The garden looked never better than now under Defne's golden hands and care!
It was the first weekend in November, but it bloomed with marigolds and autumn foliage, matching Defne's red silky hair!
Against the burgundy croton leaves dancing to the merry breeze, Omer could not make out, if it was her cute head that was bobbing up and down or the leaves.
He decided to treat the both of them with some cool and healthy sherbet made with honey dew melon, apples and pears sweetened just with the right amount of honey and dressed with fresh mint!!
The sherbet looked and smelled heavenly. He knew she was going to love it.
He couldn't wait to kiss those lips of his own honey, laced with honey dew melon and honey!
Slightly tapping his head with the spoon and wondering since when he had become such a mush, proceeded to the garden across from his kitchen.
Beautiful garlands of flowers poured through the pots hung up and onto the walls, making it look like a beautiful wall carpet.
A thought occurred to him; maybe he should capture it all in a painting!
"Here Defne, enjoy this slushie!"
He said handing her a glass of ice-cold refreshing drink and noted.
"Vaay bey, it looks like Gulhane park right here in our own backyard.
Ellerinize sağlık tatlum.... Health to your hands sweetheart."
He kept repeating that as he hugged her shoulders, with his right hand, as he sipped his drink with his left hand and looked at her very proudly to a 'blushing with glee' Defne!!
"Now, we can enjoy this garden until the sky decides to shed its white fluffy flurries!!
We will bring your yummilicious chorba and enjoy it under the stars, surrounded by this lovely foliage..."
She trailed off into her dreamland and abruptly turned around, bumping into his left arm, her nose right into the epicenter of his gorgeous green tattoo!
And looked up at him with wrinkled nose and sheepish looking eyes and muttered a cute, "Ayiiiii", as she rubbed her nose to a full mouthed mischievous looking Omer!
As he had promised himself, he swooped down and kissed those honey lips as soon as she had taken that first sip!
A nice sweet, long kiss.
Defne, much to his amusement, blushed and smiled and bit her lips.
And as though a brainwave had stuck her, she spoke up excitedly!
"Omer, I have an idea!"
"Soyle Askim!
Tell me sweetheart!"
He said hugging her close despite her squirmy giggles.
"How about, if we buy one of those portable fire pits?
That way, we can sit out with blankets and enjoy the outdoorsy weather till it snows, over the weekends?"
"Whatever you want sweetheart!
But, why only the weekend?
We can enjoy over the weekdays too.
You know right, I want you with me, 24x7.
All the time."
He came from behind, hugged her, bending down, cheek to cheek, clasping her waist, tenderly murmured into her ears.
"Do you think it's time I spoke to Annane about us?"
She jerked her head to take a proper look at him.
"Gerçekten mi?
Really?
Let's give it some more time Omer, I don't want it to become like last time.
I want everything to go really smooth.
Remember, one night on our way to Beyoğlu, I told you I am going to make you work for that muse thingy?
Yup, I am going to use that.
I need a proper proposal.
A fairy tale one!
All this talks with Annane will not do for me!"
She laughingly winked at him.
"Gel gel gel buraya... come here.
Izin ver sana sarılayım!"
Laughingly saying, he gathered her in a warm hug, each drinking out of the other's glasses;
Defne crinkling her nose and Omer closing his eyes and savoring her glass and declaring it was more refreshing than his!
He then suggested they take a break and look at the outcome of the garden.
They both decided, they loved it.
Defne with a lot of trepidation, walked towards him, taking his one free hand, brought it to her lips, kissed, on both sides of the palm and gently broached the topic of her work, with a thudding heart, praying hard that the conversation should go well.
"Omer... I have something very important to tell you."
And she looked up at his face, that was casually fixated on the crotons.
He gently swiveled towards her with a "soyle askim".
She tensed, but went ahead with it.
She had to.
A week had gone by, she told herself that she would tell part of it at least and slowly prep him and ease him into the Tramba matter.
"I am not sure how you will take it, but I can't hide it from you.
