Barba Yannis came to cut the olive tree; I held the ladder for him while he cut the branches. He was happy with the tree and the way it’s growing. But when he looked at the lemon tree he shook his head, it was no good, and he cut it down and said that the shade from the olive tree makes it impossible to grow a tree at that spot, so I may have to put stones there as well. And he will take out the poor mandarin tree and put a lemon tree there instead, we need lemons in the garden. He also cut a few branches off the orange tree and he was pleased with it, although he tasted one of the oranges and thought they were a bit sweet.
We had a chat while he tasted the orange, he said he is now 81 and his problem with the knee is worse, also his back is aching. He doesn’t work much, only little, he said. He helps a few people with trees, he has his own trees – he has over 20 olive trees and some other, close to his house. Also in the mountains he has the bees and the honey. He said that this year in June there will be honey – last year was nothing. But there’s no problem for him to get up in the mountains because he has his donkey. He doesn’t drink much, he said, only a little wine these days. He has even stopped with the Cipporo!
All this conversation was made without him knowing almost any English and my Greek is very limited indeed. But Yannis just talks and never hesitates and with his hands and a couple of questions from me we manage really well.
Katalava?
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