Waking up at the Gulhane Park

Waking up at the Gulhane Park

Jamil woke up with a disgusted feeling and couldn’t figure out where he was. He looked around confused. He remembered coming to Gulhane Park and sitting on this bench and thinking about going away when the sun bothered his eyes. Then he must have slept.

He woke up to the overwhelming smell of body odour coming from two young people in front of him.

The older one showed him another boy that was walking in the direction of the Lion statue. The lion was hunched over his prey. “See that boy, he was going to search your pockets for money; we didn’t let him!”

“What?”

“We told him that we know you. Are you an Officer?”

“No. Why would you say that? I don’t look like an Officer, do I?”

“I don’t know. Usually Officers come here at this hour. Do you have money?”

“How much do you need?”

“Doesn’t matter. Do you have any money?”

“Why do you ask?”

“We have to see the money upfront.” He shook his head and sighed as if to say, ‘What has this world come to.’ The boy said, “People always say they have money and play with loose change in their pocket. Then they go away without paying.”

Jamil understood. The blond boy who was talking had blue eyes. In those eyes there was the look of an honorable man who had been defeated and untouchable. Younger one had darker skin and was weaker. He was coughing violently. His clothes were old rags. His jacket was too big for him. The shoulders of the jacket were on his elbows. There was a rip on the left side of the jacket. The pockets were very low. One of the boys asked, “Do you happen to know the Arab Major?”

“What Arab Major? Who are you talking about?”

“Haji Arab”

“Why do you ask?”

“Last time he was here he didn’t have enough change and he still owes us four qurushs. Do you have cigarettes?”

Jamil was surprised. “Do you smoke?”

“He is asking me if I smoke.”

Jamil found his package and offered them to him. The older boy took one and elbowed the other to do the same. “Ali, you get one. Why don’t you?”

With that Ali took one cigarette as well and they started to smoke like they had been addicts for a long time.

The sun was in their eyes and the younger one squinted.

“What is your name?”

“Tayyar.”

“Who is the other one?”

“Ali.”

“Are you brothers?”

“No.”

“Do you go to school?”

“He is not going to school.”

“What about you?”

“Mother thinks I am going to school, but I don’t. I hide my bag in the Bosnian’s hut.”

“Who is the Bosnian?”

“He is a gardener in this park.”

“Where is your dad?”

“He is a martyr. He died at Gallipoli. Cannon fire destroyed his body.”

“Cannon” Jamil felt the chills. “How do you know?”

“Nejmi Bey told me. Ali thinks his father is a martyr too but he doesn’t know. His father died from the Spanish flu.”

“He is lying. My dad is a martyr too. I swear. Ask my mom...”

“Shut up. I am going to hit you!”

Jamil looked ahead. With the tall trees, manicured lawn, and neat paths, Gulhane Park was really calm and peaceful on this May Day. The rustle of the leaves and bird chirping suited the quiet and peacefulness of the park.

“Were you wounded on your head as well?”

Jamil took his hands away from his eyes when he heard the boy asking him a question. He looked at the boy puzzled.

“The Arab Major has a bullet in his head. He covers his eyes with his hands. He can’t remember the names and mispronounces words. Am I right? Is it because of the bullet?”

“I don’t know. May be you are right.”

Tayyar asked him, “Are you waiting for someone?”

“No.”

“Hasan told me that a tall handsome man will come today.”

“Who is Hasan?

“A useless guy! He acts brave but I don’t buy that. He got out of prison recently for theft. He brags as if he murdered someone.” He checked around as if he was afraid of something. He added, “Don’t say this to anyone but I think he goes out with foreign soldiers. He denies it but I think he even goes out with the Blacks!”  He looked depressed. He asked without looking up. “So, do you want it?”
“What?”

“Don’t you understand?”He was surprised at that.

“No, I don’t understand what you are talking about.”

“Why did you give me a cigarette then? If you want it is twenty five qurushs and you have to give some money to him because he will guard. We have to be quick before this place gets crowded. Do you have any physical handicap?”

“Why do you ask?”

“We will go down to the water cisterns. One guy went down with us the other day but he couldn’t climb out. The Bosnian gardener helped him after taking twenty five qurush in advance. If you can’t go down in the cistern we can go ask the caretaker. If you pay some money to him it is safer there.”

“What caretaker?”

“The caretaker of Hagias Sofia. He has a room there.”

“Why in the world would the caretaker agree to such a thing?”

“He likes that kind of stuff. He doesn’t pay much though. Hasan says he gave fifty qurushs to him for the first time. I don’t believe him. I think he just gave him ten qurushs. He likes climbing to the top of the minaret.”

“Why?”

“As you climb up you can observe the view all around. You can see the Bridge, Uskudar, and the fire tower from there.”

Jamil’s old shrapnel wound in this shoulder started to ache. He had a cramp in his stomach. His face scrunched in pain.

The kids stared at him with curiosity.  They looked at him with eager anticipation.  Jamil stood up and put his hand in his pocket. The boys got scared and backed off. Jamil gave them ten qurushs each.

“No. It is twenty five qurushs.”

Jamil went away. His face was burning with anger and his muscles on his left arm started to tingle.

“Let me see. Did he give you ten qurushs as well? It is our lucky day!”

From the book The Reluctant Warrior

by Kemal Tahir

Translated by Elif Mat