by Meltem Y. K
said, Have a wonderful evening!
Mother was leaning over to see the message. Ayshen just handed the note to her.
“I received a similar bouquet at the school this morning,” she said.
“Oh heavens!” Mother was ecstatic. “But he didn’t sign his name.”
“I am sure we’ll hear from him again, Mother. I have a feeling he is working his way to an introduction.”
Mother nodded enthusiastically.
“Apparently he saw me during a field trip yesterday and questioned my students about me.”
Mother sighed deeply; her eyes welled with tears.
“I have no idea who he is, Mother.”
“Of course you do. He is your Kismet. Remember Fatma Nene’s prophecy?”
“Right! How could I forget?”
“Where did you go on your fieldtrip?” Mother asked.
“We went to see the trains at the train station.”
Mother burst into happy tears. “Oh. My. God. It’s happening just like Fatma Nene said it would. She said he would work for the railroads - and you were at the train station yesterday.”
Ayshen paused for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts. It was true; the old woman had said those things. Trust her mother to remember every word.
“This is it then. I will get busy and prepare the house. He will come with his family in a few days.”
“Mother, get a hold of yourself. He sent me flowers; that’s all.”
Mother wiped away the tears from her face. She had no time to waste. There was work to be done. The house had to be prepared for the imminent arrival of a suitor and his family.
Ayshen could hardly eat her supper that night. She picked at her food and, thankfully, her mother did not push her. Mother was unusually quiet as she was making plans in her head. Apparently, she had filled in her husband on the events of the day; Father was also lost in his private thoughts. Ayshen’s grandmother smiled happily as she ate her dinner. The matriarch was ready to get her youngest grandchild married. It was a long time coming.
Ayshen hardly slept that night. She was torn between her logical side and the prophecy of the old woman she had seen a couple of months ago - for no other reason than to appease her mother. Was this only a coincidence, or were the predictions coming true? After tossing and turning for hours in bed, Ayshen finally fell asleep. Just before her alarm clock went off, Ayshen had a dream. In the dream, an intense body of light appeared and she heard Fatma Nene’s voice.
Do not be anxious, child. This is the one you’ve been waiting for.
Ayshen woke up immediately. Her heart hammered in her chest. Was she losing it?
There were no new flowers delivered to her at school that day, but Mother received a message. Visitors were coming to introduce themselves and ask for permission for their Son to date their Daughter. They would come Friday night, if that was okay with Mother and Father.
You are Welcome! Mother sent back the message and instructed Ayshen to go straight to the beauty salon and get her hair and nails done after school.
The mystical wheels of fate were turning and everything was falling into place.
Mother was elated.
Friday night the household was ready to receive the long anticipated visitors. God willing, all would go well and this visit would end in a happy and everlasting marriage; the wish of any sane parent for her child.
When the visitors arrived everyone was decked out in their best costumes and the house sparkled from hours of cleaning. Introductions were made and they settled in the formal sitting room to sip their coffee and munch on a variety of nuts, dried fruit, bonbons and Turkish Delight – the usual assortment of treats at such events when families came together to discuss a possible marriage between their offspring. They talked about the weather, the current state of political affairs, the economy, and politely informed each other on their respective backgrounds.
Everyone talked except Ayshen and Mehmet.
They listened to the polite chatter around them and eyed each other when they thought the other was not looking; then their eyes locked. Ayshen’s heart skipped a beat then hammered in her chest. She felt a blush heating her face. Thank God, her olive skin did not give away her embarrassment.
Mehmet nodded ever so lightly to her.
She returned the imperceptible nod.
Mehmet’s father proposed a chaperoned date.
Ayshen’s grandmother happily volunteered her services.
It was agreed; Mehmet would pick up Ayshen and her grandmother the next day and they would spend some time together.
The family took its leave. Everyone promised to stay in touch.
Grandmother pulled Ayshen aside. “I will be there for propriety’s sake,” she said. “You and Mehmet can talk about whatever you want.”
