Англичаните от Костур отвориха магазинчето в центъра на селото, чиито собственици – Карю и Радка Костадинови, загинаха в жестока катастрофа в началото на септември. След трагичния случай дюкянчето хлопва кепенци, докато Норел Гордън и семейството му не решили, че малката бакалийка трябва отново да заработи в памет на починалите съпрузи. Карю и Радка бяха изключително добри и отзивчиви хора, много е важно за нас магазинчето им да продължи да работи, сподели главата на семейството Норел Гордън.
Не го правим за пари, а в памет на Карю и Радка, всичко това е за тях, искам хората да го знаят, добави той. В подкрепа на думите си новият стопанин показа табелата „Магазин Радка и Карчо“. Аз я сложих, за да се знае името на магазина, обясни Норел. На видно място във фоайето пък са поставени големи снимки на загиналите съпрузи, а между тях стои надпис „В памет на Радка и Карю Костадинови“. Така никой няма да забрави Радка и Карю, а това е смисълът на всичко, подчерта Норел. По стените редом с фотоси на исторически карти от Балканската война, семейство Гордън са закачили снимки от Лондон, където живееха преди да дойдат в Костур, от Америка, Канада. Сложили сме и фотографии от Ямайка, защото там е родена съпругата ми Ивон, сподели новият съдържател на магазинчето в свиленградското село.
В дюкянчето има предимно стоки от първа необходимост – олио, ориз, захар и др. Три пъти в седмицата се доставя хляб. Предлагаме също банички и милинки, казва Норел. Сложен е и ценоразпис на топли напитки, написан на два езика – български и английски.Семейството на Норел Гордън купи къщата в Костур преди 8 години. От две години Норел, Ивон и трите им деца живеят постоянно тук. Теа е в шести клас, учи в Свиленград. Има двама братя, които са по-големи от нея – Рийс и Антон. 19-годишният Рийс. Споделя, че в Костур се чувства по-добре, отколкото в Свиленград, защото в града не всички гледали с добро око на хора с техния цвят на кожата. Аз говоря български и разбирам какво казват хората, чувал съм и обидни думи по мой адрес, сподели момчето.
English Text
Escaping life in London, the family of Narrall Gordon has chosen to move to secluded Bulgarian village Kostur. For the last two years the five Gordons are part of village’s population of fewer than 50 people. Kostur is almost equally away from Sofia and Istanbul and looks ravaged by poverty with tens of abandoned houses and giant pot holes. But Narrall Gordon says the most important thing in life is to be happy and it seems his family has found happiness in Kostur. Once a nurse in London hospital in for elderly people Narrall now owns a small shop. He is helped by his wife Yvonne who used to work as a chef in UK. The couple became shop proprietors by chance. They decided to run the small grocery in the memory of its late owners Radka and Karyo Kostadinovi who died in a car accident in September. The English family was touched by the way the Bulgarian couple had built their small enterprise. “Today it is not Gordon’s shop, it village’s shop. On Wednesday the doctor is doing examinations here. And on Friday it is a Parliament – everyone is gathering here so we can talk about anything”, Narrall explains. He is an energetic man in his 40’s and reluctantly confesses that he is saddened by the thought that most of the villagers are elderly people who will be gone in the next couple of years. “It is hard to accept that baba ( Bulgarian way to call an elderly woman) won’t be here anymore. But you never know how much time you have left, regardless of age”, he adds. He has taught his sons Anton and Rhys and daughter Tia to accept people not on the basis of their education but on the basis of their actions. “What we best like about Kostur is its people.”, the English family tells. They have property in near by town called Svilengrad and in another town not so far away called Harmanli, but are adamant that their life is in Kostur.
When asked if he misses his native England, Narrall replies “I don’t miss the way of life but I miss the rules”. He is not hiding his strong dislike for Bulgarian institutions which instead of helping people just had them confused and frustrated. “People here says – Oh, there is nothing you can do – it’s Bulgaria. It is not truth! Bulgarians need to regain their fighting spirit. I’m a man of colour and we have been tortured, chased and neglected longer than Bulgarians were during the Turkish slavery. But we never gave up. That’s the point”, Gordon says.
He and his son are preparing to take the role of Santa Clause for the villagers as winter approaches fast. “We can’t let those elderly people come out of their houses to buy bread when there is snow and ice outside. So we are preparing a sleigh with a big plastic box on it. We shall put the goods there and we shall deliver them to people”, the Englishman explains.
Photo by © Hristo Rusev/Stariyat most Newspaper/,/Impact Press Group/
Bulgarian text by © Elena Mihaleva/Stariyat most Newspaper/
English text by © Milena Mihova
Всички права запазени!!!
All Rights Reserved!!!
Narrall Gordon is pointing towards the portraits of Radka and Karyo Kostadinovi, the late owners of the small shop in Kostur. Now the Egnlish family is running the shop in their memory
Young Rhys Gordon from London says he is happy with life in the small border village of Kostur
Narrall Gordon(in front) and his son Rhys in their village shop in Kostur
The only small child in Kostur - Georgi and his mother are regular customers at Gordon's shop
Gordons are always happy to assist their customers
Little George is buying sweets from his friend Narrall
Yvonne Gordon and her son Anton are not afraid of cold weather as they are sitting in front of their shop in Kostur
Little George is having fun with his English friends
The English family is keeping an icon of Virgin Mary together with pictures from beautiful places all in London and Bulgaria
Narrall Gordon is contemplating his property
Family gathering outside the shop
Gordons are entertaining little George
Narrall Gordon has left well paid job as a nurse in London to become a shop proprietor in small village of Kostur
This is one of the most promising stories I have come across since coming to the Balkans. It is certainly true that the british have a certain sence of purpose and a firm sence of duty, but Narrel Gordon and his family are a shining example of the new Britians and an example to us all.
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