[•Nuri's POV•]
(abi- 'brother' in Turkish)
I was calmly watching TV with the girls when my telephone started to ring. "It's Miss Nazmiya" I told the curious girls. They muted the television and listened to our conversation attentively. Yeşim leaned towards me, "Miss Nazmiya?" "Good evening Nuri. I called to give you good news. You got the job!" "Are you serious?" I asked, Yeşim hugged me happily. "Yes! You start tomorrow. From now on, you have to prepare both dinner and lunch, also just for tomorrow, two more people will be staying with Ferit bey, so please prepare for them too" "Okay" I replied.
"I will transfer your salary to your account weekly. I will not be around tomorrow morning but you can find the menu in the drawer" "The menu?" I was confused, "Yes, Ferit bey has a menu for what type of food he would like to eat every day for lunch and dinner. In the morning, I will text you what you should cook for his guests" "Okay, then I'll hang up, have a good evening" I said and was about to end the call, "Nuri! One second!" "Huh? What's the matter?" I asked, "Ferit bey asked me to tell you not to write to him" she said, so the old man did read it "Okay Miss Nazmiya" I said and hung up.
"Girl! did you write to him?" Asked Yeşim, "Eating instructions" I said. "Did you see him?" "Nope" I replied, "But he is probably an old man like my father" I added.
When morning came, I got up to cook and leave for work. This time, I took the bus and headed out. The palace was quiet and I searched the drawer to find a neatly printed paper with fancy names. I learned to cook most of them just last month, the rest was to find out from the search engine and I started cooking.
Almost an hour had passed and I had my earphones on full volume. Food and music were always in perfect sync. I was trying to finely cut a few tomatoes when I accidentally cut myself in the flow of the music. The tomato juice added to the pain. I went inside the room to wash the wound and to search for a bandage. Guess the boss expected his workers to cut their fingers, for I found one right away in one of the cupboards.
When I came back to the kitchen, I saw water in the glass. I don't remember filling it up but then I heard footsteps. I swiftly hid behind the wall between the kitchen and the living room. I peeped to see who it was, there was a tall man with shabby hair standing near the table. He was very thin too but I couldn't see his face, till...
"Who are you, intruder?" Came a young voice from behind me. I jumped. The person had a gun with him and he pressed it to the back of my head. "Please don't hurt me" I begged, "Turn around and show yourself!" He said and as I turned with my hands in mid-air, I received a squirt of water all over my face. "Ah!" I said and tried covering my face, From the corner of my eye, I saw a small boy about eight or seven. He was laughing fanatically. Even I laughed at the end, and he stopped squirting.
The man from the living room appeared from behind the boy, "Who are you?" He asked frowning, "Uh... First tell me who are you both, what are you doing at Ferit bey's house?" I asked, "My name is Idris and this is my Uncle Özgür, it's nice to meet you" said the boy and held out his hand, I couldn't help smiling and I shook his hand. "Idris, you shouldn't tell your name to strangers" said the man, I frowned.
"This 'Ferit bey' is my brother, now you tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?" Asked the man more fiercely, I felt really embarrassed, "Pardon sir, I didn't know that, I am the new chef, Nuri" I said shyly smiling. The man nodded, "Why weren't you here when we came?" "Uh... I accidentally cut my hand so I had to find a bandage so I went to the room and hence I didn't see you" Özgür laughed. I just smiled and both of them went to the living room.
After a few more hours, I finished my work and I went to inform the boys. "I am all done in the kitchen so I will leave now" I said, "Do you want me to drop you?" Asked the guy, "No thank you Özgür bey" I said and turned to leave, "Wait, can I have your number?" He asked, and I turned to find him looking directly into my eyes. I felt irritated, "See you later, Özgür bey" I smiled and turned to leave. When I reached the kitchen, I remembered the custard in the fridge. Ferit probably wouldn't know I made that too but he told me not to write to him, if he hasn't eaten it then I will eat it tomorrow.
[•Ferit's POV•]
I came home in the afternoon from the hospital. I was very tired and the first person who greeted me was Idris. "Abi!" He said and hugged me. I bent down and hugged him, "Idris, how are you?" I asked lifting him up, "Good" he replied, "Your hair has grown longer" I said and placed him back on the floor, "Yes, it will be like uncle's". Özgür was also there, "Welcome Ferit" he said and hugged me, "Thanks brother" I said and hugged back. "Uncle, Abi, I am very hungry" said Idris, "Go on, check the fridge, and have what you like" I said and smiled, he ran to the kitchen.
"Ferit, if you came half an hour earlier, then we could have caught a fragile butterfly" "Huh? A fragile butterfly?" I asked, "The chef, Nuri. She just left half an hour ago" I sighed, "At least not with my workers Özgür" I said, he laughed and I thought the trip to Malaysia might change his playboy characters, but he got nothing out of it other than a set of high-quality photographs.
"So how was Malaysia?" I asked. "The mountains were really beautiful and I have the picture of one of the waterfalls with me, it's really good" he said. Özgür was interested in art and photography since childhood, and Idris was just like him. But I sometimes feel sad that after the accident, Özgür changed a lot. He was such a decent guy but now...
×××
The three of us had lunch and Idris went to his room to draw. "So how is Uncle Tahir?" Asked Özgür, "Same as last time, but I think he is depressed" I said and sighed. "After some time we'll go meet him, right?" I nodded.
The day passed quickly. We all had dinner outside because Idris insisted. He said that he never wants to go to boarding ever again, well that was a relief for us. My father was so happy when he saw Idris and Idris had missed my father dearly.