I have started my own venture: Defne Designs!
I don't have very many clients yet, but I strongly believe in garnering a few."
She paused, not able to handle the deathly silence that followed.
She could not even draw with this big dagger between Omer and her.
Now that it was out, she patiently waited for the storm. Nothing came.
Not even a sound.
Not even a reaction!
This was getting scarier by the minute.
"Omer, you are scaring me, tell me something!
Say something!"
She asked meekly, knowing her mistake, for not telling him a week ago, before starting!
She just looked up and prayed hard with closed eyes that he shouldn't be mad.
Just at that moment, he turned around on his heels and looked at her upward face with closed eyes.
"Defne Designs! Huh??
So, it must have been brewing in your head for some time? And you did not even open your mouth when I asked you to join Passionis?"
He sounded incredulously surprised and looked it too!! This is what she had been dreading all along!!
"Omer, I told you, I wanted to stand on my own two feet; This is what it was!
Had I told you, I would have had the company on a golden platter, served to me by you, of course with love.
It would have been every lover's dream.
Amaaa... but....
I wanted something different than that.
I wanted to set up everything from scratch."
She softly half cried, half reasoned, desperately trying to connect with him.
He had drifted off to another plane, filled with a sense of betrayal, anger and helplessness.
She knew that.
She gently took his hand, and stroked it gently, and told him.
"Omer, with great difficulty, we have come to this point in our lives.
I don't want this to be our breaking point.
Again!
Please understand from my point of view.
Don't be so quiet.
Try to look at it from my point of view.
Please... Lütfen!!"
She pleaded, resting his hand on her heart, ready to burst into tears.
He slowly turned towards her, his face etched with pain, asked her in a slow, deliberate voice.
"You are still living this mysterious life with me, Defne!
This was the very reason for our break up.
Do you not understand?
You are constantly hiding something or the other from me. There is never a trust factor, is there?
I trust you completely, I believe in you, and then boom, something happens!
Why can't we have a normal relationship like other people? I thought you were done with hiding things from me!!
I too don't want to quarrel with you, I would like to discuss this with you instead.
But right now, I also need some time and space.
I am hurt, that you hid something that was so important to you, such a huge milestone in your life and you didn't feel like sharing that with me, Defne?
With me?
Your lover?
Am I or am I not?
I think I need to think this through before I speak something in haste and later repent it."
He spoke with a finality in his voice!
"Omer ...
Aşkım...
Lütfan... please!
Don't say all those things!
En çok seni sevdiğimi biliyorsun değil mi?
You do know that I love you the most, don't you?
Ok, if you need time and space, I will gladly give you that. But don't decide anything without me being a part of your life.
I lived six miserable weeks without you, I am not sure if I can do that again.
Just know that I did not try and hide anything from you.
If I were to hide, would I have told you anything now?
I could have kept it hidden inside of me, right?
But I did tell you.
This week has been so hard for me.
I have been trying to balance everything.
I did not want to lose what we have either.
That was another reason, I kept quiet.
Lütfan aşkım .... please Omer!
Listen to me, listen to my heart one more time."
Seeing no reaction from him, she continued.
"Omer, please look at me aşkım...who doesn't have problems, you tell me.
Everyone faces something or the other.
All that I am asking is, just trust me and let me be.
I might tumble and fall.
Help me get up but let me continue on with my dream."
She pleaded going in circles hoping she made some sense to the perfect Omer, who, lost in his own thoughts, kept looking at the plants, his mouth mulling and chewing on something invisible, eyes crinkling with pain.
She hated, simply hated herself for ruining a perfect Saturday, maybe all her chances of a relationship, let alone a day!
She let out a pent-up sigh and finally said, resignedly.
"Ok, if you want time and space, take all that you want, but don't take too much time and shut me out of your life.
I don't think I can live with that.
Live without your love.
I am already under a lot of duress with the loan thing and I don't want this to add on to my stress, also.
I hope you will decide what is right for the both of us.
Shall I leave then?"
She asked the last sentence with her voice trembling!
