SERKAN ENGIN

[6]

The clouds in in their black uniform were positioned in the sky like the execution team. They were pouring out rain bullets on the city with their automatic rifles. The city was looking for a place to run away. Cemal's car was moving on the asphalt sheltering  just against the rain flood. The capacity of the wiper  was insufficient to wipe away the drops covering the windscreen. The car had overflooded outside the city. İt exceeded the worry limits of the vacant corners. This was the blue boy of isolation.

A little further a police team came into sight, in a place near the edge of the road. The eyes were directed at him when he reached them and parked the car.

Cemal gott off the car in slow motion and headed towards

a new knot with iron steps.  There was a beheaded body between the Research team and Ümit's group. The prosecutor was not there yet. ''Hello chief''

''Hello''

''When was it found?''

''Around eight o'clock in the morning...One of the inhabitants in the collective housing had seen him when he was morning jogging..''

''What do we have in our hands?''

''No clue yet. The team is continuing the research.'' It was a short and brunette male body lying.

''He was badly beheaded, had bruises and lots of cigarette burns. An inscription has been carved from his sacrum to his neck:

''A horse-drawn carriage like a suicidal black rising to the sky with it's horses'' In the middle of his chest cage, there was a slightly bigger ‘E’ ''This is getting complicated'' he thought.

His cigarette's smoke was blending with the smoky air of Cemal's mind. He was stuck in the folders in front of him. He reluctantly lifted his face up when he heard Ümit calling.

''Chief, we identified the newly beheaded corpse. He also had criminal record. His name is Adnan Çeltik. One of the old hitman known as Kotik Adnan. He is a legend among the triggermen. He was caught and imprisoned after his last job. He was discharged after the last pardon.''

''Did you say pardon?'' ''Yes chief interesting, isn’t it?'' ''Whatever, carry on!''

''According to the legal medicine's report, it had become certain that the murder was not an imitation. The beheading saw, the bone braking hammer and the knife that has been used were the same with the first corpse.'' 

''A DNA sample that belongs to the killer?''

''Unfortunately no trace...With your permission I will start to make a detailed research on Kotik Adnan.''

''Ok. Learn specifically if there's any relation between Broken Ziya and him.''

 ''As you command...With your permission.'

The small match flames in Cemal's mind were beginng to organize towards a torch...

Evening leaned on the city's door like a sequestrator. The dark, dirty blood circling in city's veins. The city was boiling inside, grumbling.  Unemployment and hopelessness became greasy ropes around people's throats.  Untying the losers of their hearts from life's piers, most parents desired to sail on the open seas of death. It wasn't easy to return home empty handed and with their heads down...To see oneself like a hunchback on the ridge of life...In brief, as if there was not enough trouble, this beheading  nightmare had started. Everyone was looking at  each other with suspicion. Maybe the murderer was the person sitting next to you on the bus. Maybe you were buying bread from the same bakery, or working in the same place. Suspicion was wandering around like a dirty whisper in the heart of dark corridors of the city. Ümit was wandering in his car, splitting the suspicion that was spread on the city like fog.  Another busy day was over. He was feeling dejected for not finding any significant clue of Kotik Adnan's murder, despite his efforts for days. Kotik Adnan had lived alone. Never married. Never got in touch with her mother at his birthplace. He had few friends and a lot of enemies... But Ümit never found a tie between the enemies and murder. He too had disappeared suddenly like Ziya.

His acquaintances in the coffee-shop that he frequently visited got suspicious of his absence. Despite of all his efforts,  Ümit  never managed to find a relation ship between broken Ziya and Kotik Adnan. He didn't want to think of anything tonight. He only wanted to go to a ''gay bar'', drink and get high. Of course, not forgetting to chew a mint gum to suppress the smell of alcohol and avoid being  noticed at home 

He parked his car on a street that was close to the avenue. The paviours immediately showed up for their tribute which was disguised as parking fee. But they disappeared as soon as they saw Ümit. Because most of them had criminal records and knew who Ümit was. Ümit rushed into the bar where he spent time before.  As soon as he stepped inside, he felt himself as light as a sparrow escaped from it's cage. These places were like oxygen tents for people like him. These were places that he got rid of the ''painted bird'' syndrome and experienced the partial freedom of being with people like him. When coming in and out he never was never afraid of getting caught by his acquaintances. He would get away with it by using his profession  - saying that he was here  on duty. He silently sat at the bar. It was just getting crowded. At the same hour, Cemal had already brewed his tea after his dinner, and was getting lazy in front of the television. He wasn't into what was on T.V. at all. How could he be anyway: A bunch of robbers, black money man and the like, were showing up on every channel. He got bored and turned off the television. Lighting a cigarette he walked around the house. He was feeling depressed. He opened the wine bottle, sat down at the table, made eye contact with the young girl in the photo for a while.  Their love lasted for such a short time - like a haiku, yet so dense. Or Cemal thought so, or wanted it to be. This redheaded girl was the secret subject of his life. Now Cemal never knew, how he would add the possessive suffix to love? ''Girl you just threw away my heart like a cigarette butt !...''

