A love reborn from the ashes.

7 - There next to her

Can

I moored my boat at Old Yusuf's marina, I couldn't believe my luck. My mind suggested that maybe it would be better to go back to sea, maybe there was an unpleasant truth waiting for me soon, for example a boyfriend or worse a husband. But my heart didn't want to know, it had found its place in life, its peace and in no way could I persuade it to let it slip away.

Once on the pier I hurried to help old Yusuf load the nets ready for the afternoon's fishing. While I was busy on the small fishing boat, out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement from the nearby cottage, Sanem was coming out holding the baby in his arms. My heart skipped a beat, I stopped as if intoxicated, unable to move for a moment I stood there watching the love of my life raise her face to offer it to the caress of the sun with a sweet expression of pleasure.

As I saw her take the stroller and head towards us, I redeemed myself from that state of trance and made sure to have my back to her while trying not to let Yusuf notice my maneuvers. I hurriedly got off the boat, climbed into my boat and went down to the galley trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

My heart was pounding, hearing his voice after a year away was like a thirsty man finding an oasis in the desert.

- Günaydın uncle Yusuf, we are going to the store, do you need anything?" I heard her ask the old fisherman in a cheerful voice.

- Günaydın, teşekkür ederim canim, thank you dear, I don't need anything. Do you want me to keep the baby here with me while you go shopping? -

- Hayir, no, uncle, teşekkür ederim, the young man really needs to take a nice walk, see you, görüşürüz -

I realized that he was moving away, I waited a few moments to return to the bridge, the first thing I noticed were the attentive eyes of old Yusuf that did not miss a movement of mine. To get rid of the embarrassment I invited him to have a çay, a tea, on my boat to thank him for his hospitality. My mind was lost behind Sanem, my Sanem, to his voice that had brought a part of my heart back to life.

I sat down with Yusuf handing him a cup of the drink that, since she was no longer making it, no longer had any taste for me. The old man asked me where I came from, where I was going, what I was doing in life. I tried to answer him truthfully, trying to be evasive just enough. I asked him for information on how I could move to the city where I needed to get spare parts for the boat as well as various supplies. He suggested that I use his old car, which he used very little.

I couldn't believe the generosity of this man, I had forgotten the traditional hospitality of the Turkish people, it was something I had grown up with but, after traveling the world, I still found it almost inconceivable. I offered to help him at sea and maybe do some repairs to his cottage in the time I had lost so I could thank him in some way.

Yusuf looked at me for a long moment without speaking, I didn't understand what he was thinking, then a wide smile spread across his wrinkled face and I didn't really understand what had happened, but I had the distinct feeling that I had made a friend in this life.

I stayed on my boat to do some minor repairs while I waited impatiently for her return, I heard her coming before I saw her. She was singing a happy song to the little one as she pushed the baby carriage loaded with groceries toward home. My instinct was to run down to the mainland to help her while all I did was try to hide among the trees and sails, continuing to watch her without being seen.
She entered the house without suspecting anything but surely my maneuvers did not go unnoticed by old Yusuf. I tried to keep my head and continued with my maintenance work, pretending that nothing had happened.

We went out to sea in the early afternoon, almost with regret I saw the coastline and the small cottage that contained my heart moving away. I tried to keep my word by helping that old man who had been so generous and who I saw every now and then laying an intent gaze on me, as if he wanted to get a better idea of what was going through my mind.

We stopped offshore to cast our nets, all that remained was to wait until it was time to pick them up with the precious cargo that Allah would give us. I couldn't help looking at that little red dot on the coast that meant so much to me until I winced at a question so direct that I never expected it.

- What binds you to Sanem?

The old man's question resounded like a rifle shot in the silent sway of the boat. What to answer? If he had asked me such a precise question, Yusuf must have guessed much more than I would have wanted to let on.

I turned to look at him with a gaze full of regret, anguish, fear and regret, I couldn't think of a plausible story and, honestly, I didn't feel like lying to the wisdom of those eyes that looked at me intently.

I sighed and could only answer honestly - Aşk, love, çok aşk, so much love -

He didn't expect such a sincere answer, he looked at me for a long time without speaking, his gaze moving between me and the point on the coast where Sanem's cottage was located. After a long sigh he said:

- We have time, start telling from the beginning if you don't mind -