Constantinople's Cherry

Part IV - sneak peak 2

....

"Since the day I learnt what my family did, I haven't been able to look at myself without feeling disgust. You might have forgiven me, but I haven't forgiven myself.

Your life is more precious than mine, because yours is what these people have tried to erase. I am just a Turk among many, my people will live on. Yours are what they destroyed.

I have fallen so much in my own eyes, that this almost feels like justice, I deserve this. I was a terrible person, I never deserved your love. Yet, you gave it to me unconditionally, never hating me for who I was, you could have, it would only have been rational. My heart can't bear that."

....

Some days, when the grief was too much on her heart, when she missed Serkan too much and when she thought of Kiraz too much, Eda stopped functionning. Just like that, in the middle of wharever she was doing  washing clothes, cooking, getting buckets of water, working in the garden.

What was the use ? She had no Serkan and no Kiraz to share her life with anymore. She dropped like a bee, of demotivation and despair, shedding tears of her own in a corner on her bunk, her body unable to keep her up.

....

"What are you looking for in here ? You have exterminated all our nation, burned my parents' home! We will never forgive any of you, get lost!" Lussine shoved her back, and shut the door in her face.

Eda stumbled back in shock and looked down. The confirmation killing the tiny lovers heart of hers that still hoped.

....

Mr. Baltayan,

We are contacting you on behalf of the Armenian Embassy of Paris, that is conducting an intensive research on the name of Eda Yıldız for the convoys of Greek and Armenian refugees in many countries, as per your request.

We are happy to let you know that we have found a correspondance on the name of "YILDIZ, Eda" at the docks of Beirut, on the 28th of February 1924.

....

Tears streamed down his eyes as she stopped playing and looked at him, with tears in her own eyes and that's when Serkan felt the certitude.

A whimper left his throat as his hands reached for her, Kiraz rose and walked to him. She bent to her knees, holding his hands.

"I am your daughter, Kiraz." Kiraz sniffed.

Serkan sobbed. "Ki - Kiraz" Was the first word he let out in over two decades.

Shock filled Lussine's face, firstly, at the fact that Serkan spoke, and secondly, he had a daughter ?? A freaking daughter ?

Kiraz's lips parted in a grin, it was a miracle. "Papa, you're speaking again?" She said emotionally.

....

"Eda...my Eda's alive ?" Serkan held his heart.

Kiraz held her father, helping him sit as the news took the ground from under his feet.

He was hyperventilating, holding his chest. If she had strenght to be angry at Lussine, her father was so shaken that he could only focus on one word. Eda.

....

"The next time you say a word about my mother, I swear to god I'll feed you to rats!" Kiraz said in anger.

Lussine smirked. She was so quick of anger, her boiling temperament only playing in her favour.

....

Some days, when the grief was too much on her heart, when she missed Serkan too much and when she thought of Kiraz too much, Eda stopped functionning. Just like that, in the middle of wharever she was doing  washing clothes, cooking, getting buckets of water, working in the garden.

What was the use ? She had no Serkan and no Kiraz to share her life with anymore. She dropped like a bee, of demotivation and despair, shedding tears of her own in a corner on her bunk, her body unable to keep her up.

....

She found me, she's the one who brought me to you. We lost her and lost each other and she found us. She's an angel." He poured tears lacing his voice too as he caressed the top of Kiraz's head.

"Bless you my fairy girl, you're my little miracle. Stay with her Serkan, I'll bring her somehing warm to drink, and you too, please eat." She said on a broken tone to him, the last time they had seen each other, they were starved and craving for even crumbs.

Her heart hurt at the memory and she wanted to rush and bring him so much warm, good food. As if he too, was still the hurt and fatigue worn out 27 years old man thorn from her arms.

Serkan held her hand. "We have eaten Eda, we're fine." He promised, with so much love and assurance in his voice, Kiraz could barely believe it was the tone of a completely silent man just weeks ago.

....

He reached up to her, instantly covering her head under the umbrella and scolded her above the heavy sound of the rain. "You always forget."

"Why did you get out in so much rain?" She asked, shifting closer to him so they both could be under the umbrella.

"Because my silly wife has bad habits." He chastised and Eda smiled at their situation.

"Teşekür ederim." She held the umbrella, realising how much of a gesture of care and love it was.

"It's funny somehow ? You'll be sick and have fever." Serkan worried on with a frown and Eda shook her head.

"Sorry." She apologised dutifully instead of telling her husband he was overprotective and worried for nothing.

He held her shoulders, as they walked home, shoulder to shoulder, almost the only ones outside in so much rain.

That's the sight Kiraz saw, as she was unlocking their building's entrance door, standing under the proch with Alizé. Her parents arriving, walking side by side laughing, shoulder to shoulder squeezed tight under a same umbrella.

"What are you two doing ?" She asked when they were a few meters away from them, half embarrassed.

....

"She sleeps a lot." Kiraz noted.

"Let her be." Serkan defended Eda, watching her chest rise and fall softly as she peacefully slept on the couch.

"She snores." Kiraz chastised and laughed.

"She does not. She breathes loudly, her sinus is a bit stuck up these days." Serkan came to his wife's defense and Kiraz chuckled, shaking her head.

....

"You know, you're lucky to have a wife like yours. I was at the table next to hers, she had her eyes on you the entire time, she was breathing nervously before your speech, and when you spoke on stage and everyone clapped, I don't think I've seen that look of pure love on anyone's face. She was adoring you. She must love you very much."

Serkan got emotional, Eda was his soulmate. Ofcourse she was nervous when he was, and ofcourse she looked at him like that.

She had a special gaze of love that he too hadn't seen on anyone. And it had eyes only for him. She adored him.

Eda come back from bathroom. "You were crying ?" He asked, cupping her face with his heart tenderly aching for her, knowing she had teared up at his speech.

"No, this mascara is just bad, it stings. I should steal more make up from Kiraz." Eda whined and it was Serkan's turn to adore her.

She was his big baby. "Gel, you liar." He chastised, pulling her to his side and kissing the top of her head.

....

Guesses and thoughts ?