Velvento 1 - Arriving In Style

Toward the end of our long drive and after many phone calls between my mom and Sophia (my dad's niece/my cousin), we found our way to the last 'Velvento' road sign and finally hit the home stretch. She was waiting with two of our cousins at the corner of the main highway and my father's road home. As we inched closer, we jumped out of our seats at every pair of headlights in the distance yelling "I see them!", or "There they are!".

Finally, and after about seven premature guesses, we saw three silhouettes standing in a small dirt parking lot next to their pickup truck which just happened to be a Ford Ranger. After our laughs and hugs, we followed them into the village, weaving through small stone streets on our way to the house dad was born in. We pulled around the last corner... "Oh my god!", my mom screamed, "the whole town is here!". As we all set our eyes upon the camera flashes and video cameras recording our arrival, my dad (full of tears already) yelled out "no... That's OUR FAMILY!!". He pulled the car up to park and we all jumped out in shock to what was finally the family reunion we had talked about for so many years. It was here; we had arrived in my dad's home town; here was the family (what must have been 50 people) ready to put an end to 'Stefano's story' and welcome him back to the Agoratsiou family after 50 years!!


My father's siblings rushed to him with gushing eyes and confused yet elated smiles as this moment (long awaited and maybe even at times given up upon) had finally come to them and the family. Little baby Stefo was in Velvento for the first time since he left for America on the 'big bird' at age six. We went inside to find more family (of all generations) lined up around the walls and many rooms, all waiting to greet my dad. In the hallway, they had religious icons on the wall with a picture of Stefan above them all!! A few of his siblings went to light a candle and say a prayer as we walked into the house.





We waded our way through the crowd hugging and kissing everyone while trying to remember names and understand thick Greek accents. We were greeted in proper Greek tradition; kisses on both cheeks and a huge hug with a hand shake, and his sister gave us each a single rose (a whole bouquet for dad). We were all just unfolding our own tradition: The Simon-Alexander-Agoratsiou family reunion. If you think that's a mouthful, wait until you hear about the food!




Sitting down in a room full of photo albums, we looked at all of the pictures of family and the old days. It was in usual fashion for my mother and sister to cry for any extremely emotional situation (especially one so close to our hearts), and for my dad, well that's a given. The surprise to me was my reaction. I never knew how I'd respond if and when this moment had ever come for my pops and our family, but for the first time in a long, long time I cried. I had forgotten how it felt, and it was amazing. The feeling...to have the four of us side by side with three generations of Agoratsious cannot be described in pictures or with words, but only in the experience itself.


And then we ate our first Greek family dinner!