3rd of May, 2022.
The first place I try to ask on it, it is quite a surprise. I don’t really know what the place is, if a house or a mosque or something, but the gate is open and I can see some women inside. Now, I show myself at the gate, greet the women, and I try to enter. But one of them get up and make a sign I should, like as I should leave. I wonder if perhaps they thought I was a man, or a refugee. I guess that is just me trying to find an excuse for their unhelpful behaviour.
So I keep walking, quite sad, and looking for houses with a yard.
When I take one turn, I pass by a group of kids playing some card games in front of a house. They are mostly girls and they look adorable. I walk until the end of this street but nothing. So I have the idea of coming back and checking with the kids. The best decision I have ever made.
When I simply start to talk with them, they already get all on their feet, stop the game and pay attention on me. But nobody can speak English, so I try to explain with gestures. It is so cute how immediately they say “yes, yes”, that I can stay. They quickly call somebody inside, and soon a woman with a lovely and humble spirit comes to the door. She is the mother of three of the girls, and the owner of the house we are standing in front. I am just asking for a place to pinch my tent but she is already saying I can stay with them and inviting me to come inside.
The house is beautiful and very clean. We enter and stay in the living room. The mother is a hard work woman, who is always doing something. She strikes me as a woman who never stops working and caring about her place, her family and other people. I also think she has a huge heart and is a very humble woman. I can see the kindness of her heart in her eyes. Her three daughters are all so special in their own way. The oldest is the leader. Not only for the sisters, but for the whole group of relatives and friends. She is so mature for her age, it is incredible! She knows how to do so many things at home, it is impressive. And she is tough! Like as she is preparing herself for the world. But she still has a childish air on her, which is great! Her younger sister is smoother. She still plays a lot and has much more patience. She is very kind and reminds me a lot of her mother. The youngest is a doll! She is so adorable that she really looks unreal sometimes.
There are many other kids around, cousins and neighbours. I meet also the husband’s sister and her kids, of course. There is a sister of the mother too. They are all amazing! Everybody is so lovely, and friendly, and they all seem so happy to have me here. I feel so welcome and loved!
We all eat together, I am so hungry and it is lovely to eat some traditional Kurdish meals. Then we take photographs and we also try to talk. I remember laughing a lot because they are all so lovely to me. I try to explain to them about my travels and stuff too.
Later on, a good friend of the husband’s sister, Havva, who is a maths teacher and can speak some English, comes by with her daughter Hellen. They come all the way from their home here just to see me. They are also adorable and treat me so well, as is there was something special about me. And they want to take me to a building in the city, which is super high and has a great view. At first I accept, but then I notice it is getting so late, and I don’t want to disturb the family when I come back, so I kindly refuse. Plus, I could not simply leave my family. But I tell Havva that if I could stay another night, I would definitely come to stay with her. If I only knew…
The kids want to go to the park (that one, where Bosan and her son drop me off on it) so we all go together. I am trying to keep up with everybody, so nobody feels left out.
Because it is still some special days for them, the women gather all together in the same house. And they are all staying here. They sleep all together in the floor, on top of small mattresses and blankets. They want for me to sleep in a bed in the hall, but it is the bed for their youngest child, so I insist on sleeping on the couch, so we can also be all together. Although, they remain most of the night awake. They cook, bake and chat for almost all night. Because of that I go to bed (couch) before than but still late. I do have some good rest though.
Next morning, we all get up quite at the same time and they prepare this amazing breakfast! There is eggs in two different ways, cucumber, tomatoes, cheeses, jam, different breads, and they also prepared this fried pastry rolls with cheese inside, which are delicious! Everything is great and I eat a lot!
The oldest daughter even bakes a cake for me! She want me to take for the road. How sweet is that! And the cake is so good! I could never bake such a delicious cake when I was 12! They give me also some of the lovely pastries. Yummy!
I say goodbye to my beloved Kurdish family and the husband offers to drive me to outside of town, where I can hitchhike. But when we get there, he actually puts me in a small bus, which I don’t really understand where it is going. I don’t want to accept, and I actually gets a bit mad for that because I don’t want it and I don’t need it, but what should I do? Could I have just walked away? Should I?
So this bus goes to the bus station and from there the driver puts me in another bus. This second bus will drop me off in a place where I can start hitchhiking again. But we need to wait until the bus is full. A bit before the bus leave, a man comes collecting the money from everybody and he asks me for mine. I tell him he must ask the other guy, because somebody already have paid for me. He checks with the guy and them apologies with me later. How could he know?
The trip is not long and at some point I am in the road again holding my sign which says “Nemrut”.
