AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re almost there.” I have an overwhelming urge to punch him as he laughs into the wind. “Do you remember seeing the tower in the water… the one that looks a little like a lighthouse?”
I nod, unable to answer in fear that I will vomit again.
“That’s calledKiz Kulesi, the Maiden’s Tower.” Kaan’s voice is full of pride and knowledge. “It’s a famous landmark, and has a lot of history and legend associated with it.”
As he speaks, I try and focus on the sound of his voice, willing myself to ignore the churning in my stomach and the pounding of the waves against the boat.
“Kiz Kulesi has been alone in the middle of the Bosphorus for many years, watching in grief as lovers walk along the shore to gaze at her. One day, Galata Tower rose over the skyline and Kiz Kulesi fell instantly in love…” He kissed the top of my head. “… just like you and me.”
“Are all Turkish fables about falling in love?”
I instantly regret speaking and lean back over the side of the tiny boat.
“No, not all of them. But love is a big part of our culture, and it’s a theme that runs through many of our legends.” He chuckles as he holds my hair back. “Now Kiz Kulesi pines for her love, knowing that they can never truly be together.”
“Probably because they’re inanimate objects.”
“Ah, but that’s the beauty of it. Love knows no boundaries, not even between inanimate objects.”
When I met this man, he was dismissive in his attitude towards love, but now here he is telling me love stories while he holds my hair back to vomit.
Nowthat’sa love story.
“Galata Tower sees that Kiz Kulesi is pining for him so he writes her love letters, hundreds of love letters, to show how much he loves her. But, because he’s aninanimate object, he can’t deliver the letters.”
“It does not sound like there will be a happy ending.”
“Well, maybe not in the traditional sense, but there’s a certain beauty to the fact that Galata Tower’s love for Kiz Kulesi transcends the limitations of their physical existence.” He laughs and continues to rub my back. “One day, a famous scientist climbed to the top of Galata Tower where he found the love letters. There was a strong breeze—”
“Like today?”
“Even stronger, and the letters were scattered all across the Bosphorus. Seeing the letters that were written for her, Kiz Kulesi knew that Galata Tower would love her forever, and their love would remain strong until the end of times.”
I know that Kaan is doing his best to take my mind of my nausea, but our rather pleasant cruise has quickly morphed into a stomach-hurling boat ride that reminds me of a George Clooney disaster movie I’d seen once. By the time we reach the dock at Adalar, I’m completely wiped out.
Kaan holds out his hand to help me off the small boat as another wave crashes into its side. Last night’s fear of me going overboard proves prolific. I shriek as I lose my grip, causing me to topple over the side of the water taxi, straight into the surging water. With a sharp intake of breath, I go under immediately but force myself back to the surface.
I start to thrash around, trying to keep my head above water, when I feel a strong hand grasping onto my arm and pulling me back onto the jetty. “Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”
As soon as I am safely on dry land, I wiggle out of his grasp and drop to my knees, kissing the ground, ignoring both the rain and the crowd of people gathering around us. “I’m alive!”
Kaan bends over and plucks an unexpected surprise from my hair. “Jellyfish!”
“What the very real feck?” I exclaim in horror.
He proudly displays the gelatinous creature before releasing it back into the water.
In a frenzy, I vigorously shake my head, as if I've gone completely bananas, just in case there are more lurking around. Kaan can't help but chuckle. “You're quite the drama queen!”
“You think I'm being dramatic? Well, let me remind you that I've already had the pleasure of a Turkish hospital visit on this trip. I don’t want another one!”
“I promise you, there’s scarier things in this water than jellyfish.”
I respond with a melodramatic groan, tossing him a dirty look as I rise to my feet. “Oh great, now you’ve got my heart pounding, what other surprises does this water hold?”
Kaan chuckles, clearly enjoying my drama. “Well, there always the sea monsters, or treasure-hungry pirates, but you’re most likely to be eaten by a shark.”
“Seriously?” I look back to the ominously swirling black water behind me. “Well, you have my eternal gratitude for rescuing me then from almost certain death!”
