Afterward； I stroked my beautiful Shekure’s hair。
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“Esther； I’m afraid；” she said。
“My dear； don’t be afraid；” I said。 “Every cloud has a silver lining。 Look；
you’re finally married。”
“But I’m not sure I did the right thing；” she said。 “That’s why I haven’t let
him get near me。 I spent the night beside my unfortunate father。”
She opened her eyes wide and looked at me in a way that said； You
understand what I mean。
“Hasan claims that your wedding is null in the eyes of the judge；” I said。
“He sent this to you。”
Though she said； “No more；” she immediately opened the small note and
read； but this time she didn’t tell me what it contained。
She was right to be discreet； we weren’t alone in the courtyard where we’d
stood embracing： Above us； a smirking carpenter； reattaching the shutter of
the hall window； which fell and broke for some unknown reason that
morning； was also eyeing both us and the women mourning inside。
Meanwhile； Hayriye came out of the house and rushed to open the door for
the son of a loyal neighbor who’d called out； “the halva’s here；” as he knocked
on the courtyard gate。
“It’s been quite some time since we buried him；” said Shekure。 “I can now
sense that my poor father’s soul is leaving his body for good and rising into
the heavens。”
She removed herself from my arms； and gazing up at the bright sky； recited
a long prayer。
I suddenly felt so distant and estranged from Shekure that it wouldn’t have
surprised me if I were the cloud she was gazing at。 As soon as she finished her
prayer； pretty Shekure kissed me affectionately on both cheeks。
“Esther；” she said； “so long as my father’s murderer roams free； there’ll be
no peace in this world for me or my children。”
It pleased me that she didn’t mention her new husband’s name。
“Go to Elegant Effendi’s house； talk casually to his widow and learn why
they didn’t send us any halva。 Let me know immediately what you find out。”
“Do you have any messages for Hasan？” I said。
I felt embarrassed； not because I’d asked this question； but because I
couldn’t look her in the eye as I did so。 To cover up my embarrassment； I
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stopped Hayriye and opened the lid of the pot she was holding。 “Ohh；” I said；
“semolina halva with pistachios；” as I had a taste。 “And they’ve added oranges；
too。”
It made me happy to see Shekure smile sweetly as if everything were
happening as planned。
I grabbed my bundle and left。 I’d taken no more than two steps when I saw
Black at the end of the street。 He’d just e from the burial of his father…in…
law； and I could tell from his beaming face that this new husband was quite
pleased with his life。 In order not to dampen his spirits； I left the street；
entered the vegetable rows and passed through the garden of the house where
the brother of the lover of the famous Jewish doctor Moshe Hamon had lived
before he was hanged。 This garden； which recalled death； always brought such
great sadness upon me when I walked through it that I invariably forgot I’d
been charged to find a buyer for the property。
The air of death was also in Elegant Effendi’s house； though for me it
provoked no sadness。 I was Esther； a woman who went in and out of
thousands of homes and was acquainted with hundreds of widows； I knew
that women who lost their husbands early were spellbound either by defeat
and misery or anger and rebellion （although Shekure had suffered all these
afflictions）。 Kalbiye had partaken of the poison of anger and I fast realized that
this would serve to hasten my work。
As with all conceited women to whom life has been cruel； Kalbiye quite
rightly suspected that all her visitors came to pity her in her darkest hour； or
even worse； to witness her agony and secretly rejoice in their own better
situations； thus； she engaged in no pleasantries with her guests； but went
straight to the heart of the matter forgoing any flowery small talk。 Why had
Esther e this afternoon； just as Kalbiye was about to take a consoling nap
with her grief？ Well aware she’d take no interest in the latest silks from China
or handkerchiefs from Bursa； I didn’t even pretend to open my bundle； but
came right to the point and described teary…eyed Shekure’s concern。 “It has
heightened Shekure’s misery to think that she has somehow hurt your
feelings； with whom she shares the same sorrow；” I said。
Arrogantly； Kalbiye confirmed that she hadn’t asked after Shekure’s well…
being； hadn’t visited to express her condolences or mourn with her； nor could
she bring herself to prepare and send any halva。 Behind her pride； there also
lurked a glee that she couldn’t conceal： The delight that her resentment had
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been recognized。 It was from this point of entry that your sharp…witted Esther
attempted to discover the reasons for and circumstances of Kalbiye’s anger。
It didn’t take long for Kalbiye to admit that she’d been upset with the late
Enishte Effendi due to the illustrated manuscript he was preparing。 She said
her husband； may he rest in peace； hadn’t agreed to work on the book for the
sake of a handful of extra silver coins； but because Enishte Effendi convinced
him the project was authorized by the Sultan。 However； when her late
husband became aware that the illuminations Enishte Effendi hired him to
gild were slowly evolving from simple ornamented pages into full…blown
illustrations； pictures moreover that bore the marks of Frankish blasphemy；
atheism and even heresy； he grew uneasy and began to lose sight of right and
wrong。 Being a much more reasonable and prudent person than Elegant
Effendi； she cautiously added that all these doubts arose gradually rather than
at once； and since poor Elegant Effendi never found anything that would be
considered blatant sacrilege； he was able to dismiss his worries as unfounded。
Besides； he forted himself by never missing a sermon given by Nusret Hoja
of Erzurum； and if he skipped one of his five daily prayers it unsettled him。
Just as he knew that certain scoundrels at the workshop ridiculed his plete
devotion to the faith； so he understood very well that their brazen jokes arose
out of envy of his talent and artistry。
A large； glimmering tear slid from Kalbiye’s gleaming eye down her cheek；
and at the first opportunity； your good…hearted Esther decided to find Kalbiye
a better husband than the one she’d recently lost。
“My late husband didn’t often share these concerns of his with me；”
Kalbiye said cautiously。 “Based on whatever I could remember and piece
together I’ve concluded that everything happened on account of the
illustrations that took him to Enishte Effendi’s house on h