The Tired Warrior by
Chapter 8
The innkeeper was not around all morning; he came upstairs
just before noon. Lieutenant Farouk was hungry; he asked the man, “What are we
going to have for lunch?”
“Let me go see what they have in the kitchen.” After saying
that the innkeeper went away and didn’t come back.
Farouk checked his watch for the third time, trying to be
discreet.
“What time it is?” Jamil asked.
“It’s past two o’clock.”
“We are hungry.” Jamil listened to the next room, “The
commander is busy with all the work. Selahaddin must be starving.”
“Where is that jerk?”
“The innkeeper? Since he is such a good host he didn’t want
to serve beans today. He wanted to go get some kebab!” He looked depressed. “By
the way he spoke to us today, I get the feeling that he isn’t coming back. He
was trying to act polite but he didn’t want us here.”
Lieutenant Farouk was very hungry. He said, “ The kebab
would have been nice but I miss buttered
perch.”
“Do you miss buttered perch? Did you think about that just
now?”
“I dreamt about eating perch yesterday night. I was having
cold beer as well…”
“You went to bed hungry.”
“That’s right!” He swallowed a couple of times. He was slim
and his face was pale. “As I was eating the fish I was saying to myself that it
was only a dream.” He was silent for a while. “Nico cooks delicious fish in
Beykoz. I would recommend Nico or Barb
at Yenikoy for fish. We can go there next time we are in Istanbul. Do you know
the places that I am talking about?”
“Yes, I know.”
“ I like fish.” He stared out. It was overcast. “What day it
is?” He waited then answered, “May 24th. It is the boating season already. The
boaters get prepared for the season at the end of April. They repair the boats
and paint them. They prepare the hooks, fishing lines, and nets. They need a
lamp and a line full of picarel for fishing.”
“Farouk, do you like going fishing?”
“Yes. Everyone in my home likes fishing. Especially my
uncle. He was a well-known contractor of the First Army; he was wealthy. He has
many boats of various sizes. His oarsmen are dressed so handsomely that you
would think their employer is the Governor
of Egypt, the Hidiv. He has nice horses and carriages. The coachmen are
handsome as well. In his private forest, there are dozens of hunting dogs. The
servants in the housework on schedule. He likes hunting. He uses hunting
rifles for partridges and diamond rings for the pretty women. He likes me a lot
because I like hunting as well. We were always together. I had just turned
eleven when I started shooting. This gold watch is a present from him, for
being a good shot.” He closed his eyes. “When Nizam was talking earlier, I
thought about shooting him. Two bullets to his neck!” Farouk was preoccupied.
“When I hit the target perfectly, my uncle would scratch his chin and say, ‘I thought this boy took after his deceased
dad. He is not very smart but a good shot.’ He was saying that because my
dad left such a good job as an aide-de-camp to the Sultan and went to fight in
Yemen voluntarily. He called me stupid because I left Galatasaray and insisted on going to Kuleli Military High School!” He looked embarrassed. “My uncle is
obsessed about working for the Palace. When I graduated from Kuleli he talked about that, then when I
came back from the Great War it was still the same. When I told him that I was
going to join the 17th Army Corps and go with Bekir Sami, he didn’t
even get angry with me. He just stared at me and said, ‘I don’t doubt that you are a misfit, son. Even if you didn’t want a civil
service job and you didn’t like living at my house here, why would you leave Istanbul?
Why would you leave all the beautiful women of Istanbul? Don’t you have any
brains? Never mention this to anyone. They’ll think you are crazy and send you
straight to the doctor. Then he’ll give you a report, and they will put it in your
file that you are not well in the head and won’t promote you to the higher
ranks! Then you will spend your life working for nothing.’
Captain, I miss going
fishing. I miss the smell of the sea. We used to go fishing even in the winter
time and we would catch perch while it was snowing and cook it in the boat. Our
hands and feet were half frozen but our hearts were warm. Captain, do you
fish?”
Jamil was not listening. He was in deep thought. He was
angry. He was breathing heavily. He thought to himself, ‘Look at the situation that we are in. This young man is starving like a
puppy. And look at those men who are not ashamed to say that they are powerless
like women. Why would Lieutenant Farouk save Akhisar from the enemy? Was it his
fault? Does he have to carry the burden?’ Jamil said to Farouk, “Did you
say something?”
“No, sir!”
They heard footsteps coming upstairs.“ Sir, we think the
innkeeper fled, but maybe he is coming back.”
“Do you think he came back to bring us food?”
“It might be someone from the restaurant.”
It was Selahaddin. He entered. “We are going to the telegram
Office. Manisa is calling. Quick. Get your rifles as well. Let’s go.”
Bekir Sami was doing his buttons on top of the stairs. He
put on his cartridge belt. He adjusted his colpack. When he left the building
he looked perfect as a Commander. His steps were measured.
“Is the 17th
Army Commander Bekir Sami online? I am Artillery Officer Captain Rasim. Did
Bekir Sami arrive at the telegram Office?”
“Yes, Captain Rasim. I am Deputy Commander Bekir Sami. Is
Commander Ahmet Zeki with you?”
“Ahmet Zeki is in the office, Sir. I had much difficulty in
coming here. The Governor of Manisa has the telegram office under observation.
That’s why no one could have communicated with Manisa up until now. The Sub-Governor of Akhisar is preventing
communications as well.”
“How is the situation in Manisa?”
“It is very complicated, Sir. The people were divided, some
wanted to resist first and said the military should take a position in Menemen.
The volunteers wanted to support our troops.”
“Did the majority of people want to resist?”
“Yes. There is an Islamic Organization here headed by the
local Muftu.”
“Does the Muftu support the resistance? This is very
important!”
“Yes, Sir! The Mufti supports the resistance. Vasif and Bahri encouraged people to fight at
first. But things changed later. Vasif
is from Izmir and Bahri is an influential man from Manisa. He is a brave man.
