"Why?" "Did he say anything to you?" "Did he say nothing?" "Why?" "Isn't it strange that out of six question words the first one we think of has no clear answer?" "The questions who, what, where when and how must have definite and correct answers But "Why" always gets you different answers and raises new questions." "You can see the answers to all the other questions, and even touch them However, "Why" is hidden somewhere inside us." "Is that the reason we wonder most about why, grandpa?" "Here I am." "Look, I came." "To be able to touch your hand, to see you with my own eyes." "To ask the greatest question of those who stayed and to learn the answer of those who left." "Just damn this smart-ass attitude of mine." "I came to you." "Why?" "I miss you so much, where are you, grandfather?" "Today, you have received your report cards." "Children." "Children!" "Did I say you could go?" "Here they come." "Charge!" "Get the fuck out of our neighborhood." "We aren't going anywhere." "Like you own the place." "We do." "You thought we were going to turn it over to you?" " This belongs to everyone, man." " Not everyone." "What will you do now that school is over?" "You can't go whining to the teacher anymore." "Here, shove this up your ass." "That's vulgar." "We have our girlfriends here." "Don't cross the Namýk Kemal bridge Or you will frighten the duck" "I planted a pine in your mother's p*sy And then put her on a truck" "Wonder what you will do." "You are bound to go through our neighborhood to buy yogurt." "You bashed his head, man!" "Grandpa." "You son of a jackass." "Boy, are you never going to wise up?" "What in the world are you doing fighting with people like a rabid dog?" "I come all the way down to school to see your report card and what are you doing?" "You are making war and bashing people in the head with rocks." "But, I didn't do it." "It was Hüseyin and them." "I was just standing there." "Zipit, you liar." "Am I to believe you or my own eyes?" " You were throwing rocks." " I threw a few, but I couldn't hit them anyway." "Man, are you the one raising hell?" "Are we raising you to be an outlaw?" "Just look at your knees." "If a dog licked them he wouldn't be hungry anymore." "Okay, grandpa." "Let me get in the car and you can yell at me inside." "I'm not letting you in the car." "I'm going to make you walk all the way as a lesson for everyone." "And, by God, I won't let you ride in the car ever again." "A*shole." "But you are going to let me wash it, right?" "I talk about pretty lass and you talk about the hair in my ass." "And he laughs, the dirty rascal!" "But, look I got my report card, grandpa." "Grandpa, I got my report card." "What do you think we came down here for?" "Walk faster." "Keep up with the car." "But, we are down town now." "Come on, let me get in." "And I got straight A's." "Look!" "Are you going to look?" "Besides, you didn't let me kiss your hand." "You little bastard." "Straight A's." "Math was a B but the rest are all A's." "And, what do you get for getting along with friends?" "Just a C." "Those are behavioral and they don't count anyway." "One of these days, I'm going to make them count." "If you don't get an A for your relationship with your friends next year I will take you out of school and make you work in the garden." "Hear me?" " I hear ya." " Give me your word." " Promise." "Cross my heart and hope to die." " We'll see." "Are you going to give me money for my report card, grandpa?" "You pimping whor* *onger." "You certainly keep me in practice when it comes to cursing and swearing." "Grandpa, did you go down to the sea again?" "Have a good day." " Are you coming from the sea, Mr. Mehmet?" " No, we came over land in the car." "Have you received some news?" "My dear Durmuþ, the news is over;" "we have returned to your normal programming." "Mr. Halil, I hope business is good." "Mr. Hasan, I hope business is good." "Right foot first, right!" "You are going to bring bad luck to the store." "Grandpa, why don't you lock the shop when you go out?" "The shop shouldn't be locked in the day time it would be an affront to the neighbors." "It would seem like I didn't trust them." "It would also be impolite to the customers." "They would view the lock like a dead-end wall and be turned off of the shop." "You will work here part time on your vacation." "Learn all of this." "Here, take this too." "Go show your report card to everyone at home." " Come on." " Thanks, grandpa." "Monday, you need to be at work, Don't let me down." "Got it?" "Damned infidel is what he is." "And he mocks me to boot." "He's forgotten the days on his island when he was eating snails." "Fine but what are you getting all bent out of shape for, Durmuþ?" "Or, is there some account you're trying to settle?" "You are going to get beat with a shoe if you don't watch it." "I don't know, but Uncle Mehmet is a decent guy." "And, everyone loves him." "Get the f*ck out of this store." "I saw this collar on Þöhret's daughter." "I wanted one just like it." "They cut this one from a model." "I'm home!" "Lord have mercy, son." "You scared me half to death." "They said they lost the pattern." "They're jealous and don't want anyone else to have it." "Yours will be different." "I'm going to make it even better for you." "Ozan, where's the report card?" "Straight A's." "I got a B in math." "The rest were A's." "Well, that's our boy." "Good job, son." "You're gonna turn out alright." "Next year, bring your math up." "I'm going to the beach." "No." "It's too early for that." "Stay right where you are." "Why not?" "School is out." "Summer is here." "Look how sweaty I am." "It's already warm enough." "Nope." "You can't go swimming before we move to the vineyard." "Yes, you can." "Grandpa was there today." "I'm going to the beach." "I'm going to the beach." "I'm going to the beach." "Oh, that's enough." "Mom, aren't my flip-flops here?" "My goodness, this crazy boy isn't going to stop." "Nadire, you shouldn't have bothered." "Saime, wait a bit, my dear, he won't give up." " Hello?" " Ay sun." " How're you doing, dear." "This is Nurdan." " Fine, Nurdan, how're you doing?" "!" "I'm fine I reckon." "Connect me to Ercan's beach, will you?" "Have you not moved to the vineyard yet?" "!" "I guess we'll be going to the vineyard the day after tomorrow." "I suppose you waited for the boy's school to finish." " I've got work to do." "Put me through, if you will." " Fine, suit yourself." "She just won't stop." "Nurdan, do you think this looks a bit long?" " "Nurdan, do you think this looks a bit long?"" " Hush." "We still have to hem it." "That is a temporary stitch." "Oh brother..." " Hello?" " Ercan." "This is Nurdan." "What's up, dear?" "!" "This boy's insisting on going swimming." "You going to be around to look after him?" "Oh, yes, of course, don't worry." "Thanks Ercan." "I know we're putting you out." " Don't mention it, my dear." " Say hi to Haktan." " Okay." "You say hi for me too." " Sure thing." "I'll tell him." "Have a good day." "I'm going to the sea." "I'm going to the sea." "Look, a this report card dear." "Run along then and hurry back." "Go see your father too." "Remember, if you're not back in an hour, you'll get a whipping." "Okay." "The money?" "Have you already gotten some from your grandpa?" "I didn't ask him for it." "He gave it to me himself." "He said it was report card money." "You have become the hungry dog from a rich home." "You waylay your grandpa and then me." "Mister soldier." "Mister soldier." "You have made these men a bit angry." "They were yelling about when this hole is going to be filled in." "Sir, Çolaklbrahim's sewer has always caused problems." "They are making the complaint." "When ever we start digging, they yell at us to close it back up." "Then let's do this:" "Tell everyone to meet at the tea house in the town square." " That's my boy!" "Hey, did you hear that?" " Yikes!" "Deputy, you frightened me." "Hey everyone, did you hear that?" "That's my boy." "Friends, he got straight A's." "Come on, dad." "Put me down." "You're embarrassing me." "That's alright." "He doesn't let us love on him." "The boy is like a kitten." "Stop, stop." "You've got a passenger." "Stop." "You've got a passenger." "Money, please." "Ozan!" "Look at that!" "Grandpa was here this morning, Ercan." "Okay, I got it and hid it when he left." "You don't need to look for it, boy." "There's no reception here." "Leave it alone, will you?" "That static is giving us a headache." "Son, sit still." "Mehmet, turn that thing off, will you." "Oh brother." "I'm going to hand you over to crazy Peruzat." "We'll let her nail your ears to the ceiling." "Don't scare the boy like that." "She is one of our people too." "I'll be right back." "Poor woman." "May God grant patience." "I don't know they stand it here." "Her mother is a wonder too." "How old is she?" "She must be in her 80s." "If she would just pass on." "How can she make it out here by herself?" "It would be real tough." "They stayed here, didn't they?" "They never go down from here." "Just give her tome, dear, let her mother rest." "My dear one." "Grandpa, what drove this woman crazy?" "There are some things that kids can't ask." "She's not crazy;" "she has a different mind set." "I'll tell you about it later." " You can't be serious, dad?" " Using language appropriate for his age." "Don't you go explaining everything." "He is confused enough as it is." "No, everything must be explained to children." "Not only will it serve as a warning, it will teach them about people." "And, teach them to love and respect them." "Yeah, well he's talking in his sleep." " What does he say?" " He is going to take a rifle and shoot J Rin Dallas." "I