Who's Crazy?

Emino says I'm crazy. Did he start this rumour? While I was in Kusadasi he had his spies out watching my every move.

"Your crazy girlfriend is at the tea shop." Emino owns this tea shop and it is next to where he works at the carpet shop. I get free apple or regular tea here and half off the juices. The pomegranate juice is my favorite and I have a glass daily.

"She came to the hotel (his cousin's) looking for you." This was when his conservative cousin was in town. Emino had gone there and I got tired of waiting so I thought I would just walk by. Since his conservative cousin was there I was not to be seen. Emino is suppose to be pure until he gets married to an equally pure Kurdish girl. Anyway, Emino had already gone home and was mad when I return to his house. His spy had already called him.

Then one of his spies says he sees me walk to Ladies Beach every day. "Why is she walking there?" To me Ladies' Beach is not far, sometimes I walk there twice, making this loop that's takes an hour and a half. But I also walk there to swim. This is after the season. Emino tells his spy that I go there to swim. "She is crazy," his spy says and probably Emino too.

Another spy says he saw me at Mr. Moon's with all the other crazies. The other crazies are ex-pats that I grown to love. All sorts of nationalities are represented: Irish, British, Dutch, German, Scottish, Belgium, Danish and me, the American. This is where I have my one obligatory beer - usually. Actually I can never finish two.

Mr. Moon's is next to Fetih hair salon. I go there to see him, too. Emine is his pedicurist. Seda used to be but she moved to Istanbul. You can see both of their pictures in my blog. Now you see of all the other crazies, except Eric, the Danish artist who covered his face. Efren, who is wearing a San Francisco sweatshirt, is the proprietor of this hang out.

But as far as I'm concerned it's Emino who is crazy and anyone who agrees to an arranged marriage. Emino left to Van to see his family the same day I went to Istanbul. He told me he would call. When he says he will call it's not long before I hear from him. But I waited a long time. I knew something was wrong. I knew he was having a hard time getting away from his family to call me in private. I was right. When he did call he told me his family was pressuring him to marry immediately. His family thought he should have married years ago. They want to know why he is refusing. Emino would benefit from marriage. He'll receive money. But I know Emino has been corrupted. but he can't put it off much longer. He wants to see me again. Of course, I want to see him again. I also know we would never be. The age difference and the culture is far to great. Oh such is my life.

This is the end of Turkey - this year. I would like to see Lisa and the crazy expats again. But I don't know what I'll do next spring. I wasn't detained or fined when I left, so if I do come back there shouldn't be a problem.

I also got through passport control in London. The officer said, "Was there a problem before?" For a second I thought, "Oh no!" but this time I kept my mouth shut. "No, I'm just seeing my niece for a couple of days then I'm going back to the States."