However, the Sultan’s supporters wanted
to surrender. They attacked him and
Bahri had to leave the city.”
“Who are the people
who want to surrender?’
“Governor Husnu and Alderman Hafiz.”
“Hafiz who? What is his name?”
“I don’t know his name. They just call him ‘Hafiz’.”
“Yes, go on. Who else?”
“Some town notables.”
“Alright. They will have to answer for their conduct later.
Tell me about the artillery guns. What did you do with the cannons? How many do
you have? Were you able to take them out of Manisa? How about the ammunition?
Did the infantry troops already leave the city? How many men do you have?”
“Sir, the cannons…Well…. Ahmet Zeki received your telegram
that you had sent him from Bandirma. He wanted to follow the orders right away.
However, his men, both the artillery and infantry divisions panicked and they
deserted. Ahmet Zeki and remaining soldiers…”
“How many men does he have? Give me the numbers!”
“About fifty in the Artillery Division and sixty in infantry.”
“All those men were not able to carry eight guns? Shame on
them! I ordered this when I was in Bandirma; I wanted the 10.5 mountain Obus
guns at all costs!”
“That’s right. Ahmet Zeki had them carried out, Sir!”
“Good, tell me this in detail!”
“Yes Sir! I will let the clerk write Ahmet Zeki’s
report. It is as follows:
‘To the 17th
Army Corps Deputy Commander Colonel Bekir Sami,
I received your orders
that you sent with Rasim concerning the transportation of the weapons,
ammunition, and the troops, on 24/05/1919 before 5 o’clock. As per your
previous orders from Manisa, we have transported the machine guns, cannons, and
all the ammunition we could carry out of the city with our men and volunteers.
However, the local Greeks and some of the Turkish supporters reported this to
British Political Representative Elcanheim and he followed us. He informed us
that as per the Ceasefire Agreement that was signed by our Government we didn’t
have any right to transport the weapons and troops. He threatened us that he
was going to use force and exile our Officers to Malta. He ordered us to take
back the weapons to the depots and the troops to the Garrison. “He gave written
orders, Sir! I have given this written order to Captain Rasim to be taken to the
Army Corps. Rasim signed a receipt for receiving this document. The Commander
of the French Troops here also had given us the same orders in the name of his
Government. After all this, we still planned to transport the weapons during the
night. The volunteers promised to help us by bringing their animals and
carriages near the depot at a certain time. They told us they could only carry
these weapons for a three-hour distance and we accepted. However, very few came
to bring their carriages and animals. The others panicked because of the counter-propaganda. It is not only the machine guns and the artillery. There are also
thousands of Mauser guns, millions of ammunition, and all the equipment and
supplies of a 200-hundred-bed hospital. We couldn’t have carried those, so we
had to leave them to the enemy. When Rasim brought your orders yesterday we
took action again. The infantry and the 59th Division Artillery Troops were
sent to Salihli. The 57th Division also escaped with the help of the
townspeople, however, some who supported surrender, stopped them. There was going
to be chaos. The people wanted the 57th
Division to be dismantled. If we had insisted there could have been a bloody fight
between the two sides. Rasim told me that he would assume all the responsibility
but he doesn’t have written orders. That’s why we haven’t left the Command to
him. Rasim talked to the town notables. He hired workers to carry the cannons
and ordered me to give out the weapons and the ammunition to the volunteers,
but I haven’t given the weapons to anyone that I don’t know without written
orders. The town notables feared that the guns, which were going to be given to
them to defend the country against the enemy, might be used
for loitering. The volunteers insisted on getting the guns and when I didn’t
agree they went away. Even though I said to them that I would give them the
guns once they were out of town. For these reasons, we were not able to follow
your orders and take the cannons out of town. Now we don’t have any means of
transportation. We no longer have any men, animals, or carriages. As Rasim will
explain to you later upon his return every hour we are losing men. The soldiers
are deserting the army. We only have eight Officers. I am awaiting your orders.
Are we going to leave the troops, the food depots, and the 200-bed hospital’s
supplies to the enemy and retreat or are we to stay here?
Ahmet Zeki.
Commander of Manisa
“Sir, this was Ahmet Zeki’s report.”
“Damn it! Is he crazy? Rasim, how many soldiers does the
English Lieutenant have?”
“He doesn’t have any soldiers.”
“No soldiers? You idiots! Why didn’t you tell me that the
enemy deceived you! If he doesn’t have any soldiers with him who cares if there
is no written order? You should have carried the cannons anyway!”
“Sir, the situation was better before I arrived here. The
volunteers said the same thing. Ahmet Zeki could have taken the weapons out of
the city. But things changed for the worse later. The local Greeks said, ‘Whoever helps the resistance beware; we are
going to report you to the Greek Commanders and you will get hanged’. After
that the volunteers who were helping us just disappeared. Two telegrams are not sent from here. Because either the Governor here or the
Sub governor didn’t allow it to be sent
or be read.”
“Read them to me.”
“ From the 56th Division Commander Hurrem to the
172nd Division Commander Ali:
“To the Commander of Ayvalik,
Izmir, May 20th
Tell me the position
of your troops. Urgent!”
Ali had replied immediately:
Ayvalik, May 20th
To the Division Commander
of Izmir,
All the soldiers of
our Division are on duty. They are as strong as a fort. We are ready to take
action. My Regiment and the people are ready to fight for our country.’
“Sir, I gather from this telegram that he is ready to
resist the invading army.”
“I know him personally. He will resist.”
“I am reading the second telegram. It is from Lieutenant
Nuri to Bekir Sami. Lieutenant Nuri is the President of the Weapons and
Ammunition Commission of Bergama.”
“What do you mean? Is the President of the Commission a
Lieutenant?”
“Yes, Sir. The President of the Commission is a Lieutenant.”
‘To the 17th
Army Corps,
There are rumors here
that Manisa was given to the Greeks by the British. There are 2000 volunteers
here. If Manisa falls I will distribute all the remaining guns to the people.
