Distance

Chapter 11

"Hadi gencler, I have some errands to run now. I need to get going." Yagiz announced to the general audience as he picked up his bag and prepared to leave. "I think we should have more matches like these." He added with a momentary glance at Hazan.

Hazan, who had now recovered from the flurry of emotions the match had given her, stiffened at what his words implied.

How is he joking with such comfort?  Does he even realize the situation we are in?

After a few seconds of contemplation, she decided to go after him. "I'll be back in a minute," she announced as she signaled towards her phone pretending to be on a call.

The driveway was on the opposite side of the villa and just as Yagiz put his bag on the passenger seat, Hazan emerged from ahead.

Yagiz: "Oh, Hazan Hanim."

Hazan went straight to him and made an abrupt stop when she reached him. With her hands on her hips, she looked him straight in the eye. "Yagiz is it all a joke to you? You're in the mood to have fun? Tell me, are you getting bored these days?"

Yagiz, confused momentarily, immediately gathered himself. "Hazan, Im not entertaining myself etc. Nothing related to you is a joke to me."

At the same moment, Hazan's phone started ringing. "Your attitude says otherwise Yagiz bey," she said as she picked up the phone. "Ece I'll call you later, tama-"

Whatever Ece said on the phone made Hazan stop with shock etched on her face. After a few seconds, she lowered the phone and ran abruptly towards the gate.

"Hazan what happened? Where are you going?"

She didn't stop and came to a stop at the gate not knowing what to do. Her breath was coming short and she didn't seem to register anything. "Ec-Ece..Mother called-she-she.."

"Hazan, please calm down. You need to calm down first." He held her from the shoulders trying to keep her at one place.

"Leave me, I need to go to the hospital-"

"Tamam, calm down. I'll take you. Pease calm down."

"No, I won't go with you, I'll find a taxi-"

At the same time, a taxi came to a halt beside them and without wasting a second, Hazan hopped on and the car sped away.

"Hazan, why are you so stubborn?!" Yagiz shouted to no one in particular as he ran towards his car to follow her.

From a distance away, Nazli stood with her mouth open.

*

Three hours later, Hazan sat with Ece resting her head on her sister's shoulder in the morbid-looking hospital room. Hazan ran her hands through Ece's hair.

"Ece how did this happen all of a sudden ablacim? Why are these mafia people bothering Yasin?" Hazan asked in a soft voice.

"Abla I don't know anything for now but the one thing I know is that Yasin did nothing."

"Of course, he did nothing. He has been framed. But why did he mix up with these people? These people let no one walk away unharmed."

"I don't know abla, only Yasin can tell that. I hope the police let him out." She started crying again.

Hazan attempted to calm her. "InshaAllah ablacim, I'll go to police station right away. But don't you dare get up from here. Thank God nothing happened to my nephew." She ran her hand over Ece's protruding belly.

"Yaa, thank God Allah has saved us," Fazilet Hanim entered the room with her glory with little Ozgur in her arms, "my hands and feet went numb when I saw her fall down the stairs. Allah save us from any other such incident. Give us a day or rest Allahim-"