did not." "But, for the love of God, is there anybody around here in their right mind?" "I don't know if it's the water or the air but everyone around here is missing a few marbles." "I guess the grandson takes after us." "How could it be any other way?" "Here we are." "My God!" "My house, my beautiful, wonderful house." "Look at him runaway, afraid he'll carry bags." "You had to wait here patiently through that long winter." " Pick this up, son, take it." " Hey Neighbors." " We're here." "We're here." " Take this too." "Muazzez!" "Emine!" "Yusuf!" "My dear, no need to scream like a banshee." "Son, around here they communicate by howling like jackals." "Come on, take this." "We were irrigating." "I saw the car and came." "Dear me, where have you been, girl?" "Girl, don't just stand there yelling, come help." " Now we have that." "Perfect." " This is a sweet machine." " Come on grandpa, let's me and you do it." " Okay, hold your horses." "You have all gone completely wild." "Come on." " Mom, we will be doing it first this year." " Great." "We'll watch." "Mother and daughter-in-law, they're doing it." "One, two, three." "I hope the whole summer is filled with laughter." "Isn't that right, girl?" "Isn't that right, sweety?" "Mustafa." "We're back." "Alright, come on." "Let's open the bottles." "In the name of Allah, the Merciful." "You shameless heathens!" "It's not a sin until you get to this line." "I talked with Him about it." "So, I reckon that means you will drink half of five bottles." "Now, doesn't this look beautiful." "God bless our neighbors, they have taken a simple meal and turned it into a feast." "Being the first day and all, we couldn't do much." "Looks like we'll be going to bed hungry tonight." " Did you invite Peruzat and her family?" " I did." "They'll be here for coffee." "So you've opened the bottle, Mehmet?" "Well, what did you expect me to do?" "Break it?" "So, what's the status on the other bottles, Mr. Mehmet?" "They're on the way." "On the way." "I'm full." "I'm going to bed." "How could you be full?" "Let him go." "He'll be getting up early tomorrow any way." "What's the matter with you?" "Do you consider yourself better than your grandpa?" "Don't be rude or I'll be teaching you a hard lesson." " We are Turks." "Turks I tell you." " Of course, we are." "What about it?" "No!" "You are infidels and you support the infidels." "Fear not, for the crimson flag..." "Let me check the baby girl." "Our national anthem must never be left unfinished!" "So, let's sing it to the very end." "Fear not, for the crimson flag that proudly ripples in this glorious twilight" "Shall never fade" "What are we celebrating?" "Good morning, hope business goes well." "Good morning to you, sir." "I swear I didn't do anything, grandpa." "Good morning to you." "What can I do for you?" "I was going to ask a favor, sir, but..." "Come into the shop." "Let's have a morning coffee." " No, don't trouble yourself." " Don't be silly, man." " How do you take your coffee?" " One sugar please." "If it's not trouble." "Com eon, son." "What're you standing there for?" "Hurry." "Hasan!" "One medium coffee and what ever my grandpa drinks!" "Okay, coming right up." "I thought he could learn a trade." "And besides he doesn't need to be wandering the streets like a stray dog." "If there is a need, sir, my Tahsin would do the job." "The money's not important." "It doesn't matter whether you give him or not." "I can vouch for my boy." "He's hard-working and well-behaved." " He will do you right here in the shop." " Oh my goodness." "Foreman Berat." "You are a foreman, right?" "If I remember correctly." "That's right, sir." "I have brought my grandson in as an apprentice this summer, but..." "May the Lord protect and preserve him." "That's alright, I understand, sir." "It would be great to have two apprentices in the shop working together." "It has to be swept every morning." "You will pour a bit of water on the floors." "The bucket and mop are over here." "The tap is over there." "Use this to wipe the shoes." "When a customer comes in, you have to stand up, and say, "How can I help you?"" "When they ask for something, don't say," ""We don't have it"." "You say," We're sold out. "" "That's enough for now." "Ozan will explain the rest to you." "I'll be damned if I do." "When you are measuring fabric, always give the man extra four fingers and an extra finger of cologne." "First of all, we never want to cheat anyone and secondly, it is a gift from us to them." "When an apprentice can cut the fabric from beginning to end in a single swipe straight and clean, that is when the apprentice becomes a journeyman." "Remember." "A single swipe without any tearing." " Uncle Mehmet, I found 100 lira on the floor." " Give it to me." "Put it right here." "Whoever dropped it will come back for it." " Tahsin, go order yourselves two fruit tea." " No, uncle, I don't want one." "Order it, I said." "Now, run along." " Did you throw that money on the floor?" " No." "My son, listen, I'm asking you nicely." "Don't make me pull you by the ear." "You think I don't know that when you lie you turn as yellow as a lemon?" "Just like this." "Well, that's what you did when you brought in a new apprentice." "I thought you had forgotten." "It was just a test, you know." "What would have happened if he had taken the money?" "You would have come and told on him, right?" "Man, you think you can give an accomplished soloist singing lessons." "Get out of my sight." "Leave and don't come back." "You'll never be a man." "That's clear enough." " Grandfather!" " Get the f*ck out of here." " Huddle up now." "I have something to say." " Hey, Ozan is here." "You remember Infidel Tahsin?" "He came to the shop with his father and they made my grandpa feel sorry for them." "Now, he's an apprentice at the shop." "You call everyone an infidel, but your grandpa is an infidel" "Is not!" "We are Turks!" "Turk!" "They say your faked your circumcision." "The foreskin is still there." "F*ck it's there." "Look at this!" "You see?" "They're Turks." "If that's so, let's go to war, we'll see who's more Turkish." "Let's see who will break the most glass." " You going to the Immigrant neighborhood?" " To war!" "Don't leave a single window unbroken." "If you catch the girls, pinch their tits, man!" "They come and settle in our town and the government does nothing." "They've taken over." "It's only these kids doing something about it!" "Stop it." "Stop." "Hey kid, do you want some lemonade?" "Hey, what are you doing here?" "L thought you were apprenticing?" "I work until noon." "Did you forget, oh great intellect." "Are you hungry?" "Shall I put something on for you?" "No." "I'll have a sandwich at the whatcha-call it." "What do you mean, 'what cha-call it'?" "To the sea, again?" "You stay right where you are." "Not again." "I've only been once." "If you are going to be like this at the beginning of the summer we're going to be butting heads for months, Nurdan." "How dare you talk like that?" "I'll cut your tongue out." "You were the one that said no sea before we moved out to the vineyard." "Here we are at the vineyard so that means I can go." "Besides, I'm going to walk, so it's free." "You make sure to tell Ercan you are there." " Is Ercan blind?" "Like he won't see that I'm there." " I'm telling you to let him know." "If I see him, I'll tell him and I'll tell him to bring me coffee with milk too." "You impertinent thing." "We'll see if I let you go." "Come here you little imp." "Run, boy, run!" "You bastard, no offence to your father." "Have a ground beef pita over there at Muzaffer's." "Drink Aryan not cola." "Here, take this." "Take it, son." "My goodness, you're an apprentice." "Obviously, I'm going to feed you." "If you get back early, sit in front of the shop and wait." "Okay?" "Okay, Uncle Mehmet." "Way to go, Mehmet." "I swear you are how we know summer has arrived." "Take a dive for me too." " Come on, I'll take you too." " Thanks, but I can't." "Mr. Ercan, you'll keep an eye on my grandson, right?" "Yes sir, don't you worry." "I'm keeping an eye on him." "We'll have you out to the vineyard for dinner some time." "Why, we'd be honored, sir." "We miss your company and our chats." " Okay bye." " Bye now." "Have a nice day." "Stop." "The glass is going to shatter." "You're going to cut yourself." " Stop it, you're going to break it." " Yes, I'm going to break it." "Lord have mercy." "Aren't you ashamed of ripping that up?" "Look, I ought to tell your grandpa." "People are going to cut their feet on this." "Liar!" "I thought you were picking these things up and keeping them." "That is something your grandfather has enjoyed for years." "Leave him alone." " I'm not going to leave him alone." " And, just why is that?" "Because we are Turks!" " Has somebody called you an infidel, son?" " Yes, they have!" "Son, if we were to look at it like that, half the people here are infidels." "Everyone is an immigrant here." "You don't know." "Everyone mocks us." "Your grandfather is a Greek infidel." "With those bottles those bottles of his." "He writes letters and sends information." "They say he is a spy." "You know those people who greet him with a smile?" "Well, they always talk behind his back." "Ercan, do you want me to come over tonight?" "Sure, come on over, dear." "But, if it going to beahalf-assjob like it was the other night, then don't bother." " I wasn't there." "It's a lie." " What's going on, man?" " They're raising a ruckus again." " Shame on you, young people, don't do that." "Mr. Mehmet, I need to have a quick chat with you." "I sent Ozan home." "Don't worry about him." "Please come in, Mr. Ercan." "Don't mind these tactless