Please advise if Manisa has indeed fallen and if you approve of my action.
Best Regards.’
“Is that all?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Send a telegram to Ali in Ayvalik, address him “Brother”
and tell him I support him. Send another telegram to Bergama to Nuri; tell him
Manisa didn’t fall yet. But the situation is not promising, because there are
no heroes in Manisa like him. Do you follow?
“Yes, Sir!”
“Tell him, he has my approval. He may act as he sees fit in
Bergama. Tell him to report to me when he can, and my orders for you: Ahmet
Zeki is untrustworthy. Find him. Hire as many workers as you can and carry all
the artillery, all the machine guns, and all the ammunition out of the city. Transport
the guns to Salihli. Don’t let the soldiers desert the army. I want all the
Officers present!”
“If it is not possible what should we do, Sir?”
“I want the 10.5 Obus guns. You will fight them if you have
to.”
“Should we fight in the town or should we leave the town
with the soldiers?”
Bekir Sami thought about this for some time. Rasim must have
considered the situation very dangerous. That’s why he is concerned about not
being able to take the cannons out.
“Save the cannons at all costs. If you can’t then leave the
area with all your armed soldiers, and bring the troops to Salihli. Hang Ahmet Zeki
in the town square before you leave. May God be with you.”
“Sir, we might not be able to talk again. Please, don’t
leave the office just yet, in case we need to contact you again for some urgent reason.”
“That’s right. I will stay here waiting. Be safe! If you
can’t contact us again, we will meet at Akhisar. Talk to the officers. After
transporting the weapons, come to Akhisar!”
All four of them had forgotten about their hunger and were
waiting at the Telegram Office, staring at the machine.
The telegram officer was a chubby man with a greyish beard.
While he was sending and receiving telegrams he didn’t hide his pride; because
all of a sudden his job became so important. His hand was not steady and that
didn’t make people observing him confident. He was doing his job almost like
his mind was somewhere else.
The officers were happy that Manisa didn’t fall. But they
were concerned because Ahmet Zeki didn’t obey the orders. They couldn’t believe
that one of their fellow officers had been so incompetent. They were comparing
him with that old telegram officer who was so proud. They felt ashamed for
Ahmet Zeki.
Bekir Sami was reading the telegrams from Manisa again as if
he would find something new.
Jamil noticed that the usual ‘If you don’t obey the orders you will be executed!’ warning was not
there. It was either because the Commander didn’t remember to write it or he
thought that it was not as powerful as it was in Bandirma. Jamil wondered what
would happen if he went there instead of Rasim. He thought he could have
success in getting the cannons out. He imagined bringing them to Akhisar. He
figured there must have been a way to transport them. If worse comes to worse,
he thought, there was always the option of pulling his gun and threatening the
English Lieutenant. Tell him to go home.
Selahaddin was yawning for the third time and stretched. He
looked like something was troubling him. His face looked very tired and his
color was turning yellow. His eyes were bloodshot. Jamil remembered that
Selahaddin was really mad when Nizam was talking. Selahaddin was grinding his
teeth.
The telegraph operator said, “It is a commercial telegram,
Sir. It is from a drapery seller in Istanbul to Hafiz… Someone was admitted to
hospital …”The telegraph Operator was informing the Officers of each telegram
that he received. Bekir Sami lit another cigarette. After inhaling two times he
extinguished it. “Could you try Ayvalik? I want to talk to Colonel Ali. ”
“I will try. If it is not successful then I will try Bergama
or Balikesir.” The Operator rolled up his sleeves and looked like he was
getting ready for a really tough job. “First I will try to get Lieutenant Nuri
in Bergama.”
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“Fine.”
“The tapping was fast then steady. Then it was quick and
fast again. The operator was calm and patient; he was good at his job. “Kinik
didn’t answer. Kinik has been nonresponsive for a long time now. I will try
Manisa!”
Selahaddin yawned again. He pressed his elbows to his body.
Jamil was about to ask him what was wrong when he heard someone approaching the
door. It was Gavour Efe looking for Yusuf.
“Where is Yusuf?”
“Gavour Efe! Why are you asking?”
“I need to talk to him.”
“Why? Don’t tell me he frequents your brothel…”
“No. The sub-governor sent me here to get him. As you know
I am his messenger now.”
“Fuck Off…What you are talking about? You are drunk. Go
away!”
Gavour Efe called, “Yusuf…Oh! Yusuf!”
Yusuf was still trying to contact Manisa. He wondered what
was going on outside when heard his name called. He stood up and went outside.
Jamil signaled Lieutenant Farouk to go see what was going
on.
“It is the Sub-Governor’s orders.” The drunken man lowered
his voice to a whisper. Farouk was listening through the door. “Tell him that I
have to talk to him. What do you mean you can’t tell them? You have to tell
them what I am saying to you. Akhisar is in great danger. Because of these
strangers, the Greeks will come and burn our town. Think about the children. I
won’t be quiet! It is not a secret matter. The Sub- Governor ordered them to
leave the building. If they don’t leave immediately there will be hell to pay!
If you don’t tell them, I will.”
Farouk intervened. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“Never mind who I am! Everybody in Akhisar knows me. I am
the messenger of the sub-governor. Where is your Commander?”
“Come in. The Commander is here…”
Gavour Efe entered the room. He was tanned and looked very
dark. He had a long, curled mustache. He looked like a cross between a Zaybek
fighter and a tradesman. He had embroidered black pants and a vest with golden
thread. He had a dagger tucked in his large belt. He was short with skinny legs
and a thick neck. He was all sweaty and his breath smelled of alcohol.
Colonel Bekir Sami
asked with disgust, “Why are you here? What does the Sub- governor say?”
“Are you the Commander?”
“Answer the question!”
“He says you have to leave the building right now!”
“Why?”
“Both the Greek and
the Turkish population pleaded with the Sub-governor. Everyone including the
Hodja wants you to leave. The French Captain was also present at the meeting. No
one wants to resist the invasion.”
