Today, our neighborhood’s grocery store owner, Uncle İzzet, has gone missing. How can a grown man disappear like that! But it happened. His family is devastated, of course. We tried everything, but there’s no use. They’re crying as if he’s passed away. Well, if it were the first time he went missing, it would be something. They’re a strange bunch, those people! Uncle İzzet gets bored and just disappears! Who knows, he used to go out with his late wife, Aunt Halime, who passed away five years ago. I just can’t understand this man. Anyway…
We searched for Uncle İzzet everywhere as we always do, in the mountains, rocks, rivers, hills, but he’s nowhere to be found. Oh, Aunt Halime! Who knows where she took the poor man.
That day, the sun seemed to leave our neighborhood early. Hayrettin Efendi from Of, the muezzin of our neighborhood, appeared on the minaret. This time, it wasn’t to recite the call to prayer, of course. It was still early for the Evening Prayer. He put his hand to his ear as if he were reciting the call to prayer and started shouting in his unique accent with his deep and tired voice.
“Attention, attention! Look at me, all of you. Our neighborhood’s Uncle İzzet, of medium height and in his 65s, has gone missing. Those who have any information should come to the mosque immediately.”
Hayrettin Efendi is a very strange man. They say he used to work as a tea server in a madrasa. He learned the prayers there, as he listened to the recitations. He became a muezzin. And he developed quite a talent for it, surpassing everyone else. He’s very sincere, inside and out… I enjoy his conversations. Anyway…
Eyes were tired, tears had dried up, and crying had stopped in the neighborhood, but nothing had changed. Our dear old grocer was still nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, I remembered the cotton candy that late Aunt Halime loved so much. Whenever she saw the cotton candy vendor in our neighborhood, she would always ask for cotton candy. Anyway…
With my rubber slippers in the front and me in the back, I hit the roads. I walked along the shore. Fırat, the roasted chestnut seller, Vedat, the boiled corn seller, İhsan, the wafer seller… They were all there. After greeting all of them, I asked if they had seen our grocer. No! It’s as if the ground swallowed him up. Anyway…
Finally, I arrived at the meeting point of lovers. I found the cotton candy seller counting his earnings with his long stick, surrounded by a colorful display. When he saw me, he quickly put the money in his pocket. I pretended not to notice. It’s as if he thinks we’re after his money! Whenever I pass by, he does the same thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw him eating the money one day. Unbelievable, Ferhat! Anyway…
I put my slippers in the front and approached him. I asked if he had seen our grocer. Luckily, I got a positive answer. He bought two cotton candies about two hours ago. He said, “Both of them should be pink, Halime loves them.” Just as I expected. They used to tell me to become a detective when I was young, but I didn’t pay much attention. Anyway…
Now our task is to find out where he went. I gave some coins to Ferhat, as if saying, “Take it and eat already.” I asked him where our eternal lover Uncle İzzet could be with his undying love Aunt Halim. He told me the following:
“One day, they came to buy cotton candy again. Our Uncle İzzet couldn’t take his eyes off Aunt Halime, as if they were newlyweds, not a couple of 50 years. You know Aunt Halime, she always has an air of mystery around her. That day, I overheard our lovers talking while looking at the sky.
‘Look, it’s starting to appear there!’
‘Where? I don’t see it.’
‘Under the cluster of five stars, shining and majestic, as if saying, I’m here.’
‘Yes, I see it now. Is it that one?’
‘You stepped right on it. Let it be ours. Love it. From now on, whenever you want to find me, walk towards it. Never take your eyes off it, because it’s very jealous. If it sees you looking at other candles, it will never appear to you again. Promise?’
‘Of course, Halime, how can I say no to that?’
‘Oh, and before you embark on a journey, always recite three Al-İkhlas and one Al-Fatiha. It will protect you from bandits.’
‘I will remember what you said, Halime.’”
As Ferhat finished his words, I slowly started to get up. I had what I came for. I lifted my head and looked at the candles. They were so beautiful! These candles, whose light comes from God, were all united, winking at me. 1400 years ago, the Qur’an referred to them as the “siraj” (lamp) mentioning the sun and the “nur” (light) mentioning the moon. Stars, like the sun, emit light, and the planets, like the moon, reflect their light. They all swim in their own paths. Hayrettin Efendi said that scientists have only recently discovered these things. I’m amazed by what this man knows. He must have listened attentively during his time as a tea server. He must have filled his bag well. He even wrote poems there. Anyway…
Who knows how many people’s paths they have illuminated, how many people they have guided like a compass. To find Uncle İzzet, with the North Star in front and me in the back, I set off, reciting a poem by Hayrettin Efendi:
The disciples found the sycamore,
They attentively count each word.
The hearth is quite hot,
It reminds one of eternal fire.
Sycamore says, “You did good,
Hayrettin is rejoicing indeed.
He listens attentively to the Master,
He knows reckoning is tough.
The Hereafter is an eternal abode,
The true Beloved is God.
Don’t incline towards the perishable world,
Open your hands and supplicate to Him.”
