10 Minutes

"Whiskey is not your Lifestyle"

Sanem and Can paced the floor of the hospital while Leyla and Emre had returned home. Sanem and Can had both promised Leyla that should anything arise they would be notified immediately. Leyla was about to burst with the need to pump and feed her child and Emre as protective as he had ever been about his own siblings had turned into her father with his care and concern for his new little family. She admired her brother and was happy that in Leyla he had found his one true love. She turned to Can and hugged his arms as he sat quietly in the chair in the waiting room, waiting for news of his mother. Sanem could see that the days of trouble had worn on Can. His eyes were sunken and he had lost some weight. It was just like him to bottle it all up, but she wouldn't allow that anymore. Divit had spent too much of his life believing one thing and hiding from other realities. As sad as they might be, he needed to acknowledge one thing. His mother loved him. Loved him so much that she had sacrificed herself for them. Her story was so unbelievably sad and yet the light of her life had been her children and Aziz whom she had fallen in love with. Miriban Divit, as the world knew her, was in truth Melis Agha. As unbelievable as her story was, it had suddenly made all the sense in the world. Only now did she put two and two together and realized that there was at least one other person in the world that new the truth and he was still nowhere to be found.

Can kissed his wife on the top of her head and held her hand in his own, grateful for her strength and support. If only he had been like her when she needed him. It would seem though that he would forever be trying to live up to the woman that she was. The story his mother told them all seemed straight out of some fictional novela. How in the world had the two sisters managed that deception and where was Miriban Agha? What had become of that woman who had also been subjected to cruelty and control? It was unimaginable to him that his grandparents had allowed it. He could only imagine what it must have been like for them, in those times, with the tabu of a pregnancy out of wedlock. He shook his head now wondering just how hard this had been on his mother and then how scared she must also have been. Her sister had disappeared from one moment to the next and she assumed the life that had once belong to her twin. She hadn't wanted it, hadn't asked for it, but she went through with it to protect the honor of her family and in doing that she forfeited her freedom for the next thirty plus years of her life. He felt the pressure of his wife's hand squeezing his own and looked down at her upturned face. "Can, I know it's all so confusing and so horrible but your mother was a young woman at the time. Inexperienced, incredibly sheltered and scared. I know you're angry at just now discovering all of this but consider her, she did this out of love and devotion. This was never meant to hurt anyone other than perhaps herself had she not found love with your Baba. Please dont judge her too harshly, she has spent her whole adult life doing that to herself already. Your baba and Anne need to talk and clear up many things once she is feeling better. This was too much for her, she has been under so much pressure that it has taken a toll on her health.  She is still your anne, flaws and all." Sanems words hit his heart like a arrow. She was right in every word, her kindness and caring for him compelled him to hold her face in his hands and kiss her gently. She was his soul mate and his better half by far. He had a lot to learn from her and he knew it. "Thank you Sanem, thank you for speaking from your heart. I will do better this time. I am no one to judge another human being. I found that out the hard way with you. If you were able to forgive me and give me another chance who am I to judge my mother. She has my love and always will.  I'll endeavor to support her however she may need it".  Aziz stepped out of the room and walked over to them.  "Baba, how is she?" Aziz nodded his head from side to side saying "The doctors said she has a weekend heart. They're not sure if its hereditary or dietary or something else but she is critical albeit stable". She hasn't awoken since she lost consciousness. I know the shock of sharing her secret with us all must have taken its toll on her state. She has been frail for some time it seems. The doctor shared her reports with me. She has been under doctors care but obviously the strain of all these events pushed her to open up and tell her story. It may have been to much for her. Oglum, please don't leave her side. She is your mother and all she did was in effort to protect you and your sister .... and even me. I see that now. She pushed me away to protect me. Oh Allah, she didn't deserve this. None of this."