The Onion Pie

Note: This story is not in Manolis Makris’ book but was told by his mother Marinia Hartofylakas-Makris.

It was during the war. We lived in Oxokamara (on the western slope of Olympos). It was shortly after my mother and sister died. I was baking bread. I did not have any koulouri (circular rusks). To not waste the small pieces of bread dough left over I made a kind of onion pie.

At that moment a woman, Morfini Fundis, passed by in the street above our house and greeted me “Ora kali Marinia” (literally good hour but a greeting that implies good wishes).

“Kalos tin Morfini” (literally good to you) I replied.

“What a pity, Morfini. I just put the bread in the oven and it is not ready to give to you. Here I have this onion pie and this must be baked.”

The woman took the pie and said words of thanks and blessing.

In the night, I saw in my dream that my mother came and was coming down the steps and she sat on one step and I said to her “You sit on the stairs my mother. I have cooked food. Come close so that we can eat together.”

She said “No my child. I have eaten. Don’t you remember that you sent me food?” and she opened her folded apron and showed me the pie I had given to Morfini with burnt onion on it.

It was war. People had nothing. Maybe the woman was hungry.

EDITOR'S NOTE: People of Olympos believe that when they give something to somebody which he or she really needs, usually food, then this gift goes to the souls of the dead members of the family, especially the recently deceased, and the people who get the gift wish that God will forgive the sins of the dead members of the family.