As soon as Râkım uttered these words, Felâtun looked at his face, gave him a bitter smile, and walked away without saying goodbye. Did this trouble Râkım now? Let’s not get into it.
Why should this trouble Râkım? Felâtun should have opened his eyes earlier and shouldn’t have allowed a slut to swindle him of his fortune. Didn’t he used to turn up his nose at Râkım?
Yes! You’re right about that. However, a man like Râkım would never be easy about anybody’s humiliation or destruction. He would be troubled even if the person caught in such a state of destruction were his enemy.
This wasn’t the only thing that troubled him when he came home that evening: there was also the question of Jan’s illness. That night he didn’t utter a single word and couldn’t find the strength to eat. Her master’s distress made Janan sick at heart. Given the unusual state of affairs, the poor girl couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth and remained in front of Râkım with her head down. When he barked orders at Janan requesting things like cigarettes and coffee, he sounded almost like an overbearing janissary cleaning his knife after shedding the blood of a victim. Janan couldn’t make up her mind as to whether she ought to cry or not and after everybody retired to their rooms, she cried long and feverishly in her own bed.
What happened to that Râkım who used to work with strict discipline and function like a chronometer? The next day, he was at a loss about where to go and what to do. Saying, “I’ll get up now; I’ll get dressed now; I’ll go now but where shall I go; what work should I do?” Râkım remained stuck at home until mid-afternoon and eventually resigned himself to staying home for the rest of the day. Toward evening he got out the half-filled rakı bottle left over from the night of their dinner with Josephine, poured himself some, and began drinking. Even though Râkım sat Janan in front of the piano, she took no pleasure from playing as she saw no sign of joy on her master’s face.
What if we said that Josephine showed up at the door! Apparently, that was their lesson day. Râkım greeted her. As it was in her nature to be cheerful and sassy, she greeted both Râkım and Janan with a thousand smiles and much jolliness. Both of them received Josephine’s greetings coldly. Josephine was bewildered. She couldn’t make any sense of this cold treatment.
JOSEPHINE: What is this? I see this house, which is always so happy, full of grief tonight. I hope nothing is wrong!
RKIM: No, thank God we don’t have any cause for grief.
JOSEPHINE: Your words and your heart are not speaking the same language. I fear that Janan might have upset you.
JANAN (trembling fearfully): No Madame, I haven’t done anything.
RKIM: How could Janan ever upset me? You shouldn’t believe me even if I said such a thing.
JOSEPHINE: I know, and that’s how it should be. But there’s definitely something wrong with you today.
RKIM: Well . . . there is! You know Mr. Ziklas, right? See, his eldest daughter is on her deathbed, and I feel so badly for her. Wouldn’t the unexpected and sudden death of a young girl torment a person, Madame? Wouldn’t it?
JOSEPHINE: It’s lamentable indeed. What’s her illness?
RKIM: What illness strikes the young? Obviously it’s tuberculosis.
JOSEPHINE: Alas, poor girl, alas! I honestly feel sorry for her.
RKIM: There is no way you can imagine how sorry I feel. We were practically siblings.
JOSEPHINE: My dear, it isn’t necessary to torment yourself as if she were already dead! God willing, nothing will happen to her and she’ll recover!
RKIM: Right. We consoled her father the same way. Anyway, see, this was one of the reasons for our distress today. The other has to do with Felâtun Bey.
JOSEPHINE: Oh, first we need to know who Felâtun Bey is before we can understand his situation.
RKIM: You mean you don’t know who Felâtun Bey is?
JOSEPHINE: You’ve never mentioned him to me.
RKIM: I haven’t because I didn’t see the need. Everyone in Beyoğlu knows who Felâtun Bey is.
JOSEPHINE: Oh, yes, yes, Plato Bey, no?
RKIM: Yes, that’s him! His name is Felâtun in Turkish and Platon in French.
JOSEPHINE: He went about as the prince of that coquettish actress in Hotel J——. He even pretended to be noble by claiming that his family descended from the Greek god Uranus.
RKIM: I don’t know if he ever pretended to be noble. But let’s say he did. Thank God, we don’t have such an institution of bondage in our lands.
JOSEPHINE: So, what is it about this gentleman that makes you feel so sorry for him?
