ATATÜRK “ Growing up in Salonika ”

ATATÜRK“Growingup in Salonika” Retoldby; Gilchrist Madeby; Utku DEMİR 9/A - 228

This is a house in Salonika. Salonika is a big, busycity. Manykinds of peoplelivethere. Mr. Ali Rıza andMrs. Zübeyde live in thishouse. It is a springday in 1881.

Mr. Ali Rıza andMrs. Zübeyde have a newbaby. TheHodja is here. He is saying ‘Mustafa’ intothebaby’sear. Thebaby has fairhairandblueeyes. Mr. Ali Rıza is the son of a soldier.

“Mustafa is goingto be a soldier, too,” he says. “ No, he isn’t,” Mrs. Zübeyde says. “He’sgoingto be a Hodja.” FirstMr. Ali Rıza works in theCustoms. He doesn’tgetmuchmoney. Itisn’tenoughfor his family. Sonowhe selllstimber.

Mustafa’shome is comfortable. He has twobrothers. Theyarecalled Ahmet and Ömer. Theyplaywith Mustafa. Theirgrondmotherlives in thecountry. Shebringsthemyoghurt, cheese, milkandeggs.

In 1883, Mustafa’sbrothersareill. Theyhavegot a fever. Theirmotherputscoolcloths on theirforeheads. Thedoctorlooks at thetwoboyscarefully. He saysoneword: ‘Diphtheria’. ThreedaysafterthisMustafa’sbrotherdie.

Mustafa is lookingout of thewindow. He is watchingthe bun-sellers, thewater-sellersandthestreetcleaners. Mustafa lovesbirds.He oftengivesthemfood on thebalcony.

Oneday, Mrs. Zübeyde visits her friends. Mustafa is with her. But shecan’t Mustafa. Thensheseeshim in the market. He wantsto buy twobirds. He is talkingtothebird-seller. “Whyareyoubuyingthodebirds?” his mother ask him. “Becausetheymust be free!”

Thatnight Ali Rıza hearsabout Mustafa andthebirds. “You’reright, Mustafa,” he says. “Birdsneedfreedom.” He alsosays, “Nowyou can buy andsellthings. You can helpme in mybusiness.”

Mustafa says, “I don’twantto be a businessman. I wantto be a soldier.” His fathersmilesandsays, “Yes, my son. But firstyoumustgotoschool.”

Mustafa is 5 yearsold. Ali Rıza is talkingto his son. He is tellinghimaboutArabia. Thepeople in Arabiaarefighting. This is a difficult time fortheOttomanEmpire. Mustafa listenscarefully.

Mustafa neverplayswiththeotherboys. He onlywatchesthem. Onedaytheyshouttohim, “Comeandplayleapfrogwith us!” “No,” Mustafa says. “I can’t do that. Nobodymustjumpoverme!”

Now Mustafa is seven. He can gotoschool. Therearetwokinds of school. Onekind of schoolisthereligiousschool. HerethechildrenlearntheArabicalphabet. Theymemorisethe Koran. Mustafa’smotherlikesthiskind of school.

After a short time, Mustafa starts at Şemsi Efendi’sschool. Theteachersaysto his father, “Mustafa alwayslistenscarefully. He asks a lot of questions. I’mpleasedwithhim.” Mustafa’sfather is pleased, too.

Mutafa’sfatherandmother talk aboutthetwokinds of school. His motherwantstosend Mustafa to a religiousschool. His fatherwantstosendhimto Şemsi Efendi’sschool. Sofirsttheyaregoingtosendhimto a religiousschool. Afterthat he can goto Şemsi Efendi’sschool.

Mustafa starts at thereligiousschool. Mustafa isn’thappy at thisschool. His fathersays, “Don’tworry, my son! Thenyou can goto Şemsi Efendi’sschool.

Mustafa is stillgoingtothereligiousschool. Ali Rıza saystoMustafa’steacher, “Mustafa’sflesh is yoursand his bonesare mine.” Everydaytheboysknell on thefloor. TheylearnArabic.

Oneday Mustafa says, “Alltheboysknell at thisschool. I don’twanttoknell. It is uncomfortable. Theydon’tknell at Şemsi Efendi’sschool. I don’twanttogotothereligiousschool.”

After a short time, Mustafa starts at Şemsi Efendi’sschool. Theteachersaysto his father, “Mustafa alwayslistenscarefully. He asks a lot of questions. I’mpleasedwithhim.” Mustafa’sfather is pleased, too.

Oneday Mustafa watches a carpenter. Hasan Usta is repairing a door. Suddenlythedoorfalls on Hasan Usta. He cuts his hand. Mustafa callsto his mother. Theylookafterthecarpenter’shand.

Ali Rıza is verysad. His businessisn’tgoingtowell. He is ill. Andnowtheyhavegottwochildren. Theyhavebabydaughter, Makbule.

Mustafa’sfather is veryill, but Mustafa doen’tknow. Oneday his fatherdies. Mustafa and his sisterdoesn’thavefathernow.

Mustafa finishes at Şemsi Efendi’sschool. Thefamilydoesn’thaveenoughmoney. SoMustafa’sfamilygoandliveHüseyin’s (Zübeyde’sbrother) farm.

Mustafa is ten. He lives in thecountrynow. Thereareanimals, birds, treesandgreenfieldsaroundhim. Mustafa works on thefarm.

