After school, Nikolas would help his uncle at his well-established jewelry store in downtown Piraeus, the Port of Athens. This gave him the opportunity to meet many naval officers and sailors who invited him aboard their ships. Young Nikolas would frequently visit the ships, and at the bridge he talked to the captains, friends of his uncle Spiro. They would often let the ambitious young man take the ship's wheel, seeing how much he enjoyed the experience.
The seasoned officers could detect the love this boy had for the sea. "You will be a fine captain someday," they remarked. "Someday I will" was Nikolas's firm reply, his eyes sparkling, full of the young man's dreams. Now and then, Nikolas would talk to his uncle with so much excitement and energy about his experiences on the ships that Uncle Spiro often found himself listening intently and picturing his nephew as a captain.
Spiro himself was a closet sailor, so he lost no opportunity to encourage him. He had always wanted to be a sailor, but circumstances had prevented his dream from materializing. It was too late for him, but being close to Nikolas's dreams kept his spirits up.
The mirror in front of Spiro could not lie about his salt-and-pepper hair, and the wrinkles on his forehead. He wondered where time had gone, and why all his life he had been in such a rush. What happened to that adventurous young man who was idolized by all, a man who became a fine jeweler, but not a sailor. "Oh well ... I guess I am happy where I am," he said, smiling in front of the mirror.
"Uncle Spiro, why were you never married with a family of your own?" Nikolas once asked.
"But I do have a family, Nikolas," Uncle Spiro would respond, tightening his rather full lips. "You know, someday I'll be as tall as you," he would joke and change the subject, standing on his tiptoes next to Nikolas to reach his twometer frame. For Uncle Spiro, family was anyone who stepped into his store. He treated them with respect, kindness, and love―especially the lonely navy men, far away from home. Spiro would give them hefty discounts on their purchases of gold and invite them on holidays and special occasions to be his guests at his large flat, near the port.
Before he finished high school, Nikolas was accepted into the Royal Greek Naval Academy. His dark olive skin contrasted against the white cadet's uniform, and his mustache and curly brown hair made him look even more handsome to his mother Penelope, who often caught herself admiring him. Then she would spit softly three times and slip into his pocket a round piece of blue glass with an all-seeing eye painted on it to protect him from evil. She was so proud of him.