The Father Story

My father had a stand in Neumunster and then he hired this prick who ran the store. Satilmis was his name, a real good cook and a gambler. Gambled a lot, dice and poker, and that's the way it is in the game, sometimes you screw the other guy and sometimes you get screwed. And he got screwed a lot and needed money and-of course, no problem-he pocketed some out of the register a bunch of times. My father saw it, but you know, this Satilmis he's unofficial co-owner of the place cause he'd put something into it, the prick. But he works. My old man needs the guy so the store can run, one time he said: Look, I'm gonna give you the store but just unofficial. You'll work here as a regular employee, but you give me five thousand Marks a month and what you do with the place and how much you earn and spend I don't care. The guy said okay, it went well at first, but he's a gambler, you know? He paid the five thousand Marks a month, but then he didn't pay for three months in a row, that's fifteen thousand Marks. My father, you know how it is, how they are, the older Turkish men, always reasonable with a serious look and indirect threats. My father's just like that. I said to my father: Leave him to me, I'll take care of him, and he'll pay. I'm either gonna chop off a finger or his dick. My father knew I'd do it. When I say I'm gonna do it, then I'm gonna do it because I can't go back, babama karsi olmaz, not when my father's concerned. My father always said no and let's talk again, he talked a thousand times but the prick didn't respond. I never opened my mouth, was always quiet because I can't talk next to my father in such serious business. I can only talk if he says: It's your thing, and I allow you to take care of him. I sat next to my father with my arms crossed, looking at that prick, and my eyes never moved from him. And my father keeps talking to him: Satilmis, listen to reason and on and on. The last time I said to my father: Baba, I'll come with you, but I don't want to see him make an ass out of you again, I'll go along with everything, it might not mean shit to you, but it does to me. If he says to you again: I have no debts with you, then-- with me there-you say: Okay, one can't talk reasonably with you. Ertan, I'm leaving it up to you, get the money back. My father said okay, he was as fed up as me. So then the three of us were sitting in a cafe in the Neumunster train station right by the store. My father says: Satilmis, do you have debts with me? No, the prick says, what debts? He looks at me, he answers father's questions, but he wants to figure out if he's getting to me. But I'm cool and silent, I can't get involved, you know. My father asks again: Satilmis, do you have debts with me? Him again: No, and then-because I'm staying quiet-the smart-ass says: You have debts with me. Okay, says my father, one can't talk reasonably with you. Ertan, I'm leaving it up to you. I don't give a shit about the fifteen thousand Marks, take care of him. I looked at the guy and said: Alright, baba, I won't disgrace you. Satilmis knew what I'm about. Then we left. After a couple days I got in my car, I didn't have any cash, thirty Marks, I think, Shit, what are you gonna do now with no cash? Then I remembered that prick and thought: go over there, smack him around, give him a little terror. Got on the train with the last of my money, it wasn't enough to get back, and if he says: No, I'm not paying, what are you going to do? Went down to Neumunster, go into the store, another guy was working there too. I ask: Is Satilmis here? Yeah, what do you want from him? I gotta talk to him, I say. Satilmis shows himself and sees me, he knows I have a knife. I say: Satilmis, I'm getting some money from you! Do you have debts with me or not? He says: Yes. Good, I say, then give me something. If you think you can't pay it all at once, no problem, we'll do payments. Sure, he says, sure. Then the boss who was working there gives me five hundred Marks because the boss knew he's a good cook, and his place can only run 'cause he's got such a good cook, he doesn't want to lose him. …