# A Chance Encounter
Meanwhile, I wrote a story that’s “like a novel” [and not like a novel] in the first person… for the first time! On one hand, the text became more personal [?!] and more emotional, but on the other hand, it “tied my hands” in using my usual “deviations”. In other words, my voice as an author and default protagonist was muffled… I think [?!]
Trying is half the battle. So, two tries make a whole battle [huh?!]
After a long time of “fortune-telling,” I went to the cinema with Google Maps ready to see a new movie about Stallone and Megan Fox. This woman is really something else! I got my phone ready with internet. I’d need a lot of translation. I already had a ticket, and when they stopped me at the entrance, I confidently handed it over. It felt like I was showing a VIP card. Suddenly, I remembered Cavea. It wasn’t “drawn” like Cavea, and it didn’t have a “tear-off” part, just a receipt that I used to ask, “Please don’t tear it, I’m collecting them.” Once they told me, “We don’t usually do that,” but… they didn’t “tear it off.”
I was planning to buy Pepsi and popcorn. I approached and repeated, “Meraba, keşekullar” [hello and thank you], and when those green [?] eyes shone at me, I was instantly “poisoned.” My subconscious even shouted, “Holy cow, Maria Petrovna!” She was so beautiful that… every thought in me went silent. Every idea stretched out, and it seemed like my brain neurons had a meeting, agreed, and went on a “strike” all at once.
In the end, she gave me cola and popcorn, and I sneakily, “quietly” took a video of her. However, she noticed and said something in Turkish. I, of course, “put on my theatrical skills” and first acted surprised, then caught the word “photo” in her words. I took out my phone, which I had “technically” managed to hide, and said, “Shall we take a selfie?!” The girl gestured with her hands that it was nothing, nothing, and I strutted into the cinema with a victorious air. When I looked at the screen, the last part of the trailer was already playing, and in Turkish. I went back out and discovered that I had arrived a whole hour early. Before I could think about why this happened, as usual, I remembered my “treasure” on my phone, still bustling around the popcorn machine. Soon, a second consultant arrived, and I realized, ah, that’s why fate brought me here a whole hour early… apparently!
While waiting, I was “torturing” the popcorn and thinking about what to say. She didn’t know English, so she wouldn’t understand me. I sighed, and suddenly I imagined us walking with coffees in hand. I leaned back against the not-so-comfortable sofa. Instead of talking, we’d message on Viber, since it has a translation function, or I’d type in English in Google Translate, and she’d read it in Turkish. Then she’d type in Turkish, and I’d read it in English. Or a third, more “theatrical scenario” came to my mind. The phone “speaks” in Turkish, and the phone “speaks out” in English. I “speak” in English, and the phone “speaks out” in Turkish. I laughed and glanced at her. I didn’t know what to do for a whole hour.
Throughout the entire movie, I thought about her… only! Even when Megan Fox appeared on the big screen! I had already finished the cola and reached for the water I bought before entering the cinema when that girl was at the counter, just so I could see her beauty once more… up close! In the unnecessary lighting, I couldn’t tell if her eyes were really green or if I just wanted them to be. I was no longer interested in the movie. I immediately reached for my phone, although her eyes weren’t visible in the video, but her charming face… definitely was! From experience, I knew what I had to do. I immediately took out my phone and typed. “The moment I saw you, I was captivated by you. Forgive me for such bold directness, but I won’t forgive myself if I don’t ask, will you allow me to treat you to coffee in the park?” For a moment, I thought about double-checking the Turkish translation with my newly-met Turkish friend, but I quickly decided to follow my heart. On one hand, with a mistake, I’d at least be sincere, and on the other hand, I had just learned to trust my heart’s desire in Istanbul. “God knows best,” I always repeated.
The movie ended. I didn’t wait for the post-credits scene, I rushed out and immediately noticed the girl’s momentary glance. In the second moment, I changed my mind about everything, and in the third moment, with the belief that “God knows best,” I approached the counter. She also approached, said something in Turkish, and I, of course, didn’t understand. So I just smiled. Like Jackie Chan did to that guy at the airport during rush hour. I pointed to the phone and handed it to her.
She read it.
She looked at me.
She looked at the phone.
