Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

by Anne-Rae Vasquez

  “I made dinner. I was wondering if both of you would like to join me?” she says softly.

  Adel starts to say, “Well, I'm getting ready for the retreat...”

  Kamil jumps up from the bed. He walks by Adel, pulling his elbow. “Mmmm… it smells wonderful. We'd love to join you.”

  Yonka smiles. “Great. I made Izmir köfte. It's my mother's favourite dish.” 

  Kamil rubs his hands in anticipation. “We haven't had that in a long time. Right, Adel?” Adel nods and reluctantly follows them to the dining room.

  Adel and Kamil are shocked to see the feast that is laid out before them. The table is set with a white table cloth, matching white plates, wine glasses and candles. A large white serving dish with köfte is in the centre. Appetizers of dolmari, hummus, olives, baby dill pickles, and Turkish salad surround the main dish.

  Adel, his mouth open, is in complete disbelief. Yonka never made a meal for him before. The only food he ever saw her prepare was her Weight Watchers frozen entrées. Kamil is smiling widely—obviously impressed. He pulls out a chair and quickly starts serving himself.

  Yonka smiles demurely showing her pleasure at their reaction. Adel sits at the head of the table and looks at all the food in front of him.

  Yonka sits to his left. “What would you like to start with?” Adel is silent. She smiles and starts to scoop köfte onto his plate.

  “Wow, I didn't know that you are a good cook,” Kamil says. “I thought Ayca is good but this is amazing.”

  Yonka blushes. “Being the only girl, my mother made sure that I learned how to cook and prepare meals for my father.”

  Adel still not convinced, says, “Why haven't you cooked like this before?” 

  “I hated having to prepare meals all day for my father and brothers,” Yonka says. “When I left home, I didn't want to be reminded of those days so I stopped making these dishes.”

  Adel, skeptical that his spoiled brat cousin was suddenly thinking about someone other than herself, says, “So what makes you want to make it now?”

  Kamil gives Adel a dirty look. Why can’t he just relax and enjoy the moment? Why does he always think the worse of his cousins?

  “Well, since you said you are planning to move out in a few weeks,” Yonka says, “I thought that we could enjoy a traditional Turkish meal together. The three of us. We are family after all.”

  Adel is not convinced. Before he can open his mouth to ruin the evening, Kamil says, “Well, thank you very much. You should open a Turkish restaurant. I'm sure you would get many customers.”

  Yonka laughs. “I guess I have that to fall back on.  But I don't have any interest in running a business.”

  Adel takes a bite. He is absolutely shocked. The food was more than delicious—it was even better than how his mother makes köfte—which of course he would never admit out loud to anyone. A mother’s cooking is sacred and never open to any disrespect under any circumstance. He takes another huge bite and nods his head in pleasure.

  He says, “Kamil is right. You could open a restaurant. The food is very delicious. And you work in the hotel industry. You know the tourism, food and hospitality industry.” 

  She smiles slyly. “I would need your business sense to make it a success.”

  Adel smiles at her, pleased with the compliment. “Well, I do enjoy running my own business.”

  Kamil, glad to see that Adel and his wife are finally getting along, says, “He is a natural business man. Did he tell you when we were in LA, we came with nothing and within months, Adel was running his own shuttle business that was better than my cousin who has been running his business for years?”

  Yonka turns to Adel. “Wow, that is impressive.”

  Adel smiles proudly. “Well, it took a lot of hard work. It wasn't easy,” he says.

  She pours raki, a traditional Turkish alcoholic drink, into their glasses. 

  “No, no, thank you,” Adel says. “We shouldn't. We have to get up early for tomorrow.”

  “Come on, Adel,” Kamil says. “This is not just any drink... This is raki. When do we get to eat a good meal with a traditional Turkish drink?” He reaches for the bottle and pours more in his glass and fills Adel’s to the top.

  Adel nods his head. “You're right, Kamil,” he says. “Good food, good drink.” He first takes a sip, smiles and then takes a big gulp.

