Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

by Anne-Rae Vasquez



  Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

  Why do you shame your family?

  adapted into an award winning feature film

  Anne-Rae Vasquez

  ~~~

  __________

  AR Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described here are purely fictional and in no way represent or resemble real life events, places or people.

  Almost a Turkish Soap Opera. Copyright © 2010 by AR Publishing www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com

  Cover graphic design by Gabriel Lascu

  Edited by Dwayne Edmonson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

  For Joseph whose stories inspired me to write this book and for helping it become an award winning feature film and web series. And for Adel and his wife, the corner stone of their family.

  The novel was adapted into a screenplay and is now an award winning feature film. Watch the movie at www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com

  Preface

  I blame my interest in Turkish soap operas (also known as Turkish TV series) on a sweet Arabic couple from the Middle East. They were my guests for two months and during their stay, the wife said that she missed watching her favourite Arabic-dubbed Turkish soap operas and it made her very homesick. I searched online and found streaming videos of the soap operas. This started a nightly ritual of watching back-to-back episodes of different series of Turkish soaps. Our marathon watching weekends were full of fun, laughter and drama. We had so many great conversations as we analyzed the characters and the scenes together. I recall the husband telling me that he had no interest in soap operas. However, when it came time to watch the shows, he was always the one who could repeat word for word scenes from past episodes as he critiqued the current storyline.

  So from there I wrote the story that turned into a novel and then into a screenplay. It has since been adapted into an award winning feature film. You can watch the film online at www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com.

  So welcome and hope you enjoy the story.

  Part One

  Away From Home

  Chapter 1

  Istanbul, Turkey

  The story unfolds on an ordinary day in Adel’s life. It was his twenty-fifth birthday and his mother and sisters had given him a simple celebration—making plates of baklava which they spent all morning preparing. His brothers and his friend Kamil bought him a T-shirt that said in English “Looking for wife”. It had become a question his mother would repeat over and over—Why hasn’t Adel found a bride yet?

  His father, a dark skinned, stern looking man, arrives home from a hard day’s work in the construction field, still dressed in his muddy work clothes. He sits on the couch, picks up the remote to change the channel to watch what is left of the football game. He lights up a cigarette and sits back enjoying the first few moments of relaxation.

  Adel’s mother, a light skinned, plump, petite woman, is in the kitchen ironing clothes. Her hair is wrapped in a golden coloured hijab, a head scarf worn by religious Muslim women. The hijab frames her face, emphasizing her piercing blue eyes. She is dressed in a traditional long sleeved tunic, the shade of fresh cocoa, which flows down to her feet. Seeing that the ashtray on the coffee table is overflowing with cigarette butts, she bustles in from the kitchen and swiftly replaces the ashtray with a clean one. 

  Without missing a beat, she hurries back into the kitchen, empties the ashtray into the rubbish bin and then tosses it into the sink. She quickly washes her hands with soap and water and dries them on her apron. She returns to her ironing board where she continues ironing the wrinkles out of her sons’ jeans and underwear. All the while, her eyes are glued onto the twenty inch television set on the kitchen counter which is playing “Fatmagülün Suçu Ne (What is Fatmagul’s Fault?)”, one of her many favourite Turkish soap operas.

  Adel and his two younger sisters, Juliana and Keananna, sixteen and thirteen years of age, look like carbon copies of each other. All three have the same golden wavy honey blonde hair and emerald green eyes which are uncommon traits to see in people from their local area. Other Turkish people who meet them for the first time are fascinated by their features. Some are intrigued by their unique appearance but most are simply envious of their looks, gossiping about them behind their backs. His baby sister Zeinab has his father’s colouring. Her soft skin is the colour of creamy mocha and her baby curls are oil slick black.

  Juliana and Keananna are at the kitchen table feeding their baby sister a bowl of warm rice cereal. Like their mother, their attention is also focused on the television set. They noisily explain to their mother the details of what happened in the scene that she just missed. Their mother shushes them quiet. Her look of concentration sends the older girls into a bout of giggles. Zeinab laughs as well, smacking her chubby hands into her cereal.

  Meanwhile, Sammy and Jowdat, his two younger brothers, are doing their homework in the enclosed verandah which also serves as the bedroom which all the boys share. Physically they resemble their father but their personalities are their own. Sammy, twenty-two, is laid back and easy going. He idolizes Adel and wants to be just like him. He is very popular at school and has many young girl admirers. Jowdat, seventeen years old, is shy and naïve, always seeing things in a positive light. Like many boys his age, Jowdat has already resigned himself to follow in his father’s footsteps and work in construction or in a factory after he finishes high school.

  Seeing the opportunity to speak to his father in private, Adel approaches him. He does this cautiously, knowing that he is usually in a sour mood after coming home from work.

  “Father, have you spoken to Grand Uncle about what I asked? Will he sign over one of the parcels of your land so that I can build my house on it?” Adel asks.

  Adel's father, grumbling under his breath, gets up and walks outside onto the balcony.  Adel follows him.

