Have you ever wondered how your parents ended up together? In my case, I’ve always had that curiosity in me, since my memory can stretch back, as my parents are coming from two different countries. Was it love at first sight? What was the reaction from the families? Did they find it challenging to co-exist while coming from different cultures? The answers to those questions can be a whole different story, the one filled with cruel historical context, misunderstandings, and a lot of determination.
My dad, as an ethnic Greek, was forced to immigrate to Greece, because of a war that took place in Abkhazia, Western Georgia. My mum, as Russian, could not follow my dad, as they were not officially married. He left for Greece in a hurry, without knowing the exact destination. My mum left for Russia, to reunite with her family and escape from the war. Three years went by, with not a single communication exchange; she only knew he was in Greece and he only knew she was left behind. In 1995, my mum took the decision of returning back to Sukhumi, go back to her old job, as there were signs that the war might be coming to an end. Right after my mum’s return back to Sukhumi, my father who was still living in Greece and was still clueless of her exact location or fate heard of a friend who was planning on visiting Sukhumi. He asked him to visit my mum’s workplace and try his luck if she would still be working there. He also passed an envelope, with his home phone number and some money, knowing how she would be struggling to raise their son on her own during such troublesome times. He managed to find her and deliver the envelope...
She called my dad, few times actually, but it was always my grandmother picking up the phone, with a promise that she would pass on the message to my dad. She never did. She never wished to see them together and she always dreamed of a Greek wife for her son, despite that they already had a child, my brother. Until the day my mum called up again and it was my dad who answered the phone. From that moment, it was only a matter of time until she arrived in Greece.Â
Twenty-five years later, they are still together, with one more child, me. My family is like any other family, but the story of how they ended up together can be considered a unique and lucky one. Whenever I hear about stories like this one, there is always one thing crossing my mind…if something is meant to be, it would be. In the meantime, one should never lose faith and hope.
Mum, Dad, I love you