όψεις και απόψεις στις Σπέτσες

First, a brief «Who-is-who»: Isabelle and Christina Tawil are the daughters of Aline’s brother Jean-Pierre Tawil.
Isabelle Tawil (the elder niece who lives between England and Australia).
Christina Tawil (who lives in London). 
Christina’s husband Roy Osawe and their brilliant son Max Osawe.
They mention Poros because Aline’s sister Viviane Tawil organized family reunions in Poros, where her historian husband Platon Alexiades gave conferences on the British commando raids against the Nazis, during World War 2.   

Isabelle Tawil remembers Aline

Aline is with me every day and shaped who I am. I use phrases in my speaking to be more like her, have a fascination with ancient history and nature from her and try to be happy like her too. 

Returning now to Alexandria from Australia, it was easy to remember her speaking and teaching me so many things. Aline was responsible for giving me a love of museums and history, of lifelong learning; I remember us visiting Athens where we pored over the exhibits in the Benaki Museum and as we clambered up the Acropolis to visit the Parthenon when I was small, recall her explaining to me the significance of the curls on the foreheads of the statues. The vast knowledge and facts that she relayed to me, have been repeated to my own friends and to my nephews, Max and Leo. 

When I returned to Greece in recent years, we visited the Acropolis Museum (my favourite museum) and enjoyed the view of the Parthenon over lunch. That year we also went to the hill Lycabettus, with the tiny church where you got married. One day Aline was tired so I rose early to visit museums and tell her all that I saw. She was most pleased that I had arrived before opening hours to the Folk Museum. The manager let me in, so I had all the place to myself and could enjoy each and every exhibit for an hour before the public was admitted. My tale over dinner that evening «thrilled» her. I’ll always remember Aline saying thrilled, and use it regularly after her.

One summer in Spetses when I was very small, Aline came to get me saying, ‘Come, come, quick quick, follow me’ so I followed her to lean over the wall of the house to watch hundreds of woodlice marching along the corridor. We’d look for cicada skins on the bark of trees and gush in wonderment at how interesting they were. Aline taught me to look differently at insects and enjoy their intricacy. She always had information about why they were important or detrimental to the environment. 

Speaking of language, Aline had the most wonderful and clear way of speaking, it was songlike too. I always hear her say, ‘How Lovely’, ‘With pleasure, thank you’, ‘Thank you, no’, and she had a particular way of saying ‘finger.’ She used to cross her fingers when she wanted to remember something; a top tip that I’ve picked up and now use! 

Wherever we went, people would smile and greet her. She attracted kindness because she was so kind. Children would always come up to play with her. In summer at the beach, they would climb on her shoulders and used her as a springboard to dive in the sea.

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Christina Tawil-Osawe remembers Aline

Aline was a wonderful aunt. I remember from when I was very young that she was really interested in what I had to say. And unlike other grown-ups she would really listen to me and would ask questions to find out more. That was why children loved her, she listened and made them feel just as important as the adults surrounding them.

Aline was interested in everything: history, science, and literature. Her logical mind enjoyed making sense of the world around her, but she also had a sense of wonder and enjoyed making even small moments special.

I remember a time we were driving across Europe to visit family in Italy and Aline sat in the car between my sister and me. She was pointing out trees and birds and other things for us to look at outside the car and make the long drive more pleasant. Then when we were driving through the Mont Blanc tunnel she gave me a small pot of milk, the type you get in cafes, and told me to drink it which I did.

Then I asked her “Why?” and she responded, “To help you remember our adventure!” It worked; I’ve never forgotten drinking milk while driving through the Mont Blanc! I use the same trick now to help my children to make memories, it doesn’t have to be milk but eating or drinking something unusual helps to cement a memory in your mind.

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From Roy Osawe, Christina’s husband

When I think of Aline I often remember the time we met in Poros. She greeted us with her friendly welcoming smile, immediately made me feel relaxed after feeling a small bit of anxiousness at the idea of meeting several of my wife’s family for the first time all at the same time.

Later when we went for a walk from the hotel to the town, my son, Max, spotted a string of bunting with national flags hanging from a hotel along our route. Identifying flags was something Max had only recently begun doing, he would name one and Aline pointed at another, and he would name that too. The group we were with had walked on, but she could see Max was having fun and wanted to show her what he had learnt. Aline listened patiently and asked him more. She then asked me about his where his interest (and mine) had started and made us both feel that our little hobby was really important. Whether describing an inconsequential moment in their day or debating the state of the economy after Brexit, she had that special quality of making people feel what they had to say was the most important thing to her and she was listening.

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From Max Osawe, Christina and Roy’s son

I think this was the first time I went to Poros. It’s an early memory, the first one I have of Aline.

The sun shone blindingly on me when we were getting off the minivan. I was tired from the seemingly endless flight and boat ride over to the island. The sky above me was blue and cloudless but I didn’t notice. All around me people were unloading the minivan, wheeling suitcases around and greeting relatives. Shouts of «Hello!» «It’s been so long!» and «Haven’t you grown!» echoed all around me. I couldn’t see mum anymore, the sun seemed to be targeting my eyes and I felt confused and tired.

Then someone came over to me. «Hello Max,» she said smiling, «Do you remember me?» I looked up into the woman’s smiling face and the sun seemed less piercing, the greetings less noisy. This is something I have always remembered about Aline. Her smile. It always looked real, I never thought she was forcing it. When Aline smiled there was never a doubt in my mind that she meant it, that she was really happy to see me.

«I don’t remember you.» I told her apologetically.
«Well, I’m your Auntie Aline,» she replied.
My stomach gurgled and I realised how hungry I was.
«Here,» Aline put something in my hand, «I hope you like chocolate.»
I looked at the hexagonal tube she had just put in my hand.
«Thank you, Auntie Aline!» I beamed at her, already opening the Smarties packet.

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