Erkenci Kus, The Continuing Story

Take me to the Sea

Poem by Joanna Kurczak

Hours later my phone rings to wake us both. Can finds my phone and checks the Caller ID as he runs his fingers through my hair attempting to wake me up. That was just keeping me lulled in sleep. I love when he plays with my hair. But when I feel his body tense and I hear him say "Bok Yaa '' at my ringing phone, I pick my head up off of his chest and sleepily look at him with a question in my eyes. He turns my phone to me, so that I can see the Caller ID: Stephen Kinsingtin: Kinsingtin Publishing House. "Blue Eyes is calling you!"

Dreamers have a way of making dreams come true. Today Can and Sanem landed in the Galapagos Islands, making their dreams come true together. They have traveled 16 hours on a flight from New York to Guayaquil, Ecuador, then taken a short 2-hour flight from Guayaquil to Baltra Island, Galapagos, arriving after midnight.

Can arranged for a boat to be waiting at the dock, fully loaded with all of the supplies they will need when they reach Can's island home. They will spend the night on the boat and wait for the morning light before they set off to their final destination. While Can is making sure everything is in order with the supplies and the boat, he calls his staff at the house. He wants to make sure everything will be ready when they arrive to the place they will call home while they are together on the island.

Sanem is walking around in a daze. The atmosphere of the Galapagos is far different than she thought. She had imagined it would be more tropical, but since it was still dark out, she could not see very far. The last several hours on the airplane, the day had already turned into night so it was dark when they landed. She could not see anything of the landscape. Curious, she decides to walk around and explore a little bit while Can is busy with final preparations. Can cautions her to stay close and keeps a sharp eye on her everywhere she goes. Suddenly she lets out a blood curdling scream and runs full speed for Can. He catches her in mid-air, searching her terrified face as she holds on tightly and tries to climb higher up his body squealing in fright.

"Can! Can! There are dragons here. Horrible ugly dragons, chasing meeee!" When Sanem says the word "me", she escalates the "e" into an elongated, high-pitched squeal.

Can looks to where Sanem has run from and she is right. Meandering up the road is indeed a small dragon! In actuality, it is known as a Galapagos Marine Iguana. Can throws his head back and laughs loud and heartily. "Ahhh, Sanem. They are a scary looking lot but mean you no harm. They are iguanas and even though they look fierce, they only eat plants.

"He playfully bites at Sanem like he would take a real bite out of her. "You are in more danger of being eaten by me." Peering into Can's playful face, she looks unsure then squirms to get down. "Are you sure you want to get down? The Dragon might get you and I do like to carry you." His playfulness gentles as he runs his nose along hers, taking a breath from just below her ear.

Sanem complains while waving an arm wildly in the air. "Ufff yaaa, Caaan, you make fun of me. Who would ever expect such an animal to be walking up the road?" Can laughs loudly again, "Allah, Sanem, you are adorable.

"Setting her feet back down on the ground, he picks up his backpack and brushes off the dirt. When Sanem had jumped into his arms, he had tossed his camera bag down but picked it up again to carefully inspect it. Distracted with his camera bag, he casually says, "An iguana is a reptile, like a big lizard." Can looks up from inspecting his camera bag to meet Sanem's unexpected silence and frosty gaze. Shaking his head quickly from side to side, he raises his shoulders and gives Sanem a questioning glance. "Thank you, Mr. National Geographic," she says, pouting as she jumps onto the waiting boat. Can laughs out loud again and boards behind her.

"Are you hungry, Canim? I am starving. It's been a very, very long day." Can follows as Sanem moves to the front of the boat where she discovers a beautiful candlelight dinner ready for the two of them. A beautiful table is set with burning candles, white wine, a basket of bread so fresh you can smell it, plates of meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits, and a bowl of chocolates. The stereo is playing, "Ay Tenli Kadin by Ufuk Beydemir," the song very dear to Can's heart and Tugkan's Kirmizi. It is followed by "A Deck of Cards by David Boone" and a full playlist of Can and Sanem's favorite songs.

"Ohhh, Caaaan, this is so beautiful! Çok Romantik, Caaan." Sanem goes to Can and circles her arms around his waist, laying her head to rest on his chest and tucking her head under his chin. Can folds his arms around Sanem and hugs her close to him. "Can, how do you manage to create such beautiful, exciting, and romantic moments. We have just arrived." Can holds his phone up and taps the side of his head with it. "I have everything I need, Meleğim, my phone, a brain, and a heart for loving you."

While he is speaking, Can pulls Sanem close in his arms, takes her hand and holds it over his heart. His other hands moves up from her waist to pull her even closer against him, and runs that hand up her mid-back to stop over her heart. Closing his eyes, he begins to move them to the music in a slow and gentle dance. Just the two of them together on a boat, on the sea, under the Galapagos full moon.

They danced for several songs in a state of absolute bliss. Every song brought back a memory for the two of them. They were present to the fact that they had made it. They were together, just the two of them, dancing under the moonlight, under a million stars in the Galapagos. The place that this story, their love story, has always been meant to go. It was surreal. An incredibly special time to be captured because destiny has met with reality.

Can could feel Sanem's tears wetting his shirt and reached up to dry his own eyes. They both had to laugh. "If I kiss you now, I am afraid I won't be able to stop," said Can, his voice carrying the dreamy tone that always made Sanem swoon inside. "It will be light soon and we both need to eat, so shall we? We want to take care of you so that you don't get sick again from traveling through several time zones.

"Can guided Sanem over and slid her in to sit on one side of the table and scooted into the seat across from her. Lifting the cushion from the seat next to him uncovered a hidden cooler. Taking out two bottles of chilled water, he put a bottle of wine into the cooler. "It is so late and we need to drink water right now to re-hydrate. Let's save this for a few days. Okay?" he asked. Looking up, he saw Sanem watching his every move, smiling with her eyes aglow, and it literally took his breath away. Sharing a meal has always been one of their favorite ways to spend time together. Tonight it seemed to be extra special, even magical. They ate their meal and listened to the music as the boat rocked them gently on the water. They laughed together feeling full of the joy and happiness they found in each other.

Before too long, Sanem was yawning and wiggling in her seat. "Come," Can said. "Let me take you to bed." Sanem replied drowsily, "Oh, please, not yet. Let's just watch the stars a little longer. It is just so beautiful, so calm, so peaceful..." Her voice trailed off as she tipped herself over to lay back on the cushion and look up at the sky.

"Sevgilim, have you ever seen so many stars?" Sanem asked Can, so softly he barely heard her as she traced their initials across the sky with her fingers in the air. He sat back and smiled, watching her, knowing that in a few seconds, she would be sound asleep.

Can got up and cleared the food away. He lowered the table that connected the two bench seats together, making it into a solid platform. Laying the cushions flat over what now became the base of a bed, the front of the boat was transformed into a floating bed under the night sky. The weather was clear and beautiful making it the perfect night to sleep outside. Gathering blankets and pillows from below deck, Can created a cozy bed for him and Sanem. He poured himself a Scotch on the rocks and enjoyed watching her sleep with the moonlight dancing across the surface of her skin. Soon he crawled into the cozy nest to join her for some much needed rest after their long travel day.

Slipping his arm under her pillow, he gathered her into his embrace and curled his body around hers. After being under the blankets for a while, her body had become very warm and felt wonderful against his chilled skin. He snuggled further in under the covers and pulled the pillow out from under her head so she rested directly on his arm and against his chest. As the boat gently rocked them through the night, Can drifted off to sleep and rested with Sanem in their perfect nest of blankets. The dawn greeted them to a new day and welcomed them to their new life.