RKIM: He lost all of his money, that’s what!
JOSEPHINE: Oh, my dear innocent Râkım! Do you have to feel sorry for every fool in this world? Plato Bey isn’t a child, is he? Even the children in Beyoğlu figured he’d go through all of his money.
RKIM: But I still feel sorry for him Josephine, I do, because at the end of the day he is still my friend.
JOSEPHINE: I don’t believe that he’s your friend. If he were your friend, he would surely have benefited from your intellect and wisdom. Haven’t you heard? Mademoiselle Pauline sent more than fifty thousand francs to her own bank account in France. This is what happens when you live with a mistress who makes you gamble and becomes a party to your money. Whenever there was a pickpocket, she’d introduce him to Plato as a count or a baron and immediately urge him to gamble. Pauline always received a share from the winnings they gained from her lover’s losses.
RKIM (listlessly): Let me tell you something, Josephine. The evil ones from your Europe are more numerous than the good ones!
JOSEPHINE: There’s no doubt about that! However, know too, that the foolish ones from your Istanbul are more numerous than the wise ones. From what I’ve heard, Plato Bey had three or four hundred thousand francs worth of capital. With this capital, he could have lived as a gentleman for three or four hundred thousand years. His father left him all this money. He appointed himself to spend it. Could this gentleman even have earned three or four hundred thousand kuruş on his own?
RKIM: If only!
JOSEPHINE: You see? You spend money, yes; however, you spend it only if you can earn it, or even better, after you begin earning it. I say that you should earn money before you spend it because some men assume that they have the capacity and skills to earn money, just as they assume that their fortune will never end. You are young, too. Your capacity and skills have also allowed you to earn but you didn’t behave like him, did you?
RKIM (slowly, with a strange smile): Didn’t you seduce me?
JOSEPHINE: Oh, what a mama’s boy! Look at this baby in his cradle! Oh, I wish that somebody like Mademoiselle (here, Janan leaves the room after having seen her master whispering in Josephine’s ear) Pauline had gotten a hold on you; I would’ve loved to see that!
RKIM: What could she possibly take from me?
JOSEPHINE: Eventually she would keep you from your work and devastate you! You heartless villain! I’ve been a mother to you. Well, okay . . . maybe not a mother, but a sister. Or rather, I have been a true friend.
RKIM: Don’t I know, my dear? I am just joking.
JOSEPHINE: Now you’re talking! What’s the point of filling your joyful house with grief by worrying about egotistical vagabonds who exercise no self-control? Keep joking. Now give me a sip of that rakı. What would the grand ladies think of me if they heard that I was drinking rakı? They would think Josephine wicked. Josephine does drink rakı; however, she drinks it with Râkım. She did and does love a man but that man is Râkım. And she knows that this won’t be announced in Beyoğlu the next day. Oh, my dear, smart Râkım. Janan, that infidel, took you from my arms but I won’t feel resentful towards the poor girl! If it were anyone else, you would see me take to my bed as well. By the way, where did Janan go?
RKIM: Let’s call her. Janan! Janan!
JANAN (from outside): What can I do for you, Sir?
The poor girl entered cheerfully when her master called. She
offered drinks to her master and Josephine. Now that Râkım’s grief had been dispelled by Josephine’s words, he asked for some music. Josephine rose and rejuvenated everyone with some heartwarming tunes. Afterwards, Janan sat down in front of the piano, played and sang along. Sometime later that evening, Josephine said,
JOSEPHINE: Râkım!
RKIM: Yes?
JOSEPHINE: Would you accept me as a guest tonight?
RKIM (without hesitation): By all means, I’d welcome that! I won’t only accept it but I’d also thank you for your sincerity.
JOSEPHINE: But there is one condition.
RKIM: Let’s hear it.
JOSEPHINE: You won’t go to any trouble on my account and you won’t give up your bed. I’ll sleep with Janan.
Janan looked happy when she heard that Josephine was going to stay with them that night and sleep in her bed.
RKIM: No, see, that won’t happen. Don’t you want me to be comfortable? I’ll be very comfortable in my nanny’s room. Janan will get up now and change my bed sheets. Go on, Janan. (Janan goes cheerfully.)
