I awoke to a warm morning, in a bed with clean sheets (how the bed had been remade around and under me I have no idea to this day,) fresh cut aromatic flowers in vases all over the room blending with the aromas of classic Turkish breakfast foods: sucuklu yumurta, börek, fresh baked breads and a rich black tea wafting on the breeze.
The room was like clear clean-cut crystal and the sounds from the street were razor sharp. As I tried focusing, I could hear the sound of rubber and leather soles squishing along the pavement outside accompanied by the harsh rasp of threads of fabric of the person's clothes as the fabric shifted back and forth with their gait. A bird on the phone wire sounded like it was screeching inside my head and a dog was whimpering somewhere close by. Various conversations outside were all blending together in a cacophony of swirling din and the leaves dancing on their limbs in a gentle breeze sounded like big sails flapping and snapping in a gust. My senses were working overtime -- pulling in even the minutest elements and amplifying them to extreme levels.
There was a knock on the door to my duplex -- which now sounded like a thunderous battering ram. I donned my robe which felt like warm oily liquid gently caressing my skin, opened the door to find Ayman grinning his gentle smile at me.
"Help me figure something out Ayman?" I asked, seeing him in the doorway.
"Of course Karamat. Anything I can do to help I will as always" he replied.
My jaw hit the ground!
"Ayman? How did you ... do you ... what do you know about that? About me? It?" I blurted out somewhat panicky. My fear was that everyone around me knew about this thing, device, the very nature of my being.
"I of course know everything sahib. You see ... Hadad is my koruyucu melek, or guardian angel in your current tongue" Ayman continued. "Did you really think it was chance that it was I who was sent to be your guide? Nothing in this world is coincidence -- you of all people should know that."
Well isn't that something special. I began to understand that I was entwined in a web that was far older than I and I was apprehensive about what was to follow. I decided that a reunion was in order so I closed my eyes and beckoned Hadad to me. Within mere moments I felt his presence outside the door. "Ayman, would you be so kind as to go open the door for Hadad?" I asked. He grinned conspiratorially in approval.
With the two of them now standing in front of me I needed to explain something about my desire for privacy. "Please ... gentlemen ... take a seat" I requested. My years of business experience, negotiations, diplomacy and tact needed to be brought to use because I neither wanted to offend nor dissuade these handlers from their duties but I also wanted to draw some boundaries. How foolish I was to think that I was dealing with hired staff.
"In America we have some really terrible and stupid television programs" I began. "One in particular comes to mind. It is based on the premise that anyone with money or power -- which they have ignorantly imagined to be the same -- needs to have their "crew" tagging along every moment of every day and night. These sycophants sponge off their benefactor like vermin and the main dude -- in our case, me -- deals out praises and punishments, assignments of sorts and other activities to this bunch of leeches while the members of the crew desperately try to rise up through the pack hierarchy by any means possible. Lies, deceit, little power struggles created on purpose -- you name it. It's ugly and base and I cannot nor will I tolerate it here."
As I blathered on and on about my expectations both men looked upon me with quiet amusement, nodding slowly like children in class who are bored and who's minds have wandered to far-off adventures all the while keeping their eyes glued on the teacher up front. It's a practiced art -- anyone who has ever worked as a bartender or server knows it well. That thousand-mile stare...
I was just about to continue on with my diatribe when Hadad cleared his throat slightly and gently held his hand up -- not in a "I have a question" fashion but in a "stop -- you're embarrassing yourself "manner.
"You have no need to ramble on so dear Karamat" Hadad said. "We have no intention of intruding on your time master. We are here for you when you need us ... though there are moments, like now when we need to bring certain ... matters ... to your attention" he continued while doing that no-blink stare thing.
"And... What would these matters be?" I asked somewhat unsure of where this was headed.
"Before you expend more energy on your ... exploits ... I should like to remind you of a promise that was made long ago. Search your memory Karamat ... you will be aware of what I speak momentarily" Hadad said.
