On Vosporous

Part 6 Garnet*

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"My parents worked at your grandparents' house. My mother in the kitchen and my father took care of the garden and brought the shopping to home." Melis explained to Emy.

She had completely recovered from the shock and was now taking her tea with the other women.
"Morfo and I were born in the same house a few days apart. Unfortunately my mother died as soon as I was born. In those years there were no maternity hospitals and specialized doctors. The midwife of the area came to the houses to give birth to the women. One mistake was enough to lose the baby or the Mother.. Anyway .. Your great-grandmother loved my mother very much and took care of me. She  even breast feed me. We drank the same Milk with Morpho, we slept in the same crib. Growing up we shared the same clothes.
Until those uprisings took place .. The pogrom as they say. The neo-Turks burned the mansion of the Hadjids. Diamantis, your grandmother's brother did not manage to leave the house .. My father came in to save him and he was trapped too. "
She stopped for a moment because the memories brought a sob to her throat. Emy shook her hand.
"I'm sorry I didn't know ..." she said apologetically. "It is terrible what happened. Your father was sacrificed for my family."
Melis wiped her tears and looked at her tenderly.
"Thanks to your great grandparents I survived
The least my father could do was save their child as she saved his own child," Melis replied.
"Before they left, the Hatzi's asked from Emiroglou's to keep me with them. Onur had me as his sister. He helped me study, I married and when I was widowed he took me to his house and here i stay," she concluded.
"And your children? Where are they?" Emy asked.
"I don't have children but I was lucky enough to raise his grandchildren
and I love them like my own "
The woman answered and caressed the head of Ezra who was sitting to her right.
"And we love you so much" Esra said with a smile.
"My beautiful little girl," Melis said, giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead.
"You were and you are an angel. You did not bother me at all .. And the boys were very good children, although a little lively .." she added and then she suddenly realized that the men of the house had not returned yet.
" Seida where are the boys and Yusuf?" asked.
"Yusuf is in the company but he'll come for dinner. Cem went for a walk with Kerem to calm down." Seida explained.
"Calm down? From what? He left his future wife and took to the streets," Melis said.
Seida left her glass on the table.
"he was shocked " she replied as she sank into her chair and leaned her head back exhausted.
Suddenly she raised her head sharply and looked at Melis suspiciously.
"What did you just say? Did you know that my father-in-law wanted to marry Cem with Emy ?"
"Of course I knew," Melis replied calmly. "I was a witness when he wrote his will"

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Seida held her head  with both  of her hands and took walks in the living room.
"You knew what Onur intended to do and instead of preventing him ... You agreed with him and became a witness in the will," she finally said. "Do you understand what you went through and did?" Cried.
"Of course," replied the old woman without a trace of remorse.
"And now that I know Emmy up close, I see that I did the right thing," she said proudly.
Seida closed her eyes and tried to regain her composure, while Ezra chewed a cookie and watched what was happening with interest.

"I don't believe what I hear .. We're talking about the life of two people .. You decided to marry two people without asking them ... And let's leave Cem aside for a while .. Did you asked Emy before you got her involved in all this .. Maybe the girl has a relationship? ... "Seida burst out.

Melis turned and looked calmly at Emy, who had been drinking her tea awkwardly all this time.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" She asked her.
"No..." the girl managed to say but the old woman didn't let her finish.
"See the girl is free. So no problem," Melis said in Seida who"s fell at once in the chair behind her.
" I think I 'm talking on a wall "she said indignantly
"I don't understand why you behave as if the end of the world has come ..." Melis replied
" Emy is a fine girl cultured, from a good family, beautiful ..." she said and caressed the girl's face. "
" Mrs. Melis ... You have to understand .. I can't marry someone who's  in fact a stranger ..." said Emy