Gagan (ePub)

He climbed on the nearby hill, on the top of which there was the country church of St. Thanasis, wishing to genuflect. He reached the top and looked down. The lake was lying in front of him, calm, quiet, majestic and exquisite. In the middle of her[1] there was a tiny island, which had been connected to the land with a wooden floating bridge, swaying with every single breeze. The only thing that was standing on her was the small church of Saint Ioannis Theologos, the memory of whom was being celebrated that day, on the 8th of May.

In the background he saw the entrance of the sea and the fish traps. He stamped on his mind the outposts of the armed guards and he followed with his eyes the small paths that were created because of their patrols, around the lake. From this height he could spot the backs of the fish that were glittering in the dazzling sunlight, and he could see their shoals moving easily, either left, or right. He had never before seen so many fish gathered in such a divine lake. He kept staring enchanted into the lake for hours. He was probably the single one seaman who was seduced by a lake.

There, in front of the country church of St. Thanasis, he made an everlasting vow of faith and dedication to the lake. With an endless love, that he would keep alive for the rest of his life.

[1] Trans. Note: "Lake" in Greek (the language of the original novel) is a noun of feminine gender. Even though in English this is not the case, the feminine gender is followed, specifically for the lake, throughout the whole translated text, because the lake plays the role of a female in Gagan's mind. The English grammar is kept only in cases when people other than Gagan and the narrator talk.