Sneaky clouds had established a dictatorship in the sky. Gloom was slowly dropping onto the city. The city was moving towards the night by stepping on the heavy words...

Cemal had directed his glances outside the office window but he only saw the question marks in his head. His cigarette smoke directed his head towards a summit of a foggy mountain. Cemal never had a suspicion anymore - ; The beheaded murders were made by a serial killer.

But the murderer's identity was so obscure as a sentence not yet constructed. The only common thing in both murders was both victims had benefitted from pardon. Cemal had never been scolded by his superiors since his graduation from the academy and he was never been under such a pressure in his whole career.. With the discovery of the second corpse, the interest of media and public had got bigger. Cemal was like a helpless cavy trying to find it's way in the labyrinth. Every road ended at a dumb wall.

''Then what is he trying to say with the carved inscriptions on the corpses?'' he thought. ''Which silk road multiplies the letter series...With the horse drawn carriages...''

Additionally there are K and E letters. Is he playing a game with us or what?''. He will go on with killing unless he got caught. But why?...''

He sank at his table like an army that have been defeated. He got even with the pain his helplessness by crushing his cigarette butt like a bud.

''Sooner or later you will make a mistake. Then you will be introduced to my handcuffs.''

Ümit's heart was fluttering like a sparrow that was trapped. He was longing to reach the house by driving the car as if he was in dream. His mother had  never called the Station before. For the first time she asked him to come as early as possible, but never told the reason. Saying ''Not on the telephone. We’ll talk tonight.'' left ümit in curiosity. Ümit suddenly thought that it was about his father. Was it that his father got sick and his mother didn't want to tell him on the phone, not wanting to worry him...Ümit had turned into an anxiety ball... He stood by the door after parking the car  in front of the house casually. He rang the bell insistently.

''Welcome son.'' ''What's up mother. Is there anything wrong with my father?''

His mother caressed the cheek of his son, smiling. ''No dear no. Come inside then we talk.''

They passed to the living room together. Mister İbrahim was on the seat of honor as usual.

''Good evening dad.''

''Good evening. Come and sit by my side.''

Ümit had really got suspicious. His father had never talked to him in person unless there was a very important subject.

''There's something important İ want to talk to you about..Ee, you have really grown up. The time has come for a marriage.''

Instantly Ümit's blood pressure dramatically increased. The color in his face flew away like a bird escaping from his cage.

He was always afraid of this and now it was inescapably in front of him.

''We want you to get married while we're around. We are longing to see our grand children...''

Ümit was like in a press. He was listening to his father in agony.

''You know your mother's adopted maid Aunt Hamiyet. She has a  niece. A girl called Emine, who is very honest and religious. She just graduated from  the İmam Hatip...''

Ümit didn't want to hear the rest but he was helpless like a  fly got caught in the spider's web.

''What I'm saying is that your mother went to girl's house to see her. She liked her a lot. She is beautiful and well- mannered. We shall go as soon as possible to make an agreement.'' There was a brief silence. Mister İbrahim got his stares on the pupil of Ümit's eyes with the order of his approval.

''Whatever you think is fit.'' mumbled Ümit...

Saying ''With your permission'', he repaired to his room, dragging his despair like a chain at his feet.

His mother followed him to his room. ''Look son, this is the picture of the girl...How do you find her? Beautiful isn't she?'' Ümit looked at the picture reluctantly.

''Yes, beautiful.'' ''Don’t you like her? '' No, no. She is nice.''

His mother went back to the room a little worried. Ümit stayed back with his troubles that was accumulated like lava inside him. He wanted to scram like crazy on the street ''I'm a faggot goddamn, I'm a faggot!''

Cemal was searching the radio channel that suited his mood. In many frequencies when he heard the crazy show host speaking Turkish with New York accent and he couldn't help saying ''American slimmies! Smart asses!''

Then he he met ''Apprentice of the Repairman'' in a channel. His nerves that were strained like a bow got relaxed. It was like seeing an old friend. All of a sudden 70's got down from the dusty shelves of his mind.

He dived into his adolescent memories: When he was in the first grade, he and his friend Mehmet had skipped school on a warm spring day. It was the most naughty day of Cemal's small biography. For the first time he had eaten  a great bowl of ice cream that looked like the peak of a mountain. It was offered by Mehmet of course. Because he had a father and accordingly pocket money too.

In the afternoon, they had sat in the tea garden. How nice was it to drink tea, looking at the sea... In a while, two young men at the next table got Cemal's attention. He never understood what they were talking about.  They were giggling sweetly at times. One asked the other ''Where are you from?''. And the other answered ''I'm a union man.'' They had burst out laughing.  Cemal was startled with the question in his mind about where does union belong to... He realized years after..

He went to the kitchen pulling away from old memories. He returned to the living room after opening a beer bottle from the refrigerator. All of a sudden he realized his loneliness in the middle of the night. He was a purple button attached to loneliness. Turning off the radio he put on a ballad album on the stereo. And then sank into his armchair, and became like a bucket that was put down in the well.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

EDITED BY APARAJITA SEN.