He lived in a two room small apartment.
The salary of a retired  army General was not adequate to provide his wife with all they  needed.  They  had difficulty paying the electricity bill each month.  At least he had his medals in battles  to make him proud of .
And  his decorations  were still on his uniform, though deep  in  a  chest by the  bedroom  door.
His sword  was  also there.

- Irene, look !    This is from the battle of Oreokastro, the Albanian mountains.

- You have seen  this picture  1000 times, you poor  one.

- Is that all you have to say ?   I was the only one to  order an attack against the Italians.

- Yes, and you were decorated for it.   And now look at us.    The grocery store
is going to cut our credit.

- Keep your mouth closed,  woman,   and  start to respect.

- Am I doing anything else but respect, the last 35 years ?

- Good.   This is your role.   To respect the general.

- Yes  Sir.


She walked to the window  and then turned to him abruptly.

- Defkalion !    Look,    they are  erecting a statue  at the park !

- what statue ?

- No idea,   looks like a man on a horse.

- Mm..  yes,   some hero  of the war...

- DEFKALION !    LOOK !      LOOOK !     is that not YOU !!!!!

- Are you crazy wife ?

- NOooooo.Look, it is YOU on the bronze  horse !   Look at your sword !!!!

The general  walked to the window...

- Woman, it seems you are right the first time in your life ,
It seems it is MY statue....

- I told you !  and now look  as they are putting it  in place. LOOK ! is't YOU !!!!

-  I guess you are right.   

...


In 30 min the statue  was put in place,  and  Dekfalion with Irene  went out  to the park to make sure.

Yes, it was his statue,   The  bronge plate  was writing in golden letters

"General Defcalion Makrigiannis,  hero of the Greek-Italian war"


- How funny , Irene...
to spend so much money to  make the statue of the general
and not care about the general.   The electricity company will cut us power in 10 days

-Come,   let's return home,   you can't fight all those.

- No, I will go speak to the mayor.

......................

He did not.    He only waited for October 28 to come,  when children recite poems
at schools,  and parades were being prepared to commemorate the glorious victory.

Defkalion  was looking out of his window  at his  statue when the municipal  band
circled the park  and  began  playing to the statue.    The Greek flag was raised.
It was the eve of the National celebration.

-  Irene,  IRENE !   he called his wife

- What is it ?

Prepare my uniform  and my sword.    I will go down there and show them
who the hero is.

- Oh no !

- why not.    Everyone must learn  how the State really treats the heroes.

- Ohh my husband..  there is something that I have to tell you.....

- What is it,  wife ?

- You cannot go there....

- Tell me  why , why ?


she swallowed her  saliva but continued.

- Remember my niece  Cleopatra  when  her little son George was ill ?

- Yes, the boy is well, isn't he ?

- Yes,  but a  single mother,  she could not  pay the doctor.

- And ?   Speak up  Irene,   do you have secrets from me?


She closed her eyes with her both hands before  speaking
then she managed to  say in low voice

- I sold your sword .

- YOU DID  WHAT !!!!!   You sold  my sword ?   The only  pride I had for  14 years
of  battles ?

- It was  forgotten under your uniform for 35 years,  in the chest.
  Cleopatra was desperate.


Defkalion realized the situation and said nothing.

He looked out of the window.  The band  was playing the national anthem  to his statue,  and  he was  feeling the bitter fact of  being a hero useless to anybody.
His statue  was worth  10 times the value of  his apartment.   And  he would be out of electricity soon.   But thanks to the statue  and the new lamps  around it they would have some light at night.