Bad News

Bad News

“What happened?”

“The Greek Army landed on Izmir!”

“No way!”

“There is fighting. We have lost a lot.”

“What about the Greek side?”

“They have a lot of loss as well. I went to Military Headquarters to get some news. Some denied there was an invasion. Some said there was a very bloody fight. ‘Aksham’ newspaper wrote that the city was burned down. I couldn’t find a copy of the paper. It was sold out!”

“Oh! That’s too bad. You are from Odemish. It is close to Izmir.”

“That’s right! It’s my home! Good thing, the English aren’t letting the Greeks out of Izmir. What a bad luck we have. I was talking to a Captain associated with ‘Nigehban’. He told me this, but I didn’t believe him. You know him, Karim Konya?”

“Yes. Is he a member of ‘Nigehban’? Why? Did you ask him why?”

“Yes, I asked him. You know he had been involved in a scandal involving mishandling of the funds while buying clothes for the army. The Unionists sent him to Court Marshall because of that. That’s why he is an enemy of the CUP now.”

“What did he say?”

“He heard from Damad Ferid’s aide de camp. He said to me that the British gave Izmir to the Greeks. Then he swore at the Unionists and said that we have to hang them all.”

“Aren’t you a Unionist as well?”

“He doesn’t care about me.”

“Why?”

“He came here one day. I asked him to stay for dinner and I called two hookers as well. He didn’t take me seriously after that.”

“I see. Is there any way we can learn more about the situation?”

“Let’s go to Bayazid, to the telegram Office of the Chief of Staff.”

Jamil felt uncomfortable. He was surprised that Rajab was not that sad about the invasion of Izmir. Rajab commented, “We will learn more if we go to the Telegram Office.”

“I don’t want to go. If it was good news I would go but I don’t feel like going now.”

Rajab thought about this for a minute then said, “That’s right! We can’t stop the world from turning. Let’s have fun tonight, while we still can. It might be our last chance. We will get drunk.” He whispered, “I was going to surprise you, but I will tell you now. I invited someone tonight to make you happy”

“I am not staying”

“No. You are staying tonight. You are my guest. She is really pretty.”

Jamil thought about Neriman. He tried to smile. “Is it a good time for such a thing, Molla Rajab? The whole world is on fire...”

“Don’t worry. We are not the Firemen. We don’t own the world.” He led Jamil to the tent. “Today we will think about having fun, tomorrow we can save the world.”

When they approached the tent, Rajab whistled twice. The gypsy came out quickly. “Is the food ready?”

“Yes.”

“Drinks?”

“I bought some.”

“Appetizers?”

“Ready.”

“What did Abdi say?”

“He said it was OK.”

“Good!”He rubbed his palms. “Jamil, you go to the Barber, everything is ready. We will have a good party tonight”

Abdi was living in a small, two room apartment behind Hagias Sophia. They climbed steep narrow stairs to his living room. On their right there was a small stove. Two little windows were opened to Topkapi Palace’s Gulhane wall.

Abdi kept the place nice and tidy, like a neat woman. It was decorated nicely with a couple of carpets. Jamil read the inscriptions on the wall,

“This too will pass...”

“Love…”

“When you were born you cried and people around you laughed. Live an honest life so when you die you will smile and the others cry.”

As Jamil was reading these the Caretaker was smiling shyly.

He had a black hat on, and he was wearing a jacket without a collar. He had crooked legs.

Jamil liked that neat room and he felt at peace there. He thought he might live in an apartment like this with Neriman. He didn’t want to think about neither Neriman’s son Enver nor Salime Hanim. He wanted to forget about General von Kress and his binoculars. He wanted to forget about his Mouser Gun. He didn’t want anybody to follow him. He didn’t want to worry about neither money nor the enemies’ invasion of the country. Then he heard Rajab’s voice, “Here we go Captain. Don’t pay attention to those inscriptions”

The caretaker said, “Rajab, there are some holy words on these inscriptions. Please, respect them.”

Rajab said to him, “Abdi, you talk about respecting religion. I know what you do. And you know I don’t tolerate those kinds of things. If I hear that you do anything inappropriate with the children, you will be in trouble.”

“Good Heavens! No, I am not that kind of man, Lieutenant! I am not a bad person.”

“I know you are a good person, you were kind to me. With all your good deeds I believe you will go to heaven one day. But I am warning you. Don’t do anything wrong!”