bastards." "Tahsin, you sit here." "I don't know if their teachers are teaching them this or what but it's clearly bothering him." "He cried for quite a while." "It broke my heart, Mr. Mehmet." "The poor boy is really hurting." "Apparently, they are making fun of him, calling you an infidel from Crete." "For goodness sake." "Where does the kid get this from?" "Who could possibly be mocking us?" "They are the faithless, the one who follow the pack who say 'Yes, sir" to your face but when you turn your back on them it turns into a different tune." "Sleeping serpents." "Plus, Ozan loves you deeply and holds you in the highest regard so you are basically a hero to him." "As a result, he can't stand it that anyone would say anything against you." "In fact, if you ask me, that is the issue anyway." "It isn't patriotism, it is how much he admires you." "Doesn't that just beat it all." "I'm sure this isn't something he has communicated." "Children don't show their affection, Mr. Mehmet." "...shot by three people." "Three bombings last months led to the evacuation of!" "Especially at times like these." "These are difficult times of testing, Mr. Mehmet." "It's not my place to tell you, but I would say you need to talk to your grandson and win his heart" "After all, he's just a kid." "He doesn't understand." "I'm about to pass out in here." "I've grown accustomed to the sea breezes." "Hey, Ozan." "Listen." "That is the first cicada of the summer." "Well, I'll declare." "Summer is here at last." "Hush, hush!" "What'd you go and do that for?" "Just because!" "I don't want him chirping." "My head is hurting." "Well, if you sit under the hot sun on the beach until sun down like a stray dog your head and your ass will both hurt." "Drink this." "Let's put some yogurt on that back of yours." "I don't want any." "Let it burn." "Aren't you a cranky one." "Cheer up a little, man." "Muazzez and Yusuf are coming tonight." "We're going to eat together." "They come every night." "I don't want them to come." "They should eat at their own house for a change." "I've got a headache." "He has become a complete jackal." "He doesn't want people around, the little outlaw." "Look, your grandpa's here." "Is that Mr. Ercan in the front?" "It sure as heck is." "Mr. Haktan is here, too." "And he never tells us." "If we had known, we would have been ready." "We'll have to make do with three dishes." " Oh my goodness, look who's here." " Welcome." "Come right in." "This crazy husband of yours insisted, Mrs. Nadire." "He said we had to dine with you." "We went and picked up Haktan too." "Good for you." "My goodness, the water melons are out." "You can't come to visit the prettiest lady in town empty-handed." "Here you go." "Oh, that was so sweet." "You've embarrassed me." " Welcome!" " Thank you!" " How are you, Haktan?" " Hi, how're you?" "If we could put this in the fridge..." "If it weren't for you, Ercan, I swear there isn't a soul in this world who'd bring me roses." "Come on girl." "We haven't brought you roses!" "You didn't even send me a handful of blossoms from the chaste berry tree." "Ercan, you just keep on spoiling them." "You just have to put with their whimsical way, my dear Ibrahim." "No more chirping!" "Would you like a drink?" "If it's no trouble, sir." "She shouldn't have any, son." "It gets to her." "Oh mother, please." "Don't interrupt." "Oh what a modern evening this is, isn't it?" "L just love these parties, sir." "Peruzat, I'm Ercan." "Well, my lands, Mr. Ercan." "How are you, my dear Peruzat?" "What can I say, sir?" "I'm just waiting." " Just waiting." " I wish she hadn't had any." "It gets to her." "Oh, I wish my late husband was here." "Here's to Mr. Hüseyin." "May his ears ring." "May his ears ring, because they hear us." "Let them know that we have not forgotten them." "Some things just can't be forgotten." "For example, the place of your birth." "Even the places you remember just barely when you've grown up a bit." "Sit down over there." "Tonight, no one leaves this table." "I've taken everyone prisoner." "I'll shoot you right between the eyes with this." "It won't kill you, but it'll make you suffer." "What were we saying?" "Oh yes, the fuzzy memories we have." "I had just turned 8." "Some of it I can still remember down to the minutes detail some of it is a bit fuzzy." "I remember a white house in Crete, in the village of Rethimno." "You could hear the sea from far off, Emine." "I can still hear the sound from way back then." "There was a tavern in the distance too." "We could hear the sound at night." "A young girl would sing." "I have no idea if the tavern is till there or not." "Anyways." "The rooms were all white washed and the whole place smelled wonderfully of sea." "Always hot." "A bright yellow heat." "The cicadas would chirp constantly." "My mother had gathered carob pods and poured them out of her skirt onto the floor." "My older sister and I came running." "Mustafa was still a baby in the crib." "If only you could have seen it." "It was a hell of a lot of fun." "My sister and I would share the carob pods right away." "My father was a mason." "He was very domineering." "He would come home every night carrying tons of food." "He was huge, he could barely get through a door." "Missus, I'm home." "Ladies and gentlemen, look at the camera." "Smile!" "Look for the birdie." "They also put Mustafa in my lap and took a picture of the two brothers." "I was shocked to see my own picture on paper." "Me and the baby Mustafa." "The pictures were left behind in the house." "We couldn't take them in the hurry to leave." "We were happy, like we are now." "May the Lord make it ever so." "Amen." "Tons of stuff got left in that house." "Tons..." "In 1923,things started to heat up." "Everyone was talking about something called the "exchange." "Apparently, we would have to depart these lands and leave our house." "What could we do?" "You can't stop fate." "They sold and dispersed everything they had for practically nothing." "We gathered our stuff." "All the while, my mother cried that we were leaving our neighbors and our houses." "My father said all of the Turks were emigrating." "We left before dawn in the morning." "My mother took the lemon tree sapling from the yard at the last minute." "It was as if she was taking the house with her, too." "Sister." "This way, go this way, come on, to the harbor." "Let's go to ward the harbor." "Get out Turks!" "Get out of our country." "Stop it Talos." "This is shameful." "Our neighbors for all these years..." "Stay out of this, woman." "The Turk is never a friend." "They should thank God we haven't killed them." " Goin peace." " Don't worry." "Get out Turks!" "Go to the bottom of hell!" "Fatma, give the baby to Cemal, to Cemal." "Come here my child." "Move along, move along." "Children, don't be afraid." "Don't get separated." "Stay together." "We'll beat the harbor soon." "Oh Lord, help us!" "Don't cry." "Why are you crying?" "They say a ship called Gülcemal will come and pick us up." "They said we just need to wait a bit longer." "We're going to our homeland." "What else could we want?" "Don't cry." "Hold on." "You guys wait here." "Let me ask around." "How this is going to work out, and what will we do." "Enise, cover me so I can nurse the baby." " Have you wrapped the baby up tightly, Fatma?" " Yeah, I've wrapped him." " Is it cold?" "Are you chilled, my son?" " No, father." "I'm not." "Look how many stars there are, father." "It's been two days." "When is this ship supposed to arrive, Hasan?" "We are running out of bread." "Should I run to the house?" "May be get some potatoes and onions." " We could roast it here on a fire..." " No." "You can't go." "Why?" "We don't have a house anymore, Fatma." "They would not let us in the door." "Come on, Gülcemal." "Where are you?" "Good bye, my Crete." "He has a fever." "We were some of the first to migrate." "Later,50 ships carried 2 million people from here and there." "It took a whole year!" "His fever is very high." "Let me talk to the captain and see if he will take us inside." "What is this, Hasan?" "Don't let Mehmet and Hatice get near the baby." "Don't look." "Cemal." "Take the children somewhere else." "Come on, kids." "Let's go somewhere else." "Brother, my condolences." "Listen, Hasan." "The journey is long, the journey is long, do you understand?" "Typhus is spreading on the ship." "A typhus epidemic." "The baby... into the sea." "Come on." "Give her, sister." "Let go" "God is great." "He will grant you patience." "Let go, my sister." "It's providence." "Fate." "Look, Mehmet, look, there's fish going by." "I don't know how many days we traveled." "It was early in the morning." "It was the first time I saw Izmir." "I made the place out back for him so that he would have a grave site." "My brother became the Sea Boy." "Then, you know the place they call "Quarantine" in Izmir." "We are the ones that gave it this name." " What's your year of birth?" " What's your year of birth?" "!" "The doctors and nurses spoke Turkish." "They would say, "open your mouth" and I barely understood." "I don't know how many days they kept us under quarantine to keep the typhus from spreading." "They put us in the baths and washed us down." "I was just a kid so I was embarrassed." "I said to myself, 'They don't like us.'" "Over there, we were the spawn of the Turk and here we were Greek infidels." "It was the last time I saw the land of Crete." "First we settled in Izmir" "And they all died." "Then I came here." "Life was hard in the big city." "I was 25." "I opened a shop, spending everything we had." "Thank goodness, we found you." "You became our people and we became yours." "I established myself