IF ONLY---I COULD FORGIVE MYSELF

Chapter 6

Can had been in a remote village, high in the Balkan mountains for about two weeks and there was no cell phone service. All communication was done by radio and Can was desperate to get back to civilization to make his phone calls. Emre had better have some answers for him or was cutting this whole project short and going home. The guide for the group had radioed for the trucks to start making their way to the village to pick them up to take them to the next location. They had been waiting for about four hours for transport when they received the message that they had broken down and it was going to be another day before they could get a replacement vehicle. Can was like a caged lion, pacing back and forth. He yelled, "This is putting us way behind schedule and it would be hard to catch up, I'm ready to get this shoot over with and get out of here!"

He had never been so disconnected from a project in all the years that he had been doing photography. The whole project just didn't seem to make sense, he wasn't comfortable with what he was shooting and the none of the photos were coming out right. It was taking twice as long to get the shot they wanted. He needed to get the next town and see about cell service so he could call home.

Now they were three days behind and still no cell service. He was really beginning to regret taking this job. Almost three weeks of not being able to call or text her; maybe she was getting worried about him and would be glad to answer the phone when he called. Or maybe she would think he had just given up! God, I hope not. I'll never give up. I can be just as stubborn as she is. We waged war against each other before and I won and I'll damn sure do it again. All those memories ran through his head and he began to think how stupid and trivial it all seemed now, as he drifted off to sleep with her bandana wrapped around his hand.

One week later they finally made to Sofia, and most importantly, finally they had cell service. He called Emre. He told Can that they had very little contact with her and she refused to tell them where she was. He was livid, how did aunt Mevkibe and uncle Nihat allow her to go off by herself?

"This just doesn't make any kind of sense to me, Emre." He retorted. He knew they were keeping all this from him. Can then snapped to Emre over the phone, "If you or anyone else has deliberately kept her location from me, even to teach me a lesson, then it is working. Cut the crap and tell me where she is! Emre if I was home right now you would have hell to pay you know it don't you! You're still going to pay when I get there, do you understand?" Emre tried to stay calm and kept denying knowing anything at all. "Abi please, just try and concentrate on your job and come back safe and sound." Emre pleaded with him. He knew his fate was sealed upon Can's return if Sanem didn't have a change of heart. 

As hard as he tried, as hard as he worked, the thought of Sanem was all that filled his head....

Yes, he had made a mistake....and they were making him pay for it......