Patriots, In the Ready

Patriots in the Ready

fiction
edward w pritchard

Note to Greeks, story is a Metaphor, please don't take offense, moment chosen is historical, interpretation is not intended to be slanted. Author admires Greek civilization, author is ignorant of actual political situation in Cyprus in 1974 or today.

Patriots, In the Ready

Situation critical Ephesus Turkey, summer 1974.

A Greek madman was threatening, we had no army just here, the Western powers were preoccupied and Sampson Cypriot Greek,  had littered Cyprus with  graves and now threatened invasion of Turkey proper.

i was in charge of our small town's defense. We sent the women and children to hide in the hills in the ancient way. Our Turkish army was at Bodum, Herachia and Iniz but here there were no troops to assist our small town directly on the coast and likely invasion spot.

I had twenty men and boys in the ready waiting to die defending our town against superior forces.

Desperate I recruited thirty patients from the nearby asylum. Crazy yes, all, in various ways but today patriotic Turk.

Dawn broke, no invasion here, Turkey was invading Cyprus, the Greek Colonels had fallen our town was safe.

My fifty men celebrated for two days. Women kissed us and we were carried food and drink on trays until we could eat no more.

I waited until late the third day to take my thirty soldiers back to the asylum.