“What if we don’t
leave?”
“The enemy will burn the Telegram Office. They are warning
us. They were polite to come to talk to the Sub- governor first.”
“The Sub-Governor couldn’t find someone better than you as
his messenger?
“What is wrong with me? Don’t discriminate among God’s
people.”
Selahaddin stood up. His eyes were bloodshot. He was
licking his lips and swallowing hard. Bekir Sami motioned to him not to
interfere. “Tell us. How are they going to burn the place down?”
“They will bring kerosene and pour it all over the building.
They have already piled up the cans of kerosene across the street. They are
waiting in front of the Land Titles Office. Captain George is having difficulty
in holding them back. They are saying that they won’t have mercy on you because
you are putting the town in danger. The infidels are swearing that they will do
what they say. I believe them. The Sub-Governor wants you to leave the
building and the town as well. The watchmen on the hill said that the Greek
troops had been spotted on the horizon. And they were not using binoculars. They have seen the Greek army.
The Greek Commander already knows you are here and he threatened to destroy the
town with artillery fire. You have to leave our town. The people of Akhisar
have sent me here. They said you should go away and if you want to fight, fight
somewhere else. Go to your own hometown.”
“Enough. It is understood. Go, now. Tell them that we are
coming to the Sub-Governor’s office. Don’t let anyone leave before I arrive. I
will talk to them.”
“No, I am afraid it is not possible. You should leave the
town now. You should go to your Hotel. You are only allowed to go to your
hotel. If you are seen going anywhere else the Sub-Governor said he is not
responsible if something happens to you.”
“What can happen to us?”
“I have never seen anything like this... It’s something
unheard of. Not even the history books mention such a thing. They can shoot you
as you walk by. People are waiting by their windows with their guns in hand. Go
to the hotel get your belongings and go to the Station as quickly as
possible.”
“Is there a train available at the Station?”
“The Sub- Governor has said that you shouldn’t worry about
the train and go there anyway. The French Commander promised to protect you and
let you get on a train safely. You better leave. The sub-Governor told me to
talk to you very briefly. There is no time to spare. He ordered me not to take
long. They are waiting for you to leave. He assured me of my safety. He said
nothing will happen to me because I am only a messenger.” Gavour Efe bowed his
head and put his hands on his belly in a submissive way by habit. Whatever he
was thinking, he suddenly looked confident and said, “You are lucky that I came
here as a messenger or else you would be in so much trouble. It could have been
your last day on this earth. Always remember me in your prayers!” He turned on
his skinny legs and went out. He was walking like a donkey carrying a heavy
load. He left a disgusting smell of rotten flesh in the room.
Bekir Sami asked
Farouk who was staring out of the window, “What do you see outside?”
“Nothing, Sir. No one is around.”
“Are there any kids or any women?”
“No one.”
“This doesn’t look good. I think they will attack us. We
should leave. Jamil, please call the operator. We must inform Rasim. Then we
will go to the hotel and discuss what to do.”
“I guess we can’t leave the town tonight, Sir!”
“Why?”
“Remember, tonight, Halit, the warlord is coming to talk to
us.”
“That’s right! What do you think we should do?”
Jamil looked at Selahaddin, who was standing there holding
onto the back of the chair. He looked weak. He didn’t appear to hear the
conversation; he looked like he had lost a lot of weight during the last couple
of hours. He was already underweight. The Commander said, “All right, call the
Operator.”
Jamil stepped out. He couldn’t see Yusuf at the counter. He
yelled his name twice. When no one answered he opened one of the doors. “Who
are you looking for?” an old man by the stairs asked him. “All the clerks and the operator left the
building.”
“Who are you?” Jamil inquired.
“I am the caretaker of the Sub governor’s office”
“Why did you come here?”
“I was ordered to lock the doors and bring back the keys.”
“Fine.”
Bekir Sami was still in the room waiting.
“Commander, they are bringing the kerosene cans on the other
side of the street. The situation is serious.”
Bekir Sami sadly said, “Let’s go then. Rashid may come to
the hotel. I don’t suppose Halit will come tonight after all this. If he brings
some armed men that’s another story.”
He stood up to go. Jamil stopped him. “Sir, that drunk told
us that they might shoot at us from the houses.”
“They won’t dare to shoot at us.”
“I know, but just in case…”
“What do you propose?”
“I thought about something. We will let Farouk go first.
Once he reaches the corner you will go out with Selahaddin and walk close to
the houses. I will go out last. I will follow you a couple of steps behind. In
case they open fire, don’t reciprocate. Farouk and I will protect you until you
reach the hotel.”
“Fine.”
Lieutenant Farouk loaded his gun. He went out calmly.
They waited by the window.
Dark grey clouds were hanging low on top of the
chimneys. The wet awnings were waving in the wind like the huge leaves of
African plants. It was like walking into a dangerous African forest. Jamil
heard Selahaddin’s cough. He was right behind him. Jamil didn’t know if
Selahaddin was sick or nervous. They saw Farouk; he was holding his Mauser with
his right hand and he was walking calmly. His coolness was unnerving. Jamil
felt like he had already seen this before. He felt confused. He felt like he
was losing his sense of reality.
They were looking at Farouk from the second floor. He looked
even slimmer from a distance. His size contrasted with his bravery. He reached the corner of the wall then he
turned suddenly and waited like a guard on duty. The Commander said, “Let’s go,
Selahaddin.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Jamil walked behind them. The caretaker was waiting by the
front door with a large key in his hand. There was guilt in his blue eyes. He
didn’t look trustworthy. He saluted the Commander and whispered, “Rashad
suggested that you wait at the hotel, Sir. Halit will come after dark and find
you there. I want you to know Sir; Rashad is my relative. We are all on your
side.”
“Thank you!”
