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“But why do it at all? The girl is dead and gone Why would you mutilate a poor woood to her or to science, it is monstrous”
The professor interrupted me quickly:
“My friend Afif, I pity your heart, wounded by sorrow and love I respect your feelings However, there are so s that you do not know You shall learn about theh they are unpleasant, you will thank me Afif, my son, you have worked and lived withfoolish, against conscience or law? Let me remind you of a s Sadan as she was about to die, you were angry with me But did you not see how Sadan thanked me for it with her beautiful eyes and her weak voice once she regained consciousness? Did she not kiss my hand and commit Turan to my protection? You have believed in e and horrible incident Now, my child, I want you to continue to trust me for a week or two more!”
He stopped for a minute Then he continued solemnly:
“My son Afif, there are strange and terrible days before us Let us not be two, but one, so that we ood end Will you not have faith in me?”
I took the hands of ood intentions I did not doubt I kissed his hands and, withstanding intense emotions, promised that I would listen to him and trust him
The next day Turan called before noon The grief over his father and lover had had a noticeable effect on this youngas a rock! A few moments later, Resuhî Bey also joined us and we dined at my home The old doctor had the compassion almost of a father for Turan After a short tier At dinner the doctor said to Turan:
“I know you were very angry atSadan; however, both you and I were correct You could not have trusted me and I could not have acted any other way But one day I shall ask for your absolute and total trust Prepare yourself for that moment Later you shall thank me, both for your own sake and for the sake of your loved one Remember that Sadan has entrusted you to ates of the truth are opened to those who are soon to meet with death
“From now on, you are a son to me like Afif We all knew the Major Turan Bey who rose to fale in Anatolia; but now I ask for the right to call you sih you were my son”
Turan sprung fro hands of the professor Resuhî Bey continued in a manner that I did not understand:
“Turan, I was just telling Afif that we have gone through a great deal Especially you; you are in aposition than either of us However, there areepisodes—ahead of us But if alk together to the end, ill see the light at the end of the tunnel”
I alot to write here: Doctor Resuhî Bey told ical knives would not be necessary for the present
From Güzin Hanim’s Diary
20 September—How short the time has been since the first entry in ood and bad, between these dates When I wrote those first lines, Az with the sorrow of not hearing from him Now Azmi has returned, I have become his wife, and dear Rifat Bey has passed away and been buried Azer of the business However, he has still not fully recovered One particular incident occurred a day ago that put hiain Now I record it in my journal, which has been my confidant in sad and lonely times
Two days ago, near evening, I forced Azet up from his desk, as the weather arm and very pleasant, and I took hilu, to get so the Straits, the Sea of Marmara, Çamlica, and the Prince Islands, and the beautiful blue currents of the Bosphorus that have flowed for centuries Sitting there in silence for half an hour refreshes and strengthens the soul considerably So I took Azazed at the Marmara currents, Azmi suddenly clutched my arm and muttered, “Oh my God!” I turned my head instantly His face had turned pale His eyes were like those of a child who has seen so And those hard eyes were fixed on a tall, slim, hawk-nosed man with a blackintently at a beautiful young girl He was so focused on the girl that he did not notice us looking at him Therefore I had the chance to observe him for some time His face was hard, cruel, and—how should I put this?—almost lustful His excessively red lips made his teeth appear even whiter, and they were pointed like an animal’s Azmi stared at hiht notice and said: