russian model, was belligerent with everyone.
Corruption was widespread, and truth was scarce. There was great national instability in the capital between the monarchy and democracy. The tension was felt everywhere.
During October 1920, King Alexander was bitten by a monkey kept at the royal gardens, and he died within days from sepsis. This incident was characterised by the headlines in the newspapers in Athens as the ‘monkey bite that could change the course of Greek history’.
The preference of Venizelos and those who followed him was to finally declare a Greek republic and thus, with great hope, put a final end to the monarchy forever.
Outside of Greece, the Greek front collapsed with the Turkish counter-attack in August 1922. The war effectively ended with the capture of Smyrna by the Turkish forces and the Great Fire of Smyrna.
The Greek government then weakly accepted the demands of the Turkish national movement and returned to its pre-war borders, thus leaving East Thrace and western Anatolia to Turkey.
The Allies abandoned the Treaty of Sèvres to negotiate a new treaty at Lausanne with the Turkish National Movement. The Treaty of Lausanne recognised the independence of the Republic of Turkey and its sovereignty over Asia Minor, Constantinople, and Eastern Thrace.
Kapelis- The Hatmaker Page 11
