"Dinner is ready, old lady." I called out, "Please serve." She didn't say anything, just stood there with her crutches on.I went over, took her arm, led her to the table, and made her sit down.She just mumbled something.I went into the kitchen, brought her dish, and placed it in front of her.She looked at it, but didn't touch it.She said something to herself and stretched her neck.Only then did I remember, and quickly took out her bib and tied it under her big ears for her. "What did you cook again tonight?" she asked, "Tell me, what did you do indiscriminately?"

"Eggplant in olive oil," I replied, "didn't you order this yesterday?!" "Is it at noon?" I pushed the plate up to her.She picked up the fork and stirred the eggplant, talking to herself.After breaking it up a little bit, I started to eat it. "Old lady, your salad is here too," I said and went into the kitchen.I also served myself a plate of eggplant, sat down, and began to eat. After a while she called, "Salt, Regip, where's the salt?" I stood up, went into the kitchen, and when I came out, I saw that she was holding it in her hand.

"Isn't that the salt you want?" "I just saw that too," she said. "Why did you go into the kitchen while I was eating?" I didn't answer. "Aren't they coming tomorrow?" "Come, old lady, they come!" I said, "won't you sprinkle salt?" "Never mind!" she said. "Are they coming?" "At noon tomorrow," I said, "didn't they call? . . . " "What else did you cook?" I took her leftover half of the eggplant back to the kitchen, put the beans on a clean plate, and brought it out.Seeing her start stirring the beans again in disgust, I went into the kitchen and sat down to eat my meal.After a while she called again, this time for pepper, but I pretended not to hear.Then she asked for fruit again, and I put the fruit plate in front of her.Like a tired spider, her bony hands crawled slowly over the peaches, and finally stopped.

"It's all rotten! Where did you find these, did you pick them up under a tree?" "It's not rotten, ma'am," I replied, "it's ripe. These are the best peaches I get from the fruit and vegetable store. You know there are no peach trees here..." She pretended not to hear, and picked a peach.I went into the kitchen and was about to finish my beans when she called out: "Untie it! Regip, where are you, untie it for me!" I ran over and was about to reach out to untie her bib, but I saw that the peach was only half eaten. "Then I'll bring you apricots, old madam," I said, "or you'll wake me up in the middle of the night to say I'm hungry."

"Thanks," she said, "thank God I'm not so far as to eat that tree that falls. Untie this!" I reached out and took off the bib, and as I wiped her mouth she frowned, made a prayer gesture, and stood up. "Help me upstairs!" Leaning against me, she went up a few steps, stopping again on the ninth step to catch her breath. "Are you ready for their room?" she asked breathlessly. "Ready." "Okay, let's go," she said, her weight on me even more. We went upstairs, to the last flight of stairs, "Nineteen, thank God!" she said, and went into her room.

"Turn on your lights!" I said, "I'm going to the movies." "You are so big, what movie do you want to watch!" She said, "Don't come back too late." "It won't be too late." I went downstairs, finished eating the beans, and washed the dirty dishes.Take off your apron, put on your tie, pick up your jacket, grab your wallet, and head out the door. The sea breeze is blowing slowly, I am very comfortable.The fig leaves also rattled.I closed the courtyard door and walked towards the beach.As soon as you walk through the courtyard wall of our house, you can see the sidewalk and the newly built cement concrete house.People are sitting on balconies, sitting in narrow gardens, turning on the TV, watching and listening to the news; the women are all around the oven, and they too, can't see me.Meat and smoke on the grill—family, life, that's what interests me.But in winter, when there is no one there, I often feel scared when I walk on the empty street and hear my own footsteps.I felt a little cold, so I put on my jacket and turned into the side street.

It's weird to think that everyone is eating and watching TV at the same time! I wandered the small streets.A car was parked at the corner of a small street that opened onto a small square.Out of the car a man who had just arrived from Istanbul looked tired and walked into the house with a bag in his hand.He still looked concerned, as if he hadn't made it in time for the TV meal.When I came to the shore again, I heard Ismail's voice. "Lottery, there are still six days left." He didn't see me, and I didn't say anything.He shuttled back and forth between the tables in the hotel, bowing his head and asking customers from time to time.Later, a guest at a table stopped him. He bent down and handed a bunch of lottery tickets to a girl in white with her hair tied up.The girl chose carefully, and her parents smiled and were very satisfied.I turned around and stopped looking at them.If I called out to him, if Ismail saw me, he would limping quickly to my side.He would say: Brother, why don't you come to our house all the time.And I will say: Your house is too far away, Ismail, and it is still on a slope.He will say: Yes, you are right. When Mr. Doang gave us the money, if I bought the land here instead of on the slope, brother, hey, if I hadn’t bought the land here because of the distance from the train If I hadn't stood nearer and bought land there instead of on the shore, I'd be a millionaire by now.Yes, yes, always the same words.His beautiful wife would watch quietly.Why should I go? But sometimes I want to, on those winter nights when I can't find anyone to talk to, but it's always the same words.