Both of them felt the connection; they were made for each other. As the matriarch of the family, Grandmother announced that Mehmet was an honorable man and could be trusted with Ayshen’s virtue. The couple was permitted to go on solitary dates. They enjoyed many outings with their families’ blessings. A verbal-engagement was announced to their family and friends while an elaborate engagement party was planned to be held on New Year’s Eve. Ayshen and Mehmet were married shortly thereafter, as the old mystic had prophesized.
The next time Ayshen saw Fatma Nene was three years later, when her mother had taken ill. Finding the old woman wasn’t easy, because she had moved. She wasn’t doing readings anymore. When Ayshen finally located her, Fatma Nene embraced her like a long lost relative.
“I have been waiting for you, child,” she said.
“I am sorry,” Ayshen said. “I should have come back to thank you. Everything turned out just like the way you said it would. I have been busy these last few years, having babies and working. I was hoping you would do a reading for me.”
Fatma Nene reached for her silver bowl. Even though she wasn’t doing readings anymore, her bowl was nearby. She filled it with holy water and gazed.
The floodgates opened again.
“Your mother is ill,” she said.
Ayshen’s eyes filled with tears.
“There is no cure. She has reached the end of her time on this Earth.”
Tears ran down Ayshen’s face.
“There isn’t much doctors can do for her. The family should make her comfortable, which is all you can do.”
Ayshen nodded as she wiped the tears.
“Your husband is thinking about leaving Turkey and moving to another country. He is not saying anything now, because you are worried about your mother. He will bring it up later, when things have settled down. Your destiny is there, child. Do not fight it. Take your children and follow your husband to the new country. It will be a happy life for you there.”
“This is so overwhelming,” Ayshen said.
“You are strong, child. You will manage.”
“What about my father?”
The old woman gazed into the water again. “He will follow his beloved wife to the Other World.”
Ayshen burst into tears. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
“It is the way of this world, child; the cycle of life.”
She gently lifted Ayshen’s face and wiped away the tears.
“I have a gift for you,” she said. She took Ayshen’s hands and held them in between her own wrinkled ones. She closed her eyes, as her lips moved silently. Ayshen felt a flash of heat engulf her hands and spread into her entire body. She looked at the old woman for an explanation. What was happening to her?
“I have passed on my Gift to you,” she said.
The old woman emptied her silver bowl, wiped it dry and gave it to Ayshen.
“This is yours now. You will be able to see the answers you seek here, in this bowl.”
“How?” Ayshen asked. “I have no idea what you do or the prayers you say to make it work.”
“You ask the question in your heart. The answers will be shown to you in the water.”
“
Where will I find holy water to fill the bowl?”
“You will make your own, child. It is easy.”
“Nene, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you will honour the tradition and keep the sacred art alive. Years ago, an old man passed his Gift to me; I now give it to you. You will be part of something magnificent one day. You will use your gift to help change the world.”
Ayshen was overcome with emotions. So much was revealed to her in the span of a few minutes. Her head was spinning.
“You can do this, child. Guard your Gift carefully and use it wisely. Live an honest life and embrace the Light.”
“Nene, you speak in riddles.”
“I speak what I must disclose to you. You will learn the way of mystics. The seed is in you now. Let it grow.”
The next day Ayshen went back to see the old woman; she had so many questions to ask her. The neighbours told her that Fatma Nene had quietly passed away in the night. Ayshen understood that the old mystic had lived only long enough to pass on her Gift to the next chosen one - her time and responsibilities in this World were done. She had passed the baton to the next generation and moved on to the Other World.
Fatma Nene’s death marked the first of many death’s in Ayshen’s life. As prophesized Ayshen’s parents passed away within months of each other. She felt like she was in the eye of a storm.
The storm did not settle until Ayshen was uprooted from her native Turkey and relocated to North America. She didn’t object when her husband started talking about immigrating. Mehmet was expecting strong resistance to the immigration idea, but Ayshen simply nodded her consent and started packing. She knew better than to fight Fate. She knew where her destiny