Jamil felt relieved and he went out to the street without
fear. He carried his rifle in his left hand and pulled his gun out with his
right hand. The street was about eight meters wide. In such a narrow street he
thought using his Parabellum would be wiser. He kept his hand close to his gun
and was walking with confidence. He thought about buying some bread and cheese
on the way to the hotel.
As they were approaching Farouk, Jamil signaled to him to
continue walking. It was getting dark. They kept on walking like this until
they reached the end of the road under the clouds. When Farouk turned the
corner he saw something and stopped. “Look at this! Things are getting worse.”
Their bags were on the street by the wall. Bekir Sami’s
rifle was propped up against the wall by the suitcases. Jamil said, “I will go
and beat the innkeeper. No matter what!”
“If you can find him, be my guest!”
“Did he flee already?”
Bekir Sami tried to hide his fear and ordered, “Break the
door down!”
Jamil smiled. “We don’t need to see his ugly face,
Commander. We could go to the Military Office if you like.”
“Good thinking! Get the bags.”
We can leave the bags and the rifle, Sir. We will send
Shaban to pick them up”
“Who is Shaban?”
“He is the guard at the Military Office.”
Jamil looked back; Main Street in Akhisar was empty. People
were scared. Like all the creatures that panicked, they were angry. Maybe they
were right to be scared but on the other hand, it was wrong. He felt like
spitting however, he didn’t spit. He stood tall and he looked like he was
challenging someone. He didn’t look out the windows anymore to see if there was danger. He thought that was
humiliating for them to even look out the windows. Instead, he walked fast and
passed his friends. When he came in front of the Military Office, he knocked on
the door loudly. “Who is it?”
“Shaban, it’s me, open the door. The Commander is here!”
“Oh! The Commander is here! I am coming right away!”
Shaban rushed down the stairs to open the door. He adjusted
his hat on his right side so that his blind eye would be in the shadow and he
saluted the Commander. He had broad shoulders and big bones. He was bow-legged
like the people who rode horses from early childhood. He didn’t have time to
put his cartridge belt on.
Bekir Sami entered without saluting him.
When Selahaddin and Farouk went upstairs Jamil asked, “Where
is your cartridge belt? You are on duty here. I don’t want to see you like this
again.” Shaban was about to leave. Jamil asked, “Where are you going?”
“To get my pistol, Sir!”
“First, listen to me; the Commander’s bags and his rifle are
in front of the hotel. Go get them. After you bring them go to the store and
buy some cheese, olives, and some bread.” Jamil gave him one Lira. “We need
cigarettes as well. Get a couple packages of the Ahali brand. Can you remember that?”
“Yes, Sir. Certainly.”
Jamil watched Shaban go away in a city filled with
foreign flags. Then he closed the door.
Jamil felt confident after coming to the Military Office
safely. He found himself whistling a song as he climbed up the stairs and
when he realized what he was doing, he stopped whistling.
Bekir Sami was dictating a report to Lieutenant Farouk and
at the same time reading the various telegrams that he brought from the
Telegram Office. When Jamil entered the
next room he saw Selahaddin stretching his arms over the desk and his eyes were
closed. Jamil thought he was sleeping. Then he saw Selahaddin’s shoulders shaking. Jamil didn’t know what to say, he
wondered if Selahaddin was crying. He approached, “Are you sick, Selahaddin?”
“I am fine,” Selahaddin said without raising his head. His
teeth were chattering. “It will go away soon.”
“Look at me, Selahaddin. What is it? Is it malaria?”
“Yes, it is malaria. It will pass soon.” It was hard to
understand his speech because of the chattering of his teeth. “I have these
fits when I am tired or when I catch a cold, sometimes when I am angry. Don’t
bother the Commander. It will pass…”
“Don’t you have Sulfate?”
“No. It is finished. I was going to get some in Balikesir,
but I forgot.”
“You should lie down.”
“It’s OK.”
“No, I will go find a bed for you. When Shaban comes I will
send him to the Pharmacy. I know it is difficult. The fits come unexpectedly.”
Jamil searched for a bed on the second floor. There was
none. He went downstairs and found Shaban’s room. He was sleeping in a back
room overlooking the yard. He decided to carry the bed upstairs. He carried the
mattress and put two desks together so that he could spread the mattress over
them. Shaban’s room was neat and clean. Jamil was impressed. He called Selahaddin.
“Come lie down here. Take off your jacket.”
“I am fine.”
“No, I already prepared the bed. You should lie down.”
Selahaddin raised his head. His eyes were red and his lips
were dry. He was trying hard to stop his teeth from chattering. He tucked his hands
under his arms and curled up.
Jamil approached him and held his wrist. He had a fever.
Jamil thought his temperature must be at least forty degrees and he was scared
for him. He felt helpless and went to the window to look out. It was damp and cold outside. Jamil tried to put him in
bed hoping that he would get better if he laid down. “You get some rest. I will
find another blanket as well. We will get you some sulfate. Then you will get
better. You better carry the medicine with you at all times.” Jamil helped him
untie his cartridge belt and he put it over the chair. Then he took off his
shoes. “Rest, now. You should change
your clothes as you are drenched in sweat.”
Selahaddin curled up on the bed. He was very slim and
shaking violently. He said, “I was mad at them. When I am mad and can’t do
anything to change the situation, this happens.” Then he started to swear. He
was angry at the people who were not supporting the Resistance. His mumbles
became incomprehensible. He was grinding his teeth and sighing in between his
words. Jamil was walking around the room trying to think of what to do. He
thought of taking out another sheet from his bag but then thought it would be
useless. He thought about taking his jacket off, and then he felt it was too difficult
to take his cartridge belt. He checked the cupboards in the room. There wasn’t
anything useful other than some old papers and files. He swore under his
breath. As he was going downstairs, Shaban came. He was carrying the bags
inside. “Sir, I brought them all. I was
late because…”
Jamil cut him off. “Put them over there. Bring some
blankets.”
“Blankets, Sir? What Blankets?”
“Don’t you know what a blanket is? We need some. Bring all
you have.”