The entertainment venues on the shore are empty, and the TVs are on.The tea seller neatly arranged hundreds of empty teacups, clean and gleaming in the bright lights.They were waiting for the news to end, for the crowds to flood the streets.The cats huddled under the table.I keep going. The sampans are moored inside the breakwater.There was no one on the small, dirty beach.The shriveled seaweed that washed ashore, all kinds of bottles, all kinds of plastic bags... Some people say that the house of the boatman Ibrahim will be torn down to build a cafe.As soon as I saw the bright glass of the cafe, I suddenly became excited.Maybe there will be someone, there will be someone who plays cards, we can talk, he will ask, how are you, I will talk, and he will listen, hey, how are you, he will talk, and I will also Will listen - to drown out the sound of the TV and other noises, we will talk loudly to each other, this is friends.Maybe we'll go to the movies together.

But as soon as I entered the café I was disappointed that the two young men were there again.You see, as soon as they saw me, they immediately looked very happy, looked at each other and laughed, but I didn't see you, I was looking at my watch, I was looking for a friend.There, on the left, is Nevzat sitting there, watching them play cards.I walked over to him, climbed on the stool and sat down.Delighted, I turned to Nevzat and smiled. "Hello," I said, "How are you?" He didn't say anything. I watched TV for a while, and the news was almost over.Then I looked at the cards I saw, looked at Nevzat who was watching the game, and I waited for them to finish the hand.It's over, but instead of talking to me, they're talking to each other, laughing.Then they started again, lost themselves in the game again, and finished another hand.When the cards began to be dealt again, in order to say something, I said:

"Nevzat, your milk was good this morning." He nodded without taking his eyes off the cards. "You know, cream is better." He nodded again.I looked at my watch. It was five minutes to nine.Then I watched TV for a while.I was so engrossed in the TV that it was a long time before I noticed those two young men giggling.Seeing the newspaper in their hands, I thought in horror: My God, is there another picture? Because they looked at me, then at the newspaper, and smiled ugly.Don't be mad, Regip! But then I thought: newspapers sometimes have pictures; they're ruthless; and they'll put ridiculous articles under them, like they're doing about naked women and babies being born in zoos The same article as when the bear photo was written.I turned suddenly to Nevzat, and said without thinking:

