38791 - The symbolic news

N. Lygeros
Translated from Greek by Athina Kehagias

During that year, the little human was sitting at a desk next to the wall secluded by the windows on the other side of the classroom which was dedicated for studies.
By then he had already conversations with older people, and some of them had noticed him.
Therefore it didn’t seem strange to him when the senior school director of that high school class entered the room and headed towards him.
His walk had a fast pace, but he nevertheless managed to get a glimse of the joy on his face, eventhough it usually had a seriousness about it.
He stared at him in the eyes right over his notebook in which he never stopped writing, he leaned over towards him in order to avoid disturbing the other students, and said to him whispering:
– Today the Nobel Prize was awarded …
– In which field?
– In Literature.
– And who…
– A Greek.
He smiled subtly, and he waited to see the reaction of the little human who was still holding his fountain pen, and he only continued as soon as he left the pen upon his notebook.
– Odysseus Elytis …
It was October of 1979 and he had never forgotten her.