Cingene Kiz(Gypsy Girl)

5. Su Gibi Git Su Gibi Gel

Yaman called for a cab using Seher's phone and noted down the number on a piece of paper she offered him. He told her he did not own a phone currently and that he would get in touch with her soon. Yusuf walked behind him along with his Teyze to the cab. There was an entourage of at least four cats that followed behind them.

The cab was there within couple of minutes.

"That was pretty fast. Almost as if the cab driver was waiting for you to call him." Yusuf crossed his arms across his chest, suspicion clear in his eyes and voice.

"Maybe the cab was here to drop off a customer sweetheart." Seher tried to pacify his suspicion.

"Maybe Teyze...just maybe." His eyes still digging holes into the giant walking ahead of them.

Before he could get into the cab Yusuf gestured him to the side.

"Teyze can you give me a moment to talk to Yaman am...amca?" Yaman moved a little to the side to talk to the boy.

In the meanwhile, Seher hurried over to the driver's side and had a quick conversation with him. He had a baseball cap pulled over his face and only the lower half of his face was visible. She pushed something into his hand and then moved away while giving him a pleading looking.

Yaman got into the back of the cab and forced himself not to turn and look back as it drove off.

"Teyze can I have the water. I am thirsty." He pointed to the untouched glass that he had fetched for Yaman earlier.

Seher stared at the still full glass in her hand and impulsively threw it behind the car.

"Su gibi git, su gibi gel." (go like water and come back like water) she murmured under her breath.

"Now why did you throw a perfectly untouched glass of water Teyze, especially when I asked you for it?" Yusuf's voice held exasperation.

"There was dust in it Yusuf. Let's go inside and I will give you a fresh one." She avoided looking at him.

"Do we want him to come back safely to us Teyze?" He asked her softly.

She closed her eyes. There was nothing she could hide from this child.

"We do Teyzecigim. Don't we?" She pulled him into a side hug as they walked back to the restaurant.

Both the cab driver and Yaman were lost in their own thoughts and neither of them spoke for a long time.

"She gave me money. Quite a few large notes in fact. Asked me to take you to the hospital, wait for you and then take you back wherever you needed to go. Why? Why would she do that?" The cab driver looked almost absently through the rearview mirror at Yaman sitting in the back.

"My nephew just dropped the names of at least four cops that he said are practically family and were always around to look after him and his Teyze." That is all Yusuf had said while looking at his amca with challenging eyes that clearly said bring on whatever trouble you can. We'll deal with it and you.

Yaman gave a short bark of laughter and was almost startled to hear the sound come out his throat. Laughter wasn't an expression that he felt generally, but with his nephew around he suspected he would exhibit it a lot more.

"By the way, you came at the drop of a hat as soon as I called. My nephew was very suspicious of that action of yours." Yaman gave the driver a mocking look.

"Yusuf is a Kirimli just like his amca, alright. Nothing escapes those tiny eagle eyes and smart brain" Nedim chuckled heartily.

"She gave you money?" Yaman asked softly.