The young married couple, Agatha Papadimitriu and Bemus Giannopoulus, worked with the Kings of Greece, Constantine and Anna Maria. Both worked in the royal kitchen. In 1967 there was a coup d'état against the monarchy. King Constantine fled abroad and Agatha and Bemus thought it convenient to leave the country. They planned their trip to Spain. He was trained as a chef, in that country, with the most reputable chefs. In addition, he had learned the language.
They would arrive in Madrid. There they would establish their new home. Upon arrival, he started looking for a job. At first nobody knew him, he had no references to endorse his experience and, of course, his time in the monarchy was relegated to oblivion. His first job was in a small restaurant, El Torero. Here many characters that would later become famous gathered. His wife got a job as a janitor; that was where they lived. That was part of the payment for Agatha's services.
Time passed and Agatha became pregnant. Everything went smoothly. She had already learned the Spanish language. Both, she and her husband, had as advisors and friends an older couple, both 75 years old, Don Gumersindo Albornoz and Doña Eulalia Martinez. Gumersindo and Eulalia were retired and never had children. That was one of the reasons for establishing a close connection with the Greeks, as everyone nicknamed them, other reasons would be revealed in time... .
Gumersindo and Eulalia had traveled to many countries, but Turkey and Greece captivated them. They had fond memories and friends from those places.
In one of those trips they met the city of Cappadocia, which they fell in love with. They were fascinated by its spectacular caves, so much so that they were able to buy one. They selected it after staying one night in it.
That night strange and, at the same time, pleasant things happened. They saw their past and their future......The great-grandfather of Gumersindo's great-grandfather was a cousin of the great-grandfather of Bemus' great-grandfather. In other words, Gumersindo and they are distant relatives, about 7 generations had passed..... A tremendous surprise that Gumersindo would have to prove in order to receive the inheritance. Even to his good fortune, Gumersindo was led in a dream to the library of the cave. There he was shown a chest, hidden behind a diary written by one of his ancestors. He had to read that diary. Hidden there were some of the instructions to achieve his mission.....
The next day he tells the dream to his wife. Eulalia suggests:
-Let's go to the library to check the dream.-
Indeed, there was the diary, just like the one Gumersindo had seen in the dream. He took it and behind it was the beautiful chest. When he saw it, his wife was amazed, with the precious stones that were encrusted in it. Gumersindo gives the chest to his wife and checks the diary. When he opens it, a key falls out....
Eulalia picks it up and instinctively, as if someone invisible was guiding her, inserts it into the chest. Oh! The chest opens..... containing in its interior beautiful gold and ruby garments. Both were amazed at such beauty. Even the bottom of the chest hid a fine tiara of diamonds and emeralds.
-What are you going to do with all this,- Eulalia asked astonished.
Gumersindo continues to check the chest, just as he was told in the dream. There he finds a map. His instinct as a traveler tells him that it corresponds to Italy. He gets another piece of paper that is written...but the only thing he recognizes is the surname Pietri.
-The first thing is to get a translator who speaks Spanish. Then we will know what this paper and the diary say. They didn't give me any more clues. This looks like a riddle but I don't know where it will lead us....- answers her husband.
Remembering those events of the past, Eulalia asked her husband, -Gumersindo, we're all grown up now:
-What are you going to do? Are you going to reveal to him that you and Bemus are distant relatives?
- No. Let's wait for the baby to be born. If that part of the prophecy comes true, then I will decide what to do. I've already taken some precautions anyway.
-Which ones?- asked Eulalia, surprised.
-The will I left to my lawyer. I gave him precise instructions, in case I die. Even when they inherit the cave they will see the other map. Bemus is curious, I know him. His attention will be drawn to .... I hope the map will lead them to the key..... that opens the safe. With that I fulfill one of the clauses they showed us, that night, in the cave.....-
-And in the meantime, what shall we do,- says Eulalia.
-We will support you in everything and we will enjoy the part of the inheritance that corresponds to us. This summer I invite you to spend a vacation in Italy,- Gumersindo replies, without informing him that this is also part of the instructions to receive the inheritance.
-Fantastic. It reminds me of our youth. And, while the summer arrives, I will continue making the layette for the baby,- Eulalia answers, giving her husband a kiss.
Gumersindo had another surprise for his wife. Besides going to Italy, they would go to the cave in Cappadocia. There they would continue to carry out part of the procedures, so that the prophecy would continue to be fulfilled and they would be able to obtain the inheritance.
Eulalia continues knitting clothes for the baby. Summer arrives and they leave for Italy. There they visited Venice, took a gondola ride like teenagers in love....... Then they went to Milan, where they attended the famous La Scala theater. Then they went on to Florence where they had to establish contact with the Pietri family. This was part of the plot that would lead them to the last stage, so that Bemus could obtain the inheritance.
In Florence they were received by Maurizio Pietri, who had already been in contact with the translator from Cappadocia.
-Welcome. I was waiting for you.
They talked about the inheritance they were to enjoy. Then Maurizio would communicate, only to Gumersindo, the final and cruel phase of the inheritance. ......
After that fantastic trip they return to Spain. The following week Gloria Eulalia was born, with a huge mole on her right arm. This corroborated that the inheritance would be received .......
They spent 5 happy years together. The little girl loved her Spanish grandparents very much. Gumersindo had already forgotten about the fateful prediction revealed to him by Maurizio .....
One weekend he was driving his car....when suddenly another car, at full speed, passed him and they collided....
The ambulance arrives...... unfortunately Gumersindo is dead. His lawyer, upon learning of this, prepares to open the will after the funeral, as planned. There he would explain to them why these events occurred.....
The strange legacy of Cappadocia by María del Carmen Sánchez Copyright © 2022
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)