I came to my home after school. Our door was closed. Maybe, this was the first time i saw it closed! Our door was closed being nailed. I went to my grandfathers slum. He was once again drunk.
-Grandfather, where is mom? Where did they go? i said.
-Let's sit here. They leave 50 kuruş ( a currency unit ) for you. They went to the village for baskı (a part of tobocco working). You could stay with me a few days. We will go there together after your school finishing on saturday, he said. I was liking him but... -Who cares! I start to cry telling my wish to go mom. I couldn't understand how did they leave me alone...
My urgent cryings forced my grandfather. He standed and asked me -Is it suitable for you if i send you there with the other tayfas (a turkish word being used for close residents or friends). He didn't want to go near my father while he was drunk! My father was reprehending him because of being drunk. He asked Ahmet from the tayfa of Hasan the grocer "Could you take away this child to his family? They are with Kenans in Kerimbey now. They were also going to Kandardi Musa in Kerimbey. We got on Magirus Minibus. There were too many people in the minibus. It was too crowded. We were not able to breathe.
All the residents were going to sow tobacco, to spud and at the end to harvest the crop after Ederlez every year and stay in villages until starting of school year. There were almost no one in the neighbourhood during summer. We got off the munibus at Kerimbey station. I knew the aran. I started to go upstairs running. Fires were lighted and foods were preparing in front of the aran. Beds and quilts were heaped up in the place separated for families.
Aran was 5 metre width and 30-40 metre length. Tobacco ropes being dried and tobacco denks ( a term for tobacco blogs) were saving from rain and moisture there. Its three side were open. It was builded from canister. Workers were also living, eating, sleeping and working there... There was a toilet outside covered with trash used by all workers commonly. Foods were being prepared on lights being fired with collected firewoods. White beans, green lentil and various soups were our favourite foods. It was also widespread among us to eat olive and bread for breakfast and broiled peppers for dinner.
Everybody used to wake up at 5 am and go to rip seedling to seedbed. Seedlings were used to be put on baskets after ripping. As the sun climbs, olive and breathe or village bread given by the Ağa (landlord) were used to be eaten and instantly go to land. There were used to be all children obedient in land. I was eight years old and it was the first time i would rip seedlings. I was a little late comparing to my peers. I were going to be paid.
We were laying the seedlings that we took from baskets on the floor at 15-20 cm intervals. My mom was watering all the seedlings that my dad planted. "Ağa" was standing over. He didn't let anybody to lie down on the job, he was very strict and easily fired the person who didn't work well. My grandfather was a very fast "baskıcı".That is why he has got the surname "ÖZBASKICI". My dad was also a good "baskıcı". Although my dad had little kids "ağa" always wanted to work with him. He even used to serve us special yoghurt and milk. After fifteen days of "baskı" work weeding and harvesting was starting.
For harvesting we used to get up at 4 am and go to tobacco fields, line up and start to pick up tobacco leaves starting from bottom to the top. And then put all the leaves in bunches in baskets and when the weather gets better go back to the "arans". Children were stringing leaves. It was a high piece work so we're all working until midnight. We were gaining time by not eating. Even though it was very painful to eat with hands with "sifir", we rahter not to go to the water pump to wash our hands.
Harvesting was very joyful at the same time. There was a secret competition between families about finishing more ropes than the others. So they were all trying to be more quicker with weeding and stringing. Everybody used make jokes to be able stay awake. Uncle Tıpçu Rasim used to paint the ones faces with black and make everybody laugh. He also didn't hesitate to souse ones who were about to sleep. Then of course water fight starts and then a little pother in hot summer days. Then everybody starts to work again. Kids were very important at stringing process. The olders of the workers used to tell so long stories just to keep kids working. Uncle Ramazan was suprisingly telling a story in three hours which i could tell in five minutes. We used to listen to him and keep stringing. Stories with ghouls were scaring us but also helping to keep our eyes open and work.
After long hours of working we would all become exshauted and sleep in front of tobacco pile. We were not even going to our beds. Because you had to remove all tobacco piles and lay the beds on the floor. That was long. So we were eating, working and sleeping all at the same place. Same rush in morning was starting. If "ağa"s wife gives a bread or ayran to one of the workers that would make that person very proud of himself.
After ten days we as kids were getting bored and start trying to run away from the work by using different excuses. First we used to go the fruit gardens to pick some fruits and try to hide from "Ağa". And then go to rocks to stone little birds,Little lizards try to run away from us. Cacthing little katydids, making them race and building little cops for them were some of our games. And we used to go back to our works with our mom's and dad's voices.
There was a big bazaar in Tekkeköy on Sundays. On that day after leaving the fields we used to go the bazaat by walking and shop with money taken from "ağa". We could do every trick just to go to bazaar with them. We could suddenly get a toothache...
After putting all the food in carryall we used to go back to "aran" with "ağa"s bullock cart. We were hanging all the meat on the ceiling. There is a race between families about the meat, subject is "who bought the best meat ?" And moms start the burn fires and cook in the afternoon. They put all the meat in the pot and make eggplants or gombo or fresh bean. Me and my sisters and brothes loved rice ( pilav ) very much so my mom used to cook rice always. That was a very lovely day for us. All dinner tables were out. Everybody's only expectation is to hear " ooo, your meal looks delicious". Cold watermellons come after the meals. And everybody talk about how good their meal was and go back to work. It was a very special day. In other days meals were usually very basic and simple.
Everybody did a great job on picking all tobacco leaves from bottom to the top. Everybody was working very hard. When you come to the "doruk" point of picking stringing becomes slower. Because at "doruk" leaves are smaller and that lose the productivity. But this tobacco was very important for "ağa". " Doruk tobacco" was the one which could make the tobacco sold. Not being able to make a whole rope was discouraging everyone but it was very important your worked being liked by ağa so to be able to come next year you had to make "ağa" happy.
In mid-September when we were picking the last leaves ot the last field "Ağa" was preparing "börek"s, breads, yoghurts and "pilav"s for workers. Everybody's work is counted and make payments. When workers get their money you would feel as if they were taller. Everybody used to help eachother at the last stringing day. We as children were very happy for going back home. Ağa was serving us KIŞMA as lunch. Kışma was a meal with Salonic börek with cheese, bulgur pilaf and ayran.
There was mini bus coming to pick us up from "aran" and we were putting all the beds and sheets and clothes on the bus and squeeze all together. How could we fit in that mini bus, it is still suprising. It was a biigg happines ... We were going back home..
When we were entering the neighbourhood minibus was honking. Everybody hugs their relatives and friends and we look for our friends who we didn't see for three months.And then we go to the river, burn fires to boil water and wash clothes. All children were washed with hot water and lots of soap. We were crying because of the soap but we had to get clean and clean off all the headlouses.
First we would buy new matress and then put beds and blankets. What a relief ! We could sleep at home. After very poor days in village it felt like we were staying in villas. But actually our houses were bidonvilles with 5 m2 floor , very low ceilings and a roof which flows in every rain.
Maybe it is because we didn't see any better. We didn't imagine to live in any other places. Our only challenge was not feed ourselves. With the money which "ağa" gave they used to make ketene pents for children. Buy new sheets and save some of it for cold winter days for possible illnesses.
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