Panagiotis Combis left around the turn of the
century from Ag Nicolaos to Africa in pursuit of success. Motivated by the diamond
rush notion, he obtains in 1901 a digging permit for minerals (!!!) from
the British South Africa Company.
After some unsuccessful efforts to extract diamonds, he gets
employment as a worker at the construction of the Victoria Falls Railway
until the end of the works in 1904. At a later time (presumed mid or late
1910’s) he is found in Abyssinia where together with his younger brothers
Alexander and Demitrios are running a flower mill business in Adis-Abeba.
In early 30’s the brothers have already plans to return to Greece.
Situation worsens with the Italian claims over border and other issues and
leads to the war of 1935-36.
The end. Panagiotis has in his
service a local colored woman who, at one point becomes pregnant apparently
by him. When his plans to leave Abyssinia are revealed she turns desperate
and one day she prepares his dinner with a good dose of rat-killing poison
in it…
Alexander Combis had already wife and three children
in 1910’s when he joined his two brothers in the Abyssinian enterprise. In
1935 the situation at the mill is bad. The Ethiopian personnel is agitated
and the relationship with the owners at edge.
The end. It was a day his brother
went downtown and Alexander was left alone at the mill. One worker called
him out on the pretext the water feeding the mill was cut-off. Alexander
went to investigate the matter and whilst there, somebody else slipped
unnoticed in the office and pinched his revolver from his jacket. The rest
was easy for them. Alexander got a bullet in his chest, shot dead by his
employees with his own gun…
Demitrios Combis the
youngest of all brothers served in the Royal Navy the years 1907-09 and was
discharged from Salamis base with honour. In 1913 he is in Athens to see
his brother Michalis who is ill and stays until his death. Some years later
he joins his two brothers in the Abyssinian enterprise as above. Around
1920 marries Zoe who comes to live with him in Adis abeba and their
children are born there. Ten years latter in 1930 he sends them all back to
Ag Nicolaos, maybe anticipating the bad days ahead.
The end. After the loss of his two brothers the need to disengage
himself from Abyssinia is urgent. However the course of events took its own
way. The war is raging and Adis Abeba falls to the advancing Italian forces
on the 3d of May 1936. It is not clear what really happened after that, but
Demitrios was brought one night to the American Hospital in Adis abeba in
bad condition and died there totally alone and helpless on 23d of September
1936.
