"Yes, the tree of freedom has been nourished with the blood of my ancestors for centuries. And I am ready to give mine to nourish it more, so that future generations won't have to live in fear and oppression," Nikolas responded.
"Please do not tell me to turn the other cheek. I already have. There are no more cheeks to turn. Miss Anna, Nikolas told me that you are an American, yes?"
"Yes Father. But my parents are Gre-"
"I know child, I know," Father Gregorios interrupted. "What are you doing in this part of the world?"
"I discovered that I have a heart and that it can love," Anna whispered.
"Love teaches us hard lessons, my child," said Father Gregorios philosophically. "Now I will leave you two alone." The priest started to walk away and then turned around and said, "St. Paul was shipwrecked in these parts of Southern Crete. He stayed here for some time until the elements were more favorable and then continued on to Rome. I hope your impression of the Cretans is more favorable than his," the Father said with a smile.
"I am sure it will be, Father," replied Nikolas as he watched the dog being warmed by the morning sun. The kitten pawed at the dog's tail as if it were a mouse. The dog swished his tail back and forth, teasing the kitten. As Anna patted them, she asked:
"And you, Father? What brought you to this place?"
"It was a call from God. My parents wanted me to study medicine and become a famous doctor. So I enrolled at the University of Athens and then London. While there, I heard the voice of God, a deep inner voice. Before I knew it, I was visiting a monastery at the holy mountain of Athos. There I saw an elder who looked into my eyes, and I was drawn to him like a moth to a candle light. 'I have been waiting for you, my child,' he said. He became my spiritual teacher, and for many painstaking years, he helped me pull each and every thorn from my heart. And there were some big ones: pride, egoism, and desire. Yes, above all, desire. Plus, let's not forget narcissism. I am still working on them. All of that is what brought me here."
Anna listened intently, following with great interest Father Gregorios' words, her eyes wide open.
"Thank you, Father," she said softly.
"Thank God, my child," he reminded her.
"Yes, Father, that's what I meant," Anna corrected herself.
Father Gregorios knew that his words had fallen on fertile ground. Nikolas too was drawn to the Father and his words. Since losing his father as a child, Nikolas welcomed kindness from older men.