“We don’t have many, Sir. Only the one that I am using and two
extra.”
“OK! Quick, bring whatever you have!”
Shaban rushed to get the blankets for him. Jamil grabbed
them from him and ran upstairs. He covered Selahaddin with them even though he
knew this wouldn’t stop his shaking. Still, he was disappointed at the lack of
supplies here. He went back downstairs to tell Shaban to go to the pharmacy.
Shaban asked, “Is someone sick?”
“Yes, Captain Selahaddin doesn’t feel well.”
Shaban guessed it was the Commander and he was relieved when
he learned that it was not him. He said, “I couldn’t find any bread or cheese.
That’s why I was late.”
“Why is that? Are the shops closed?”
“They are not closed. But…”
“What happened?”
“I tried both grocery shops. However…The people of Akhisar
were not mean before. I don’t know what is wrong with them…”
Jamil became suspicious. Shaban was not saying
anything. Jamil asked, “What happened?
Did they refuse to sell you bread?”
“The grocer told me that they didn’t have any. He said the bakeries didn’t bake
enough bread today.” He smiled, “It is OK, Sir! I have enough food for us to
eat today. I will cook something. We
also have very good olives…”
Jamil couldn’t believe that the people were denying them
bread. He felt the same anger that Selahaddin felt before he got his fever. For
a moment he thought about getting his rifle and going to the stores. Then he
thought better of it. He swallowed hard two times and he passed his hand over
his face. “We will worry about this later. Now I need you to go to the pharmacy
to get some sulfate.” He opened his wallet and pulled out a five Lira bill. He
said, “Buy as much as you can with five Liras. We might need more. Will you
remember to ask for ‘Sulfate’?”
“Yes, Sir. I know sulfate is used for malaria.”
“Good. Come back quickly. Do you think they sell brandy
around here?”
“I will look for some.”
“OK, then let me give you some more money.”
“That’s alright, Sir. I have enough. Good thinking. I know
that brandy is good for malaria. He will get better soon after drinking some.
The Major told me this before he left. Do you need anything else?”
“Get some tea and sugar as well.”
“Tea and sugar are available in Akhisar but I don’t know if
they are going to sell anything to us today. They don’t want our business. I
don’t know what to make of this.”
“Go, try to get them. Make sure to get the sulfate and the
brandy.”
“Don’t worry. I will be back with your supplies, Sir!”
Shaban adjusted his hat as he was going out.
Jamil was waiting for him by the window and counting the
minutes. He was smoking. It was two minutes since Shaban left. Jamil thought,
“If the pharmacist doesn’t sell him the sulfate I will get my rifle and shoot
them all.” Selahaddin was talking in his sleep. “Manisa has not fallen…Bring
the 10, 5 mountain Obus…It is not possible…Damn it!”
Jamil was angry at Rashad and his friends for not coming.
They were ready to fight and promised to support the officers, yet they were
not coming to Akhisar to see them. This was worse than the behavior of
Nizameddin who insisted on surrendering. He checked his watch again. It
was almost fifteen minutes since Shaban left. His mouth was bitter because of
smoking. His stomach was hurting; he pressed his hand on his stomach. “Those
cowards are going to let us starve!” He listened in on the other room. The Commander was still
dictating. “Why even bother? What is he dictating? Who is going to read those
messages in Istanbul?”
Earlier, he told Bekir Sami of Selahaddin’s illness and he
came to check on him. He held his wrist and checked his pulse. When Jamil said
that they were getting sulfate for Selahaddin, the Commander left the room
without saying anything.
Just when Jamil was wondering why Shaban was late, he saw
him turning the corner. But something was wrong. He wasn’t walking normally. He
was walking backward. He was facing the other way. He had difficulty keeping
his balance. Jamil realized that some
people were throwing stones at him and touched his Parabellum. Shaban turned
the corner and started to run. He was carrying packages. The children were
chasing and throwing stones at him. Jamil saw Gavour Efe running after the
children. Shaban dropped one of the packages and he stopped to pick it up. The
stones were falling close to him. He crawled. Then he stood up and tried to
move forward, crouching. His leg was hurting. One of the stones hit him. He
turned and tried to protect himself. He had to duck to protect his head from a
large stone. Then he jumped twice to avoid the stones. The children were
getting all the stones that they could find and throwing them at him while
Gavur Efe was looking for especially large stones. He was trying hard to hit
Shaban. He had a lot of stones in his left hand. As he was getting ready to
throw the stone Shaban yelled.“ Gavour Efe! You hit my leg. What did I do to
you?” He yelled at the kids, “Why are
you doing this to me? Did I do anything wrong?”
Gavour Efe said, “We told you to leave. Why don’t you obey
the Government Orders? Here, that’s for you.” Gavur Efe threw another stone at
him. “It serves you right! I hit your back. I wish your back was broken.” He
encouraged the boys, “Keep on throwing stones. He is running away. Come on.
Throw some more stones.”
Bekir Sami came into the room. “Jamil, don’t interfere. It
will make things worse.” Jamil stared at him without registering what he was
saying. Bekir Sami said, “Don’t kill him. We won’t gain anything from that.
Probably, they are waiting for something like this. Be patient. Let’s wait for
Halit, we are going to talk to him tonight!”
Bekir Sami patted him on his back.
Gavur Efe came in front of the building. He was yelling, “Go
home, Infidels! We don’t want Unionists here! This is our land. We don’t need
Young Turks here! We should have burned you. I swear I’ll kill you. I won’t be
happy until I kill you. You are our enemy.”
Bekir Sami went to the other room because he didn’t want to
be seen. Selahaddin was sleeping, he
didn’t know what was happening. He was talking in his sleep and having
difficulty breathing. Jamil put his Parabellum back in his case. When Shaban entered the building he was
laughing as if something amusing had happened. “That stupid pimp is crazy. He
is drunk. He doesn’t know what he is saying.”
“Did you get hurt?” Jamil asked.