JOSEPHINE: I thought we’d agreed to be informal and sincere, no? See, now you’re going to a lot of trouble.
RKIM: Not at all!
JOSEPHINE: Besides, why are you changing the sheets?
RKIM (smiling): In case you feel disgusted.
JOSEPHINE: Now I’ll just beat you up! Did we feel disgusted with each other before? I could’ve just laid myself down on your bed and smelled your musky scent tonight.
RKIM: Let’s leave these jokes aside now and ask Nanny about dinner.
JOSEPHINE: Honestly, this wasn’t what I wanted. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble again.
RKIM: My dear, should we starve in order to be informal? There is still time. If we need anything, we can get it right away. Nanny, my dear Nanny!
FEDAYI (from downstairs): What do you need, my son?
RKIM: Come here for a moment!
JOSEPHINE: Now we will inconvenience Nanny.
RKIM: Inconvenience Nanny? How imperfectly you understand this house!
When Fedayi came, Râkım asked her what they were going to eat for dinner that night. Since it was eggplant season, Nanny said that they were going to have a wonderful eggplant kebab, stew, stuffed eggplant, and rice. She added,
FEDAYI: I fear that you’re going to detain this madame at our place tonight.
RKIM: Yes, we’ll have enough food, right?
FEDAYI (with utmost satisfaction): Yes, Sir, it’ll be enough. Our frying pans are huge. Ask the madame if she desires something else, I’ll prepare it right away. We have oil, sugar, and rice . . . thank God we have everything we need.
When Josephine saw Nanny pleased, she realized that even Nanny received her nicely. What’s more, when Râkım listed and described the food, Josephine rejoiced like a child and said,
JOSEPHINE: What more could we want? This is already a lot to eat. I’m grateful to her for she likes me!
RKIM (after translating these words to his nanny and telling Josephine what his nanny said in response): What did you expect, for God’s sake? My nanny knows the people that ought to be liked better than I do. Nanny would be happy to have you even if you were to stay for six months.
JOSEPHINE: You are fortunate, Râkım, you are really fortunate. You should kiss the ground and thank God.
RKIM: Yes, I am not such an ingrate as to not appreciate how much kindness God shows me. Drowning an orphan like me in such blessings! Giving me dear friends like you.
Janan returned after she was done with her work. Their glasses were all refilled. They passed the time with music and song until dinner. When it was time to set the table, everyone offered to help; Josephine set the table herself, and Râkım went down to get the food, so as not to inconvenience his nanny. They all sat together and ate. If someone were to see them that night, he would assume Josephine was either Râkım’s mother or sister, for there was no affectation between them, such that Râkım even asked Josephine to prepare cigarettes for him. This conversation and exchange continued until late at night. Afterwards, they quit the living room, with Josephine retiring to Râkım’s bed, Râkım to his nanny’s, and Janan to her own room.
There’s no question that Josephine interrogated Janan, just as she’d done before.
Bravo, you got it.
And this time Janan confided some of her secrets to her.
Of course! Because their Kağıthane outing, this being Josephine’s second time staying overnight, the building up of their friendship over the past three or four months had made the girl that much bolder.
Had it really made her this bold?
So it did! Let us recount it for you to see:
As soon as Janan attended to Josephine and helped her undress, Josephine took it upon herself to interrogate the girl.
JOSEPHINE: Oh, Miss Janan, tell me, doesn’t your master love you anymore?
JANAN (a little embarrassed): Why shouldn’t my master love me? There, you saw it yourself; his resentment today had nothing to do with me.
JOSEPHINE: No, that’s not what I’m asking. I mean, does he still love you like a sister?
JANAN (with a blessed blush inevitably spreading over her face): He loves me both like a sister and daughter.
JOSEPHINE: Don’t blush now, I know how he likes you. I know all about it! But I’d like to hear you say it. That would make me even happier.
JANAN (overwhelmed): He loves me in every way.
JOSEPHINE: I said say it!
JANAN: I told you already.
JOSEPHINE: You’re not saying it. Have you ever slept together in this room, on this bed?
JANAN (stricken): Oh, my dear teacher . . . you are asking me too much.
JOSEPHINE: Yes, I’ll ask! I have the right to ask. Am I not like a mother to you?