and got married late in life but we are happy now." "May the Lord keep it that way." "Our family came from Thessaloniki." "I came over in my mother's womb." "Our family came from Thessaloniki too." "I was born here." "I grew up quick." "I grew old fast as well." "But, that house my childhood, it is still there." "I was never a child again, you see." "I was always curious about who lives in that house." "I wondered if a small boy like myself still wanders those rooms." "That is the reason that I put letters in the bottles and send them to Crete." "So that whoever lives in that house will know about me when they find it and read it." "I send them greetings from here with the little bit of Greek that I remember." "If someone even in Chios were to find the bottle, that's right here, under our nose they would send it on to Crete." "They will send it." "It will happen." "If someone finds those bottles and says, "We found them," then I will believe that all of this really happened." "That is what the bottles are really about." "Let everyone, the ignorant and informed alike, take note." "The people who mock and ridicule us are the same thieving opportunists who robbed us blind because we came from abroad destitute and they took our gold and possession for a song." "Don't get me started." "Maybe one day we can all go together." "To see my house." " To pay our respects." " Once, you talked about going." "In fact, it was with your son-in-law, wasn't it?" "Many years ago." "Yeah, yeah." "But, that's the law." "If the registry of birth was over there, for example mine is Rethimno they won't give us a visa." "We can never go back." "They said you had to find out what the name was changed to after the population exchange and have your registry corrected accordingly." "We said that's fine and I went down with my son-in-law to the office in Izmir." "I was so happy that we would be going," "It was a bit shaky." "They might turn us away at any moment, but anyway." "We were leaving the next day." "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." "And when Nurdan turns on the radio, we hear about:" "The invasion of Cyprus." "All of the permits and visas were cancelled again." "What can you do?" "It wasn't meant to be." "Maybe when my grandson has grown up a bit he can take me." "He will say:" ""Come on, take my arm, grandpa." "We're setting off. "" "Right, Ozan?" "I didn't make it in time." "I was putting my daughter to bed." "Are you leaving?" "Mr. Ercan, I'll drop you guys off." "That won't be necessary." "We'll just walk and take this shortcut." "Leave those alone and come here for a minute." "Why don't you come and help me instead?" "If we don't clean up, the dogs will be attracted." "Let them come." "What could happen?" "You come too." "Okay, here I am." " Welcome." " Thank you." "Look what I have." "At this hour?" "Everyone is sleeping, you crazy fool." "We'll keep it low." "Just two songs." "Look, what I just bought." "Halil brought it from Germany." "Crystal Gayle." "You mean the lady with the long hair that you admire so much." "I have loved one woman." "And, I loved her dearly." "This heart has no room for anyone else." "And, there never will be." "Mr. Mehmet, I hope business is good." "Good morning, Halil, you're early today." "Good morning." "Don't stir up the dust." "We're washing a car here." "How many times do I have to wash it?" "Do you know how to drive the car?" "Yep, but I don't because the police might catch me." "We could buy a Mercedes if we wanted, but my grandfather doesn't like them." "He says it would be an affront to the poor." "What in the world are you doing, man?" " Well, get out of the way, will ya." " Fighting again?" "Nope." "He got a little water on him is all." "Accidentally." "Tahsin, you take the buckets." "How can I help you, ma'am?" "I hope business is well Mehmet." "How're you doing?" " Thank you, my dear." "Welcome." " Thank you." "I want number 70 white Oren Bayan." "Newspaper won't work for this." "Wrap it in white paper." "The ink will rub off." "You don't need to wrap it." "I'll just put it in my bag." "Here you go." "Those are two hundred and fifty lira." "Look, he knows it by heart." "Hello?" "This kid has passed you up as a shop-keeper." "Thank you." " Good day, Mehmet." " Have a good day." "Good bye." "Kids, come here." "Now, I'm going to ask you a riddle." "Let's see which of you will get it." "Put your eye right here." "Slowly, don't cut yourself." "Give it to Tahsin." " What do you see?" " Nothing." "A white triangle." "In other words, nothing." "Look again." "There are flowers, Uncle Mehmet." "There are flowers." "Tap it on the bottom." "It will change." "For goodness sake, boy." "I didn't ask you to do a strength test." "I said tap it." "Oh well, tell me what made those flowers?" "Different colors." "Now, both of you think about it." "What does this mean?" "Don't tell me the answer." "Just think about it yourself." " And, go ahead and order tea and fruit tea." " You stay, I'll go." "Bayram, come right in." "Take these." "Look, there is food in this one and clothes in the other." "Take these out since the weather is hot." "These are for you to wear, okay?" "Now, you go down to Sebahattin's bath." "I've already spoken with him." "Wash up and come back." "I'll go to the barber with you." "Do you hear, Bayram?" "Okay, we'll see you later." "What are you doing now, kid?" "What is eating at you?" "Grandpa, don't let Bayram come into the shop." " And, why is that?" " He stinks to high heaven." "Now, that's enough." "You think he enjoys it?" "That's enough, son." "Put it on your balls too, why don't you." "Why are you so afraid of Bayram every time?" "I'm not afraid." "It's just that he looks at you with those eyes, you know." "What is he supposed to look with?" "Don't talk like that." "It's a sin." "He is one of our people too." "Come righ there." "Tahsin, you listen too." "You remember Peruzat?" "She was the most beautiful woman in these parts when she was young." "She even became the tangerine beauty queen once." "They called her Greta Garbo Peruzat." "And, this Bayram, he fell in love with her as a youth." "The poor thing was a half-wit sharecropper." "Quite destitute." "People were bored, of course and said," Let's have a little fun. "" "They wrote a letter that purported to be from Peruzatto Bayram." "Of course, Peruzat had given them the cold shoulder and they were going to get their revenge on her." "What small minds." "They called Bayram to the coffee house." "They read him the letter, saying that she wrote it." "It was such a love letter." "They had Peruzat saying, "I'm dying, I'm burning for you, Bayram." "Come and ask my mother for my hand in marriage. "" " Good day, Mehmet." " Thanks dear." "Goodbye." "Where were we now?" "Oh yes." "Bayram brought his mother a long and the two poor souls set off." "Greetings were exchanged at the door." "In the end, the woman says, "Are you crazy?"" "Peruzat is studying at a vocational school." "She is going to be a teacher and doesn't have a clue about any of this." "You need to be on your way, neighbor." "Granny Þengül, right?" "Well, she did the right thing." "You're so inconsiderate." "Of course, Bayram was devastated." "He was angry at everyone and never opened his mouth again." "Later Peruzat met someone at her school and they got married." "They settled in the capital where they were studying." "Of course, she had no clue about what had happened here." "Her mother didn't tell her so she wouldn't be saddened by it." "Years passed by and Peruzat returned home full of sorrow." "She returned home." "Her husband had been arrested because he was an anarchist." "They had interrogated Peruzat for a while, too." "They caused the poor woman a lot of grief." "When she returned she found out about Bayram from her acquaintances." "So she had to bear that sadness, too." "Her husband is still in custody, whereabouts unknown." "No one knows what happened." "It's the grace of God, that's for certain." "So she doesn't believe it." "She sits waiting for her husband to return." "That's how it is." "You can be sure that the evil people do hurt worse than a scorpion bite." "All creation starts talking and asks for mercy." "But people have no mercy and pass on by." "Oh, what small minds!" "Oh, now that is much better." "Okay, now, let's you and me go to the barber." "I'm going to get my moustache trimmed." "We might as well look our best, right Bayram?" "I'll be back in half an hour." "I don't want to hear a sound from you." "Behave yourselves." " What a pity, isn't it?" " Hey!" "Don't talk to me." "Besides, just wait until my grandpa comes back." "I'm going to tell him you took the triangle and hid it." "You think I'm an idiot?" "That I didn't see?" "You thief." "I'll get you fired." " Good day." " Thanks, you too, ma'am." " Uncle Mehmet?" " Yes, son?" "I took this out of the trash can since it was just being thrown away." " Are you crazy?" "I was just joking." " Okay." "No, it's not okay." "Tell me what is going on." "You know, the flowers that you see when you look at it." "They are similar to the flowers where we come from." "I was small, but I remember it a little." "My sister Kiraz, though, was a baby when we came here." "She never saw them, that's why." "She doesn't know what it was like and is always asking." "I was going to show her the flowers inside and say:" ""Look, this is what they were like. "" "That was what I was going to do." "Nothing more." " He was going to tell on you, wasn't he?" " No, Uncle Mehmet." "I swear he wasn't." "Beat it!" "Go home and get out of my sight!" "What's a matter with you, man?" "What's the matter?" "My grandpa ran me out of the shop." "Shut