Toula met Mario through her cousin Maria’s second cousin from her mother Maria’s side’s neighbour Archangela. It was a match made in Mediterranean heaven.
“Mario’s Italian and I’m Greek, but we both love eggplant, so it works really well,” Toula says.
“Yeah, that,” Mario chimes in.
“Mum wasn’t happy, but,” Toula adds.
Toula’s mother Zena was initially shocked at the pairing, expecting Toula to settle down with her sister’s husband’s nephew Cosmo.
“Cosmo’s a good Greek boy,” Zena says fimly.
Zena’s husband George is also suspicious of the pairing. “What kind of man dyes his hair blonde?” he cries. “How’s a clown like that gonna treat my Toula?”
“He’s a good-looking boy, though,” Zena adds wistfully. “They’ll make good babies. Good hair, eh?”
It was Mario’s hair that first attracted Toula. “I saw this blonde hair waving in the air by the petrol pump and it was love at first sight, wasn’t it, Mars? I made my cousin Philomena go over and touch it for me. I think Mario was a little surprised at first, wasn’t ya hon, but then he met me so soon it didn’t matter.”
“Yeah, that,” says Mario.
“Mario’s got a good job doing the cars at the servo and I’m thinking of dropping out of school to work the counter… one day it could be our family business, right Mars?”
“Yeah, that,” says Mario.
“We’re engaged to get engaged to get married,” Toula adds. “We’re gonna get engaged next year on September ninth then married after that. Mario’s saving up for the ring – we’re going with a massive cubic zirconia – and it’s gonna be a small wedding, just 500 or so. Mario’s mum is making my dress. She’s already started on the crystals, it’ll take her a couple of years. I’m on a diet.”
“I just love her,” Mario says unexpectedly. “She’s more girl than a man can handle.”