The Curse. Vasilios Bouzas

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      THE CURSE

      Vasilios Bouzas

      First published in Australia in 2012 by Vasilios Bouzas

      © May 2008 Vasilios Bouzas

      All Rights Reserved. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher, Vasilios Bouzas.

      The moral right of the author has been asserted.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

      Cover design: Dan Mavric

      To contact Vasilios Bouzas via facebook or email:

      [email protected]

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      ISBN: 9780646589633 (ePub)

      eBook prepared by eDilettante for Ebook Alchemy

      To Sheema, Yasmin and Noah

      “My precious family, you are the Pillars of my life”

      About the Author and The Curse

      Firstly I shall begin by telling you about my roots. I was born in Athens, Greece in 1964. My family are Greek migrants that came to Australia in 1967. I am the eldest of three children. My father Athanasios Bouzas was born in the picturesque town of Nafpaktos, Greece. He was a hard working man, devoted husband and a wonderful father. My mother Xanthi Bouzas was born on the beautiful Island of Lefkada, one of the Ionian Islands. My mother was the typical doting Greek wife/mother, her whole life revolved around family and her children. I still miss her warmth and presence.

      I spent my younger years absorbed in soccer. I had a promising soccer career as I represented the Victorian State Team in junior levels and played in the highest league in the State. It all came to an end in my early twenties as injuries took their toll. I was interested in Science so I studied Medical Laboratory Science at RMIT University. Today, apart from writing I also work as a Medical Scientist.

      My life changing moment came when I lost my mother on November 12th 2005 to Ovarian Cancer. Two incidents haunted me for years in respect to my mother’s death.

      Firstly, the night before she was diagnosed, she asked me to feel her stomach. I remember it being hard, it felt just like a rock. Secondly, the day she died. The Doctors in the Emergency Department asked me to wait outside the cubicle. A nurse came out and asked me to quickly come inside. The medical staff were frantically working on my mother. The nurse asked me to hold my mother’s hand. I got on my knees, held her hand and whispered a silent prayer. The next voice I heard was “time of death”. I felt helpless, holding her hand, not being able to do anything to save her. I started to cry, it was a son crying for his dead mother.

      These two vivid memories kept playing over and over in my head for two and a half years, which eventually inspired me to write The Curse.

      After my mother’s death, I travelled with my family to Greece and India. I used this time to reflect upon my life and its purpose. I wrote most of the novel on the Island of Lefkada. The Olive trees, the locals, the old town, sitting for hours staring at the house my mother grew up in, all gave me so much strength and inspiration to keep writing the novel. India was another focal point for developing my writing. My wife Sheema was born in the bustling city of Bangalore. I enjoyed staying with her family and once again writing on her Aunt’s serene balcony each morning whilst watching the Palm trees swaying and street vendors selling local fruit. The blend of rich cultures was an inspiration for my writing.

      I have been with my wife for over twenty years. She supported me immensely during this difficult time in my life. I have gained so much strength from her calm gentle feminine charm. We have two beautiful children who we are so proud of.

      Yasmin is 9 years old and our son “little” Noah who is 3 years old. Noah is a miracle child. He was born at 26 weeks and weighed only 563 grams. He spent 119 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Womens Hospital Melbourne. Today he is a healthy, energetic bright little boy. We are blessed to have him in our lives.

      I look forward to watching my children grow up so I can tell them about their Grandmother. I want to share with them the beautiful stories she used to tell me. I’d like my family to keep on enjoying our summers on the magical Island of Lefkada.

      My passions apart from writing are sports and music. I am a huge fan of Manchester United football club and am very sentimental about George Michael’s music.

      Today I live with my family in an Inner City Bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia

      Writing The Curse gave me the emotional comfort I needed to cope with the grief of losing my mother. To this day I still miss her immensely.

      I hope you enjoy reading “The Curse”.

      Author’s Acknowledgements

      A BIG thank you to my three editors, Alex Mckinnon, Dr Moira Mckinnon and Sheema Pasha-Bouzas.

      Alex is an award winning Journalist with over 23 years experience in journalism and editing. He is currently editor-in-chief of Geraldton Newspapers in Western Australia.

      Moira is a published author and co-winner of the 2010 Calibre Prize for Literature. A recognized Physician, she recently won the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Public Service in Sasketchwan, Canada.

      Sheema is a former Primary School Teacher. She has completed a Bachelor of Teaching Degree and a Graduate Diploma in Educational studies at RMIT University Melbourne.

      Thank you to Dan Mavric and Julie Ramsden who designed the cover for the novel.

      And finally,

      To my family. My wife Sheema, my children Yasmin and little Noah who without your love and support, none of this would have been possible.

      Chapter One

      HEAVEN OR HELL

      Suburban House, Washington, USA, 1995

      Whimpering like a wounded puppy, the faithful German Shepherd dog refuses to move away from his master, instead remaining for hours, staring up at the dead man dangling like a rag doll from the roof beam, who has a thick rope knotted around his neck and dribbles of spit dropping to the floor every few seconds from his sagging grey mouth.

      A chair lay on its side next to a small coffee table. On the table is a framed picture of the man with his wife, young daughter and lying next to the picture is a small brown teddy bear.

      The dog’s whimpering starts to become labored, as if he is having trouble breathing, the room has turned cold and steam curls from the nostrils of the hound.

      Around the room the walls are adorned with the word REVENGE painted roughly in dark blood-red paint.

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