up, man!" "Because of that boy Tahsin?" "Should we ambush him somewhere?" "We'll beat the shit out of him." "He's become a total show-off." "Okay Tahsin, go have lunch." "Have a pita, or meatballs if you like." "Put it on my account." "Have dessert too." "I'm going to run into Izmir." "I'll be back in two hours." "You can open the shop." "If there is anything you can't handle, ask Uncle Halil for help." " Okay, son?" " Okay, Uncle Mehmet." "Great." "Hey kid!" "Where are you headed?" "I'm headed for hell!" "I'm going home, where else would I go?" "And my name's not" kid"." "It's Ozan." "Got it?" "Ozan!" "Where is your husband?" "I'm..." "I'm waiting." "He'll come." "Bullshit!" "Your husband's an anarchist!" "They killed him." "What do you think of that!" "Sea Boy, I have something to say to you." "But you won't be pleased." "Grandpa has found himself a new grandson." "He has forgotten you too." "Did you know that?" "See, you are just going to lie there." "Idiot." "He has forgotten me too." "I declare a yellow little puppy has come to our house." "Are you talking to Mustafa?" "What Mustafa!" "Do you think I would talk to an empty grave?" "What do you think I am?" "Crazy like you?" "Well, my ears were ringing." "I must have been mistaken." "You were mistaken, of course." "Go wash your ears." "I ought to rip your little penis off, then you'll see, you bitch in heat." "What is the matter with you lately?" "The older you get the crazier you become." "Your grandpa has never forgotten you or the Sea Boy." "But, he drove me from the shop." "I'm sure it's because you were unruly." "I'm going to go and work at my uncle's cinema." "What cinema?" "The cinema is closed." "Doesn't he have a summer cinema?" "Oh, so you'll come home at 1 o'clock in the morning." "You are going to become a vagabond at this rate" "What is it to you if I do?" "I wish I had died instead of Mustafa." "No one can die in place of someone else." "On the contrary, they are born to take their place." "Do you know why we love you so much?" "When you were still a baby your grandpa would whisper in your ear all the time." "He would ask God to give you the lifespan that he took away from Mustafa." "You are a grandson and a brother to your grandpa." "Don't forget that." "That means that when he embraces you, he is doing it twice." "You don't know these things which is why you strut around here fat and lazy with a dick no longer than your balls because you haven't a thing to worry about." "You just keep it up." "As soon as we find something to be happy about, you hit us on the head with a stick." "Grandma." "Yes, my child." " What does "on the contrary" mean?" " It means your mama's poontang." " What does poontang mean?" " What is going on?" "No one can sleep." "Who did you have this child with?" "The boy's demon-possessed." "I'm going to have an imam with clout pray over you." "Otherwise, it's hopeless." "He's going to strangle us in our sleep when he grows up a bit." "Help me, neighbors." "I can't get Peruzat under control." "What's the matter, girl?" "Ozan, quick." "Go up to your sister so she doesn't wake up." "What is the matter?" "It scared us to death." "Is that Peruzat?" "One Drima,5 meters of curtain backing, 80 centimeters clean skirt fabric." "Uncle Halil cut it with the scissors." "It will be put on Ayþe Durmaz's bill." "She didn't pay." "Good job, Tahsin." "You are going to be alright." "Look." "There was also a really old lady stopped by." "I said, "How can I help you?" She said, 'You wouldn't know," and left." "That's okay." "I'm sure it' nothing." "Here, take this." "When you leave tonight, take it to her sister." "Peruzat, it's okay now." "It's okay, sister." "Peruzat." "Open your hand for me." "You have made a fist and I can't open it." "I wonder if we could give her Diazepam?" "Should I bring some?" "Not without being sure." "Let me make a phone call from Halim's." "We'll have the doctor come and give her a shot or something." "That would be best." "Run, Muazzez, run." "Okay." "Hand it to me, neighbor." "I wonder why it happened so suddenly?" "Your grandson just kept saying," "'Your husband died. " And she just threw herself down." "Ozan!" "Bayram, what happened?" "What happened to the kid?" "What happened?" "Did he fall?" "They've busted his head, the bastards." "Hurry, put him in the car." " Halil Usta, close up the shop!" " Okay." "Ozan." "Don't run off!" "Come here!" "You know what I'm going to do to you?" "Are you trying to kill somebody?" "Nurse, call a doctor right away." "Ozan!" "Ozan, where are you, fool?" "Look, I'm not going to beat you." "I won't." "Okay, you might get your ear pulled a bit, but that is all." "Ozan!" "We gave him three stitches, Mehmet." "Your apprentice is fit as a fiddle." "He'll be just fine." "They are children." "What can you do?" "Does he have a childhood left, Hamide, my dear." "Does he have a childhood left anymore." "What is this?" "Oh, Mehmet, sir." "Foreman Berat." "Sorry about all of this, man." "Thank you, sir." "Can I see him?" " My dear son." "What's happened to you?" " Nothing, dad." "I'm fine." "Who did this, son, tell me." "Uncle Mehmet, I swear, it wasn't Ozan." "He wasn't there." "Then who was it?" "Spit it out." "And what am I asking for." "Who else?" "Obviously, it is that other pack of bastards." "I don't know." "Sorry, I won't touch it again." "Stop crying." "We'll find him." "He's around here somewhere." "If he is here, he should come out then." "There are jackals and wolves." "They'll eat my boy." "Give me a break." "Do you think we live in the Amazon?" " Aren't there any wild boars?" " You are right." " Ozan." " Ozan." "He's not over by our place either." "Have you looked over by the old chaste berry tree?" "I've looked everywhere." "Ibrahim, hang on, this won't do." "Let's make a plan and search methodically." "That's right." "We shouldn't' at all pile up in the same place." "Oh, Emine." "Emine." "You don't reckon he'd go to the sea again, do you?" "If he had, Ercan would've grabbed him by the ear, and brought him back by now." " Where s Mehmet Bey?" " You look in the vineyard rows." "I'll go out on the road." "I'll go to police for the last resort." "The little bastard is probably hiding and doing this on purpose, the little beast." "Don't call him a beast, Ibo." "Look, my hands are shaking." "Son, are you crazy?" "Where are you going?" "I'm going to Izmir." "I'm gonna find a job." "I'm gonna work." "I don't want you." "I wasn't gonna hit you, son." " Would I ever hit you?" " You hit me once before." "I did hit you once, yes." "Come here." "That's my man!" "Aren't you afraid all by yourself out here?" "What kind of kid are you?" " I don't understand." " Why should I be afraid?" "Turks are the most fearless people in the world." "Good for you, then." "I can even let my hands go if I want." "Hold on, you'll fall off!" "What he needs is a sound beating, but we aren't used to that as it's not our way." "Let it go." "It frightened him." "Let's not make it worse." "Well, alright." "Good night everyone." "Those sons of asses you call friends busted Tahsin's head open." "You were clearly the cause." "You pushed Peruzat over the edge just for the heck of it." "And on top of that you ran away from home." "What do you have up your sleeve next?" "Why don't you go ahead and kill us?" "You would be rid of us and we of you." " You live here and we live in glory." " Father." "Hang on, Ibrahim." "This discussion is going to take place." "He has come to his senses." "This has gone too far." "He's never known poverty or difficulty." "He's never gotten a beating from any of us, so what's his problem?" "We have dropped everything to take care of him." "What is it that you want, kid?" "Answer me." "You could string him up by his toe nails and he would still be a wall." "He's gonna talk!" "He'll talk if we have to sit here until the sun rises." "Why are you like this, son?" "Why are you acting so wickedly, son?" " I'm not wicked." " You are wicked." "L am not." "A wicked man will not say he is wicked." "He won't believe it." "He has already seared his conscience and he doesn't even know it." "Listen to me." "I'm telling you." "Your heart is wicked." "Stop this childishness, grow up and screw your head on straight." "My friends don't like the people you do." "They are different." "Not like you." "I'm the one that is all alone." "Am I to have no friends?" "Everyone does it." "You think it's just me?" "You keep talking about the good ol'days." "About your homes and your people, but I have nothing." "What am I to do?" "What about me!" "Am I to live all alone?" "The wind kicked up again today." "But Lord, it's like a furnace." " Did you slice tomatoes, mom?" " What do you think I am doing?" "Just look at my husband." "10 eggs, is that enough?" "I don't know." "Wait till they come." "If it's not enough, we'll make more." "Look here, the little prince has arrived." "A little prince has awoken and is looking at us from over there." "My goodness, but isn't he handsome." "I made the scrambled eggs and tomatoes that my son loves so much." " Without peppers." " You're kidding." "Don't we get any?" "I don't know." "If Ozan says it's alright, I'll give you some." " Son?" " Is grandpa gone?" " He's left." " Today's Sunday?" "Come on, let's wash our faces." "The devils probably licked your face until sunrise." "Down you go." "Come on, wash your face." "Lean over, lean over." "Stick your head under there." "But, it's cold dad." "Come on." " Ozan, your grandpa is taking us to the sea." " Ozan, we're here." "We're going to the beach, to the beach!" "Alright!" "Bless my soul." "Good morning." "Sit down everyone." "There were three more kids but they must have