Organic Stories I: Organic Stories

By Metin Yazgac

There are many obsessive old issues, big and small, important and unimportant, that have accumulated inside me. They are hanging in the centre of my mind, as if they all have a hook at the end. Whenever there is a gap and I don't know what to do out of boredom, the hanging issues come to my mind one after the other.

***

You may think I'm unbalanced. Unfortunately, I have to object to that too. If most of you think that I am unbalanced, you should question yourselves as to why. You are the reason why I have turned into a sick person. I don't want to complain or justify myself. When I think of all the things that have happened to me, the skin of my head itches and then it moves to my back. I smoke one cigarette after another and grind my teeth, and when I think of the man who stepped on my foot on the train the other day, I go crazy.

***

I got up and put on my cardigan. I heated some water. I made a strong coffee. I sat by the window and turned on my radio. Zeki Müren was singing and I was listening. The birds were awake, looking for their food. I came across a cat in the garden. I went and opened the door and called it in. It came and lay down on the sofa. So he was used to this house. He was not a stranger at all. After a while it came to my lap and settled down. I felt the comforting effect of touching a cat on my fingers. "Your name should be 'Lucky'," I said. He looked at my face and nodded. My travelling companion and I said hello to a new day and gave birth to the sun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Metin Yazgaç
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223071174

Metin Yazgac

Story producer... creative writer... underground literature

Book preview

Obsessive Intellectual

Actually, I'm not obsessed . Even if I say I am not an obsessive person, I do not forget what is done to me immediately. If a mistake has been made against me, intentionally or unintentionally, and the person who did it has apologised, I always keep it somewhere in my mind. Like most of you, I am also affected by the human blunder called 'revenge'. There are many obsessive old issues, big and small, important and unimportant, that have accumulated inside me. They hang in the centre of my mind as if they all have a hook at the end. Whenever there is a gap and I don't know what to do out of boredom, the hanging issues come to my mind one after the other. Anyone who looks at my face would think, 'This man is carefree and has no worries'. However, as I said before, my mind is always cloudy and I always think about everything that happens.

I am Erkam Altemur. From the outside, I am a penguin-like person with almost no hair, always stubble due to laziness, short stocky height, big belly, short legs... I have been alone for a long time in this house that once hosted a family of five. My wife Nebahat passed away five years ago. The children have grown up and are living their own lives. Rumour has it that my wife died because of my mouth. This can be nothing but the idle talk of the gossiping women around us. Okay; we used to quarrel a lot, but we used to make up with my neboşum immediately. We never prolonged the resentment. In our forty-five years together, we never had an argument that extended to the next day. May he rest in heaven. He didn't make me suffer a little. I realise that I am a grumpy, unpleasant and unbalanced man. When I wake up in the morning, I look in the mirror while washing my face. 'I wonder what the hell I'm going to do today,' I ask myself. The answer to this question has never been clear. My impulsive behaviour, emotional nature and stubbornness are my biggest enemies. As the meaning of my name suggests, I have always had a headache because of numbers and names. Because of these troubles, I turn as red as the meaning of my surname - the reddened state of iron. A man lives by his name. I guess he will die with his surname. My obsession with the number nine has given me both positive and negative situations. If someone named Ahmet has done bad to me, all Ahmet's are bad. If chicken meat touches my stomach and my intestines are damaged, all chickens are damaged. I have experiences like these examples and they are increasing day by day. If thoughts were visible and voluminous, they would never fit in this body and I would burst like a balloon. I do not like taking revenge, but I cannot deny that it gives me pleasure. Man's greatest enemy is also man. Because man feeds on man and the most effective poisoning occurs with man. In addition to these thoughts, I should also state that, just as man's greatest enemy is man, my greatest enemy is myself. How can one who cannot get along with himself live with others?

When I came to this thought, the nutrition part was actually different, that is, I was looking at it from the positive side (how I suddenly turned the other way round). I endeavoured to get to know and chat with as many people as possible because of the words like every person is a book or every person has a story. My intention was to learn from them and improve myself. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. Yes; man fed on man, but he did it by using him and trapping him (again returning and accepting what is right according to myself). Maybe he did not benefit from their meat and milk, but he fed on their goodwill, labour and ideas. I'm angry again, and when I get angry I start sweating, I need to calm down. It's time for my blood pressure medicine.

Anyway, that's not really what I wanted to tell you. I told you that I don't like revenge, but I didn't deny that I'm obsessed. You may think that I'm unbalanced. Unfortunately, I have to object to this too. If most of you think that I am unstable, you should question the reason for this within yourself. You are the reason why I have turned into a sick person. I don't intend to complain or justify myself. When I think about all the things that have happened to me, the skin of my head itches and then it moves to my back. I smoke one cigarette after another and grit my teeth. I also go crazy when I think about the man who stepped on my foot on the train the other day. No, I don't accept