Burning energy of Shadows

9. Mahogany house

San Juan | Puerto Rico

They both stepped their feet on the blue cobblestones of Puerto Rico in the hope to find missing pieces of the puzzle. When Esmeray was a child someone has asked her what she loved most about Bodrum, she replied, cobblestone because unlike even roads cobblestones are not that rigid and allow mosses and ferns to grow between them.
The cobblestones of Puerto Rico were different from that of Bodrum. She didn't like them much maybe because they were so admiringly matching with their surrounding candy colour homes, the ability she lost herself.
Walking on those streets were like exploring the pages of any child's sketchbook. The colourful houses painted with vibrant and splashy colours.
A tangerine building, house having yellow walls and blue balcony, turquoise, honeydew, coral, mauve, pink and lilac houses. The narrow streets, sharp hairpin turns, colourful houses were making San Juan the glamorous and dramatic city.
San Juan is the same city whose old historic buildings were ordered to be demolished by higher powers by the late 1940s. But Ricardo Alegría stepped in and gave the idea to preserve those buildings by painting them new. Thus in this way, Alegría has preserved the old, whitewashed buildings of san Juan by painting them with lively colours as a couple no more wanted to live together started living together because of any benefit.

But these radiant colours have still not affected the people of San Juan for the ratio of homicides and political instability has made San Juan the dangerous city of Puerto Rico.
Those vibrant houses were hiding the dark lives.

They both stopped in front of a restaurant named La Casita Blanca restaurante.
"We should eat something," Ibrahim suggested. Esmeray simply nodded. Inside, it was looking more like the home of any traditional man than the hotel itself. The walls abounded with postcards, frames, instructions for washing hands, menu, cardboards and straw hats. Ibrahim came to her with a puffy pastry stuffed with cheese. Ibrahim called it quesito.
Until now Esmeray has fully inferred that it was not any one-night plan. But he was ready for all these things for so long.
"Is something special today?" She asked by looking at the atmosphere swarming with unusual joy, faces that were revealing joy, streets decorated with flags having five alternate red and white stripes with the blue triangle on the left and on it was a white star.
"It's November, 19_ their discovery day," Ibrahim said while looking toward the group of youngsters wearing white shirts and pants with a tied red waistband.
"It is celebrated in the remembrance of Christopher arrival to this island in 1493," Ibrahim clarified. While Esmeray watched the person in a nearby restaurant moulding a dough with a help of a leaf.
She held out her mobile from her pocket. It was not normal to have no call from home until now. She was about to call when her phone started beeping. She smiled
"Isik, my dear!" Sefa exclaimed breathlessly like someone has free her strangled neck.
"How are you? Are you fine? Is everything Ok?" All the questions came in a single breathe. Esmeray sat on a chair near the coffee shop and Ibrahim, a little distance away from her was seeing the place. It was getting ready for the celebrations at night like a bride _ modest and elegant disguising all the flaws.
"I am missing you," Sefa admitted innocently like a child.
"I will be back tomorrow. Don't worry." Esmeray tried to comfort her.
"Are you fine, darling?" It was Mustafa's turn to inquire.
"I'm fine baba take care of Anna."
"I've hidden her Mobile so she will not disturb you by calling you after every second." Esmeray tittered at this. The wind was getting chilly. People were ready to celebrate the discovery day with full spirit.
"We love you, Isik" Isik, full of light for her parents but Esmeray like the darkest moon for the world.
"Love you too," Esmeray said

**********

Between the colourful houses, Ibrahim halted in front of a Mahagony house. Ibrahim rang the bell and on the second bell the women in her early fifties wearing a skirt containing more colours than the painted houses they have seen so far opened the door.
"Le puedo Ayuda en algo?" She inquired politely. Ibrahim turned toward Esmeray for translation.
"We want to meet Hayden" Esmeray explained in Spanish. They both have noticed something crossing her face.
"Are you guys friends of Hayden?"
"His uncle was Hayden's friend." She said while pointing toward Ibrahim.
"Come inside." After crossing a small orchard they entered the living room, simply decorated with sofas and LED with fresh flowers.
"I am Garcia. He was my husband."
"Was?" Esmeray asked, perplexed
"He died years ago," Garcia said, still composed like she has made a pact with a life that she will not cry and it will not hurt her more. Esmeray was in shock and she felt it difficult to translate these words to Ibrahim.
"Introduce yourself," Garcia said
"I'm Esmeray and he is Ibrahim, His uncle was Hayden's close friend." Esmeray pointed toward Ibrahim, who understanding nothing was just passing a good closed look smile.
"What was his name?"
"Badros" and with the name of Badros, they both have noticed how her eyes got multiple emotions of regret, happiness and pain. A young girl wearing an apron entered the room and served them with a piña colada.
"You said Badros," Garcia said optimistically.
"Yeah. He lived in Bodrum."
"I know. I have never seen him in person but I have heard a lot about his bravery and kindness." She was like she has gripped the cords of a flying kite.
"Will you please tell me something about them. I mean about Badros and Hayden." The room was filled with spanish and turkish words. All blending with each other.
"Hayden loved to travel, one moment he was here and the other moment he was in some other place. Sometimes I also used to go with him but mostly I prefer to make him go alone. I didn't like much to travel. My memories about the day when he returned from Bodrum are still vivid. I remember how happy he was." The smile was planted on her face. Like the happiness was shifted from that moment to her. "Then after a week, he left for Bodrum again. Every time he returned he was overwhelmed with joy it was like he had arrived from Paradise_poise and wiser than before." The room was filled with Turkish and Spanish words Esmeray translating, he listening. "He was always telling me about the places_ Castle of st. peter, Marina, Myndos Gate, Mausoleum, Peninsula Beaches. But soon I realized that it was not Bodrum he was in love but a person in Bodrum." Ibrahim settled on the sofa uncomfortably.
"Do you know where is Badros now." Esmeray came to point
"I don't know. But what I know is 15_ February, the day when Hayden has locked himself in the room and I heard his moans and shrieks. I tried to ask him but he didn't reply. That day the whole house was filled with his cries." Garcia paused letting the air wipe the
words.
"After that day he didn't do to Bodrum" she continued "He became more reserved and stop going anywhere. Our dinner talks became limited. My son was also disturbed." She beckoned toward the picture of a young boy grabbing a basketball. "I tried to ask that was it something about Badros but I felt like I have opened the door he was trying to close for a long time.".
" Then the last thing which broke everything apart was the death of my only son in an accident." Garcia was looking toward some unknown point. Finding her beloved ones she has lost.
" That day this house has witnessed the pain more than the pain of a person burned alive."
"I left Hayden after my son's death, he wanted the same. He said that if he stayed now he would create more pain. After two days of our divorce, I came to know he was dead."
"Can we check his room in case we find something about Badros," Esmeray said while Ibrahim was staring at her. For not translating the words for so long.
Garcia got up to show them the room. They both have followed him obediently like a child following a magician.