Rajab looked at the table and he was satisfied with the food and drink. There were enough cigarettes as well. He gave money to the Gypsy. He ordered, “Today we need to double the guards. It is a dangerous night, be very careful! If the Infidels come to the mosque and go to the roof and take the Crescent away and replace it with cross and Church Bells...If they start to ring those Bells...I will put all of you in front of the Fire squad!”

The Caretaker was listening to this in horror as if it was really happening tonight. He couldn’t breathe and tried to open his shirt. “God forbid! I would prefer to die! We should all die if something terrible like this ever happens.”

“You go get the woman, come back quickly. Remember my warning!”  Rajab gave him some money too.

“Please don’t say that.”

“If you do anything wrong you will pay for it dearly!”

Abdi was almost crying as he was going out.

Rajab said to Jamil, “I think he was abused as a kid as well. Those types usually have something traumatic like that in their past.”

“Where did he go to get the woman from?”

“She lives around here. The mosque foundation has some houses on the Street. She is a housewife. She sees clients for a couple of nights a week. Her husband was a Reserve Officer, he died at Gallipoli. She has a son. We are trying to help them. We send them food sometimes. Her name is Husniye. She is literate. Her voice is not bad. She works at the Tobacco Factory. She says she is doing this for money but I think she likes to be with men. She is a loose woman. Even when her husband was alive she was doing this secretly. The poor man didn’t divorce her because of the kid.” He sighed. “It is a terrible thing. I don’t want to get married because the times are bad.” He listened outside to hear if they were coming. “She is cross with Nazife.”Rajab added.

“Who is Nazife?”

“Her friend.”

“Why is she cross with her?”

“She is jealous. I didn’t know Nazife before; Husniye wanted her to join us. I told her I didn’t want anyone else but her. She said it will be more fun if we tried a threesome. I am stupid.  I accepted. She got mad for no reason. You know women. They get mad suddenly for no reason!”

“They say the diseases are rampant!”

“That’s right!”

“Don’t you worry?”

“No. The Ottoman knows no fear!”He was really bragging. “I am used to being with these women. I don’t care about the diseases.”

They heard the door and footsteps coming upstairs. Jamil didn’t like this. He thought, “She will be embarrassed when she sees me. I am a stranger for her.” He was worrying about her.

“Good Evening, Gentlemen. Oh, I thought it was Karim Bey. I am sorry,” Husniye said.

Jamil stood up. Rajab checked the woman head to toe. He liked her appearance. Rajab said to Jamil, “Sit down, she is not a stranger. She is our friend, Husniye.” He winked at her. “Captain Jamil is ten times better than Karim.”

Husniye put her coat on the divan. She stretched her hand out to Jamil. The light was on her face. Jamil thought he knew her from somewhere. He couldn’t remember. “Nice to meet you. Please, be seated Captain.” She stroked Rajab’s face. “What does that mean, dear? He is better than Karim.” She shook her head. “Don’t say things like that or else I will get interested in him.”

“You are beautiful tonight.”

She had a tight black silk dress on. She had a beautiful figure. She was easy going. Jamil didn’t feel embarrassed anymore. He wasn’t shy because he knew there wouldn’t be anything between them. Husniye was filling up the glasses. She was moving with grace. As she moved her silk dress shone making her breasts more noticeable.

“You are so pretty. Why did you get jealous of Nazife?”

“I’m not jealous. Why do you say that? She was disrespectful.”

“Don’t say that! She was polite.”

“She was respectful to you but she did something that I can’t tolerate.”

“What happened?”

“She made a move on me. They were saying that she had Lesbian tendencies but I didn’t believe them. Damn it!  All these wars change people. Women don’t have their men anymore, and they act weird. She said to me, ‘After Rajab sleeps, let’s be together.’”

“Wow! Why didn’t you tell me? The world really has changed a lot!”

Husniye filled up the cups again. She was talking liberally but she was not disrespectful. She didn’t look like Neriman at all, but Jamil thought of Neriman anyway. He couldn’t figure out why he thought Husniye looked like someone he knew.

“How is Tayyar?”

“He is fine.”

Jamil asked, “Who is Tayyar?”

“He is Husniye’s son. Is he attending school?”

Husniye talked about her son. She said that Tayyar liked school so much and he was a good student. Jamil remembered the boy in the park. He realized Tayyar looked like Husniye, that’s why he thought Husniye was familiar. He felt sad. She continued to talk about her son. He was very smart. She was afraid that he might notice something. She was working at the Tobacco Factory and she was often lying that she was working the night shift. One day she really had to work there and she took her son with her, so that the child would believe her next time she lied.

