The Teacher in Black

In Part 1, I introduced my grandmother, Chrystalleni,a trailblazing Cypriot teacher, a widow who raised four remarkable sons, and an inspiration to generations. She taught across Cyprus, dressed always in black, collecting knowledge, lace, and respect in equal measure.

Now, we step inside her home the heart of her legacy.

🏠 At Home: Precision, Discipline, and Love

At home, order was not optional. It was essential for survival.

She ran the household with military precision. First, great-grandmother Irini was served. Then Chrystalleni. Then the boys, always in order of age.

Among the brothers, natural factions formed:

Antonis and the youngest, George, were one pair.

Petros and Costas,my father and godfather,the other.

And like all siblings, quarrels happened.

🍝 The Macaroni and Chicken Incident

One legendary conflict centered around lunch.

A rich meal of macaroni and chicken had been served. A quarrel erupted between Antonis and Petros. Tensions boiled. Antonis refused to eat, not because he wasn’t hungry, but because he refused to let Petros eat after him.

Grandmother watched, silent.

“Antonis, serve yourself,” she commanded.

“Nooo,” he replied defiantly.

“If you don’t, I’ll skip you.”

Still… “Nooo!”and Nooo and Noooo!!

Well, Antonis suddenly stood and spat right onto all the food. Pasta, chicken, bread ,everything.

The silence that followed was chilling.

Grandmother didn’t shout. But the punishment was strict and swift

A full day without food and 1,000 written lines:

“I won’t do it again.”

🔔 School Bells and Naughty Pupils

Later in life, a pioneer always, she founded the first Kindergarten in Kaimakli, one of only two in all Nicosia at the time.

One of her pupils was my dear friend, Thalia Athiainitis.

At school, the sacred bell stood on the windowsill. Whoever grabbed it at 8:00 sharp had the honor of ringing it.

One morning, eager to beat the boys, Thalia rang it at 7:50.

Chrystalleni, furious, had to punish the offender so she gave her a slap, a punishment that was permitted then.

Years later, Thalia told me that story. And I realized: She had been the “naughty pupil” I remembered as a very young child! Because I do recollect my strict grandmother fuming ,as she was telling this story to my parents.

From then on, Thalia and I became the best of friends…

🧶 Home Visits and Colorful Couch Throws

Pupils came to her home for school visits. She taught them to weave rugs in the sunny sitting room.

I remember the colorful couch throws to this day.

Even in old age, she never stopped cooking, crocheting, gardening.

I still grow flowers from her original bulbs. They bloom every year.

Just like her legacy.

♠️ Card Games and Laughter

She adored us especially my brother, George, who taught her and me how to play koum kan and spastra.

He always tried to cheat—peeking at her cards.

She always caught him.

And we’d all laugh together.

She was very forgiving towards her grandchildren you see.

📖 The Eternal Teacher

I remember sitting with schoolbooks, her eyes full of quiet wisdom.

She made learning joyful, gentle.

All of us grandchildren remember her with love.

She was strict in school… but to us, she was simply grandma.

✉️ Her Final Years and Farewell

In 1966, I left for my studies in London.

She made me promise to write.

That was our final farewell.

She passed away in 1967 from a heart attack.

🕊️ Her Legacy Lives On

Chrystalleni wasn’t just a mother or a teacher.

She was an institution. A force.

One of the first ten female teachers in Cyprus, in a time when women couldn’t even vote.

She raised four educated, capable sons. She touched countless lives.

👩‍👧 A New Generation

I am proud to bear her name.

Now, my granddaughter is named too Chrystalleni-Maria Kalli.

She lives on and in us in our stories, our books, our gardens.

She was the “Teacher in Black.”

But truly, she was the light in our lives.

🎶

She wasn’t just a woman of the 19th century.

She was the beginning of a new era.

By herself, she was a new world.

I will never forget her.

And I am her proud granddaughter,

Chrystalleni (Lenia) Mitsidou Kalli

🎵 If you’d like to hear the music of her legacy, visit my YouTube channel @operamanic

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