In typical Greek culture, a Greek man must marry a Greek woman, and vice versa.  If you were to not follow this unwritten rule, you would surely be shamed by your family, or even disowned.  A Greek family likes to preserve its culture, and outsiders marrying in disturb the ancestral harmony.  These are values that the Xenakis family held up high, and were stringent about.  On the island of Milos, Elena Xenakis was getting to the age to be married.  Elena was deemed as a misfit from her family as she was rule-bending, joyous, and dynamic, while her parents and siblings were more idle, and unadventurous.  Men and marriage were never something that Elena thought too deeply about, until her parents brought it up to her one evening.

“ Elena, It’s time we discussed your plans for the future, ”  said her father.

“I think it is time that you get married and begin to expand our lineage.”  said her mother.

Elena took what her parents said to heart and pondered it for the next few days.  One afternoon while buying ingredients for the night's supper,  Elena tripped and spilled her basket of goods.  While gathering the remains from the ground, a broad figured man helped pick up the bruised squashes and dented lemons.  The broad man stood up, flashed his teeth, revealing a wide smile.  Elena experienced a warm fuzzy feeling that engulfed her chest and turned her cheeks a rosy pink.  Elena stood up abruptly and timidly smiled.  The first thing she noticed about the stranger was how he was wearing what looked like a type of uniform that matched others around him.

“I think you dropped these?”  said the handsome man in uniform, as he extended his arm and gave her the vegetables.

“Thank you, I must have tripped on the gravel,” said Elena as she dusted her dirt stained palms on her apron.
“Seems so. My name is Christopher Jones, and this is my first time here in Greece,could you familiarize me with my surroundings?” Christopher asked inquisitively.

Elena nodded her head heartily, and began to walk with Christopher at her side.  Throughout the span of the afternoon Elena gave Chris an insider’s look of Milos, and she showed him places where she goes to escape from the world around her. Elena was surprised at herself, because while guiding Christopher, she pondered the idea of marriage and how time was running out for the first time ever,  even if she had just met him only a few hours ago.  As Elena looked at his uniform she questioned what part of the country he was from.
Elena asked Christopher, “Where are you from?”

“I am from America, and visiting for work.  I live on boats and travel around to trade,” replied Christopher.
Elena was caught extremely off guard, but yet didn’t care enough to be bothered by it.  While they walked, Christopher talked about life in America, and Elena found it extremely fascinating.  He talked mostly about his parents, and how madly in love they are, how he wishes for something like that. Since Elena had no one previously to understand what love is, she assumed what she had with Christopher was love at first sight, that she read in her childhood books.  With Elena’s stubborn personality, need to be married, and Christopher’s want for love she would not let anyone tell her differently. 

The sun began to set and dinner time was approaching, and Elena was sad that her time with him would have to end.  Out of impulse, she invited Christopher back to her house for supper, forgetting that he was from America, and her parents would surely not approve. 

When Elena and Christopher arrived at the door to Elenas house,  Elena realized that she might be making a mistake.  She was thinking of ways for him to cover it up, but the more she thought about it the more impossible it sounded.  There was no way to cover up his American accent, her way of meeting him, or his American name.  Elena warned Christopher about the possible outcomes and opened the door feeling an intense chill, even though it was a hot summer night outside.  Elena and Christopher walked in together and led him into the kitchen where her mother, father, and her brothers were nearly done preparing the night's meal.  Her mother was the first to look up, with a curious expression on her face, then the rest of her family followed in looks of confusion.

“You didn’t tell us you were bringing a guest for dinner, Elena,”  said her father analytically.

“ What is your name?” asked her mother with an undertone of attitude.

“Christopher Jones” said Christopher with a slight quiver in his voice.

Her mother stopped peeling the potatoes, her father looked up from his newspaper, and her brothers sat and snickered.

“That is not a Greek name.  Where are you from?”, her mother said demandingly.

Once the word “America” rolled off of Christopher's tongue, Elena could feel the whole house rumble with disappointment.

“Get out of my house,”  said her father, abruptly.

Elena knew her family would be angered, but not this rude in front of a guest. 

“If Christopher must leave, then so will I,” said Elena and stood in front of Christopher defensively.
The room was silent.
Elena grabbed Christopher’s forearm and dashed out the front door so fast that the hallway spun around her.
When she reached the village square, her eyes were glassy, and her cheeks were stained and red.  Elena knew how silly she was since she just met Christopher that day, but she was hurt that her parents reacted in that cruel way, especially since she very much wanted him to be her husband. 

The day Christopher spent with Elena made him think about how happy his parents were, and with his spontaneousness that filled him- he believed he was ready.

“Come back to America with me.  We could get married and be happy together, ” said Christopher as he wiped away her tears with his thumb.

Elena nodded and decided that’s just what she would do.  She could get back at her parents, yet still be with who she loved.  Christopher told her that the next boat left in the morning and if she was serious that she should go pack her things.  Elena went back into her house and found her family in their usual spots.  Her father was in the garage smoking a cigar, her mother was washing the dishes, and her brothers, as usual, nowhere to be found.  She went up to her room, filled a leather case with four outfits, a toothbrush, and a pair of shoes.  She came down to tell her parents what she planned on doing, while her heart beat sped up.  Once Elena got the courage to explain to her parents that she was going to America for a better quality life and to get married, she knew their reactions would not make her happy.

“You are no longer our daughter,” said her father.

Those words rang in her head to the point that she almost lost her balance.  Elena then  decided in that very moment that she wasn’t going to let her parents get in the way of her happiness.  She turned around, opened the door, and did not look back.

In the morning,  Elena and Christopher loaded their bags and got onto the boat.  As the boat tooted and started to depart,  Elena looked out into the sea and felt a surge of happiness.  She was so excited to start her new mature life in America, and thrive.  As the boat went farther and farther, her homeland became a tiny speck, nonexistent.