When Is A Brother Not Really A Brother At All?
The other day when the telephone rang the voice on the other end said in perfect English: “Hello Stephen, this is Irem’s elder brother.”
“Hello Emre”, I replied, for Emre is her elder brother’s name. “No it’s not Emre”, said the voice, “It’s Ali Kursunsuz”, or words to that effect?
By now I was completely confused. If someone called Ali Kursunsuz was Irem’s elder brother, then perhaps her father, or mother, had some kind of unspoken secret life?
Maybe this phone call was from an adopted child who had taken the time to trace his relatives? I though that I should proceed cautiously.
In fact adoption is rare in Turkey, although it isn’t uncommon for children to live with relatives who may be able to give them better educational opportunities than if they remained in their villages.
But who was Ali Kursunsuz? What was he to Irem, or to me?
Then he reminded me that last Christmas I had watched his television for a number of nights as I followed the exploits of the Irish gardener Diarmuid Gavin on BBC Prime.
Ali was of course translating the Turkish term ‘Abi’ literally, and to my untrained English ear it sounded like perhaps he really was her elder brother, rather than a more distant relative.
“I am getting married”, were Ali’s next words, adding hesitantly, “to Meltem”. I had met Meltem during the T.V. watching last year, and I think Ali has made a good choice for a bride.
“Will you come”, asked Ali?
“Of course”, I replied and later in the conversation I gave Ali our address so that he could send us a proper invitation.
This is why this week Amazon, Irem and I have decamped from Amos and spend a few days in Istanbul. We will be attending Ali’s wedding today and then waiting for a few more days for my English elder brother (Abi) to arrive with his wife (Hala) before returning here with them later next month.
Kindly note: Kursunsuz means ‘Unleaded Petrol’, which isn’t Ali’s true surname, which I have forgotten, if I ever knew it in the first place? He’s got a great T.V though 
