Sen Cal Kapimi - Sacrifices Part 2

 Apologies this was only meant to be a two parter but I think it'll be three now.

Comments welcomed

Eda stood at the doorway to the kitchen and watched her aunt; the strain around her pursed lips and the dark circles under her eyes jumped out at Eda. A real smile hadn’t graced her aunt’s face since she’d admitted to Eda the bank was going to repossess their house. She’d expected Eda to be angry but Eda only felt disappointed with herself. If only Ayfer Hala had told her earlier about the florist doing so poorly and how much they needed money. That was the point – ‘they’- it was their florist, their house, so why hadn’t Hala come to her? Why hadn’t she told her?

Eda knew why. Their relationship had been strained by the whole fake-engagement, by Serkan, by Eda’s refusal to leave Serkan.
If Eda was honest with herself, the cracks had begun to appear as soon as she’d met him. For so long it had just been the two of them her aunt and her. Every happiness, every scraped knee, every new discovery had been shared with her Aunt, she always said she didn’t have three best friends, she had four.

But with Serkan everything changed, she’d begun to keep secrets, first to protect her friends, then to protect herself. And now? Now she had a life separate to her aunt. A life with Serkan. She couldn’t even explain it to her friends. They wouldn’t understand, they’d say she was was independent, she had ambitions, hopes and dreams. And she was, she had all of those dreams but my God she’d been lonely.

Cenk: his lack of attention, lack of love, months on end abroad without a single phone call, and Eda had convinced herself she was satisfied with that. She could never have imagined the alternative.

Serkan. He met her almost every day and called hourly on the days he couldn’t; watched terrible movies with her; loved Melo, respected Ceren and feared Fifi; he ate their silly cake and her perde pilav, He’d filled her heart and her pockets with notes and presents of chocolates, flowers, books, earrings even a pair of flip-flops once; anything he thought would bring a smile to her face.

After today, she’d be alone again. She’d barely been able to look at Serkan’s face as she broke up with him, sure that her resolve would break at the sight of his blue-green eyes always softened with love these days. When she’d called her grandmother yesterday, that had been the only request the cold high voice had requested of her: “separate from that boyfriend of yours and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Eda didn’t even question how her grandmother knew about Serkan. Like mother, like daughter. Ayfer hala’s express request for the past six months had been that Eda break up with Serkan. That man, that beautiful, smart and caring man who did everything, would do anything for Eda, and yet the only two women in the world to share her DNA couldn’t seem to stand even saying his name.

Blinking back her tears she took a deep breath and pasted a semblance of a smile onto her face. ‘Hala! I got you a present!’

Ayfer sighed and turned, always willing to entertain her niece and she saw the deeds to the house in Eda’s hands. ‘What? How did you? Eda! Don’t tell me you went to Serkan. Don’t.’
‘Hala,’ Eda chided, ‘you know I would never. Ceren helped me, no I didn’t take money from her either but we spoke to the bank and I’m paying them back in smaller installments.’ She told her Aunt the story she had agreed with Ceren, making no mention of her grandmother or the condition she’d made Eda keep.

----

Serkan slammed the car door shut behind him and leaned against it. Melek, concerned as she was for their relationship had nothing to tell him. He could only hope Engin had managed to get hold of Ceren. He took out his phone to call him, the home screen lighting up with a picture of Eda, her arms around Sirius. He felt his breath catch, she was so beautiful – her smile, her eyes – he ran a finger over the screen where her face was and sighed turning the screen off as he heard Engin’s car arrive on the drive.

‘Well?’

‘I don’t know what to say Ağabeyim, I’m so sorry I-‘

‘I don’t care about your sorry Engin, what did Ceren say?’ He knew he was being rude, but Engin was also his best friend, Serkan knew he would understand.

‘Let’s sit and talk,’ Engin dragged him towards the house and they sat down before he spoke again. ‘Did you know Ayfer Abla remortgaged the house?”

Serkan’s brow creased in confusion ‘their house? Why? What did she need the money for? Eda’s University fees? Allah’ aşkina, I told Eda I would –‘

‘No, no, well I don’t think. Ceren said Eda didn’t even know about it until last week.’

‘But what does that have to do with us? Me and Eda?’

Engin shook his head, ‘I don’t know Serkan, that’s all Ceren would say. Eda was really troubled by the possibility of losing her house and she needed to get the money from somewhere. I don’t know… do you think maybe Eda’s embarrassed because they need money?’

Serkan scoffed. As if that made a difference to him, as if it would make a difference to Eda. She’d never had an inferiority complex about his wealth, or her lack of it, ‘no Engin, there’s something else, there has to be.’

He stood up, shook Engin’s hand and thanked him for his help before walking into the house. ‘Sirius! Come Sirius. We’re going for a walk.’

The dog heard the magic word and jumped up from his spot in front of the window and trotted over to Serkan.