JANAN: You are, my dear teacher.
JOSEPHINE: Well then, you shouldn’t keep any secrets from me, from your mother. Tell me the truth now; did your master make you his concubine?
Upon her teacher’s insistence, Janan’s intense embarrassment, which we are all acquainted with, reappeared. She wanted to leave Josephine and run away; however, when Josephine restrained her and continued pressuring her, Janan said,
JANAN (desperately): He did, my dear teacher.
JOSEPHINE: You’re lying!
JANAN: Honest to God, he did. It’s been two months now.
JOSEPHINE (sighing deeply and feeling incredibly pleased): Bravo Janan, bravo! See, now I’m completely relieved.
JANAN (slightly more encouraged): Why, my dear teacher?
JOSEPHINE: It’s for me to know.
JANAN: I didn’t keep my secret from you, now you shouldn’t keep yours from me.
Poor Janan insisted that Josephine also confide her secret to her just as she herself had done. For someone like Josephine could help her overcome many difficulties. After all, she knew all about her master and was Janan’s most trusted confidante after Nanny.
JANAN: You’re the only one I’ve told my secret to . . . I haven’t even told Nanny.
JOSEPHINE: You mean Nanny hasn’t figured it out yet?
JANAN: No, my dear teacher, I haven’t told her.
JOSEPHINE: Why not? Are you afraid of her?
JANAN: No!
JOSEPHINE: Well then, if you’re not afraid, why don’t you tell her?
JANAN: If I told her, Nanny would also be happy, but . . .
JOSEPHINE: In that case, why not tell her?
JANAN: Oh, how can say it? I’m embarrassed!
The poor girl said, “I’m embarrassed” with such bashfulness, which another girl would’ve said with excessive pride, that Josephine’s sincere love for Janan, who was too embarrassed to tell her secret even to Nanny, multiplied. In recognition of the trust the girl showed her, Josephine said,
JOSEPHINE: Yes, I’m relieved. I’m relieved because no matter how smart and mature a young man Râkım is, since he wasn’t involved with anyone, I was afraid tha
t if he set his heart on someone who could ruin him, then you and Nanny would be ruined along with him. See, he just told me tonight that a young man like him was ruined after losing a fortune of hundreds of thousands of francs. It’s true that Râkım has loved you since he bought you. Indeed, as you said, he loved you like a sister. Yet, sisterly love doesn’t settle one’s heart. The heart still looks for a place to settle. See, it has now settled on you. I am confident that Râkım won’t even glance at anyone else from now on. You should be confident, too.
JANAN: My dear teacher! Can I ask you something?
JOSEPHINE (sincerely): Go ahead, my dear.
JANAN: You know those girls our master is tutoring, don’t you?
JOSEPHINE: Yes, the eldest is dispirited and at death’s door.
JANAN: That’s what I was going to ask you about! Master thinks about that girl so much.
JOSEPHINE: And you’re really worried about this, is that right?
JANAN: It’s not so much what I think; I just don’t want Master to dwell on it so much.
JOSEPHINE: Don’t act like a child, didn’t I tell you just now? If your master acted this way before making you his concubine, then you’d be right to worry about it. From now on, however, even if a houri comes down from heaven, nothing will happen. I know Râkım Efendi much better than you do!
JANAN (embracing and kissing Josephine): Oh, my dear teacher! You’ve brought peace to my heart.
JOSEPHINE (also kissing the girl): Look at this courtesan here! When did you acquire Râkım that you started feeling jealous? You naughty little girl!
There, the secrets that Janan revealed to Josephine that night are clear from this conversation and since Nanny still didn’t know about them, they can certainly be considered secrets.
After the aforementioned conversation, Josephine went to bed and Janan retired to her room. However, she didn’t find it empty or vacant. Râkım, who had been waiting for her for the last half hour, had nearly caught the entire conversation between Janan and Josephine.
When the girl saw her master, she quickly realized that he must have heard the secret conversation she’d had with Josephine, and turned pale with fear. However, after seeing no sign on Râkım’s face to warrant such fear, and observing that his mournful mood from that morning had vanished, she felt relieved and made no sound when her master placed his finger on her mouth to order her to be silent.
Felâtun Bey and Râkim Efendi Page 16