Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

87. Engaged?

Feeling like the luckiest bastard on the face of the Earth, Osman couldn't wipe the grin off as he walked down the street. He passed people he's known his entire life and greeted them with so much enthusiasm that they were utterly stunned. He was a cheerful man to begin with, but they've never seen him quite like this.

He opened the door of the butchery when he gets to it, wanting his sister to be the first to know.

"Erhat," Osman says to his assistant as soon as he's inside, "do you mind giving me and my sister a second?"

"Sure. I'll take these over to the restaurant. I was supposed to go in an hour but I guess I can go now," he holds up two bags of meat.

"Great. Thanks."

Ayhan eyes him from where she was busy cutting chicken into cubes for kebabs.

"Guess what?" Osman grins and leans on the counter.

"You won the lottery?"

"Yes!"

"What?!" Ayhan squeals.

"Well, not really the lottery lottery, but to me it's the same thing."

"Oh," Ayhan deflates and continues cutting.

"I'm getting married."

Ayhan snorts and nods. "Of course you are." It was nothing new - he's  been planning to get married for twenty years now. She's learned to go with it and play along.

"I'm serious, Ayhan! I'm getting married. And guess who it is?"

Ayhan looks up at him. "The Ice Queen?"

"Yes! And I'd thank you to not call my future bride that anymore."

"You're joking right?"

"Nope," he grins wider. "I'm getting married and you're going to come with me and ask her hand officially tonight."

Ayhan stops cutting, her eyes wide. "Me? Ask Leyla's hand?"

"Yes."

"Me?"

"You!" Osman nods.

"Oh my God did a boom hit you on the head while you were filming or what?" Ayhan shakes her head. "Leyla will never agree to this. Don't go and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone." She comes round to his side of the counter. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Osman puts his hands on her shoulders and leans down. "Ayhan, Leyla told me herself to come. She already agreed."

"The Ice Queen?"

"I told you to stop calling her that." He lets her go and purses his lips.

"Maybe she's the one who got bonked on the head?" Ayhan squints.

"She said she didn't want to hide us being a couple...We're a couple by the way!" he beams and she rolls her eyes.

"And what about Emre? I showed you a photo of them last night, Osman."

"That's over. Leyla's smart, she wouldn't get burned twice. She chose me over him and I'm beyond happy about that."

Ayhan looks at his vibrating excitement and then sighs. There was nothing she could do. "Okay, but who's going to ask her hand for you? For real, because I can't. I'm not old enough. You know the rules."

Osman stops smiling and suddenly looks like a truck hit him. "Oh God..." Ayhan nods knowingly. "You're right. But who are we going to ask?"

Just as they ponder this, trying to figure it out, Melihat comes into the butchery with a big smile. "Osman," she sings when she sees him, "I'm so glad to see you here, I need a kilo of skimmed yogurt and a bushel of mint. I'm making dolma, I've had a craving for days."