1
It was a winter day in Istanbul…
In Hlopina District, the incessant downpour of rain had begun. The streets were lit by the lightning strikes; however, the sound of thunder mixed with the cries coming from the room of a two-story house. At the same time, the thunder had risen into the sky. The sound was the cry of a little girl, and her name was BERIL...
...
As usual, the raindrops gently accompanied the window of my room...
Tap... Tap...
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I was a strange but smart girl who couldn’t settle anywhere, until I realized they were misjudging my level!
How? I UNDERSTOOD! Let me tell you...
I took the university entrance exam three times, and of course, I FAILED! If only I had passed the bar, I would have found peace, like the sound of this rain... And of course, a person can hardly leave their room until the age of 20 because of family pressure! Only those who have lived through it know! Those who haven’t will say, what are you talking about, what nonsense is this.
There is always one smart brother in a family! And he’s probably an electrical engineer who graduated first in his class. This never fails!
But I solved my problem. I researched a lot, went here and there... Don’t think I searched the library! Of course, I asked Uncle Google, but he was a bit off, saying I should study, make plans, blah blah... So, I thought about it, and decided to figure it out myself.
I know, friends, my family gave birth to me on a rainy day. My whole brain flew away with the water, it vanished!
I hit the water droplets on the window with my hand. Tap tap, but it wasn’t the sound of silence; it was the rattling of my absent brain... My brain is going to become vitamins for plants and vegetables. It works a bit, those brain vitamins!
1... 2... 3...
And my time was up!
Tick tock, as the second hand ticked, I was met with my mom’s soft voice, but in a tone that wasn’t annoying... A melodious squeak came into my ears.
My mom was calling me from the kitchen, but I decided to play the silence game. Why?
She was definitely going to ask me to do something! Sleep trick? If I did, no, no, that wouldn’t work, I did it yesterday, she would catch me. While I was thinking these things, my room door was opened by my mom, as if the military was breaking it down in an operation. But the difference was, my door wasn’t broken!
“Girl, Beril, I’ve been calling you all morning!” said my mom.
I rolled my eyes.
“Mom, PLEASE, I’m studying for the exam, don’t disturb me!” I said, with all my nerves.
“Are you studying for the exam?” my mom asked.
Inside, I thought, “What is she saying?” I nodded my head to confirm.
“Mom, with which brain?” I said. My mom’s words left me speechless as she continued.
My mom, without letting me finish my sentence, said:
“Get up, Beril, get up! Aunt Ayşe is expecting guests, go help her,” she said.
Aunt Ayşe’s son, Demir, came to my mind! He had just completed his military service last month and returned to the neighborhood. But according to the news I heard, after graduating in international relations, he received a job offer abroad but rejected it. Even though his family tried to convince him, he didn’t go. I heard from the girls that he had a girlfriend, and that’s why he didn’t go! The last time I saw him, I was a lively 12-year-old girl, and he was an 18-year-old young man...
/Run, Beril, run, don’t miss this opportunity!/ my inner voice.
I quickly got up from my desk and started to leave my room. I was ready to go to their house with black jeans, a white sweater, and my hair in a ponytail. As I was heading towards the door on the second floor, I quickly put on my white sneakers and opened the door. However, before I could close it behind me, I shouted,
“Mom, I’m out!” I said. As I tried to close the door slowly, oops, it slammed shut! I quickly ran away, the last thing I wanted was to get a beating! I’m sure my mom shouted after me, maybe even chased me with a rolling pin!
The rain had stopped, and the sky had brightened up a little. Of course, I knew I was going to see my love bug. As I walked toward the building across from mine, I inhaled the lovely scent of the earth and reached the door of the house. I knocked once and waited. The one who opened the door was Demir, wearing only shorts and looking half-awake.
How could this be? Didn’t he peel potatoes in the army? I heard that...
When I heard this, I cried so much. I was scared that the pillar of our house, the father of my future children, might have become a potato head!
But he wasn’t a potato! He had become all muscular!
“Run, neighbors, my future husband is not a potato head!” As I thought these in my inner voice, I couldn’t prove that my heart was dancing in the air, but I can show you...
I couldn’t look at his face, and when I tried, my eyes kept drifting to his muscles. Thank God, I don’t have a habit of blushing because I’m dark-skinned. I’m just a pervert, that’s all! While I was lost in thoughts, Demir, the factor in my life, intervened...
“Kid, why are you grinning like that, sour face?” he said.
I snapped out of my thoughts, and my smile slowly turned into an annoyed expression.
“Did you just say that to me?! ‘Sour face’?” /Oh God, don’t hold me back!/ my inner voice screamed, and suddenly, I imagined the icons mating in my mind. “You know whose face it resembles? YOURS!” I laughed as I entered the house, and just as I was about to pass him, he grabbed my arm and stopped me. First, I noticed his hand holding mine, then my gaze slowly drifted to his face, and... I shit myself. Why? Because his beautiful face had turned red with anger, looking like a tomato, or like an angry bird, with his brows furrowing together.
