Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

52. Small surpises and lots of cookies

Leyla shufles into the kitchen still in her pajamas the next morning. She just said goodbye to Sanem at the door on the way down. She still wasn't feeling up to going back to work.
Her mother is sitting at the table cutting up spinach and eyes her walking past wordlessly to the fridge.

Leyla gets out a bottle of almond milk, and then walks over to the cabinet above the spice rack. She takes out a big glass and starts pouring. It was like she was in a daze but Mevkhibe stayed silent. Leyla next searches the spices and then opens the cabinet doors over the dryer.

"Mom? Where's the cocoa?"

Mevkhibe looks up from cutting and nods to Leyla's left. "It's right there on the shelf to your left."

"It's not, I checked."

"Well then if it's not there it's finished. What do you need it for?"

"I wanted to put some in my milk. I don't like drinking it just like that. I wanted some cocoa."

"Why do you want cocoa almond milk if you're sick? It will only make it worse. Drink some honey tea or something. Add ginger root to it."
Leyla pulls up her nose as her mother looks down to her work. "Lemon will also be good."

"Whatever, I'll just have it as it is," Leyla sighs and grabs a jar of cookies and her glass before she walks out.

"Good Lord, am I going to have to make it for you? You, Sanem and your father are all the same, you never make it for yourselves." Leyla ignores her and Mevkhibe shakes her head. "Don't worry, you go and relax, I'll make it and bring it to you."

*

Sanem has her umbrella up as she walks down the road leading to the old house. I hope it's still there, she prays as she turns into the culdesac and spots the house. It was rundown some but it still stood.

Smiling she looks up at the two storey home that's always been empty. It's still here, she goes up the steps and pushes open the door. The place was empty, large and her voice would echo should she say anything. The wallpaper was crumbling, the paint faint, and the floorboards creaked beneath her boots but it still held a certain allure for Sanem who appreciated things like this and knew what it used to look like years ago.

Walking through the large parlor, she goes to the fireplace and reaches under it. Inside there used to be a brick that was loose. She feels around it and finds the brick, pulling it out and then proceeding to feel around the hole. Smiling even wider that everything was still as before, she takes out the long rectangular wooden box, about the length of the brick she removed but flatter and thinner. "Gotcha," she grins and blows the dust off it.

*

"Good morning guys," Emre greets the early arrivals as he passes their desks to get to his office. Stopping in his tracks when he sees Leyla's still empty office, he frowns, his hand paused on his door handle. She's really not going to come back? he wonders. Moving back to Dilara and Murat at Murat's desk, he whispers, "Is Leyla here, is she back?" Maybe she did come and just wasn't in her office.

"I haven't seen her yet Mr Emre," Dilara shakes her head.

"Okay," he nods and sighs inwardly. "Thank you." He leaves walks down the narrow hall to her door. Pushing it open he steps inside and looks around. Funny how fast a person could miss someone if you're used to them always being around...Her desk is just how she left it her last day and he touches her notepad, frowning at how cold it felt.

-

Sitting on the couch watching TV, Leyla bites into another cookie - her tenth in the past thirty minutes - chewing the large chunk and sipping on her milk. Just as she places her glass down and is swallowing her phone rings under the blanket over her knees and she raises her leg. Sighing she stares at Emre's name flashing and takes another bite. It keeps ringing and she swallows, debating on whether or not to answer. The ringing stops and seconds later, starts up again.