#introducing kemal aksoy

[ayda--demir]

Till Death Do Us Part Part II - Oct 4th, 2023 tw: mention of death

It had been a few days since the shooting at the bakery. News spread quickly around the borough, shocking the community. Mrs. Aksoy had left herself a legacy and Mr. Demirci had been known for his excellent talent when it came to suits. It left people uncertain on what their fate would be in their own home. Ayda tried not to think about it, it left her feeling the weight that was now placed heavier on her shoulders. She wanted to protect them, but it was growing harder to find the confidence that she could. 

Ayda stood outside of the bakery for ten minutes replaying what happened that night. She had been asked to come over to the Aksoy’s. The window had already been fixed, but nothing had been touched on the inside. Glass still scattered across the floor, tables and chairs turned and the faint mark of where the bleach was placed to cover up the blood. Taking a deep breath she walked around to the side to where the other entrance to the flat was, stepping inside, locking the door behind her, making her way up the stairs.

“Hello,” she calls out softly, eyes meeting ones she hadn’t seen in years. “Kemal?” She knew he would come. It was their mom that passed. That meant Ela would be here too. “Is your sister here?” She asks, her eyes falling on Mr. Aksoy sitting beside him. 

“I got in late last night.” He gives her a faint smile, a hand gesturing to the lounge chair beside them.“Ela is here, she went out to get some food.” Ayda returns the smile, taking a seat. 

That is when she notices the box sitting on Mr. Aksoy’s lap, a shoe box and it catches her attention. Careful hues study the older male, taking in his features. He looks paler, a tiredness in his gaze and his shoulders sink. Skinnier, he looks much skinnier than the last time she saw him which wasn’t long ago. 

“I’m sorry you are here for this.” There would always be a part of her that would feel it was her fault. She should have never put that gathering together. It was a lesson she should have learnt from the engagement party failure, unable to look him in the eyes. 

“Not how I wanted to come visit, but we will manage to get through this.” There was a defeatness to his tone and it made her worry.  Her hands fold on her lap. 

“Let me get to the point,” Mr. Aksoy says, a weakness to his tone. His hand trembles while taking the envelope from the top of the box. “This is the deed to the building, along with the rights to the bakery.” 

A dumbfoundedness seeps into her features. “That should go to Kemal or Ela.” She quickly looks at Kemal, seeing him shake his head at her. 

“We don’t want it.” He speaks before his father could. “Neither of us have the desire to run the bakery and we don’t want it sold. Ma always talked about how much it meant to you. We want someone to keep it running, in her honour.” He blinks back the tears. 

“Oh,” Ayda couldn’t hide her emotions, a hand coming up to wipe the tears, the other reaching forward to take the envelope from him. “I don’t know what to say.” There is a small pause whilst she looks it over, not opening it. “Thank you.” 

“This is for you.” He then holds out the shoe box with her name on top of it. “All the kids have one, she thought of you as her own. Things she kept over the years.” Ayda takes the box, holding both on her lap. This was something she would look at later when she was alone. 

“I miss her,” her voice cracks, fingers curling around the box. 

“We all do.” Kemal adds, a hand reaching out to take hers, giving a small squeeze before pulling back. “She always talked highly of you. You meant a lot to her. I want to thank you for being there for her when we were gone.” His words touched her more than she thought they would. 

“I’m stopping with treatment.” Mr. Aksoy states, both of them looking at him stunned. 

“Pa, you can’t.” Kemal interjects, his attention turning to his dad. 

“I can’t lose you too.” Ayda adds in, moving to sit beside the old man’s other side, leaving the box and envelope on the chair.  “I have already told the doctors and refused treatment on Monday.” He looks between the both of them, and now it made sense why he looked the way he did. He was slowly dying.  “I was only fighting this for her.”