Rajab got bored and didn’t hide his boredom. “Let’s not talk about the kids anymore. Let’s have party, sing for us. ”

Husniye didn’t want to sing. She said she had a sore throat and how Abdi told her not to use her voice. She was afraid the neighbors might notice she was there and so on.”

“Never mind the neighbors. Don’t make me mad or I will burn the whole neighborhood. Come on sing for us.”

“Are you crazy? My house is in this neighborhood as well.”

“Sing, please, because if you don’t, I will.  I will sing Aegean songs, and then you won’t be able to stop me all night.”

He ate some cheese.

Husniye stroked his cheek, “I would normally sing for you but tonight… All right, all right. Tayyar’s dad was like that. He used to insist on me singing when he drank.”

She began telling Jamil, “He liked music, he was playing the lute. He died at Gallipoli. I cried a lot. I feel like I am losing my mind sometimes.”

Rajab said, “Leave the dead alone. We have to continue living. The ones who survived the war are not so lucky as well. What did Koroglu’s dad say?  ‘I am blind but there is nothing left to be seen anyway.’ Never mind. Sing now.”

Husniye finished her drink, pushed her hair back and started to sing in a low voice while rolling the edge of the table cloth.

She had a nice voice. Her face looked prettier as she sang. She looked like an innocent child. She even looked more like Tayyar at that moment. Jamil’s chest felt tight. He thought, “Damn it! All those wars crushed people like bulldozers, destroyed the families, relationships.”

Husniye drank some more, she was singing one song after another. She looked happy. Later on as she became drunk she was quiet. She seemed preoccupied. She raised her hand to silence Rajab when he was singing. She said, “I will sing you a song that my deceased husband used to like.”

Jamil was hearing this song for the first time.

“I kept my promise

Your picture is with me

Your name is on my lips

I haven’t forgotten you…”

Jamil wondered what the dead husband looked like. He thought, “Maybe he looked like Tayyar. That’s if Husniye was faithful at the time.” Then he saw Husniye crying and he was ashamed of his thoughts.

She was singing and crying at the same time. When she finished singing she smiled at Jamil. She seemed hopeless and apologetic. Rajab said, “No. Don’t cry Husniye. Dry your eyes. Fill up the glasses.  Give me the drums. It is not that bad. It is not the end of the world. I’ll play, you dance”

“Are you crazy? Don’t you know that a police officer lives in the corner house? They say he is a strict man!”

“What would the Police say to us? Don’t you know who we are? Do you know Jamil? He is the famous “Jehennem!”  Don’t get him mad. He will fire his cannons and set Istanbul on fire! Stand up and dance, take your clothes off!”

Husniye sighed. She filled the glasses. “Rajab, it is getting late, finish your drink and let’s go to bed. I am tired.”

“I want you to dance, let’s see...”

“Please.” Her speech was slurred with drunkenness. “I don’t feel like dancing. I am shy because of him.” She pointed at Jamil.

Rajab tried to take her clothes off and Husniye got mad. Jamil intervened. “What’s going on?” He was known for his authoritative voice in the army.

Rajab stood up and left the room immediately. Husniye was impressed by Jamil. She wondered how he made Rajab come to his senses. She gave him a hug and kissed him on the mouth. “Delicious.” Then she left the room as well.

When Rajab came back, Jamil was resting his eyes. “Captain Jamil!”

“Yes.”

“Do you want her to come to your room first?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry, she is not sick or anything.”

“No, I don’t like that kind of thing.”

“OK, then I guess I have to volunteer for the job.  Your room is ready. Good night.”

Jamil woke up with the Morning Prayer Call. He was dreaming about Neriman. She was naked and he was trying to cover her nakedness with his hands. He was wet with sweat. His mouth was dry. It was dawn. He remembered where he was, he noticed someone was opening the door. Jamil thought about Neriman coming to his room barefoot on tiptoe, trying to be quiet so no one would hear. It was not her; it was Husniye who was in his bed. She came earlier, saying she was cold she went under the covers with him. He hugged Husniye angrily then went back to sleep.

“Captain...Jamil...”

“Who is there? What is it?”

“It’s me, Rajab.”

Jamil was waking. He asked, “What is going on? What time is it?”

“It is almost ten.”

Jamil looked around. He noticed the wet towel on the bed and realized that it was not only a dream and he felt embarrassed. He smiled. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” He took a cigarette. “We drank too much.” He lit it. “Did you get newspapers? What is happening in Izmir?”

From the Book The Reluctant Warrior
by Kemal Tahir
Translated by Elif Mat