It was night when the doorbell rang at the Prime Minister's house. In his pajamas and robe, Metaxas opened the door. The Italian ambassador Grazzi handed him the document, requesting that Italian soldiers be allowed to cross the Greek-Albanian borders freely. He looked him in the eyes and replied, "NO!".

Early in the morning, the siren began to sound. The soldiers kissed their mothers. They hugged them tightly. They knew that they might not see them again. "Goodbye and to victory!" everyone shouted. And they were swept away by the crowd. They looked back, but the only thing visible from afar was the white handkerchiefs waving.