"How are you?" He muttered something and suddenly turned to me, but I was still thinking about the picture in my head, so I couldn't find anything to say, and I missed the opportunity to talk, so that the next thing I felt was nothing to do and I looked at the two young men .When I met their eyes, they smiled even more maliciously.I turn my head away.A K fell on the table.The people playing cards cursed each other, some were happy, some were not.Afterwards, a new round started again, and the cards and Gao Xing changed places again.Got a picture? It just occurred to me. "Jamil!" I called, "a cup of tea!" In this way, I found something to entertain and forget about it for a while, but it didn't last long, and my mind came back to the newspapers that young people looked at each other and smiled.When I turned my head again, they gave the paper to Jamil, who was also looking at the part they were pointing at.Then Jamil, feeling uncomfortable seeing me looking at him restlessly, suddenly shouted at the young people in a reprimanding tone: "Uneducated!" In this way, the arrow left the string.I can no longer pretend not to notice.I should have stood up and left here long ago.The young men burst out laughing. "What's the matter, Jamil?" I asked. "What's in the paper?" "Nothing!" he said. "It's so strange!" I couldn't help but be curious.I tried hard to restrain myself, but couldn't.I got off the stool as if possessed, and walked slowly towards Jamil from the silent young man. "Show me that newspaper!" He made a motion as if to hide the newspaper.Then, as if doing something wrong: "How strange!" he said. "Is such a thing possible? Is there any real inside story?" Then turning to the young people he said, "Uncultured!" At last, thank God, he handed me the newspaper. I snatched the newspaper from his hand like a hungry wolf, turned it over, and my heart was "pounding".I was breathless with tension and looked where he was pointing.But no, no photos. "Where?" "Here!" said Jamil, pointing worriedly with his fingertips. I quickly looked at where he was pointing: History column...Historical treasury of Uskudar...Poets Yahya Kemal and Uskudar...Minor title: Mehmet Pasha Mosque in Thrace...Ahmedi Yah Mosque and drinking fountain... Shemsi Pasha Mosque and library... Then, as Jamil's finger moved down, I saw: Home of the gnomes in Uskudar! Flushing all over my face, I read it all in one sitting: Besides, Üsküdar once had a home for gnomes.This house was not built for ordinary people, but for dwarves.The house is perfect, but the size of the rooms, doors, windows, and stairs are designed according to the size of dwarves, and ordinary people have to bend down to enter the door.According to the research of our art history teacher Professor Suhail Enver, this house was built by the wife of Sultan Mehmet II and the mother of Sultan Ahmet I, Queen Handan, who loved dwarves very much.This woman's extreme preference for midgets occupies an important place in our harem history.Empress Han Dan intended to keep her beloved friends from being disturbed after her death, so that they could live together in peace, so she sent Master Ramazan, the chief carpenter of the palace.Some say the masterful woodwork turned the house into a miniature masterpiece.But we have to explain that since Evlia Chelebi, who visited Uskudar at the same time, is not mentioned in the book, we cannot know for sure whether there is such a strange and interesting house.Even if there was, this strange house must have disappeared in the famous fire that devoured Üsküdar in 1642. My face was red and white for a while.His legs were shaking and he was sweating profusely. "Come on, Regip!" said Jamil, "what's your anger with these uneducated people?" There is a strong desire in my heart to read the newspaper again, but I can't.I can't seem to breathe.The newspaper slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. "Come on, sit down," said Jamil, "it's more comfortable this way. You're angry and sad." Then, turning to the young man, he swore again, "Uneducated!" I also looked at them with trembling legs.I saw them looking at me secretly curiously. "Yes," I said. "I'm sad." I paused for a moment, rested, and then gathered all my strength and said again, "But I'm not sad that I'm a midget. What I'm really sad is that people are bad enough to mock a fifty-five-year-old midget." No one spoke.The poker players probably heard it too.I looked at Nevzat, and he looked at me.Did he understand? The two young men looked down at the ground, probably somewhat ashamed.I was a little dizzy, and the TV was "whining". "Uneducated!" Jamil cursed again blankly. "Well, come on, Regip," said Jamil, "where are you going?" I didn't answer.He took a few small unsteady steps, leaving the bright lights of the café behind.I was outside again, into the cool, dark night. I couldn't make it, but I forced myself to take a few more steps and sat down on a bollard on the edge of the breakwater.I took a few deep breaths of fresh air, and my heart was still beating fast.What to do? In the distance, the lights of entertainment places and restaurants are shining; colorful lights are hung on the trees, and people are talking and eating there under the lights.my lord! The door of the cafe opened and I heard Jamil shouting. "Rekip, Rekip! Where are you?" I said nothing.He didn't see me and walked in. After a long time, I heard the roar of the train bound for Ankara and stood up.It should be ten past nine, and I thought to myself: Aren’t all those words, things that can easily disappear? I felt a little relieved, but I didn’t want to go home yet, but Nothing else to do: I'm going to the movies.I'm sweating off my body, my heartbeat is normal, and I'm much better now.I took a deep breath and walked forward. No, the cafe was left behind by me, I think they have even forgotten me and those words, I think the TV should still be whining, if Jamil didn't drive them away, I think that The two young people should be looking for someone to tease again.I'm out on the street again, and there's a lot of people, they've finished their meals, and they're taking walks to digest before sitting down again to watch TV, before sitting down in entertainment venues.The women, the husbands who had just come back from Istanbul in the evening, the children eating something, eating ice cream, talking, saying hello to each other, and seeing other acquaintances, they greeted each other again.I walked past the door of the hotel, and Ismail was no longer there.Perhaps he had sold his lottery tickets and was climbing the slope home.If instead of going to the movies, I go to his house, we can have a chat.But all the same words. There are more and more people on the street.Cars waiting in front of the ice-cream seller, crowds of twos and threes walking side by side blocked the traffic.My tie and jacket were on, but I couldn't stand the crowd and I turned into a side street.The blue light of the TV illuminated the narrow street, and there were many parked cars on the street, and the children played hide-and-seek among the