I dressed fairly smartly the next day, and met Liz, Hannah, Fiona and a young man called Vassilis at Plaka from where we would walk to the Alexandros, our best loved taverna. Vassilis was a young man who grew up partly in South Africa, and when he heard that I was A South African too, he became my kind of bodyguard, always watching out for me. Liz, who knew the owner and staff quite well, as she  had been living in Greece for a number of years, must have tipped them off, for I was not even seated when a glass of red wine was put in my hand, and the waiters all came to wish me a happy birthday! The food was excellent as usual, and I was told to order what I wanted, and it would be on the house! As the other guests realised that it was my birthday, more and more glasses of wine and ouzo were put in front of me, and although I gave most of it to my companions, I was starting to feel very giddy indeed! When the dancers came on to entertain us with their weird and wonderful steps and jumps, I was feeling quite excited, and when they finished and said something to Vassilis in Greek, and he stood up and pulled me up, then led me to the small raised piece of floor where the dancing was done, I was only too willing! I think I must have made a real cake of myself, but Liz assured me that I was very entertaining, specially when I insisted to show everybody how to do Zorba's dance! Ya, right!!! OH MY GOSH!!!! I  knew I jumped and slapped my thighs, and hopa'ed with zeal and passion, that is of course when I could still register what was what, and vaguely remembered Vassilis trying to get a reluctant me off the stage when it was time to go, and that was all!
I woke up with a mouth tasting like I have eaten through a rubbish dump, and a head that would not lift from the pillow. When at last I managed to open my bleary eyes I got the bally shock of my life, but my effort to jump up was hampered by my head that threatened to explode, and I had to fall back on the pillows. I was in a strange room, in a strange bed, and tried as I might, I could not remember where I was, or how I got to be there! Tell you, I was hyperventilating! Badly! I was again trying to get my head off the pillow when the door opened and in walked Vassilis with a cup of steaming coffee. Was I overjoyed to see him, as I did not know what to expect, and I knew he would never harm me.After we had a second coffee , he told me that he was off to work, and that I could sleep my hangover off as long as I wanted, which I did, seeing that I really couldn't lift my head. By late afternoon I felt much better, put on my jacket, the only garment that was removed from my body, and very slowly made my way home.
Spiros was frowning heavily when he saw me entering through the gate, but when I assured him that all was well, he beamed, and told me that everyone was worried. Indeed, they were, as Ascala knew I did not come home, and as I always tell when I will be away for the night, they thought something happened to me, and phoned the bally police when I wasn't home by two! I then (finally) ha-ha, denounced all alcohol, specially ouzo, as I could not bear another headache and nausea like I had that day! Apparantly Vassilis got a taxi for me the previous night, but I was in no fit state to tell them my address!! At least I had completely forgot to lament over my empty nest, and wondered what my kids would say about their misbehaving mother!!! But there is a saying that if you are over forty, the only way to behave is very, very badly! Ha-Ha again!