Nayasaland

They say that there is a book in everybody. My story will follow two separate parallels, one a true autobiography and the other a fictional story of global intrigue, back stabbing, sabotage and family feuding.

I was born in Malawi, Africa on January 8th,1957 of parents Artemis Maria Trataris and John Nicholas Trataris, the day after my father's names day.

    My parents had a party for his names day and where celebrating and dancing when my mother's water broke and we all rushed to the hospital. I was told that I was an ugly baby with a lot of hair, resembling a monkey. My sister born 13 months earlier was a beautiful bouncing baby.

To add some background history I have to tell the story of my mother and father that brings us to this time and place.

My childhood memories are few and selective.  

After graduating from ACS (American Community School) I attend the National Technical University Of Athens (NTUA). After years of strikes, tear gassing and rubber bullets at the University in Athens I decided to apply to a college in the USA. The place of my dreams the destiny that awaited me.

    After applying to a few colleges in Michigan I accepted the first college to respond, Northern Michigan University. The funny story was on my way I lost my luggage and made friends with the flight attendants of the flight to Marquette, Michigan and they put me up for the night as I did not have a place to stay.

One evening I was in a bar in Marquette having a special 25 cent whiskey. I don't remember the bar but it did have sawdust on the floor. I starting talking to a fellow student named Jerome. I am not sure why but after a few drinks he invited me to go to Milwaukee for spring break. He was going to visit relatives and I could come. Well fate brought my ex-wife and I together as she was his cousin. I remember telling her that first evening together that I would marry her. After that I transferred to Marquette University in Milwaukee.