cars.When I was young, I always thought that I could play this game very well, but at that time I didn't have the courage to join Ismail and others.But if I played, I'd be the best hider, maybe I'd be here, in the ruins of the posting station where my mother said there was a plague.Another example, if it was in the country, I would hide in the stables, and if I never came out again, let's see who else they could tease.But my mother would come to me, she would ask, Ismail, where is your eldest brother, and Ismail would sniff and say, how do I know, and in the meantime, I could listen to them, I said secretly in my heart, Mom, I can live alone, and only my mother can cry sadly behind my back. At this time, I will say, okay, okay, I am out, look, I am Right here, mother, I don't hide anymore, and mother will ask, why are you hiding, son, I think maybe she is right, is there anything worth hiding? I forgot all at once up. As I walked quickly across the avenue, I saw them—Mr. Setek, grown and married, with his wife and even his child, whose head was as tall as mine.He recognized me, smiled, and stopped. "Hello, Mr. Regip," he said, "how are you?" I always wait for the other person to speak first. "Hello, Mr. Setek," I replied, "thanks for your concern." We shook hands.Not with his wife.His child watched with fear and curiosity. "My dear, Mr. Regipe is one of the oldest men in Paradise Fortress." His wife smiled and nodded.I couldn't be happier and proud to be the oldest person here. "How is grandma?" "That's it," I said, "the old lady is always full of complaints!" "How many years!" he said. "Where is Farouk?" "They'll come tomorrow," I replied. He turned to his wife and started talking about Farouk as his childhood friend.Then we broke up, no handshake, just a nod.Now he's probably talking to his wife about his childhood, about me, about how when I was a kid I took them to the well to show them how I caught mullet, and the kids would ask: Daddy, that man Why is he so small? I used to say that it was because his mother gave birth to him without getting married.Setek was married, and Farouk was also married, but they had no children. Because my mother gave birth to me without getting married, the old lady sent my mother and us to the countryside.Before sending us away, she persecuted my mother and us first with words and then with her crutches, when my mother begged, old lady, don't do this, what is the fault of the children? I think I can still hear it sometimes With those words, I can still feel the dreadful day... Walking into the street where the movie theater is, I heard music, which is what they play before the movie.It's brightly lit.I looked at the poster: Let's meet in heaven.This is an old movie. In the poster, Julia Kochyiit and Eddie Hong hugged each other first, then Eddie was in prison, and then Julia was singing, but after watching the movie Before, no one could figure out which was in front and which was in the back.Maybe knowing this is why they put the posters up outside.People are curious.I went to the ticket gate, please give me one, he tore off the ticket and handed it to me, thank you, I asked: "Is the movie good?" He said he hadn't seen it.Sometimes, I suddenly have such an urge in my heart to want to talk to people like this.I went into the theater, took my seat, and waited.After a while, the movie started. First they met, the girl was a singer and didn't like him, but one day, the boy rescued her from them, the girl fell in love with him, and she knew that she was in love with him, but her father objected marriage.Afterwards the boy went to prison.Intermission came and I didn't get up from my seat with the crowd.After a while, the movie starts again, and the girl is married to the owner of the nightclub, but has no children, and they don't do much about it.The husband was infatuated with a bad woman, and Ediz had escaped from prison, and they met in a house near the Channel Bridge, and Julia Kochyiit sang.I felt a little weird listening to that song.Finally, when he tried to help her get rid of her bad husband, her husband had eaten his own way, and they both understood that now they could get married.Her father watched them happily behind them, and they walked arm in arm on the road, and as they walked, the figure became smaller and smaller, and the movie ended. The lights came on and we walked out of the theater, everyone whispering about the movie.I also want to talk to people about movies.It's already ten past eleven, and the old lady must still be waiting for me, but I don't want to go home. I went straight to the slope of the beach.Maybe Mr. Kemal, the pharmacist, was working the night shift, maybe he wasn't sleepy yet.I will disturb him, we will chat, I will tell him, and he will watch the young people shouting and racing cars under the lights of the opposite store and listen to me quietly.I was glad to see the lights were on at the pharmacy, they were still up.I pushed open the door and the wind chime rang.Oh, my God, it's not Mr Kemal, it's his wife. "Hi," I said, after a pause, "I'd like an aspirin." "A box, or a slice?" she asked. "Two. I have a headache. Still a bit depressed...Mr. Kemal..." I said, but she wasn't even listening.She took a pair of scissors, snipped two aspirins, and handed them to me.As I paid her, I asked: "Has Mr. Kemal gone fishing?" "Kamal sleeps on it." I looked at the attic, where he was sleeping up two thick rows of attics.If he wakes up, I can talk to him, maybe he will say something to those uneducated young people, maybe he won’t say anything, just look out thoughtfully and intently, and I will Talk, we can talk.I picked up the change from his wife's little white hand, and she immediately sank into something on the counter—a comic strip, I suppose.What a pretty woman! Good night, I said, and went out without disturbing her.The wind chime rang again.The streets were deserted, and the children playing hide-and-seek had gone home.No way, I went home too. Closing the yard door, I saw through the shutters that the light was still on in the old lady's room—she wouldn't sleep until I lay down.I went in through the kitchen door, locked the door, turned around, and slowly went up the stairs, when I thought: Do houses in Üsküdar really have stairs? What newspaper is that? Tomorrow Go to the commissary and ask for it. I will ask, do you have the "Speaker" newspaper here? I will say that Mr. Farouk from our family wants it. He is a historian and he is very interested in the history column... Upstairs, I went into her room and she was lying on the bed. "I'm back, old lady," I said. "It's amazing!" she said. "You finally found your way home." "No way, the movie ended too late." "Are the doors closed?" "Shut it up," I said. "Is there anything you want? I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me up again later." "They're coming tomorrow, aren't they?" "Yes," I said, "I have made the bed and the room is ready." "Okay," she said, "close my door." I closed the door and went out.I'm going to lie down and sleep right away.I went down the stairs.