I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED MY MOTHER

I was an eight years old child when this event occurred. It was a sunny and hot Saturday morning. I woke up late, went to the down stairs and go directly to the kitchen. At these days, I used to sleep up stairs with my brother. However, my parents’ room was on the lower floor. While I was going down stairs sleepily, I heard my mother’s voice;

“Yağız, what would you want to eat for the breakfast?”

I couldn’t give a reply. I don’t know why, however I think it was because I was very sleepy. Subsequently, my mother asked the question again and began to tell me names of foods that I liked mostly; crepe, egg, boiling potatoes etc.

“It doesn’t matter…” I told her, however at that time a noise suppressed my voice. It was coming from the outside.

“Ring-shaped breeeead…”

We noticed it was a voice of a child who sold ring-shaped breads. Then, I turned to my mother and eagerly told her I wanted to eat ring-shaped breads. My mother agreed with me via shaking her head, went to the balcony and called the child.

Meanwhile, I lied on a sofa and turned on the TV. I was not thinking about the child. However, when I heard his voice, I stood up and looked out of the corner of my eye at him. He was talking to my mother. Then I went to the gate I saw him: I got shock, because I recognize that he was a very young child. How can such a young child work? I told myself and felt sorry for him. Apparently, his family was very poor. He was wearing an old and pale T-shirt, ripped black trousers and old shoes. Also, in his hand, there was a green picnic basket that he carries ring-shaped breads. His hands were evidences of how much he worked. They were very dirty and became black as if they belonged to a black person. Actually, he was a handsome child. His eyes were green and his hair was combed attentively. He seemed very young to me. I don’t know why. However, maybe it was because of his short height, but maybe really his age was so young. Curiously, I asked him;

“How old are you?”

“Nine” he replied timidly.

He was older than me; nevertheless still he was too young to work, I thought.

“Where are you from? Which village you were born?” asked my mother to him as if she knew that he was from a village.

“My parents were born in Yemişli, however I am from here, Simav.” He told us bashfully again.

“OK, that is enough to talk I think. I would not want you to lose so much time here. How much money should I pay?” asked my mother.

“Two liras” he said and after my mother gave him the money, he went down stairs steadily.

While he was going down stairs, my mother looked after him like she felt something wrong and turned to me;

“Yağız, go after him. Your ball is near the gate. He can easily steal your ball. He has a big basket that gives him a chance to hide the ball…”

“Oh, don’t worry mum, nothing will happen. He looks like a good boy. He can not steal anything.” I told my mother and began to have my breakfast. However, unfortunately my mother was right. Our apartment block had three floors. Since we used two of the floors, one of the floors was for rent. However, we knew that our lessee was a good person, we never thought about thievery and since our gate was always closed and locked, we left our balls or bicycles near the gate. Thus, it was easy to steal our balls or bicycles. After we had our breakfast, my mother left the house to go to her office. However, when she went down stairs, she noticed that the ball was gone. She came to the house again and told me the bad news.

She was right as a usual. She knew what would happen. Why didn’t I listen to my mother? It was all because of me; I thought and felt very unhappy and blamed myself. It was the first time; my ball was stolen. Actually now if I would think about my ball, I wouldn’t care about my ball so much and I wouldn’t feel very bad. Nevertheless, at that time I was a small child and that ball was very important for me. It was a present from my uncle. The half of the ball was yellow and the other half was navy blue. These colors are the colors of my team, Fenerbahçe and since my uncle knew it, he bought that ball.

Next two days, I still continued to feel terrible and accuse myself. At the same time, my mother tried to make me happy and told me that she can buy another ball for me. Nevertheless, I did not stop accusing myself. One day, since my mother saw that I was not happy, she asked me to go to her office. Then, the comedy began.

While I was in her office, a client came to her office and introduced himself as a ring-shaped bread seller. He was a middle-aged man. Counter to the thieving boy, he was wearing high-class clothes and his richness was very obvious. After he told why he came to the office, my mother told what happened two days ago and mentioned from the child and his basket. Then, the man stood silently for a few seconds and shook his head as if he remembered the child and his basket.

At the same time, I was listening to them and felt very excited. Would he find my ball? I thought and pried silently for my ball. Then, the man left our office and before he left, he told me that he would find the ball and bring it to me as soon as possible. I felt very happy and sat on a chair in a very calm way.

A few days passed however still there was no news about the man and my ball. Everyday, I asked my mother if the man tells her something or not. Nevertheless, her replies were same “no”. Why did not the man come again? Maybe, he couldn’t find the ball; I told myself. Besides the fact that my mother was not hopeful about the ball either, she always tried to fill me hope and continued to tell me she can buy another ball. Three days later, I went to my mother’s office again and began to look for the man. My mother tried to send me to near my friends, I was determined and I would stay near the window until my ball comes.

I waited for awhile and when I decided to go, suddenly the man came with the ball and gave me the ball. I felt very happy and thanked the man several times. Then, my mother thanked him and wanted him to not kick out or thrash the thieving child; because we were all aware of that the child’s family was very poor and we forget the child’s mistake. After the man left, I thanked my mother one more time and gave promise her to listen her advices always.

Last but not least, it was an unforgettable memory both for me and my parents. After this event, I learnt that I always ought to listen my parents’ advices and how sometimes poorness can make human even a robbery. Of course, the child shouldn’t have stolen my ball, however I think it was due to his family’s poorness. I think we ought to understand them and try to help them as much as we can.