On Vosporous

Part 1 Adamites *

The plane took off in the cloudy sky of Istanbul. Onur looking out of the window noticed a few raindrops on the glass; Even God is sad he thought. Like that day.. The day they parted at the train station it was raining profusely. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly.

"Father .. Are you okay?" Onur opened his eyes and looked at his son but before he could answer Yusuf leaned over and shook his hand. 
"Maybe you should not have traveled. My presence at the funeral is enough ...".   Onur abruptly let go of Yusuf.
- "I want to say goodbye to her .. To see her .. For the last time ..." he said with a clenched jaw in his attempt to look strong.
- "Okay dad, calm down." he reassured him. "Do you want to drink something to relax?" Onur nodded and leaned forward looking pensively at the window. His son knew  that made no sense to insist and left him alone.
He asked from a flight attendant for a plain coffee and when she served it to him he drank a few sips watching his father who was lost in thought. Onur watched the rain from the window remembered the days when he and Morpho,  as young children, were playing in the neighborhood, when they flew the kite that her father had made, the afternoons in the port that counted the boats that left. On Sundays when their families ate together, on the mornings they went hand in hand to school. Every day their friendship grew stronger until adolescence something changed. He was only 17 and Morfo 16 .
Her cat had just given birth  in the backyard and the meows of newborn kittens stirred the neighborhood. He ran to the yard and found her lying on her knees with two or three of the kittens in her arms. Her long brown hair fell lightly on her shoulders. She looked at him with her bright black eyes reddened by her joy. He knelt beside her to caress the kittens, one of them hung blindly in her hair and Onur approached to catch it. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath. He did not understand how but he kissed her. Her rose petal soft lips had the sweet taste of honey. He stopped the kiss scared.
- "Forgive me Morfo .. I.."
Morfo then leaned on his chest and listened to his heart. Surprised, she looked him in the eyes and then took his hand and rested it on her left breast. Her heart was pounding as fast as his heart.
- "Do you feel that way? Why do they hit like that? Do you also feel fluffy in the stomach?" asked.
"I think ... I think it's ... Love," Onur admitted.
"Love.. I .. you ... We love each other? But we are friends .." Her innocent mind was trying to process these unprecedented feelings.
Onur grabbed her hand that rested on his chest and braided their fingers.  "Do you want to be my beloved ?" He asked without taking his eyes off her face. Morpho looked at their joined hands. She shook Onur's hand and smiled timidly. Nothing more was needed, Onur got the answer he was waiting for. That afternoon they became a couple, secretly from everyone because even though their parents were dear friends they knew they would not accept this relationship. He was  a Muslim
and she was a Christian. This relationship would lead to a rupture between the two families. They enjoyed their love for three months, so their relationship lasted. It all ended that September. Onur remembered her house burning,  and Morpho's  little brother Diamantis who was trapped in the flames. That afternoon you saw nothing but destroyed houses, businesses, the wounded. The mourning of the survivors echoed throughout the mahala. The following days passed with unbearable pain for the Hatzis family , since in addition to their destroyed property they also had to face the loss of their son. Fortunately, Onur's parents hosted them until the moment they left for Greece.  Their last Night Onur could not sleep, he was so sad that he would lose his beloved.
He was praying for a miracle at the moment the door to his room opened and Morpho stood barefoot on the doorstep with only her long white nightgown. She went ahead and locked the door behind her. Onur went to get up but  she overtook him and stood in front of him. Without saying a word, looking him in the eyes, she opened her nightgown with trembling hands and let it fall to the floor. The faint light of the oil lamp which hanging on the wall illuminated her naked body and made his heart fly out of his chest. "Love me," she begged. That night for the first and last time they became one.
Onur never forgot the taste of her kisses, her soft skin that trembled at his touch, the smell of her hair. The next day he said goodbye to his beloved at the train station. He watched her board the train, greeting him behind the window until the train became a dot on the horizon. His only consolation is her letters, one letter every week. His father bought a part of Hatzis's share in the company and so the Hatzis family had no difficulty arriving in Athens.
After they found a place to stay, they set to work. They opened their own jewelry store / workshop which later became a branch of the "Bosphorus Treasure" and their families continued to work together. Over the years Onur and Morpho found a way to communicate and learn about each other, even as they built their lives with other persons. Onur married Melek who was really an angel and gives him two beautiful boys but Morpho was not so Lucky because the man she married turned out to be cheater and a swindler. As soon as his dirt was revealed, he left her with two babies in her womb. Morpho raised her twin children with the help of her parents, giving to her twins her paternal name. And when her parents left this vain world she took the reins of the business in her hands and managed to bring it to the top. And Onur's life, however, was not paved with rose petals. He lost his wife and youngest son three years ago.
A relative of Melek died and his son Mert and Aise his daughter in law offered to accompany her to the funeral because Onur and Yusuf were on a business trip. Unfortunately, when they returned from the funeral, a truck lost control and crashed into Mert's car. The deaths of Mert and Aise were instantaneous while Melek succumbed to her injuries two days later. On the day of the funeral, Onur felt like he was  dead/ alive. Until the moment  a figure stood out in the crowd. Morpho.. She was older now but as always delicate, charming. Her eyes were black and bright, her once brown hair now had a silver / gray color and were tucked in a low chignon. She approached him to grieve. He hugged her and felt his body come alive. Morpho stayed in Istanbul for a month. She stayed with him for a whole month to ease his pain. In the mornings they walked to the port, drank tea and ate simit** that they got from street vendors. They talked for hours,  remembered the years when as children they wandered around the port, their toys, their secret meetings.
In the evenings they dined at the hotel where Morfo was staying, looking out of the window at the Bosphorus. Until it was time for Morpho to leave. "I have children and grandchildren Onur, they need me as much as your son and your grandchildren need you, especially Kerem who lost his parents.
After all, we will not get lost now that we are together "she comforted him and bent down and kissed him on the mouth.
every morning as soon as she woke up she would call to say good morning to him before everyone else and in the evening he called to tell her how he had spent his day and saying goodnight.
But this morning his phone did not ring. He waited impatiently to hear her voice, but in vain. It was noon and she still hadn't called yet, he was worried. He decided to call her. Her daughter answered the phone and informed him that her mother had died. Her heart stopped while she slept. He felt like he was losing ground. Literally.  Yusuf found him unconscious in his office and as soon
he regained consciousness he
asked no!!!he demand from his son to book a seat for the next flight to Athens. Yusuf insisted on accompanying him, otherwise he understood that his father needed him.
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As soon as they arrived in Athens, they left their luggage at the Hotel that they will spend the night. His son suggested  Onur to rest for a while but he insisted to go to Morfos' house. He bought a bouquet of white roses and called a taxi to take them to Piraeus, to the maisonette where she lived with her family.
The large barred door of the courtyard was wide open and a coffin cover was placed at the entrance of the house next to the door. At the sight of this, Onur felt frozen. He took a deep breath and rang the bell. A petite woman with dark brown hair and pale, sad face opened the door . She introduced herself to them as Morpho's daughter in law and led them to the living room where the rest of the family was. In the middle of the room was placed the coffin with Morpho and next to it a small table with a lighted candle. Two or three elderly women, probably relatives of Morphos, were praying around her and crying. Onur recalled that while Greeks were still living in his neighborhood, he had attended this traditional farewell ritual. He stood over the coffin and looked at his beloved. She was pale, her silver-gray hair fell lightly on her shoulders, calm and beautiful as always. He left the flowers in her icy hands, bent down and kissed her forehead and whispered "have a good trip my love, wait for me very soon we will be together."
************************************
"Mr. Onur, I don't know what to say ... you made a whole journey to say goodbye to my mother ..."  Apostolos said obviously devastated.

