Ece's Secret (Fazilet Hanim ve Kizlari Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: The Mourning

Fazilet had received word early that morning that Sevinc Egemen had indeed passed away and her funeral would be later that day at 2pm. She pulled Ece out of bed and dragged her to the funeral. Fazilet went to relay her condolences to the family but also to get in their good books and that of the head housekeeper. Sooner or later Sayan hanim would find out she had lied about being a good friend of Sukriye, Yasin's mother. But hopefully by that time she would have gained the trust of those in the house. Sure she wasn't going there with the purest of intentions but she knew god would forgive her because everything she did was for the ultimate betterment of her family's future. 

Ece didn't understand why her mother had brought her to the funeral of a person and family she didn't know. Surely it was another one of her mother's crafty ploys. 

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Fazilet said in an over exaggerated tone to Sayan hanim.

"I'm sure." she replied seeing right through Fazilet's disingenuous comments. "Who is this?"

"This is my youngest, Ece. Like you said last night you need another part-timer at the mansion. And with the wake later today you'll need all the help you can get. Say hello, Ece."

"I'm sorry for your loss aunty. God give you strength." Ece related with true sympathy. 

Fazilet may have been cunning but at least it appeared she raised on honest young girl.  "Fine, she can help. Head straight to the mansion after you see the family to help preparations." the white haired woman begrudgingly agreed.

After the funeral the family and mourners began to arrive at the mansion for the wake to pray for Sevinc Egemen's departed soul, share memories they had of her and grieve together. One of the family members in the living room asked for tea to be brought up. Fazilet was about to grab the tray but not trusting that mouth on Fazilet Sayan hanim asked Ece to take it up. Ece carefully carried the heavy tray into the living room when her foot got caught on the carpet. The teapot was saved but the tea cup was smashed in the fall and tea had spilled, though luck mostly in the tray. Yasemin Egemen was already on edge that day after Selin, Sevinc's youngest daughter had publicly screamed in her face and slapped her at the funeral, somehow blaming her mother's death on the daughter-in-law. She decided to vent her anger on the clumsy servant. 

"Can't you even carry a tray? Clean this mess up then get out of my face!" she yelled at the teenage girl who was already mortified to have broken the teacup and disturb the mourners. Ece was frozen in shock from being yelled at so suddenly. "Hurry up!" she demanded. 

"She's doing it, Yasemin." an older man stepped in. "Calm down." he tried to ease his sister-in-law. He knelt down and helped the girl pick up the broken pieces while she wiped the tea that spilled on the carpet. The girl was young Yagiz observed, maybe still in school or just out of school. Judging by her skittish nature probably still in high school. She must have been a new maid at the house because he hadn't seen her before. To be fair though Yagiz didn't come over that often ever since he moved into his own apartment in the financial district close to the office. 

Ece recognized him from the funeral. He was one the sons of the family. She didn't know his name however. Ece felt guilty for receiving his help and quietly whispered to the man "I'm sorry...and thank you."

"Don't worry about it. It was an accident" he tried to console the poor girl. 'How strange' he thought to himself. Here he was consoling this girl for a small mistake when it was him that needed consoling in that moment. Everytime something went wrong it felt like Yagiz was there to clean up the mess. Yagiz was there today for his father, his sister, his two brothers. But who was there for him? In a house fool of mourners he never felt so alone. "Run along with you work." he place a hand on her back to guide the young girl back to the stairs.