When he did not move or say anything, she she hot tears of regret, went inside, washed her hands, and picked up her bag and quietly left the house.
When she opened the red door, she felt large droplets of her tears fall on the handle and her hand, she heaved loud with the saddest lump in her heart, tearing her soul to pieces.
She kept asking God why she always found herself at crossroads with the love of her life,Omer.
She looked up to the open door, outside the threshold to see Omer standing in front of her with outstretched arms ready to envelop her in a hug, Omer's hug!!
She was overjoyed and overwhelmed with love and all sorts of emotions.
She cried unabashedly and with muffled 'sorrys' just fell into his arms.
At that point, both knew that nothing could separate them. They stood there, with Defne sobbing quietly.
He simply picked her up straight, brought her on par with his face, and kissed her hard and deep.
She opened her mouth to receive him like that was all that mattered to her.
And that was all that mattered to her really!!
*****
Even the heavy drizzle could not stop them from their bout of kissing.
They just couldn't let go of each other.
He hugged her tight as though he wanted to paste her onto himself and she without resisting, sweetly complied by hugging his head and kissing him all over.
Defne went crazy, kissing her aşkım all over to him enjoying and receiving it with the happiest of grins plastered on his face.
Only when the clouds became dreary and dark and the droplets turned into a heavy downpour, he decided to carry her indoors, to the warm comforts of his living room.
Closing the front door, he took her hand and led her upstairs, leaving a small trail of water with each step they took.
She coyly followed him, Annane's words of caution ringing mildly in her ears.
Knowing his prude Defne, he seriously told her that she had nothing to fear.
They were strictly going upstairs to change and nothing else!!
She muttered "uh-uh" and thought "yeah right!"
Once they reached upstairs, he gave her his shirt and shorts which she took them with her to the bathroom and quickly changed so he could put her clothes into the dryer to dry.
He had already changed into his black baggy pants, and was waiting with a towel to dry her wet hair, sitting on the bed in a half pretzel form with his left leg dangling out.
Sweetly, blushing, she went up to him and he seated her on his lap and slowly started drying her hair.
Defne let out soft moans, as she enjoyed the lovely sensation of being wrapped in the hot towel and his warm circular motion of his hands, and she sleepily leaned onto his bare chest.
He stopped toweling her and simply hugged her and kept kissing her bare shoulders when the oversized t-shirt kept sliding down.
When she was lulled into sleep, he gently slid her next to him, she naturally took a fetal position.
He marveled at how quickly she slipped into a deep sleep, thinking it must be both due to physical exhaustion from all that gardening and mental exhaustion due to all that arguing and crying, he let her sleep and curled up next to her, both sleeping on his outstretched right arm and he enjoyed at how beautifully she fit into the curve of his body.
They happily slept through the small storm that took Istanbul into its descending laps of grey clouds and its pitter patter downpour!
*****
Neriman, sipping the resene/fennel tea was nervously calculating and hatching all possible combinations to get Omer back with Defne:
How much she had invested in that girl from the neighborhood!!
She had no class, and she, Neriman Iplikci had worked on grooming her, Defne, styling her, investing on all those expensive outfits and shoes, had taught her how to be around the elite, and that girl?
That girl had no respect for any of those.
She paid no attention to any of those!
Somehow, by luck, she had found her way into her nephew's heart!
Or else, she could have fixed her nephew with so many other elite alliances.
Her nephew ... ufff... he also, was such an iron man.
A man of steel!
What did Koray call him, aah, frozen water fall.
He was just that and seemed to melt only around that Defne, what did Koray call her again?
Kurukiz!!!
Great Combination!!
Kurukiz and frozen water fall!!
She continued to muse... if not for her father-in-law's clause, his bribery of his mansion, she would never have wasted her time to find all those alliances for her nephew!
And now to get Defne back into Omer's life!
It was all because of that mansion!
But grudgingly, Neriman had to agree that Defne was a class apart.