fallen out of the car along the way." "Bankruptcy!" "The locusts have come for our crops." "Nadire." "If we run out of molasses, we have Hüsey in here." "We can bust his head and let it ooze out, for a change." "We're here." "Hold on!" "Everyone will stay between me and the beach." "No further." "Who made these stuffed bell peppers?" "You can't beat Nadire's stuffed bell peppers." "Eat some pastry, eat up." "Mehmet." "Good day." "I hope your business is good." "Good day, Mrs. Güssün." "I hope it's just as good for you." "I stopped by the other day." "You were out." "Why don't you get my burial shroud ready?" "Then, I'll be on my way." "Hold on, Sister Güssün." "It's a bit early for that." "What's the matter?" "Well, the time is approaching, Mehmet." "I thought I'd come and get it while I could still get out and about." " I'd feel better if I got it taken care of." " Goodness gracious, Sister Güssün." "Well, you just get my package ready." "You see, I'm running off to my husband." "Whatever you say." "Have a seat." "Would you like tea or coffee?" "Make it tea." "Coffee aggravates my heart condition." "In the name of God, the Merciful." "This time it has to be done without scissors." "Look and learn." "You can't use scissors on a burial shroud." "It has to be done by hand." "These are so that the dead smell good when they are buried." "This is the interesting part of this job." "Learn this." "Do you know what they do with this cotton?" "He was not born and He doesn't give birth.!" "Is the tea for you, Sister Güssün?" " Here you go." " Yes, it is." "Thank you." "Did you come to buy a new dress and shoes." "You know, something flashy." "Hush, you dog." "What would I do with a dress?" "I'm just getting some stuff." " How's your mother doing?" " She's as well as could be expected." "Give her my greetings." "Your jackass got loose the other day." "He got into my garden and ate every flower I have." "Now, my garden is poor and barren." "You bring some new ones and plant them by fall." "Oh, of course." "I have nothing else to do anyway." "Shut up." "I'll bust your head." "Bring some saplings and we'll plant them together." "Good, sister." "Enjoy your tea." " Hope business is well." " Thanks, Hasan." "Here you go, Ms. Güssün." "This is yours." " Is this it now?" " Yes" "Take this too." "Look, it just came in." "It is beautiful." "Roses and leaves." "First, you make yourself a pair of trousers from these." "Wear it happily until it wears out." "And finally this." "May the Lord delay the end." "Thanks." "How much is it?" "Well, we don't charge for this." "You must have forgotten." " You don't charge?" " No." "That is the tradition." "OK, fine." "May the Lord give you and your grandson a long life." "Thanks very much." "Their faces have all been erased from my memory." "Well, Ozan." "You need to grow up and take us with you across the sea." "I never forgot that look." "The long summer ended right there, for you and me both." "And right after the first cicada too." "What is the yearning for?" "Will you tell me?" "Was that the day you made your decision." "That hot afternoon?" "In the middle of the day?" "In the summer?" "It was not the thousands of stories... proverbs and pieces of advice that raised me." "It was that look of yours." "That look I couldn't understand." "You." "The you I couldn't understand." "Hey kid!" "Would you like some lemonade?" "Do you like it, my little prince?" "Who is the man?" "A guest." "Somebody I've been expecting." "Is he coming to your house?" "Yep." "The length of the road symbolizes the length of the wait, sir." "The luludia flower she is carrying represent hope and happiness." "Do you like metaphors, little prince?" "I do." "Is that a suitcase in the distance?" "Did he leave it there?" "Bravo." "You immediately understood what I wanted to express." "Bravo." "You immediately understood what I wanted to express." "I don't like suitcases." "They are very depressing." "They remind one of returning and departing." "He has left it behind because he will never need it again." "Then, he must be coming to stay?" " Like for good." " Now you deserve a kiss." "It's for good." "That is such a nice expression." "For good." "Grandma, what is a metaphor?" "They happen at sea and when a storm comes up they spin and pull ships and people down under." "That's not right." "Mom what is a metaphor?" "Is it something like camphor?" "You know, the stuff they use in cough medicine?" "No, it's not." "Meta is a Greek word." "It means "later"." "And, "for" is English, so it must mean, "for later. "" "Dad, grandpa." "What does metaphor mean?" "Metaphor." "It means to compare one thing to another." "For example, if I were to say that my heart is an oyster and you are the pearl then, I am comparing my heart to an oyster and my love to a pearl." "He hears it all the time on television." "Metaphor, metaphor." "Forget it." "Today, I made a decision." "God help us." "As soon as summer is over and before school opens we will go on a family vacation." "Where, dad?" "First, we will go by plane to Athens and then take a ferry from there to Crete." "Fantastic." "As you know, we can get our passports now." "What's the matter?" "You are looking at me like you just saw a ghost." "We are going to travel." "Is that so bad?" "The shop has tied us down." "For example, have you ever boarded a ferryboat, darling?" "No, I was on a rowboat once." " That doesn't count." " But, what about the baby, dad?" "She'll come too." "Right, my little princess?" "Of course." "Ozan?" "Good for you, boy." "What about it, Nadire?" "Weren't you the one who saw those senior" "British tourists and said, "They know how to live" the one who said they were seventy years old but still trucking?" "Stand up for a minute and rouse yourself a bit." "By God, you're talking now, Mehmet." "Let's go for real." "We should go see some people." "Those infidels won't kill us there, will they?" " Grandpa is here!" " Don't yell." " Welcome home, grandpa." " Good to be here." "Man, no shoes and no hat, get inside." " Welcome." " Thanks." "Come on, their mom says dinner is ready." "Mom!" "Grandma is calling you to dinner." "No need to shout." "We're coming!" "Put that in the fridge, darling." " Is that bottle back again?" " Was it hidden before?" "What's the matter?" "We kept the fast all summer for Him above." "Now Ramadan is over." "We have to look out for ourselves a bit." "Lord have mercy." "You're going to be struck down one day." "He knows my heart, so nothing bad is going to happen." " Besides, we are celebrating tonight." " What celebration?" "What do you mean, what celebration?" "We've got them for all of us." "We leave next week." "How in the world are we going to get ready in one week, Mehmet?" "Oh brother." "It's just a suitcase." "Did you think we were moving?" "But, it is a bit shaky." "They could turn us away at the border at any time." "Our situation is a bit complex, you know, our place of birth and all." "Maybe we should've stayed at the vineyard a bit longer." "It's still awfully hot." "There is a James Stewart film tonight." "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." "Why is he going, grandpa?" "Huh, grandpa?" " Yes." " I asked why he is going?" "I don't know, son." "We'll watch it and find out." "Why were you so preoccupied that night when you were so close to realizing your dream?" "I remember that you were always a restless spirit at the grape harvest." "But that year..." "All by himself against the whole Congress." "That is what it means to be an idealist." "Good for him." "It was a different restlessness, wasn't it?" "Something only I noticed." "Maybe I was making up." "Who knows, maybe you were going to say damn it all, let's go, fall in line, we're out of here but as always, my wonderful country is full of fresh surprises that rob us of the opportunity to reflect even for a moment." "Just like an adventure comic book." " What's going on?" " Oh my, good news I hope?" " What's happened, father?" " Nadire just got up to wash for prayers." "Dad, has something happened to mother?" "No." "Don't worry." "She turned on the radio." "There has been a coup, son." "What!" "Easy son, take it easy." "...9th Army Corps commander Sabahatt in Cambazoglu the provinces of Erzurum, Agri, Kars..." "Well, dad, the anarchists are done for." "Isn't that better?" " Shut up!" "Shut up!" " Ibrahim!" "Ibrahim!" "Way to go Kenan Pasha." "Have they come for us?" " Dad." "There's a military vehicle coming." " The books, Nurdan." "The books." "Hold your horses, now." "Let's see what they want." "How can I help you, son?" " Are you Ibrahim Erdinç, the deputy mayor?" " Yes I am." "You will come with us." "Why are you taking him?" "What has my husband done?" "Okay, Nurdan." "Everything's fine." "It's obviously for questioning." " I'll come too." " Not you, sir." "What do you mean not me?" "Dad." "Just cool it." "Nothing's going to happen." "They just want to ask questions." "I'll come too." "There is a curfew." "They told us to bring the deputy mayor, only him." "Come on, man." "I can't walk in the neighborhood" "I've lived in for 40 years?" "What small minds!" " Mister, don't give us trouble." " Don't start with the 'mister'." " We respect the army, but don't piss me off." " Get inside mister!" "Father." "Welcome, Mr. Mehmet, welcome." "Thanks." " Ozan, how are you?" " I'm fine." "Welcome, Mr. Mehmet How're you Ozan?" "School opens tomorrow." "We thought we ought to come down once more with the boy." "Good idea." "Just look how empty the place is." "There is not much to enjoy around here." "Autumn has come early this year." "Yeah, the joy has gone out of everything." " What can I offer you?" " I'll have some tea