"Sorry Engen, maybe next time," Nihat closes the checkerboard and pats it, his friend getting up after losing yet another game.
"I'll see you later," Engen mumbles and then takes the board with him.
"Practice a little more!" Nihat calls after him, waving him off with a good-natured chuckle.
"Yeah yeah!"
Nihat shakes his head at the old man's sour grapes and then jumps to his feet when he sees Mevkhibe storming up to him.
"Nihat, I need you to go home. I'll be staying at the store for the rest of the afternoon!" She had four shopping bags in her hands, which he tries to look in but she turns them away.
"Why? What happened? Is it one of the girls?! Are you mad at Sanem again?"
"No honey, Sanem isn't even home, she's working. And why would I be mad at her? Has she done something?"
He opens his mouth then closes it again. "Not that I'm aware?"
"Exactly. Come on, go on home and I'll stay here."
He stares at her in confusion, his mouth agape.
"Oh," she pauses in the doorway, "is the wholesaler coming today?"
"Not today, but dear?" he turns and looks from her to their house and back. "Why don't you want to go home?"
Mevkhibe shrugs. She wasn't about to tell her husband about her encounter with Aysun in Muzaffer's store when she went to return her impulsive purchases - the woman had the nerve to say that she was returning them because she couldn't afford it with her own money and Nihat didn't make enough - so now she, who was Mevkhibe Aydin, was determined to prove Aysun wrong. She would show her that she can pay for these items.
"I know what it is! You miss Leyla! You're bored at home and now you want to come here to keep yourself busy so you won't miss her so much. Am I right?"
"No, Nihat, I just miss working," Mevkhibe says matter of factly.
"You miss working? Mevkhibe," Nihat frowns, "you've never worked a day in your life! You don't even know what that word means. What's there for you to miss?" She just looks at him, blinking once. "Oh no, Mevkhibe, what's happening? Something happened again, didn't it? You're acting very strange my - "
"Nihat! Do what I say and go home. If you want to take a walk down to the beach instead you can do that too, or you can visit Osman but leave the store to me. Come on, go Nihat."
She puts her bags inside the store and then sits down outside.
"What's going on Mevkhibe? I don't understand what you're doing! Instead of your moods and attitudes getting better after 40 years it's getting worse! What's going on?"
Mevkhibe narrows her eyes at him. "Nihat," she growls and he recoils slightly.
"You say Osman's not too busy?" he checks, his eyes wide.
"He's free," she nods.
"Well, I'll leave the store with you then... And myself with Osman."
"Send my regards," Mevkhibe waves and looks down the street, folding her hands in her lap and smiling in satisfaction.
Nihat turns, looking over his shoulder at her once before he sighs and keeps going, his shoulders sagging and his lower lip pouting.
**
Sanem is busy doodling when Can finally comes out of the house again and she quickly pulls her work over the notebook to cover.
"Miss Sanem, your tea," he says with a little smile and puts the cup down next to her, one hand hidden behind his back like a waiter.
YOU ARE READING
Early Bird (Erkençi Kus)(Part 1)
Fanfic* (A Turkish Series Translation) A young woman named Sanem Aydin lives with her overbearing but loving parents, who have certain ideas of how she should be living - and it doesn't involve her working at her family store full time. They thinks she s...