“No. I got a couple of hits, but I am fine.”
“Did you find sulfate?”
“Yes, I did.”
“What about the tea and some sugar?”
“Sure. I bought some. It would have been difficult. Thanks
to the Doctor, I got them all. He helped me!”
”Did you go to the pharmacy to get the sulfate?”
“Yes, I went to the pharmacy and I asked for the sulfate.
The pharmacist was just getting the bottle from the shelf and Gavur Efe came
right at that moment and threatened the pharmacist. He said, ‘if you give them any medicine you will be in
trouble’. The pharmacist got intimidated and he turned away from the shelf.
I said to him, ‘How come you are not
selling this medicine to me? Are you crazy?’ Then Gavour Efe started
yelling. He said it was the Sub-Governor's orders. He was provoking the people
against us. He said the Government wants us dead. I asked Gavur Efe, ‘What is this all about? Why are the people
against the Officers?’ He didn’t understand what I was telling him. He
continued bellowing like thunder. He was yelling so loud. Luckily, the doctor
came by. He asked me what was wrong. I told him the story and he yelled at the
pharmacist for not giving the medicine to me. The pharmacist whispered
something to him. I didn’t hear what he said but the doctor became angrier and
told him that he was taking responsibility. Then Gavur Efe started to yell at
the Doctor. He said; ‘The Doctor is one
of them. He supports Young Turks. He is a Freemason. Look at him, see his
mustache, even his mustache is European style…” The doctor didn’t realize that all these
insults were pointed at him and he asked me what he was talking about. I explained
to the doctor what happened. That made the doctor really angry. He yelled at
Gavour Efe, “You pimp! How dare you talk
to me like that?”
“Why do they call him that? Does he really own a brothel?”
“Yes, Sir. He owns a brothel. The only such place around
here belongs to him. He used to be a rich man’s son. He lived an unruly life.
He did all kinds of dirty tricks. His dad died before his time because of him.
After his father had died, he didn’t have anyone to stop him. He crossed the
line. He had a couple of girlfriends. When he ran out of money, he started to
do this business. There are three
hookers in his brothel right now. One of them is no good. But the other two are
young and pretty. He is such a bad man. He is also a coward; before this, he
wouldn’t dare to talk to a Corporal; I don’t understand what provoked him
today.”
Jamil adjusted his cartridge bell to hide his pistol.
“Shaban, prepare some tea for us. I know what you mean; evil surfaces in times
like this. Bring a glass of water so Selahaddin can have his medicine. Then
bring some cheese and bread with the tea. Is there a big bag we could use for
ammunition?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Then fill it up with the Mauser ammunition”
“Yes Sir!”
Selahaddin was almost unconscious. He had difficulty swallowing
the medicine. Shaban came and asked Jamil if he wanted some soup instead of the
tea. Jamil asked, “What kind of soup?”
“Bulgur soup with mint.”
“Do you have ingredients? Do you have cooking oil?”
“Yes, we have cooking oil as well as fresh mint and yogurt.”
“That’s good news. Of
course, we would have some soup. I promoted you to batman rank.”
When Shaban left the room he looked outside. It was getting
dark. He filled the glass with brandy and drank it all at once. Then he looked
at Selahaddin and he realized that he filled the glass with brandy for
Selahaddin, but drank it absentmindedly. He smiled and thought he needed the
drink. He filled the glass again and approached the bed. Selahaddin was very
sick. His face looked like he was in pain. His lips were very dry. He was
licking them from time to time. “Selahaddin, look,” Selahaddin moaned.
“Selahaddin, try to drink this; Shaban is preparing something to eat. You will
feel better once you have this brandy.” Jamil felt his forehead. It was still
very hot. He said again, “Try to drink this. You will feel better in no time.
You will perspire with a fever and your temperature will return to normal.
Selahaddin tried to open his eyes and smile. “What is it? Has the Commander
asked for me?”
“No, it is not the Commander. Come on, have some of this.”
“What is this?”
“It is Greek brandy.”
Selahaddin tried to sit up. Jamil helped him. “Come on,
swallow it.” Selahaddin swallowed the brandy as if it were fruit juice. Then he
put his head on the pillow again. Jamil lit a cigarette and stared out of the
window. It started to rain. He could see the dim lights of the mosque. When
Shaban called them for soup, Jamil was thinking of his wife, Neriman.
The soup was delicious. It made them feel happy again. The
Commander also congratulated Shaban. He
was smiling as he was standing by the door. Jamil looked at Shaban for the
third time and asked, “Are you a good rider, Shaban?”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Did you have your own horses at your village?”
“I worked at a farm when I was very young; I took care of
the horses. For that reason, I served in the Cavalry Division. We were
lancers.…”
“Where did you serve?”
“I was at Sinai. We fought the British Lancers at Gaza”
“Oh! That means we were together, Shaban! I didn’t know
that! Why did you end up here?”
“We were ambushed. The German Commander was not expecting
that. We jumped on our horses still wearing our night shirts. In the dark, we
couldn’t see who was who. An English spear hit my eye in the commotion; a
bearded blond guy blinded my eye with his spear. He took my eye. I took his
head! When I was discharged from the
hospital they sent me here!”
“How old are you?
“Thirty.”
“Did you grow a beard when you came here?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“ You are a brave man
who fought well and took the enemy’s head. You don’t need a beard. Shave it
off! A mustache is enough.”
“I don’t know, Sir. I should ask the Imam. “
“Are you married?”
Shaban smiled. “Yes, Sir!”
“Did you ask your wife? Does she like your beard?”
“No. I haven’t seen her for a long time. The Imam said…”
“Never mind the Imam. He doesn’t have a say in this matter.
Muslim men are not allowed to have a beard without asking permission from their
wives. Look, even the General doesn’t have one. His wife didn’t allow him. I
don’t want to see that beard again!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“I will inspect your rifle. It should be in good condition.”
“I don’t have one, Sir!”
