A touching love story was shared yesterday by Fronditha on social media, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. The story revolves around the well-known husband and musician Vasilis Spiridakos, who wanted to surprise his beloved wife, who has been living in the organisation’s nursing home in Clayton for the past few months.
Vasilis and Popi were united in marriage 60 years ago and have lived a life filled with joys and sorrows. Their love bond has remained strong throughout the decades.
Although Popi suffers from dementia, Vasilis is one of the few people she recognises and rushes to embrace whenever she sees him.
Yesterday, Vasilis put on his suit, went to the florist, and then to the nursing home where his wife was waiting for him. Their daughter was also present, who earlier in the video talks to her father about the reasons that keep a marriage strong, while also participating in many scenes with both her parents.
“Dad, what do you think is the main thing keeping a marriage alive?,” she asks in the video.
“Love. Love comes first but does not come alone. For love to (last) the marriage needs respect,” Vasilis responds.
“You, always respect mum. I’ve always seen you respect her,” his daughter continues.
“Of course. How do you thing we would be able to last otherwise. It’s [been] 60 years,” he emphasises.
In a touching moment, the daughter leads Popi outside while supporting her by her elbow saying “Look how beautiful it is mum. What a beautiful day.”
Then the mother alerts the daughter that she sees “Vasilis”. “Look, Vasilis!” she says without making the connection that he is her daughter’s father.
“Yes, it’s Vasilis,” she responds in the video.
There, he gave her a bouquet of bright red roses and had a surprise in store for her.
With the help of his friend Nikos Moraitis, Vasilis played their favourite Greek songs on their guitars, which Popi remembered and sang along to, verse by verse.
They remembered all the songs that brought them together and accompanied many moments of their relationship.
From what we learned, Vasilis and Nikos played over 20 minutes of favourite Greek songs, bringing tears to the eyes of the residents and staff of the nursing home, who gathered in the garden where the couple was.
“Vasilis and Popi were one of the most well-known couples in our community, with Vasilis entertaining our community, and beyond, through the multiple bands he participated in, playing guitar, bass, and singing,” said the organisation’s Managing Director, Fay Spiteri OAΜ.
“The video also pays tribute to all the couples in our community who have built a new life in Australia and, despite the difficulties, songs, respect, and love keep them united to this day.”
