A love reborn from the ashes.

31 - Coincidences?

Can

I had watched my father become like a marble statue, everyone's gaze shifting alternately from Aziz to Mihriban, both motionless in amazement.

Sanem, Denise and I were clearly curious as to how they knew each other, but at the reaction my father was having a thought immediately rose to my mind. Could she be? Could this have been the woman he had told me about earlier? The woman of his life?

Well, if this isn't destiny, I don't dare to think how else we could call such a coincidence: me, sailing on the Bosphorus, noticing Sanem on the pier in front of his house, allowing my father to meet the woman he had loved for 32 years. Unbelievable!

Aziz

I couldn't believe my eyes, it wasn't possible, it couldn't be, it had to be a hallucination. After opening my heart to Can, telling about my lost love for the first time in my life there she was.
We were both speechless, we could only look at each other in dismay.

Mihriban

I should have known, when I heard the name Divit I should have known that sooner or later Mr. Aziz would appear on the horizon to visit his son.
Instead the thought hadn't crossed my mind at all, ah Mihriban, ah.
At least you had prepared yourself psychologically to see him again now you wouldn't be standing here gaping like a stockfish. Ah Mihriban, ah!

Sanem

What was going on? Who was Aziz to Mihriban? Why that violent reaction at the sight of each other. But more importantly, what was Aziz doing in Istanbul, wasn't he on the other side of the world getting treatment?

Oh, no. Can must have told him about Nihat, I was sure. Aziz could have told Layla or even my parents, they were in-laws.
I was chilled at the thought and it must have been quite obvious because Can reached out, took my hand to pull me aside and whispered softly:

- Sakin ol, take it easy, I explained the situation to my father. He won't mention it to anyone, Just... here... he would like to see Nihat, would you mind?
Could babam  come back tomorrow afternoon to meet him?

I closed my eyes, aware that I couldn't say no.
He was his son, the least he could ask of me was to introduce him to his father, I nodded softly. I saw him take a breath as if he was holding his breath waiting for the answer.

We went back to the others who hadn't moved an inch, Aziz and Mihriban looking at each other petrified and Denise passing her gaze from one to the other in silence.

I decided to break the stalemate and approached Aziz to greet him.

- Aziz bay-

I took his hand and greeted him with the typical greeting reserved for the elderly, kissing his hand and bringing it to his forehead. He woke up and smiled
- Which bay Sanem? Come here and let me hug you -

He held me in a fatherly embrace that shook me to the core, I felt in that embrace the warmth of love that I had been longing for for months, how much I missed my babam.
He pulled me away from him and caressed my face.

-Do you mind if I come back to see you tomorrow? I would like that very much -

I nodded reassuringly, I didn't want him to think he wasn't welcome.

We looked at each other in an awkward silence that was interrupted by Mihriban who wished everyone a good night - Iyi geceler - and then disappeared into the darkness towards his home.
A series of "Iyi geceler" followed as each person took their own direction home.

Denise

What was happening? In the space of a few days everything was happening and I imagined that shortly my friends' lives would be turned upside down, I bet.

I never imagined that....