Silhouettes: Chapter 8

Welcome back!

Let's just jump straight into it!

From Janu POV.

Chapter 8: What Is!!!!

Early morning sun rays danced their way into my room.
I pulled the cover over my body, blocking the sun out of my sight. My last attempt at getting a little bit more of sleep.
The harder I tried the more thoughts raced into my head.
"He cheated so that shall be easy. But I need another loophole to depend on and shock them in court with!!!"
I opened my eyes slightly, grunted at sun then turned into my side, giving my back to the sun and window.
Upon turning into my side, I peaked into my bedside clock, it was 6:21 AM.
Today is Friday.
Oh, no!
You will get in a bit why I said that.

Finally I pushed the covers off, surrendering. I knew my mind is too occupied to offer me any kind rest.
"You will rest, Janu. You will rest when this case is over by you winning it." I said as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.
I am physically tired.
I went to bed around 2 AM last night, I was at Ibrahim's home till 12 AM working on my case alongside him. I don't know what I would do without Murat, really!!!!
My feet hit the floor and finally I got up. 
I passed by the bedside table as a set of eyes followed me all the way into my bathroom.

After going through my morning routine, I put on a pair of jeans and an off the shoulders white top. It is not officially the weekend but I will be working all day with Ibrahim, at his place, so no need to dress up.
As I was putting on some makeup on, I could hear my mother from downstairs asking her grandchildren to wake me up.
You see I am still living at my parent's house still. Yes I am 26 years old and still doing so.
I have 4 siblings, 2 older sisters who are at the age of 34 and 30. I also have 2 younger crazy brothers aged 22 and 18. I am exactly in the middle.
The funny thing is, all my siblings are either married or in a relationship of some form even that 18 year old kid.
My 2 older sisters were married before hitting 20 and are now settled in their own houses. Each of them having 2 kids.
As for my brothers they are both studying abroad in together.
My mom went "Go wake up your Teyze"* to the 3 miniatures at the house. She couldn't order the 4th one around, since he is only a toddler.
Fridays at our house means a loud crowded busy house preparing for Friday prayers and the weekend. Both of my sisters spend their weekend here with their families. So endless hustle and kids around the house, making me spend the entire weekend out at Eve's place to get my work done.
My bedroom's door flew open as the 2 boys and 1 girl walked in shouting in excitement "TEYZE, TEYZE."
"Efendim*, I am already awake." I said as I kissed each of them. Each of them started telling me how their week went.
The youngest, the girl Toska was wearing a princess blue dress. She was swirling in it, as she said "I am a beautiful model princess." I laughed to that and went on to tease her by saying "You are full of pride aren't you?!"
"HAYIR*, I AM BEAUTIFUL."* Was her only response.
"Tamam, tamam."* I said laughing.
"Hadi*, gel*, gel gather around." I said as I moved them into a small circle. 
"NE?!!"* Said Toska as she studied me. That girl is something else, she read me sometimes. Bless her. :-)
 "Now I need your help, sneak me out and I will sneak you chocolate and ice cream at night." I whispered to them.
"Tamam don't worry." said my oldest nephew, Lorik. He is practically raised by me, he is the oldest grandchild. He will forever be my little baby boy and the most obedient unlike that model princess. 
After grabbing my big handbag, the kids and I finally made our way downstairs.
Lorki cleared the way for me up the front door. My right hand was turning the doorknob as my left held my shoes and handbag tight into my chest.
 "NEREYE?!"* My mother's voice came up from behind making me shout and jump with fear.
"JAAAANUOOOO." she said angrily.
Oh boy here we go.
"Bugün* is Friday! And looking at how you are dressed you have no intention on joying us for Friday Namaz."
I turned around slightly trying to hide my shoes and bag out from her eyes.
"BI DAKKA.*' my mom shouted while raising her hand 'you were sneaking out?!"
"I , I....." I started but it was a lost case.
"WE ARE GOING TO VISIT AHMET BABA. TODAY!!!! AND YOU ARE NOT COMING?!!!"
"Anne*, I have this case....." I tried arguing back. 
But she cut me off "Sus, Allah Kahretsin sus*. You love your Dede. What is happening to you?!"
"Ama, Anne..." I tried to explain myself.
She leaned down.
Oh I knew what was coming.
My hand went straight back to the handle, I turned it as she took her slipper off. I turned my back to her and began my chase.
"GIT, GIT I DIDN'T RAISE BENIM KIZIM* WELL, YOU OLD MAYMUN."* She said as she threw that slipper at me. 
Even though I was quick that slipper still made it, into hitting the back of my head.
The door closed behind me, as I heard the kids laughter from the door behind me.
"Tamam, no chocolate for any of you. Especially you Toska." I threatened back.