   

  It was a surreal evening with the three of them, enjoying each other’s company—eating, laughing, and drinking together like a real family. Adel wonders if they had more moments like this, maybe things could have been better. Maybe being married to Yonka wouldn’t be such a bad thing? 

   ***

  At the end of the evening, after sitting in the living room and chatting, Kamil tells Adel and Yonka that he should head home. Ayca had already called his cell phone three times asking why he was not home yet. He gets up to leave. Adel stands up to walk him to the door. Kamil looks over at Yonka who is politely sitting on the couch like a traditional wife.

  “Good night. Yonka,” he says. “That was a delicious meal. Thank you again.” He tells Adel, “Pick me up at seven thirty in the morning, okay?”

  Adel says, “Sure. Good night.”  He closes the door behind him.  It was a good night but he really needed to get to bed. The retreat was tomorrow and he didn’t want to miss the chartered bus in the morning.

  “Thanks again for tonight,” he says to Yonka. “I think I will go to sleep now. I have a long day tomorrow.” He smiles at her and then turns to go to his room.

  “One more drink before bed?” Yonka asks.

  Adel looks at her and half smiles. “No, really I have to get up early tomorrow for the trip to Whistler.” 

  “Ahh… the retreat,” she says. She walks by him towards the kitchen.

  “How about some Turkish coffee? Come on. I saved some baklava for us. Why not end the night with a hot drink and dessert?”

  She walks into the kitchen.  Adel pauses for a second and then follows her. Turkish coffee and baklava—who could resist?

  Yonka pours the coffee into large mugs. Adel is a bit surprised. Traditional Turkish coffee is usually served in very small coffee cups. Yonka gives him a knowing smile and brings out a bottle of Baileys Irish whiskey. Adel shakes his head and gives her a funny smile.

  Yonka says slyly, “I heard Kamil say that this is your favourite evening treat when you were in the States. Spanish coffee with a bit of Bailey’s liqueur.”

  “Well, well, well,” Adel says. “I don't know what you are up to.”

  Yonka gives him a puzzled look. “I do not know what you mean?” she asks. “Can't I make at least one day as your wife something worth remembering?” 

  He half chuckles to himself. “You know, Yonka, I think us not being husband and wife is a good thing,” he says. “See how much better we are getting along since we decided to end this?” 

  She snaps. “You mean since you decided to end this.” She regains her composure. “But let's not be petty.”

  She pours the liqueur into their mugs. “Could you be a good husband and get some whipped cream from the freezer?” 

  Adel nods his head and goes to the fridge.  With her back to him, she quickly pulls out a small vial and pours the white powdery contents into Adel's mug. 

  Adel, unknowingly, searches the freezer, looking for the tub of Cool Whip which she usually keeps for her late night pie cravings.  He cannot seem to find it. “Are you sure it’s in here? I can’t see it.”

  Yonka picks up her mug and takes a sip. “Actually, I think I forgot that we ran out last week.”

  Adel straightens up. “That's okay. Milk should be enough.” 

  Yonka pours the milk into his mug and stirs it. She looks up at him and hands him the drink.

  He sips it, nods his head. “Ahh… thank you, Yonka. This is a good way to end the night.” 

  She smiles and hands him a few pieces of
baklava on a small plate.  He picks one up and takes a bite.  The sweetness pours into his mouth like sugary gold. He takes another sip of coffee.

  “There are a lot of left-overs,” she says. “Would you like me to pack you a lunch?” 

  He thinks about it. Why not? The meal she made was probably better than the fast food they would be eating up at the retreat. “Sure, Kamil would really like that,” he says. “I'm sure that food is quite expensive up at Whistler.” 

  Yonka nods. “Oh yes... I remember the last time I was there. I was shocked that one avocado costs five dollars.” 

  Adel is shocked. “Is that true?”

  Yonka nods.

  “That is criminal!” he says. “How can they markup fruit 400%?”

  “Well it’s a tourist town,” she replies, “and that's what they do. There’s nowhere else for you to buy stuff unless you drive a half hour away from Whistler Village.” 

  He says, “Ah, and we are going by bus so I won't be able to drive anywhere.”