How quickly she had learnt whatever Neriman had thrown at her, latched on to it and had gone on to make Omer fall in love with her, and had had the nerve to take it all the way till the wedding!!
Neriman had been really astonished at that development that fast with that as tough as steel of a nephew!
Good the wedding had not happened, or else, it would have been a devil's task to get the girl out of Omer's life!
After all, Omer turned out to be just like his father, with simple taste reserved for a simple girl, like his own mother!
She, Neriman could never influence him and mold him her way, while growing up, after her sister-in-law Emine's death, she maliciously thought to herself.
All these musings went on in her head as she sat by the window, watching the gentle droplets fall in a steady rhythm on her window pane, until she heard the front door bell ring.
"Mineyyyyyyy!!"
Neriman screamed for her to get the door.
"I got it Anne cim"
Trotted down, Sude, opening with a gleeful greeting to a wet soaking Umbrella, almost hiding the stocky frame of Hulusi!
Neriman was so happy to see the otherwise depressed Sude, after the thankful fall out with Sinan, squeal with delight for the first time, but one sight at the front door, all the air in her lungs were pumped out and she turned waxen with fear!
Collecting herself quickly, she cooed greetings, and welcomed her father in law, simultaneously shouting orders at Miney to get that umbrella and clean the pool of water at the threshold.
"Buyrun, Buyrun Babacim!"
She smiled forcedly, she cooed forcedly, and dripped syrupy words farcely as she led his way into the living room.
"Necmi Naarde?
Where is that son of mine hiding?"
Hulusi asked rather impatiently, ignoring all her pretentious sweetness and welcoming his granddaughter, Sude, instead.
"Gel kizim, come on my dear granddaughter, come and sit next to your grandpa.
I am so glad you decided to come back to your home.
Your place is with your parents, but you are welcome to come stay with me whenever and however long you want to, Tamaammu kizim?"
Hulusi lovingly advised a quiet Sude, taking his seat, accepting the steaming cup of coffee from a smiling, respectful Miney with a thanks.
"Neriman, I came to find out the status of Omer's relationship."
He hit the bullseye by coming straight to the point after his first sip and glanced up to look at Neriman twitching in her seat, with her face contorting uncomfortably!
"Babacim... you know how Omer is.
He is rather hard to please.
I am not sure what is happening with him and Defne.
You know how these kids are, they are together today, and drift apart tomorrow.
We will get him Babacim.
We will get him Babacim.
San merak etme... don't you worry now."
"How do I not worry, Neriman, your six months are up and there is no sign of wedding bells, not even dating news of theirs.
What is happening??
I should have taken it on myself.
I thought you were all in touch, so you would convince him; Looks like I won't be able to see my grandson get married and live happily before I close my eyes!!
Should I intervene??"
Hulusi asked crassly to a frazzled Neriman and an agape Sude, who was listening to all this and going crazy with an overload of information.
She in turn couldn't wait for her grandfather to leave so she could take her mother to task for having kept her out of this juicy plot, of this heinous game!
She thought it to be too thrilling to be true!
After repeated assurance from Neriman, after a phone call to Necmi, him placating Hulusi, he calmed down.
After enjoying some tea sandwiches, hurriedly prepared by Miney, he decided to leave to thankful and relieved sighs of Neriman and Sude.
As soon as the front door shut out Hulusi in the safe havens of the streets outside, Sude attacked her mother and extracted all the heinous details of the kiralik ask game.
Miney kept making endless cups of tea and coffee, to stimulate instead of one, two masterminds who were at work at conniving and hatching sinister, shady plots on people close and not so close to them!
As soon as Koray joined the twosome making them a trio of three mean musketeers, Miney looked at them and knowing them too well, simply turned her nose and hid herself in the comforting confines of her kitchen until being summoned for more cookies and tea!
The plans she heard made her shiver with fear.
Was Sude hanim going to start working, for a guy called Mamba, the snake?
Or did she hear Tramba?
Vaay bey!
What plots were been hatched!
For once, she, Sude, was happy to be a small-time house help ... for sure!