“I’m not thinking about anything, I’m just waiting for an answer,” I thought, and immediately a small thought crept in. I raised my index finger to the girl, took the phone back, and quickly typed a new text and showed it to her again.
She read it… again!
She looked at me… again!
She looked at the phone… again!
“Tamam,” she said and tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile at the corner of her lips. At that moment, I wholeheartedly blessed my newly acquired Turkish friend, who had been teaching me Turkish words since my arrival. Tamam meant agreement, and my three-word Turkish vocabulary turned out to be completely sufficient for this!
“Are you showing off?” my subconscious asked, and I almost choked on the popcorn. Then it stood up and started dancing… The letter said the following words:
Yes, I admit, I took a video of you. Because I couldn’t bear the thought that I would see you… only once! And here I am now, standing in front of you, asking you to take a walk with me.
It seems the girl knew how to use Google Translate, as the sound of typing buttons brought me out of my thoughts.
“I’ll finish in two hours if you wait, or I can give you my number and we can choose another time,” – I took the phone back.
“I’ll wait,” – I beamed my answer on my face. I was thinking about which scenario from my possible ones the “conversation” by messaging was.
“Sara,” – she said and brought me out of my thoughts so much that I looked and understood. She had her index finger on her chest.
“Thomas,” – I said impatiently.
“Tamam,” – she said and took a step back. Tamam. This word became my favorite word in the Turkish language “officially”. If the walk went well, I’d “chew through” the entire Turkish language with its “dialects” if they had any. I thought, extended my hand. She extended hers, I kissed her wrist like an “old” gentleman and turned around. I was stepping so lightly, I thought I was flying. I noticed in the mirrors that she was still watching me, so I broadened my shoulders, thrust out my chest, and slowly stepped around the corner. Then I paused for a moment and suddenly jumped for joy. My subconscious was dancing and singing at the top of its voice without a partner.
“You can do it, you good plower,” my subconscious “encouraged” me at last. Then I thought about the video. What should I do, delete it or keep it? So another good [?] idea came to me, and while I was “on a roll” [things were going well for me], I started looking around the mall.
We were walking towards the park with coffee in hand. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, except that I was very fascinated by her, and there’s nothing more pleasant than when a girl tries to fascinate you in return. We hadn’t said a word… yet! From time to time, she would put her arm on mine and look around, though she would fix her gaze on me for a few seconds. I noticed, but I didn’t let on! At this moment, you’re at your calmest. You don’t think about dispersing the “awkward silence”, nor about “blurting out” something clever. You just talk, and I too took out my phone to “talk”. I pressed voice recording and looked at the angel incarnate walking beside me.
“What’s your ideal date?” – emerged from my phone in Turkish. I hoped it would translate well. I asked and handed her the phone. She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear… again! She also took my phone and “spoke” into it.
“The main thing is for the person to be ideal,” – she pressed her lips together and turned her head away, horizontally.
“What’s your ideal person?” – I asked calmly.
“Sincere,” – she told me immediately, and I laughed.
“Ah, so that’s why she agreed to meet,” – my subconscious informed me.
“All this popcorn will kill you,” – I shouted rudely. It waved me off and had curled up on a huge couch in front of a huge TV, “munching” on huge popcorn from a box. And on TV, it saw the world through my eyes.
I noticed that during this seemingly “innocent” walk, feelings were intensifying.
We were already boldly “gazing” into each other’s eyes. She lost the “eye-blinking” contest, laughed, and sat down on a long bench right there. I really liked how I was looking at her, so I sat down on the bench opposite her. I raised my coffee cup high. She mimicked me and raised her cup high too. All this was good, but what would the future be like? I pondered for a moment and finished my coffee. As if reading my thoughts, she first sat next to me, then slid towards me, put her hand on my chest, and leaned me against the back of the long bench. She took my hand, wrapped it around her neck, hugged me to her chest, and I immediately found the answer to my question.
What will the future be like?
Sincere! –
I walked her home, and we decided to compete on who would learn faster – she English or me Turkish.
The end.
If you love “happy endings” as much as I do, don’t read the epilogue, okay?
Last warning
Fair enough
I told you…!
Epilogue:
By complete chance, I discovered her C2 certificate in English… It turns out the girl knew English better than me?! I wonder what else the girl would turn out to be ‘sincere’ about.