  “See what I mean?” she says. 

  Adel puts his cup down and suddenly the room begins to spin around him.

  Yonka watches him carefully. “Oh my gosh, Adel, are you okay?” 

  The ground seems to sway beneath his feet. He tries to balance himself. “I don't know... I am not feeling well.” He holds the counter for support. 

  Yonka slides up to him and puts his arm on her shoulder.  “Maybe you need to lie down. Let me help you.”

  Adel stumbles as Yonka tries to hold him up. She leads him down the hall.

  “I am so dizzy. The room is spinning,” he mumbles.

  Yonka opens the door to her room. “Don't worry. You'll feel better if you lie down.” 

  He moans, shaking his head from left to right. Yonka helps him down on the bed.  She disappears to the bathroom for a few minutes. She returns with a damp face towel. Adel tries to sit up. She firmly pushes him back onto the pillow and wipes his forehead. 

  “Shhhh.... just relax and sleep. You'll be fine.” 

  Adel mutters, “I - I- don't...”

  Yonka whispers into his ear, “Just relax...”

  Adel stops struggling and drifts into a restless sleep. 

  * * *

  Convinced that Adel had finally fallen asleep, Yonka gets up from the bed. She lets her hair out of the pony tail and slips off her dress to reveal the lacy red lingerie underneath.  She sits beside Adel and removes his shirt. He tries to push her away but his arms are limp. 

  She pulls down his pants and tosses them on the floor. When she turns back she notices that he is wearing a Turkish brand of underwear, Hike Sport, a knock-off of the popular Nike brand. She wonders how his lady friend reacted when she saw him in them. Was she polite or did she laugh in his face?

  She reaches down and removes his socks, careful to use only two fingers. She makes a face as she tosses them on the floor.  She reaches for her cell phone on the night stand. She holds the phone up with the camera pointed at herself and Adel. Still holding the camera up, she puts her face close to him and kisses him on the cheek. She takes a picture to capture the moment. Next, she turns his face to hers, posing seductively while taking a few more pictures. Later she reviews the photos on her cell phone. She smiles to herself, pleased that the photos turned out perfectly. Anyone looking at them would be convinced the man and woman in the pictures were sharing an extremely intimate moment together.

  Chapter 30

  What just happened?

  Early the next morning, Adel is awakened by the beeping of the alarm on his watch. He slowly opens his eyes. He tries to lift his head but the pounding between his ears forces him to lay back. Suddenly a golden tanned arm reaches over and hugs him. Startled, he looks down and sees Yonka's head on his shoulder.  He tries to recall what happened earlier but his memory fails him. Adel gently lifts Yonka’s head off his shoulder so as not to wake her. Only then does he notice that much of her body is exposed, the lace only hiding the most private parts. She must sunbathe in the nude, he thinks to himself.

  He glances down to see that he only has his underwear on.  He stumbles out of the bed, looks around and realizes he is in Yonka's room.  He turns to look for the rest of his clothes and in doing so trips over his shoes. On the ground, on all fours, he spots his jeans, his shirt and socks and hastily picks them up from the floor. Yonka grunts and turns over in the bed. Adel scrambles to the door with his clothes in his hands. 

  Yonka opens her eyes to see Adel fumbling with the door knob. “Honey?” She uses the term of endearment knowing it would freak him out even more.

  Adel glances back for a second before he flings the door open and races out of the room.

   ***

   

  On the bus ride to the retreat, Adel stares out the window, oblivious of the students around him.

  “What's wrong Adel?” Kamil asks. “I am talking as if I am by myself. Is everything okay?” 

  Adel shakes his head and looks out the window—the coastline blurred by his thoughts. He mumbles, “Nothing... It's nothing.” 

  Kamil looks down the aisle and sees Nora. She is dressed in a cashmere pink sweater and black jeans which made her blend in with the rest of the students. It was a side of his teacher that he had never seen before since she only wore professional suits at the university. He felt that maybe he could be friendlier with her. She flashes him a warm smile. Kamil cannot resist. “Come sit down here, Ms. Morgan.”