if it's no trouble." "Right away Mr. Mehmet." "Of course, your vacation has gone up in smoke." "Forget the vacation, Mr Ercan." " Just look at what they've done." " What's happened?" "They aren't pressuring Ibrahim too much, are they?" "No, they just keep asking him about this and that." "He just says he doesn't know anything about it." "They call him down there every morning like it's a regular job." "Now, they are removing the mayor from his post." "They say the military junta will appoint a new mayor." "Ibrahim will keep his job, but it won't be easy." "Still, it's not too bad around here." "Istanbul and Ankara are something else-total turmoil." "Death sentences have been issued for several young men." "There is so much suffering." "I can't even talk about it." "We are cannibalistically eating our own young, like a crocodile." "We just couldn't get your haircut." "Teacher won't say anything on the first day." "Stop it, Ozan." "Stop it, son." "You're wearing me out." "You're in the 5th grade now." "I did that on purpose to make you laugh." "And, one on this cheek for your dad." "Come on." " Is Dad not getting up?" " He came home very late, son." "And, our apprentice is here too." "Give half of it to Tahsin." "I don't have change, but it is for both of you." "My goodness, is this little angel your sister?" "Goon then." "May the Lord give you all a sharp mind." "Look, Ozan, this is my sister Kiraz." "She is starting first grade." "Kiraz?" "What a name?" "I'm glad to meet you." "My name is Armut." " Is the first grade hard?" " Very hard!" "L told you it was easy." "Why don't you believe me?" "My teacher's name is Necla." "Is she nice?" "Man, you are in for it." "She'll beat you black and." "Just joking." "She is really nice." "Never beats anyone." "That is what my brother said too." "He also told me, 'You have two older brothers at school me and Ozan. "" "Here they come." "Greetings friends." "Thank you, thank you." "Which of you is Ibrahim Erdinç?" "That would be me." "Pleased to meet you." "I look forward to receiving all of the personnel in my office in half an hour for introductions." " Good day." " Thank you." "Mr. Ibrahim, come to my office." "Let's not waste any time." "You and I have a lot to do." "It sure looks that way." "This room, sir." "And, just what is this?" "Why isn't this gone?" "There hasn't been time since everything happened so quickly." "They only told us your name yesterday." "We are just taking care of it." "Taking care of it, ey?" "We are going to have to get used to how you talk around here." "...In spite of what is commonly held to be true this word is never used around here or in the Aegean region, sir." "It is an expression of affirmation that is used in other areas of the country." "Unfortunately, it is a word that poor theater script writers unfamiliar with the Aegean dialect have used on state television programs and in village plays." "You know, how they have this idea that every villager absolutely must use it." "They told me you were clever." "No matter, I came well-supplied." "Well, since they don't use 'ey' here and, since you can, when you want, employ our pure Turkish perfectly, then you'll say, "yes"." "I am delighted to say "yes" to everything that is right, sir." "Where have you been, Ibrahim." "I hope you eat your own bullshit." "Get up, Ibrahim." "Be quiet, for God's sake." "I don't have the strength." "He knew how to conduct a fair fight." "But, he had no weapon for a dirty one." "He didn't know how to wage those battles." "He had probably always thought that the world was a place full of dignity." "That was true of the both of you." "Then, one day you looked around and saw that those beautiful people had got on their beautiful horses and ridden off." "Now, this place they call Partridge Island." "It seems like a pretty destitute place." " Miss Ayþen." " Yes, sir." "Prepare a report describing the characteristics of this region and send it to the ministry of culture." "Mr. Gürkan, that would be a death knell for all of the beaches there." "Most of the locals make their living from fishing." "We would destroy both the beaches and the fishing." "From the research we have conducted a chain of hotels in that area would harm the environment, and pollution." " Do you have a better idea?" "We are researching it, sir." "For three months you have opposed everyone of my initiatives." "I'm tired of it." "You are the deputy mayor not the opposition." "You are supposed to be making my job easier." "But we haven't moved forward an inch in three months thanks to you." "This country has failed to develop because of the backward mentality of people like you." "We have to develop and grow." "There is no other way." "I have no objection to that." "But, if what you call development means turning over the beaches to your friends in parliament for a song, well I object to that." "Effective immediately, you no longer work for the city." "Empty your office and get the hell out of here." "I would have resigned long ago but I didn't want to leave the place to jackals like you." "But, don't forget the power of the people, Mr. Mayor." "They may have a thing or two to say about all this." "But, they didn't." "Or, if they did, we didn't hear it." "Not even a whisper." "If you remember, my father was sued for issuing a threat, abuse of power and other things." "Ibrahim, what are you doing here?" "I'm sitting." "Come inside and sit then." "They are selling the country, Nurdan." "Selling it piece by piece." "Whoever heard of such brazen shamelessness." "Not a single person stood up for me either." "Cowards!" "Ibrahim, for the love of God, don't yell." "Let them sell it." "Let them all starve to death." "What ever happens will happen to them and they'll all be beating their heads against the wall." "Are you saying the same thing, Nurdan?" "What can I do, Ibrahim?" "What do you want me to say?" "We have children." "I'm thinking of them, not a world of strangers." "We aren't hungry, we aren't homeless." "You can get another job." "I can make clothes gain." "It'll all work out." "What do I care about everybody else?" "So, that is the kind of country we leave to our children?" "How will we look them in the eye?" "What will we say to them?" "Are we just going to say:" ""Sorry, kids." "We couldn't do it." "And, if you want to make it in this life you're going to have to be a thief and a fraud. "" " I'm sorry, dad." " That's alright, son." "Listen we have a shop here." " Dad, don't say that." "Hang on." "Don't interrupt me." "You have this house." "We have a vineyard." "You have me and Nadire." "Above all, you have a wife and two kids here." "Right now, they are your country, son." "First, realize their value." "You have done what you could for your country and done it for years." "Now, it's up to them." "Seeing that some people don't deserve it there is nothing you can do." "But, don't turn your back on the people who do." "Come and take care of your family." "You're right, dad." "You always said they are our people." "And we are theirs." "Well, where are they, dad?" "Are they hiding?" "Who knows, maybe they are." "But, one day they will certainly come out of hiding." " How can I help you, Mehmet?" " I'm going to see the mayor." " Do you have a rendezvous?" " Rendezvous?" "That's what you have with a lover, son." "I came to see the mayor." "You can't see him without an appointment." "Listen here." "Aren't you the son of Resul, the machinist?" " Yeah, that's me." " Don't you recognize me, son?" "Are you a guard here now?" "Who are you protecting and from whom?" "I'm going to talk to the mayor not shoot him." "What is all this noise, man?" "Come, right in." "Thanks." "I'll stand." "Ibrahim Erdinçis my son-in-law, mayor." "My name is Mehmet Yavaþ." "Yes?" "I have come to you lone and of my own free will." "No one knows anything about this." "I'm going to ask you a favor." "You are going to ask me to bring your son-in-law back." "No." "No." "I want you to drop the lawsuits that have been filed against him." "Why should I drop the suits?" "Because my son-in-law is not the sort of person who would abuse his office or threaten others." "I can vouch for him." "So you will vouch for him." "And just who are you?" "Why should I believe you?" "If there is a 65-year-old man standing in front of you who has never asked a favor of anyone, then I reckon what he says can be believed." "Sir, you know nothing about us." "Thank the Lord, we have never had to depend on anyone all these years." "My son-in-law does not need a job here." "But, making slanderous accusations against a fellow and sullying his reputation is an affront to his rights." "I'm not going to tell you how to do your job." "I'm sure you got over-enthusiastic." "But, we are people who have lived for years by a code of honor." "This is more than we can bear." "So, when you get in trouble you always garner pity with talk about honor and reputation." " The same old story." " Always the same?" "This is the first time I have stepped through that door." "This is the first time hat I have ever had to say this to anyone." "Or, maybe you are confusing me with someone else." "Okay, sir, okay." "Go on about your business." "Look, I've got work to do, leave me alone." "Mr. Mayor, your work is the public." "And, since I am a member of the public, I am your work." "Alright, sir, alright." "Where were you, man?" "Didn't you hear the bell, man?" " Show this gentleman out." " Come on, Uncle Mehmet." "Hold on, son." "What are you doing?" "You might as well beat me." " Mehmet, come on now." " Leave me alone." "I'll show myself out!" "I have one last thing to say to you." "This atrocity is going to come back to haunt