-"Your mother and I grew up together.
She was very important to me," Onur admitted.  They were  in the dining room drinking cognac. With them were Yusuf, Amalia Apostolo's twin  and his wife Katerina.
- "I can't believe it .. I think this is all  a bad dream" ...
Amalia said wiping  her tears.  My manoula(mum) ... "she said and leaned on her brother's shoulder.  Apostolos hugged  and whispered words of consolation to her.
"We're shocked," said Katerina. "It was so sudden ... Apostolos tried to stay calm and arranged the funeral. Amalia and I were so upset .. We were not even able to inform friends and relatives.
Fortunately, my daughter took on this issue. My son  also  lives in London, and his flight was a delayed. My niece has gone to pick him up ... "
- "I know exactly what you are going through, we went through the same storm. I want you to know that whatever you need we will be by your side ..." Yusuf tried to comfort them. "Thank you Yusuf,"  Apostolos said excitedly. At that moment the door from the dining room opened and a girl appeared. Onur looked at her in shock. In front of him was a faithful copy of Morfos. It was like morpho at her  late 20's. The same black eyes, rosy lips ... Same long brown hair with the difference that Morfo's hair was straight  while this woman's hair was curly.
- "Oh! Here you are" Apostolos said extended his hand to her. The girl walked towards them and stood next to  Apostolos and held his hand tightly.
-"Onur bay, let me introduce you  my daughter Emy.  Morfo Junior ... "he said proudly.
" Onur bay  is our partner  and here is his son Yusuf. They came as soon as they learned for your grandma's death... "
- "Welcome" The girl answered.     "Thank you my girl, I'm only sorry that we meet each other under such circumstances," Yusuf said.
Onur, who had been looking at her in shock all this time, regained his strength and took her hand.
-"You're .. You're her granddaughter .. Have her wish my child" he said without taking his eyes off her.  "Thank you," she replied.
-"She has her wish and her grace"  Apostolos said. "Emi works in the creative department of the company. She graduated from the School of Silver and Goldsmithing in Dimitsana. It is the best school in Greece and in Europe. The best silversmiths have passed through this school. Emy designs and manufactures jewelry. In our latest line of jewelry, some of the designs were hers". he added with pride.
-"Daddy ..." cried Emy, who felt uncomfortable talking about her.
-"Are you really design on the latest jewelry line?" Onur asked
-"Yes," she admitted shyly. "But lately  I am dealing with semi-precious stones and their properties. In the future I want to create a series of jewelry made of semi-precious stones with the aim of their healing properties," she added, slowly feeling familiar.
-"Most women are interested in jewelry from an aesthetic point of view .. Maybe even for the value of jewelry. This approach is very interesting. I would like to know more about this subject" Onur admitted. This girl got him interested.
- "Father, this is not the time for such a discussion. They have to manage their grief. And you are tired ..
I think it 's time to leave, let the family prepare for tomorrow' s funeral and go to the hotel to rest ... "Yusuf intervened.
This time Onur did not object, after all he felt exhausted; psychologically and physically. He said goodbye to Apostolos and his family and made his way back to the hotel. In the car he was thinking about his Morpho. Her image in the coffin was swirling in his mind. And then his mind went to Emy, the living copy of Morpho. This girl was not only the same as Morfo in appearance but they also looked  same in finesse, she was creative and full of life like Morfo in her youth.
He arrived at the hotel where he had lunch with his son without much appetite and went to bed relatively early. He found it difficult to sleep as the events that took place throughout the day did not allow him to calm down. Finally, after several hours, the fatigue prevailed, which due to his age was enough and he fell into a deep sleep.

*Adamitis: Clears the chaos by putting things in their place.

**Simit:Simit is a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds or, less commonly, poppy. It's a famous traditional snack on Greece and Turkey.