  Nora waves but shakes her head politely.

  He laughs and turns to Adel. “Well, I tried.” 

  Adel is silent.  Kamil shrugs his shoulders. “What is the matter? Did you and Yonka fight again last night? I thought we were having such a pleasant evening together. “

  Adel’s face turns red. “Yonka... she planned all this.  She... she set me up.”

  Kamil frowns. “What are you talking about? You sound like you have had one glass too many of raki.” 

  Adel talks to himself. “I should have known.  I should have known.  She tricked me...” He clenches his hand and hits his fist on his thigh.

  Kamil looks around, worried that the other students were listening. “Adel, tell me what you are talking about,” he says. “You are really beginning to scare me.”

  Adel lowers his voice. “Last night, something happened.”

  Kamil's eye brow goes up. “Huh?” 

  “I don't know,” Adel says. “I can't remember... I know that after you left she made some Spanish coffees.”

  Kamil smirks. “And both of you did a little romance…” 

  Adel grimaces. “No, we were just talking in the kitchen,” he says. “That's it... and then I remember feeling like the room was spinning. And later, I became weak.” 

  “Sounding like you got drunk, man,” he says. 

  Adel pauses but then shakes his head. “No, I wasn't drunk. I can't get drunk from Spanish coffee. And I was fine before that.” 

  “Okay, so what happened?”

  “I don't know,” Adel says. “Really... I cannot remember. I woke up this morning and... ”

  This was getting exciting. Kamil nods his head, encouraging his friend to continue.

  “I didn't know where I was,” Adel continues, “and.. and.. I look down and see Yonka is sleeping beside me.”

  Kamil bursts out laughing. “What? Are you joking me?” 

  Adel puts his hand on Kamil's mouth. “Shhh. Lower your voice...”

  Kamil nods, motioning for him to continue. Adel removes his hand from his mouth. Kamil starts to say something but Adel points a finger at him in warning. Kamil presses his lips together to show Adel that he was going to behave. 

  Adel takes a deep breath. “I wake up and think that I’m having a bad dream...and then I close my eyes to see if I can wake myself from the nightmare. When I open my eyes, she is still beside me. I look around and I'm not in my room. I'm in her room!�
�

  Kamil’s eyes widen. “Oh wow.”

  Adel continues. “I didn’t know what to do but grab my clothes and run out of there.”

  Kamil interrupts. “What do you mean grab your clothes?”

  Adel shakes his head.

  Kamil begins to piece the events together. “So you two...?”

  Adel shakes his head again. “No... No... I don't ... I don't think. No. No...”

  Kamil continues. “You are in her room, in her bed, out of your clothes… and she is wearing… or not wearing…?” 

  Adel moans. “I didn't really look but...”

  “But what?” Kamil cannot wait to hear Adel’s explanation.

  Adel says quietly, “She is wearing something.”

  “Ah, come on,” Kamil says. “Something? What something?”

  Adel mumbles, “Something for sleeping.” 

  Kamil laughs. “You mean like sexy something?” 

  Adel nods his head.

  “So you two finally had your honeymoon.”

  Adel looks up from his hand. “No! We did not! She… she set me up.”

  Kamil makes a face. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe you two were enjoying each other’s company and then one thing led to another?” 

  “No! No! That's not what happened.”

  Kamil asks, “What do you mean? You think she forced you to go to her room and sleep with her?” 

  “Yes... she did.” The words leave Adel’s lips like the air leaking from a flat tire.

  Kamil bursts out laughing. “Please explain, dear friend, how she did that?”

  “I think she put something in my coffee,” Adel says. “I got sick and dizzy after drinking... Yes... yes, that's what happened. And then she helped me to her room and I must have passed out.”

  Kamil shakes his head in disbelief.

  Adel nods his head. “Yes, that's when she must have taken my clothes off and then made it look like we slept together.” 

  Kamil rolls his eyes. “Or... you had a lot of raki during dinner and then some rum in your coffee. Then you two had a good time but you were too drunk to remember in the morning.”