you." "And, let me tell you, there will be no place for you to hide." "What is this Tuncer?" "Do you have one of these buttons in your office too?" "Do all of you coming running like a dog when the mayor pushes a button?" " Mehmet, that's shameful talk." " No, shame on you, shame on all of you." "What small minds!" "Damn you!" "Go to hell." "Ibrahim" " It's alright." "He's fine now." " What?" "Tell me the truth." "He's fine, mom." "Come here, mom." "Calm down ladies." "There's no need to be upset." "Why did you bring Ozan?" "Take him out, man!" "He heard about it at home and came." "What could I do?" "Why doesn't grandpa want me around?" "That's crazy He didn't want you to be frightened." "Why?" "Why would I be afraid of my grandpa?" "Everything's fine, Ozan." "Tonight we'll go home and it will all be over, son." "Your grandpa is just feeling a bit faint, that's all." "There's nothing to fear, son." "One shouldn't complain about their blessings but this damn stuff is inedible without oil or salt." "No, sir." "You have to eat it." "And you have to take these too." "Fine, but do you have to scold me like a little kid?" "Look, the salad will add some variety." "The food is just like everything else:" "No taste or flavor." "I've eaten so many greens, I think I will soon turn into a goat." "I'll be climbing the walls of the house and perching on the TV before you know it." "Come here." "Uncle Ercan found you on the shore." "On the telephone, he said you had drowned." "Your "drowning" was like a bad joke." "No one believed it but they didn't want to consider any other possibility." "My mother was looking for proof of what it was she had to come to grips with." "She wanted to put a period at the end to finish it." "Because, as you know, finished sentences are less painful than unfinished ones." "Or, did you believe exactly the opposite?" "In commas?" "Is that so?" "Don't come, Saime." "For the love of God, go back inside." "Daddy." "Nurdan." "Nurdan, please stop." "I beg you, stop." "Brother Ibrahim, if you'll let me, I'll take Ozan and the kids." "They can play together." "They shouldn't hang around here." "I'll bring them back tonight when things have calmed down a bit." "In the letter, you held no one responsible, you apologized to all of us, but said:" ""I can no longer live in a world like this. "" "You said that you loved me very much but that you would rather die and get it over with while still alive than die bit by bit right before my eyes." "You hoped that one day I would understand." "Did you write this right where the two seas meet right between going and not being able to go?" "According to my mother, 'with a fountain pen and in beautiful handwriting. "" "Then you dragged almost the whole town behind you." "You started a game of hide-n-seek and tagged the mall, so they all came out of hiding." "All of your people." "And what a coming out it was." "Stop that, Muslim people, that is a sin." "Take it, son." "Hang on." "It should touch the ground first." "Throw it on, child." "The angel on your right shoulder will mark it down as a good deed about as much as the sand grains." "May the Lord give you the days that He took from your grandfather." "If you were to ask today, they might say this is too traumatic for children." "I don't know what is right." "But, we confronted everything we faced." "That is how we grew up." "If he is there with you, why don't you ask that angel if he marked me down for a good deed as much as the sand grains." "No matter if he did or not but you and your people are what made me who I am." "May the sin and the merit hang around all of our necks." "They are your people." "Of course, with a genuine and heart felt humility." "The people to whom we belong as well." "Ladies can't come, keep your distance." "What kind of a funeral is this, anyhow?" "Luludia will suit him perfectly." "Come here, Ozan." "Let's see if you can find the metaphor in this painting." " Is it grandpa's hand?" " Bravo, Ozan." "Will the deceased always wave his hand at us from up there on the wall?" "What did my grandma say?" "We don't know if it's the water or the air but everyone around here is missing a few marbles." "But I haven't told you the most amazing news yet." "Maybe you won't believe it." "I can only take refuge in this very cliché expression." "Nothing is as surprising as life itself." " How are you, Nadire?" " Thank you, son." " There is a package for Mehmet Yavaþ." " Who's it from?" "Well, the name is foreign." "It says Eleonora." "That's clearly a woman's name." "What?" "A woman?" "What are you saying, mister?" " Look, you gotta sign right here." " I'm not signing that." "And, I won't take the package either." " That's okay." "It's not a problem." " Mom, just hang on a second, will ya?" "I know ya'll." "I'll just leave it right here." " I can sign it myself, you know." " Hang on." "Bring it here." "My hand is shaking from laughing so hard." "I can't even sign it." " There, is that okay." " Sure, that's fine." " Here." "Give that to me." " Here, I'll take that." " How about that?" " Good bye." " I'm opening it." " Open it!" "What in the world is this?" "May the Lord take my life and rescue me from the shame." "A whore sends flowers to our house." "Oh my, you are not done with your surprises." "Hang on just a second, mom." "It is written in Turkish!" " It has a few mistakes, but it is Turkish." " Read it then, sir." "What does it say?" ""Hello." "My name is Eleonora Theodorakis." "The bottle you sent us are found by some neighbors, Mr. Mehmet." "From the description you gave, you were born in our house." "A neighbor who knows a bit of Turkish is writing the letter now." "After you left, my father-in-law bought this house." "I moved in as a daughter-in-law." "We have been here for 35 years." "My husband passed away two years ago." "As you say, may Allah have mercy." "The children work in Athens." "One in Limni." "One of them is married." "One is not." "I live alone in Crete." "I would love to have you come someday and be my guest." "I'm writing an address below, both in Latin and Greek letters." "I'm also writing a telephone number below." "It's Mr. Todor's bed and breakfast." "He knows a bit of Turkish." "Before you come, call him and have him let me know." "Wishing health and happiness to you Mehmet and greetings to your family." "L am sending a bottle of ouzo as the gift of a neighbor." "I hope you enjoy it, my neighbor. "" "No." "I mean, it's just a normal bottle, of course." "Look, the seal has never been broken." "You can never be sure." "They're Greeks after all." "What if they injected the poison with a syringe and didn't open it." "Come on now." "There is a letter." "So, they had it written." "Damn, it does look good though." "Damn sure does." "Why don't we have the may or drink it first?" "If nothing happens to him, we can continue." "Ozan Erdinç." "Years had past after receiving Eleonora's letter." "Our family just kept putting off accepting the invitation for various reasons." "My father's lawsuit, which went on for years, but which he finally won." "The pain in my grandmother's legs." "Nihal's school and many more excuses." "Even years later when we called Mr. Todor's bed and breakfast and learned that the woman was still living and still expecting us, they still didn't come with me" "Either they had become really weary or they were unable to face fresh disappointment." "And that's right, you heard correctly." "I have embarked on the journey." "Are these the waters you crossed through a thousand perils, where you left your baby brother?" "Are these the waters that defied us and separated us; this haughty and magnificent sea that we loved even unto death?" "Actually, if you had wanted, you could got ten over your hang-ups and come any time." "But, I don't think you ever wanted to." "You just wanted to think that everything you remembered all of those crumbs of happiness, were still there, unchanged after all these years." "Holding onto your own truth like Peruzat." "It's just like those valuable crystal glasses and have sat there for years never used with the fear that they would get broken but always with the hope of using them someday." "It's time for your metaphors to get out of my head." " You are Ozan, right?" " I am Mehmet's grandson, Ozan." "My dear." "Welcome." "Great." "I have been waiting for you since morning." "Here you go." "Look what I've made." "Stuffed grape leaves." "Cucumbers and yoghurt." "Salad." "Eat up, young man." " These are gifts from my mother." " She shouldn't have troubled herself." "Thank you very much." "It's so beautiful." "Just wait, I'll be right back." "Some things your family left." "My father-in-law found this first." "He said to keep it." "Perhaps the person who left it will come and get it, he said." "We found this too." "This must be your grandfather." "Grandpa." "That's life." "What can you do?" "Tavern?" "Tavern?" "Yes" "They start playing in the evening." "Listen." "They're playing "Gülbahar. " It's a beautiful song." "Everything is just like you left it, grandpa." "Nothing has changed." "This happy ending is for you." "I am sending a message to you from the other side of the same sea." "From the beach in front of the white house." "All of the things that have transpired since you left are in this letter." "The Sea Boy will deliver this bottle to you." "Maybe, before that, he will stop by my country to pick up a prayer for you from our people." "When you receive the letter, greet the angels." "Say, "That's my grandson." "The little fellow grew up and came like I asked him to. "" "Come on, Ozan!" "Come on!" "In memory of my grandfather Mehmet Yavas" "From Çaðan Irmak "My Grandpa's People""