“You girl, don’t make me angry, or I’ll hit you, and you’ll stick to the wall like gum!” he said, and I was shocked, my mouth opened wide, almost crying.
“You can’t do this!” I said with a cracked voice, “Can a man raise his hand to a girl?” I said. He grinned wickedly.
“Then watch your step. If you want to see my manhood, that’s another story,” he said, winking in a disgusting way. As I was about to slap his face, he grabbed my hand and calmly lowered it, then pushed me hard against the wall.
“Girl, are you crazy? Would a person who loves their partner hurt them?” he said. His hand slowly brushed my hair back, and I didn’t know what to do in shock.
“W-what are you saying, Demir?” I said, in amazement. He smiled widely, showing all his beautiful teeth, and said:
“Sweetheart, come inside, we’ll talk about these things later,” he said. Before leaving me with his seriousness, he pressed me against the wall again and brought his face so close to mine. My big brown eyes didn’t know what to do while he brought his pinkish, full lips close to mine. My brain had stopped working.
“Demir, who’s here?” The voice I heard brought me back to reality. I quickly pushed him away, and as I looked at Demir in surprise, he glared at the person who had just spoken. I followed his gaze, and my heart nearly stopped.
Aunt Ayşe’s son, Demir, came to my mind! He had just completed his military service last month and returned to the neighborhood. But according to the news I heard, after graduating in international relations, he received a job offer abroad but rejected it. Even though his family tried to convince him, he didn’t go. I heard from the girls that he had a girlfriend, and that’s why he didn’t go! The last time I saw him, I was a lively 12-year-old girl, and he was an 18-year-old young man...
/Run, Beril, run, don’t miss this opportunity!/ my inner voice.
I quickly got up from my desk and started to leave my room. I was ready to go to their house with black jeans, a white sweater, and my hair in a ponytail. As I was heading towards the door on the second floor, I quickly put on my white sneakers and opened the door. However, before I could close it behind me, I shouted,
“Mom, I’m out!” I said. As I tried to close the door slowly, oops, it slammed shut! I quickly ran away, the last thing I wanted was to get a beating! I’m sure my mom shouted after me, maybe even chased me with a rolling pin!
The rain had stopped, and the sky had brightened up a little. Of course, I knew I was going to see my love bug. As I walked toward the building across from mine, I inhaled the lovely scent of the earth and reached the door of the house. I knocked once and waited. The one who opened the door was Demir, wearing only shorts and looking half-awake.
How could this be? Didn’t he peel potatoes in the army? I heard that...
When I heard this, I cried so much. I was scared that the pillar of our house, the father of my future children, might have become a potato head!
But he wasn’t a potato! He had become all muscular!
“Run, neighbors, my future husband is not a potato head!” As I thought these in my inner voice, I couldn’t prove that my heart was dancing in the air, but I can show you...
I couldn’t look at his face, and when I tried, my eyes kept drifting to his muscles. Thank God, I don’t have a habit of blushing because I’m dark-skinned. I’m just a pervert, that’s all! While I was lost in thoughts, Demir, the factor in my life, intervened...
“Kid, why are you grinning like that, sour face?” he said.
I snapped out of my thoughts, and my smile slowly turned into an annoyed expression.
“Did you just say that to me?! ‘Sour face’?” /Oh God, don’t hold me back!/ my inner voice screamed, and suddenly, I imagined the icons mating in my mind. “You know whose face it resembles? YOURS!” I laughed as I entered the house, and just as I was about to pass him, he grabbed my arm and stopped me. First, I noticed his hand holding mine, then my gaze slowly drifted to his face, and... I shit myself. Why? Because his beautiful face had turned red with anger, looking like a tomato, or like an angry bird, with his brows furrowing together.
“You girl, don’t make me angry, or I’ll hit you, and you’ll stick to the wall like gum!” he said, and I was shocked, my mouth opened wide, almost crying.
“You can’t do this!” I said with a cracked voice, “Can a man raise his hand to a girl?” I said. He grinned wickedly.
“Then watch your step. If you want to see my manhood, that’s another story,” he said, winking in a disgusting way. As I was about to slap his face, he grabbed my hand and calmly lowered it, then pushed me hard against the wall.
“Girl, are you crazy? Would a person who loves their partner hurt them?” he said. His hand slowly brushed my hair back, and I didn’t know what to do in shock.
“W-what are you saying, Demir?” I said, in amazement. He smiled widely, showing all his beautiful teeth, and said:
“Sweetheart, come inside, we’ll talk about these things later,” he said. Before leaving me with his seriousness, he pressed me against the wall again and brought his face so close to mine. My big brown eyes didn’t know what to do while he brought his pinkish, full lips close to mine. My brain had stopped working.
“Demir, who’s here?” The voice I heard brought me back to reality. I quickly pushed him away, and as I looked at Demir in surprise, he glared at the person who had just spoken. I followed his gaze, and my heart nearly stopped.
