TE16 Turkish Delight

Karin Karakaşlı voice. “Countless times we sat together at this table, side by side. Yet life isn’t merely about our dolma ’s and topik ’s. Is it all a lie what my mother went through? And she never once complained. Not because she was afraid but out of respect and camaraderie for your mother. But we always knew what had happened. This is our and others’ story, the story of all our lives. We knew without ever allowing for hostility. That was the wrong time to stay silent and now there’s nothing more to say…” “I have nothing more to say,” Mukaddes said inwardly. She stood. For a time she hovered over Sırhupi who still sat frozen and staring. “I embrace you from the bottom of my heart, Sırhupi,” she said as though writing a letter to a far-off place, but did not touch her friend. Sırhupi also made to stand, but Mukaddes’ words stopped her. “Don’t see me off,” she said in a stifled voice. “I know where the door is.” Sırhupi sank back into her seat. Embracing a pillowas a substitute forher friend, sheweptquietly. Thepositionof thesunlight shifted through the rooms. She felt a chill butwas unable toeven reach for her cardigan. It was as though the world’s axis would be thrown off balance if she stood up. Then something rustled underfoot. The bag…the gift from Mukaddes. She reached into the bag with childlike eagerness. A boxy package came out. Furiously she tore off the paper packaging to be confronted with a carved wooden box. Tenderly Sırhupi caressed its curlicues. Then slowly she

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