Then heard my mother ask Toska to bring her flying slipper back.

Oh what a great morning, let's see how the rest of it goes. 


I sat down on the floor with a cushion beneath me in Murat's little office. A wooden table was directly in front of me was covered by paper, my case.
I looked up at the wall clock that show the time to be 12 in the afternoon. I have been working continuously for hours now. I stretched my neck and upper back.
Then I closed my eyes as I leaned back into the grey sofa behind me.
We are getting closer, too close to the end. We only have 2 weeks left to the next trial.
The sound of little footsteps hitting the floor came into my ears, disrupting my train of thoughts.
I opened my eyes in search of the source.
Then I saw them.
A pair of blues eyes peaked behind the door, they were watching me.
"Melek!!!" I said softly.
I turned sideways and held my hands up to welcome the little angel "Gel, gel".
She ran straight into my hands as her blonde hair danced behind her. 
"OOOOHHHH!!!" I exclaimed as she gave me a tight hug.  
"MELEK!!! Kizim don't disturb Janu Teyze." The same pair of blue eyes and blonde hair walked into the room. Her mother, Nuriya.
Melek shook her head in response, cracking me up.
"It is okay, Nuriya. I am on a break. AHHHH! And I need this hug." I said happily holding my angel tighter.
Melek started kissing my cheek.
"Sen benim Meleksin."* I said back to the one year old angel as I started flooding her with kisses.
"MELEK! NURIYA!' Came in Murat's voice 'Hadi ,let's leave Janu Teyze work."
"Hayir." Melek said pouting back.
"Hayir. Hayir. HAYIR." I cheered back, then left Melek into my lap then started tickling her and kissing her all over. The room was filled with her musical innocent laughter.
"Janu abla. Hadi." Murat said in that voice you use to talk to kids with. He then bent down to take the little angel off my lap.
"Bak*, I will come out in a bit and play with you, tamam!!!" I whispered my promise into Melek's little ear as I handed her over to Murat abi.
Nuriya and Melek walked out of the room hand in hand, Melek kept waving at me till disappearing out of sight.
She is an angel.
"You do love them a lot, don't you?!" I asked Murat whose eyes were still trailing the corner his wife and daughter disappeared into.
"Tabiki"* was his only response.
"Hmmm" I said back raising an eyebrow back teasing him.
"Tamam ya! Evet, we got married through a family arranged marriage, but I love my wife. Why do we only believe in love before marriage?! My wife and I grew together. My love for her only blossomed and grew after we got married. I learned loving her. She grew on me. I grew into loving her."
"I know, I just love hearing you saying that. And I love teasing my older Abi" I said back smiling, to which he shook his head back.

You see, Murat is not from Istanbul, he is from Trabzon. He comes down from a conservative big family, hence the arranged marriage. He have 6 older brothers, he is youngest son in his big family. But the beautiful thing is, Ibrahim is proud of it all. Murat is proud of his heritage and the way he got married in. He fell in love and is happy with his wife and daughter.

"Neyse*. Hadi back to work. We have so much to do." He said in a serious tone. 
"Hayir." I said copying Melek which made Murat laugh at me.

"You know what is weird?!" He asked as he walked around the room.
"Ne?!"* I asked back.
"It is not you taking a divorce case. It is Nikola doing divorce cases." He answered as he sat on the couch to my right.
"Why?!" I asked confused looking at him.
"What do you mean by why?! Nikola Gjoka is a criminal lawyer. He worked super hard over the years and built up a reputation for himself. Out of the blue, he turns into divorce cases, why???!!!!" He questioned with furrowed eyebrows.
"You are right! That is weird! I wonder why!!" I replied. I zoned out as I was trying to work out this piece of information I just heard.
"Well according to what I know he left criminal cases two years a go." I said thoughtfully.
I did follow up his news every now and then.

"But I have no idea why!" I finally added. 

"What happened two years a go is the question, Janu." Murat stated the very thing that was on my mind.

What was it?!


-------------------------------------------------------------

Turkish words:

Teyze*-Aunt
Efendim*-Sorry
Hayir*-no
Tamam*-okay
Hadi*-lets go
Gel*-come
Ne*-what
Nereye*-where 
Bugün*-today
Bı dakka*-one minute
Anne*- mother
Sus*- quiet
Kahretsin*-damn
Benım kızım*- my daughter
Sen*-you
Abla*-sister
Bak*- look
Abi*-brother
Tabiki*-of course
Neyse*-anyway


That's it for tonight folks.
Sending you all my love.

P.S. I can't stop laughing at the thought that some thought that Ibrahim had a secret crush on Janu. hen he sees her as the younger sister he never got to have.