TE16 Turkish Delight

Selim Ileri primary school in Heybeli Ada. I still hear its memory resonating in my ears, zings of grief… This is quite a tragic story, in fact a tragic love story that saddened us for years. Here it goes. Back in the day, my uncle was in love with the girl next door; Munevver, whom I never got to meet or see. Because you asked for a quick reply – again! – I’ll not go into specifics. (If anything, you demanding fast replies means that you read at least some of my letters, so that’s good.) But apparently, she was a gorgeous young woman. I may not have seen her, but I know the house she lived in; it too was a house whose residents played to piano; mostly Miss Munevver, I presume. I can only presume, because you see, I didn’t hear – even from afar – the piano being played in that house. If I had, my heart would’ve certainly skipped a beat or two and I would’ve stopped to listen. That spacious house still stands today, though in ruins. With its once shinywhite placards and green shutters, itwas amagnificent house, way too nice among the others on the street. These two falls in love over letters. That pest of a disease; tuberculosis gets its claws on Miss Munevver, causing her family to seek help in Heybeli Ada. (Obviously the sanitorium in Süreyyapaşa hadn’t been built yet.) They think the oaks there would heal her, and begin taking long trips to the island.

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