********
Omer was hand in hand with Defne, running through meadows of jasmine, orange blossoms, and lavender, merrily to the rhythm of her laughter and the cool breeze wafting the pleasant perfume of the flowers throughout, under the canopy of the balmy sun, or so it seemed until he winked one of his eyes open to red shiny strands of silk gently tickling him to full consciousness.
Suddenly two pools of amber stared at him in utter fright, trying to comprehend the situation.
He decided to calm the owner of those mesmerizing pools of amber and the silky mane by captivating those luscious honey lips in a frenzy of a deep kiss.
Everything came swimming back to Defne's memory;
the gardening in the backyard, Omer's caresses, the refreshing sherbet, the painful confessing conversations, Omer's encompassing hug and that kiss in the rain!
Her mind mused if she, Defne had just dozed off in his arms in his bed?
And now, she was kissing him again?
She just turned towards him and nuzzled in his chest and put her arms around him, and entwined her ankles with his, locking them lest they should wander off hither-thither!
He smilingly hugged her closer and kept showering her head with small kisses, both wishing to live in this bubble forever;
One wishing for a life devoid of Tramba, the loan, and Neriman hanim;
And the other wishing for a content and an idyllic life with his Defne, maybe 2-3 kids running around chaotically in harmony!
But....
For now... he had her and she had him ...
********
The bubble popped when, Defne got a call from Nihan asking her whereabouts.
When she said, she was at Omer's spending the day with him, Nihan expressed interest in seeing her as she wanted to share couple pieces of great news with her.
She sounded like they were important and Defne reluctantly agreed to meet her later the same day, much to Omer's annoyance.
When Defne put the phone down, Omer, clearly annoyed, pulled her back on to his chest and clearly told her in so many words...
"Defne, you are mine today, for all that you told me this morning, you have to compensate by staying with me all night and tomorrow!"
"Uh-Uh, and who will explain to Annane?"
"I will, and I shall come asking for your hand too.
Let's get married Defne.
I promise, I shall give you a fairy tale proposal and a fairy tale wedding!
One that will go down in the history of Istanbul?"
"Marry me Tatlum and stay with me forever?"
He softly asked her, caressing her with his eyes and with his velvety voice, tantalizingly trailing his forefinger from the tip of her forehead to her navel.
"I will Omer!"
She said cupping his cheeks and looking deeply into his eyes as she tingled all over under his one mercilessly taunting forefinger and happily continued.
"And I will be the happiest bride in the whole of Istanbul, no no, the whole of this world.
Your only bride!
Give us some more time... hadi, the rain has stopped, I love the wet soil's smell.
Let's go to the garden and you shall make me your coffee."
She sat up, hopped over his calves when he pulled her down with a mock growl, for one last cuddle before throwing her on his back to her peals of laughter and heading down, carrying her.
*******
"Defne, shall I cook your favorite pasta?
Or shall we go out to eat?"
He sweetly asked as he placed a cup of coffee in front of her, stirring a cube of sugar just to her liking.
She smiled a thanks, smelled the coffee, the outside air and inhaled Omer' scent and took a sip of her poison, enjoying it to her heart's content!
She couldn't be disturbed with any questions.
When he brought his cup too and stood in front of her, as she was perched prettily on the counter, and rested his left hand on her thigh waiting for her answer, a thought struck him.
"Defne, tell me... who are your clients, do you have any?" The question popped out of his mouth at her, just out of the blue, the thunderbolt as in his question, hit her numbing her, as she stuttered on the coffee, which suddenly tasted acrid in her mouth.
"Hmmm...??"
She looked up with her saucer wide eyes, her knots returning to claim her tummy and her head space!
******
Omer's Green Slushy
Blend 1 green apple, 1 young green pear and 1/2 honey dew melon, peeled and diced with 1 cup of crushed ice, desired amount of honey or agave to your desired sweetness.
Pour the slushy in tall, iced glasses, serve immediately, garnished with this crisp green apple slices and mint!!