His mothersays, “Look at him. He’s a peasantnow.” But his unclesays, “ Don’tworry. He is a learningaboutnewthingsAllthis is an educationforhim.”

Zübeyde is worriedabout her son’seducation. He isn’tgoingtoschool. At lasttheytake Mustafa totheGreekschool. Theteacherthere is a priest.

His teacherand his classmatesaretalkingGreek. Mustafa doesn’tunderstand. He saysto his uncles, “Thatschool is justlikethereligiousschool in Salonika. I don’twanttogo a Muslimreligiousschooland I don’twanttogoto a Greekone, either.”

Mustafa readsbooksandthinksabout his future. Oneday his unclegiveshim a gun. “Learnhowtoshoot,” he says. “It’simportant. Everymanmustknowhowtoshoot.”

Oneevening Mustafa goesto his room. He wantstoclean his gun. Bang! Suddenlythere is a loudnoiseandlots of smoke. Zübeyde thinks, “Mustafa’s hurt!” Sherunsinto his room. He is smiling at her. He is allright.

Mustafa’suncleteacheshimaboutthegun. Oneday Mustafa shouts a hawk. Thebird is dead. Mustafa knowshowtoshootand he can shootwell!

Mustafa goeswith his uncle. Theyarecarryingguns. Theyaregoingtoshootcrows. Mustafa killssixcrows in oneday.

Mustafa shootsthecrowsbecausetheyeatthecrops. But now he is sorryforthem. Theyaren’treallybadbirds.

Inonefield a crop of beans is growing. There is a hut in thisfield. Mustafa and his sisterspend a lot of time there. Theymakeloudnoisesandshout. Thecrowsheartheloudnoisesandflyaway. But oneday a lot of crowscomeintotheroof of the hurt. Crash! Therooffallsdown.

Mustafa likestomakethings. Oneday he makes a musicalinstrument. “Play a folk song,” says his uncle. “I don’twanttoplay folk songs. I wanttoplaytheMarch of Osman Pasha,” he says.

Another time Mustafa builds a smallhutfor his sister. Thereareshelves inside it. Infront of it therearetwosteps. His sisterthinks it is wonderful.

Wintercomesandthechildrenstay inside thefarmhouse. Oneday Mustafa says, “I’mgoingtothehut.” He goesout of thedoor. Mustafa doesn’t put his shoesand his feet. He stays at thehut a long time.

Mustafa comeshome. He calls his mother. His mothercomesandsees Mustafa outside. He is verydirty. “Don’tworry mum,” he says. “Myshoesarehere, on the step.

Theirgrandmothertellsstories. “Tellaboutourfather,” Mustafa says. So his grandmothertellsthem a wonderfulstoryabouttheirfather. “What a braveman!” Mustafa says. “Youare his son. Youaregoingto be a braveman, too,” shesays.

At lasttherainstops. Thechildrengooutside.Theyaregoingtothehut. On thewaytheymeettheirfriend, İsmail. “Can I make a fire in yourhut?” he asks. “I’mverycold.” “Yes, you can,” they say.

Nowthere is a big fire. But thehut is burning! Theirmother is angry. Theirunclesays, “The fire is İsmail’sfault.” “Mustafa sister is cryingbecauseshehasn’tgot a hutnow. So he buildsanotheronefor her.

It’ssaddayfor Mustafa. Today he is goingaway. Mustafa and his sisteraregoingtothebarn. TheyaregoingtoseeHadji. He lives in a littleroomnextothebarn. Thewindow of Hadji’sroom is broken.

Theyareshout, “Hadji, Hadji!” but theycan’thearthenoise of Hadji’swings. Theygotothehut. Thewind is blowing. Thefeathersaremovingalongtheground. ThentheyseeHadji.

Theyfindoutthewholestory. A bullbreaksthewindow. A bigdogkillshim. TheyburryHadji in theground.

Now Mustafa lives in Salonika. He is goingtoschoolagain. Zübeyde thinks, “Perhaps he doesn’tlikeSalonika.” Shetalksto Hüseyin.

Hüseyin visits Hatice. Zübeyde is right. Mustafa is veryunhappy. It is raining. Mustafa buys a bun andcomesback. The bun is littlewet. Hatice throws it away. What a difficultperson!

Hüseyin goesbacktoRaplaandtells Zübeyde about Hatice and Mustafa. Mustafa isn’thappy at school, either. Oneteacher, Kaymak Hafız, doesn’tlike Mustafa.

Oneday Mustafa has a fightwithanother boy. Kaymak Hafız beats Mustafa very hard. Zübeyde thinks “I musttake Makbule andgotoSalonika. Then Mustafa can livewith us.” Thefamilyaretogetheragain.

InSalonikathere is a militaryschool. Theboys at thisschoolearsmartuniforms. Mustafa wantstogotothisschool.

Mustafa oftentalksto his motheraboutthemilitaryschool. “I wanttogotothemilitaryschool, mother, please, mother!” “No,Mustafa,” shesays. Oneday Mustafa isn’t in thehouse. His mothercan’tfindhim.

Then Mustafa comeshome. “Wherewereyou?” sheasks. “I was at school, mother . I passedtheexaminationforthethirdclass of themilitaryschool.” Zübeyde stopsandthinksfor a moment. Thenshesays, “May Allah always be withyou.” Andso a new life begins.

ATATÜRK “ Growing up in Salonika ”