“What do you mean you don’t have a rifle? What kind of a
soldier are you?”
“I am in back duty, Sir. We don’t have the privilege of
carrying guns”
“You should carry a gun. You are a soldier, regardless”
“The doctor’s report…”
“I said you need a rifle, never mind the doctor.”
“Of course, Sir! What would the doctor know?”
“So, we know about your talent with the spear. Now tell me,
are you good at shooting?”
“I am not bad; better than my friends. Thank God, I still
have my right eye.”
“We’ll see. Choose a rifle for yourself and clean it. I am
going to inspect it when you are done!” Shaban cleaned the rifle and brought it
to the inspection. When Jamil praised it, he was really happy. He grabbed the
Mauser angrily and said, “Thank you, Sir! Those guys didn’t respect me because
I didn’t have my rifle. That pimp stoned me. If I had my gun; he wouldn’t have
dared to challenge me. Never mind that idiot. The people of Akhisar are the
ones to blame here. Do you know what they say about us?”
“What do they say?”
“They say that we don’t have families. We don’t have
anywhere to go. We are outcasts. We are the misfits. We don’t belong anywhere.
That’s why we didn’t go back home. That’s why we are still fighting. They are
wondering why we haven’t seen our families and our children for so long. They
are wondering why we are not returning to our villages. They say we don’t
belong anywhere and they do not respect us for that reason!”
Jamil tried not to look at Shaban’s face. He sounded angry.
Shaban sighed. He was licking his lips and tried to hide the emotion in his
voice. He was staring straight ahead. Jamil thought his one eye had enough pain
for the whole army. Shaban was angry at them not because they were lying; he
was angry because there was some truth in their words. He had been fighting for
four years at all the borders of the Empire. He was always defending something.
While he was defending the things that he didn’t truly understand he had lost
his home, his brother, and even his wife back in his village, like so many others.
When everyone returned home, Shaban stayed. The reason was sad. He said when he
got injured he went to his home on leave. He told this part to Jamil without hiding
anything. But he never mentioned why he left his village and came to Akhisar
and made this place his home. He was trying to scratch the rusty spot on his
rifle with his fingernails. When he noticed Jamil was looking at him with
sympathy, he smiled. He said, “I think they may be right on one thing, Major.”
“What?”
“The war caused us
a lot of heartache. There was an orderly here; he was from my hometown. He was
from Tosya and was blind like me. When he was at the hospital he wrote to his
family and they didn’t answer his letters. When he went back to his town he ran
into an inn-keeper that he knew. The innkeeper was polite; he let him stay at
his inn and sent word to his uncle that the orderly was coming back home. While
he was walking around the bazaar to buy some gifts for his wife, he saw his
uncle. His uncle welcomed him at first but he was surprised that the Corporal
was still alive. He said; ’we got bad news from the army. They said you were
killed in action.” Then the uncle started to cry. When the Corporal asked
him about the news from home his uncle didn’t know what to say. The corporal
asked about everybody’s health and the uncle still didn’t say anything. Finally, he asked him about his wife. ‘How is my wife doing? Why don’t you answer?
Did she do something bad?’ His uncle protested, “What kind of talk is that?’ But the Corporal realized something was
wrong. Then he understood the reason why the innkeeper didn’t let him go to the
village right away; he learned that when his family received the bad news they
encouraged his wife to remarry. She married the Corporal’s younger brother!
Worst of all, his wife was pregnant with her second child; he was almost going
to lose his mind. He said to his uncle, ‘What
kind of a sick business is that. My brother was just a boy when I left. How
come you made him marry my wife?’ His uncle said that it was destiny. ‘The
young grow old; the old die.’ Then my friend asked him, ‘What are we going to do now?’ He thought that his uncle was going
to say something reasonable. He hoped that his brother would divorce her and he
would remarry his wife. He was planning this as he talked to his uncle. He
thought his brother would go somewhere else and the people of the town would
forget the matter later. He thought it was not his wife’s fault; she must have
thought he was martyred… As you can see, Major, the Corporal was ready to
forget what happened. He just wanted his wife back. He didn’t know what to do.
His wife said, ‘I don’t want a blind man.
I don’t want him to come back to the village anymore; he should just leave. What do you think he should have done, Major?
He couldn’t do anything about it. He left his village and never returned.”
Shaban sighed and there was silence. Then he asked Jamil, “Why do people discriminate, Sir? Why are
they not friendly to outsiders?”
Jamil sensed Shaban wanted to change the subject. “Why do
you ask that question, Shaban? Based on what?”
“I mean, it is the same for everyone, the Arabs, the Kurds,
people here in Akhisar, they are all discriminating against the others.”
“Are they not friendly towards the poor?”
“Yes, they especially discriminate against the soldiers.
They don’t like the regular army members. I told them there is conscription for
everyone; either they have served once in the army and forgot their army days
or they haven’t served yet. In the
beginning, when we were going to the fronts, people at least said ‘hello’. If
we ever asked for bread, there was someone who gave. But it changed after the
defeat. When we were coming back they were merciless. Even though the enemy was
chasing us the people didn’t open their doors to us. When we asked for a glass
of water they closed the door on our faces. All I know is ‘Don’t be defeated no matter what!’ We didn’t want to be defeated.
During the Great War, the people’s dislike for the army grew. I thought the
Arabs were better Muslims than we are because they are the descendants of the
Prophet’s people. But even the Arabs didn’t like us. We thought we were
fighting so hard so that the English wouldn’t enter the Arab desert where
there was no water and no shade. We fought until we died. What happened? Did the
Arab people say ‘Thank you’? No, I
don’t want gratitude from them. They were almost going to kill us on the way
back. They tried to kill us down to the last man. Why they were mad at us,
Major? Let’s say the Arabs don’t know anything; they are ignorant. Why did the
people of Akhisar not like us?”
_Destroyed_Turkish_transport.jpg){kind=spacer}
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinai_and_Palestine_campaign
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