In Cyprus, Life begins at retirement

They reach the café before their mid morning cup of coffee dressed in their Sunday best, from the hat to the tie and the suit and shining shoes. Then they spend the day with their friends, reading newspapers, smoking, playing cards or backgammon, drinking coffee, eating or just chatting. These are the old men of Cyprus and so characteristic of roadside cafes that these corners would look vacant and insipid without them. They must have had a rich past, some of them are possibly even relics of the first decade of the last century but they are not ready to put the gauntlet down. Not yet, not at 90.They do not seem tired in any way, still want to hang out with their mates, still want to dress and go somewhere purposefully in the morning and come back home in the evening after a day out. There is an unmistakable glint in the eye when a pretty girl walks by and the cataracted and lensed eyes follow the swaying gait till it is not visible any more. They are still men all right.They are proud old men who do not want to let life have the last laugh that it has bent and broken them. They still laugh and sing when the body is giving up and give all the younger healthy ones a terrific lesson in humility. As they sit and furiously debate political issues with each other or even just sit there in companionable silence, it is suddenly clear why there is such high instance of longevity in Cyprus. God does not like to populate His world with lazy moaners but people who live life till the last minute and are examples for generations to come.