I never cease to be amazed at the people I meet.
Today on the way home from the village of Karmi (17 different nationalities live here, according to a person who lives there), located on the Kyrenia Mountain slope, an old woman stood along the road, with dark sunglasses and an orange scarf on her head, and waved to me to stop.
Given that the sun beat down, and no local buses travel this path, and that it was too far to walk down to the main road, I stopped.
She opened the door and I pointed to the handle that she could grab it in order to heave herself up on the seat and sit down. My bus is quite high, it is sometimes difficult for older people to get in, but the old woman took hold of the handle and sat comfortably. She did not wear a seat belt so I stopped further down the village and she buckled up.
I barely started moving before she began her story. Normally Cypriots ask where are you going, but first greets you: “Merhaba” (hello), which is followed up by another polite phrase: “Nasılsınız?” (How are you?). I respond: “Iyiyim Teşekkürler, siz nasılsınız?” (I’m fine thanks, and how are you?).
Then either sit quietly or you begin a coversation. But this lady was different; she started talking at once and asked if I knew the Holiday Village we just passed (where I picked her up). “No,” was my reply (I had not noticed it because I was focused on the road). Then she asked how long I had lived on the island, and I replied 14 years. “But then you should know the story behind this tourist facility,” said the old lady.
I did not say sorry until she started talking incoherently about her great-grandfather, who once lived there and then moved to Kaukasus, on to Siberia and finally a generation later to China.
I looked a the little old lady on the sly and marveled over her vitality and clarity. Was she a little weird, senile? She proceeded to speak and I managed a few moments later, to ask her if she was Cypriot. “No,” was the answer. “I was born in China.” I looked at the lady again and in my stupidity, I thought I had heard wrong, but I did not ask more questions before she proceeded to talk.
Now, I drove very slowly down all these hills and I even let a car behind me pass because she was a good storyteller and I was fascinated by her story.
She further told that she had come to Edremit Holiday Village and wanted to rent a room for a long term, but was told that they just rented out to tourists on a short term, which she thought was very sad. Now I had time to quickly ask her where she lived (and I thought here on the island) and she calmly replied, “UK”, and I hastened to question number two, “I mean here on the island?” I said. “In Lapithos,” she then said. I understood that she meant the hotel located in Lapta and for once I was on my way there, and I said it laughing. She cried out loud, “Lord hear prayer“.
The lady proceeded to tell me that just before I came, she had a serious conversation with the Lord and told him that now he was actually helping her with transportation home!
She was faithful, as you probably already understand. She told me that her Lord had told her four times before getting to Northern Cyprus to visit their ancestors house.
In the end she listened to her Lord, and took a flight to Larnaca. From there, she went with a coach here and she told the driver that she would not follow back. They may go without her.
She turns 79 years tomorrow and she has lived in several countries around the world by following her Christian faith since childhood.
Consider, that this nice, old lady of 79 years makes her way in the world on her faith and conviction without worry, and relies on her God; he takes care of her and sends people (in this case me) which help her.
Is it not strange how some people survive by being positive and hopeful?
I thanked her for the story and a very different and memorable trip from Karmi to Lapta (now she did not live in the hotel as I thought, but apparently hired a private room in Lapta).
Before she got off, I learned that her name is Gina, and my name in Greek Margareta turned out to be a party name. The elderly use the name when they sing for a party!
Perhaps the encounter with the little old lady wanted to remind me that I too need to have fun sometimes!
I never found out if Gina had previously visited TRNC (but she told me, among other things about a visit to Paphos).