  “I am twenty-five years old now. All my cousins were twenty years old when they built their houses and have married and have children since then.” 

  His father shakes his head. “Enough! My head hurts from all this talk!” he yells. He waves him away, refusing to discuss the matter any further.

  Infuriated, Adel turns around and marches into his bedroom. His brothers are hunched over the books on their beds. Sammy turns to watch Adel reach for something under his bed. He brings out a small wooden box. He opens the box and pulls out an envelope which contains an airline ticket to Los Angeles, California. Adel has been dreaming about buying an airplane ticket to the USA since he was a child.

  Adel sits on his bed, gently placing the box beside him. Sammy tries to see what is in his hand. Adel shifts his shoulder to block his view.

  It is time to get his plan into action. Adel pulls out his cell phone and calls his best friend Kamil. Kamil, also twenty-five years old, is dark haired and olive skinned. His thick eyebrows stretch over his large ebony eyes. Unlike Adel’s family who is considered upper middle class, Kamil comes from a lower class family. His father works as a private chauffeur for Adel’s Grand Uncle. Adel has known Kamil practically since birth.

  Kamil asks, “So we really are going to do this?”

  “Yes we are leaving like we planned. There is nothing here for me. My father won’t do anything to get my Grand Uncle to give him his share of my grandfather’s inheritance which means that I will never see my share of the inheritance,” Adel says.

  “Well, you knew this since we were children. So let’s talk about the plan,” Kamil says. “Finally, after three years of hard construction work, we have our dre
am tickets to the land of opportunity and beautiful ladies!” He laughs.

  Adel smiles broadly. “Hollywood here we come!”

  * * *

  Later that night at the dinner table, Adel waits for his family to sit. His brothers and sisters are chattering happily about their day’s events. His father sits down last. He frowns as he eats his meal. The thoughts in his head cloud his mind. His mother is busy serving everyone her delicious köfte, a popular Middle Eastern dish made of minced lamb or beef meatballs, onto their plates. Adel, unsure when would be the best time to announce the news, decides it is now or never.

  “Pa, Ma, I have something to tell you,” Adel begins. He coughs into his hand. Adel’s father looks up and puts down his fork. He is annoyed that yet again his meal is being interrupted. Is having peace and quiet in his house too much to ask for? Adel’s mother smiles. She is eager to hear what her favourite son has to say. His brothers and sisters look at him curiously.

  Adel stammers, “I, I, uh... Kamil and I...we are…”

  “What Adel? What?” Juliana asks.

  “Kamil and I are flying to the United States tomorrow,” Adel finally blurts out.

  “For holiday? For how long?” Jowdat asks.

  Adel takes a deep breath and continues. “We are going to live there for a few months. If it goes well, maybe stay there.”

  His mother breaks down in tears. She is horrified at the news that her oldest son is leaving home before marriage. His brother and sisters chatter amongst themselves excited for his upcoming adventure.

  His father, however, stands up and angrily shouts obscenities, cursing the day this ungrateful son was born. “Who gave you the permission to do this? You chose your path now. Get out of my face!” He slams his fist on the table and leaves. 

  His mother, still crying, follows her husband while the rest of the family sits awkwardly in silence. Adel excuses himself from the table and goes to his room.

  Chapter 2

  Hollywood, here we come

  Los Angeles, California

  One week later, Adel and Kamil arrive at the LAX airport in Los Angeles, California, ready for exciting opportunities. With only their passports, very basic knowledge of English and five thousand US dollars in their wallets split between both of them, they are ready to fulfill their destinies. After passing through US customs, they find their way to the luggage terminal to collect their bags. They ask an airport worker how to get to Hollywood. He points towards a shuttle van parked outside the airport. Not sure of what to do next, Adel decides that they should find a place to stay. They board the shuttle van and start their journey to Hollywood.

  The shuttle van drops them off at Hollywood Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue. Adel and Kamil stand on the corner and are surprised at what they see. It is not exactly how they pictured it would be. Where were all the movie stars, the expensive cars and warm friendly Americans to welcome them into this wonderful city?

  Later on in the day, Adel and Kamil wander from hotel to hotel and then to motel. They enquire about what the cost is to spend the night. They soon realize that even the lowest standard motel (where cockroaches and rats infest the walls) costs a minimum of sixty dollars a night. Sixty dollars a night can rent a decent three star hotel room in Istanbul. While walking down Hollywood Boulevard, scantily dressed women approach Adel asking if he and his friend want to have some fun. Adel and Kamil are familiar with what these type of women want. They have seen many of them in certain red area districts in Istanbul.

  Finally Adel decides to book a room at a motel on Highland Avenue. It is small and dingy but they are too tired to complain.

  After settling in, Adel tells Kamil that he is confident that Hollywood had more in store for them. Kamil, however, is not so sure.

  Determined to look his best, Adel attempts to iron his jeans. This would be a first for him since his mother took care of this chore back home. Kamil can’t resist giving him advice on how to hold the jean hem just as his own mother would do it. Adel does a terrible job of things. The two bicker back and forth. Kamil teases him saying that he should have packed his mother in his luggage because it looks like he is incapable of taking care of himself. Exasperated by the whole ordeal, Adel throws his jeans on the bed.

  Kamil walks over and picks up the jeans. He places them back on the ironing board. In four strokes, he irons out the wrinkles perfectly. He hands them back to Adel whose mouth drops open in amazement. A few seconds later, he and Kamil break out into laughter. It has been a long day. They both decide to postpone their sightseeing for the next morning.

  * * *

  The next day, Adel and Kamil’s first destination is the Beverly Hills shopping mall. They are awed by the splendor of the stores and all the pretty people rushing through. Kamil eyes a pair of four hundred dollar Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses imagining himself wearing them. Adel has his eyes on a Gucci watch, a fancy suit and a pair of genuine cowboy boots. Back home, the cost of all these items put together could feed a family of eight for 6 months.

  Kamil tells Adel that all this window-shopping is making him very hungry. Your wish is my command, Adel replies.

  They savor their first quarter pounder with cheese and a side of large fries at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. A man dressed up in a Ronald McDonald suit invites himself to their table. Out of politeness, Adel motions for him to sit but soon regrets it. The man tells them in a loud voice how lucky they are to be in America, the land of the free. People sitting near their table roll their eyes and mutter comments to themselves. On top of this, his breath smells like sour vinegar and he belches in Adel’s face after every sentence as if to stress his point. Finally, Adel politely tells him in broken English that they must hurry to meet their father and it was nice to meet him. The sentence comes out as “We must hurry for the Father of Might will smite you.”

  Stunned by his words, the man wanders over to another table.

  * * *

  After a few days, reality begins to sink in. Adel counts the money left in his wallet. His stomach turns into a knot. He calculates that it will only be days before their money runs out.

  “Kamil, we are running out of money,” Adel says. “Motel rent is seventy-five dollars a night and food is costing us sixty dollars a day.”

  “The five thousand US dollars we brought isn’t going to last very long.” Kamil shakes his head.

  “We need to find jobs and somewhere we can stay for much less than what we are paying for here at this motel,” Adel says.

  “I will call Mirwan, my cousin, as we planned. He is the one who lives in Los Angeles and owns his own business.” Kamil opens his address book to look for Mirwan’s number.

  “Yes, the one who runs a shuttle van business that my Grand-Uncle owns. He knows we are here, right?” Adel’s mood suddenly picks up.

  “Yes, of course. I called him last month and he said to contact him when we arrive in Los Angeles.”

  “Okay, let’s go see him tomorrow.” Adel pats Kamil on the back and smiles. He is certain that God will take good care of them.

  Chapter 3

  Vacation is over

  Mirwan shows Adel and Kamil around the shuttle van parking lot. He lets them look at two white older style shuttle vans. Although he is in his early thirties, Mirwan’s worn face makes him look much older. Mirwan is dark skinned, short and has a stocky build. Over his large dark eyes sits a bushy untamed “uni-brow” and over his lip is a matching moustache. Although he owns the business, Adel notices that Mirwan’s drivers dress better than he does. Mirwan looks like he has not washed his worn out golf shirt and faded black pants in weeks. He whispers to Kamil that if he were the boss, he’d be wearing a jacket and a tie. Kamil rolls his eyes and motions for him to lower his voice.

  Later in his office, Mirwan gives them a key to his one bedroom apartment. He offers them free room and board as long as they work for him. Mirwan will pay them cash under the table.  He makes a few phone
calls. In a few days he provides them with fake social security numbers and drivers’ licenses.

  * * *

  After a few weeks, Adel has successfully memorized all the shuttle routes and has learned how to navigate around Los Angeles and the surrounding towns. He is proud of all the cash his tips bring in and wishes he could work twenty four hours straight so he could make more money. On top of this, he actually enjoys driving his customers. He chats with them all the way to their destinations. Although, he speaks in broken English, he picks up the local slang words very quickly. His customers find him charming and like the funny way he pronounces words.

  Kamil, on the other hand, finds it difficult to adjust to the job. Although his English speaking is better than Adel’s, he is shy and does not talk to his customers unless it is absolutely necessary. He does not bring home half the tips that Adel does. By the end of his shift he feels so drained. He wishes that he doesn’t have to go to work the next day.

  Mirwan pays their salaries once a week. Adel saves every penny he can. He had asked Mirwan what it would take for him to become an owner-operator. At the time, Mirwan laughed in his face. He told Adel that if he gave him two thousand dollars, he would give him the shuttle van he was driving. He would also agree for Adel to get his own customers provided that he gives Mirwan a twenty percent cut.

  Six weeks later, Adel walks into Mirwan’s office and hands him two thousand dollars—all in small bills collected from the tips he was saving. Mirwan is dumbfounded. He could not go back on his word and so he reluctantly signs the papers to give Adel ownership of the vehicle.

  * * *

  Now that Adel is his own boss, he pushes himself to work beyond the normal eight hour shifts. He picks up a skill analyzing people and their personalities based on how they dress and what they are carrying. With this newfound expertise, he raises and lowers his rates depending on who the customer is. For instance, for a trip from the airport to Long Beach for a group of five well-dressed Japanese tourists carrying fancy electronic gadgets, such as cell phones and cameras, he may charge them a group rate of one hundred and fifty dollars. The regular rate for this trip is twelve dollars per person.