Chapter 29 Turkey (12) Praying with the Demon's Eye. ...
"How about I have the nanny bring you a bowl of Tahana soup? The doctor said you should eat easily digestible liquids right now—"
The person on the bed closed their eyes in disappointment and gently shook their head.
Aisha bit her lip: "You haven't eaten anything today. How can you not eat?"
"How about hot milk instead? Or mashed banana?"
The other person still refused, their lips pale and frightening: "I don't want to eat anything."
"You only want honey mille-feuille? Fine, whatever, I won't tell them, I'll go buy it for you right away!"
Aisha suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room like the wind, while Chichi hurriedly followed.
"But it's almost dark now."
I glanced at the sky above; the last rays of the setting sun were fading, and it was getting darker than usual.
She asked 1221, "Is that shop going to close down soon?"
“And Kadkoy is quite far from here,” 1221 said, with a hint of regret. “It seems she won’t be able to buy it.”
"Then let's go again tomorrow—"
1221: "Zelin's condition is not good right now. Her vital signs are quite weak. If she were in the hospital, she might have more time, but she won't go to the hospital. However, given her current situation, going back to the hospital would be a hassle and make her suffer for nothing."
1221 didn't continue speaking, and the kitten understood the unfinished words.
I was still feeling a bit dazed.
Has the situation really gotten this critical?
It's not just a simple illness that requires recuperation; it's that there's simply not enough time.
Aisha probably sensed something was wrong, which is why she was so panicked and didn't want to make the other person wait even for one night.
The kitten's eyes reflected the deepening night, and for the first time, they felt so clearly that shadows were silently looming over them. Life was so fragile, and illness was so cruel.
Aisha knew it was a bit late to leave, but she gritted her teeth and hailed a taxi. She then jumped into the other person's arms, hugged the kitten tightly, buried her face in it, and muttered words of comfort to herself.
"There's still time, there's definitely still time."
A light drizzle began to fall on the road. By the time the car reached its destination, it was already dark. The streets were wet and slippery, and the cold rain quickly soaked Aisha's hair and skirt.
Raindrops fell on my hair, raindrops slid across my shoulders, and raindrops flowed into the cracks in the road.
Aisha didn't feel the cold; all she could think about was getting to the store quickly to buy the baklava that Zelin wanted and bringing it back as soon as possible.
We were delayed by traffic on the way, and the raindrops became more concentrated than when we set off, falling in a continuous stream.
Aisha walked across the street corner. Because of the bad weather, most shops had already closed. Some were idly waiting to close after get off work, while others had their doors and windows tightly shut. The famous century-old dessert shop was no exception.
The shop window was also dimly lit, with only the street lamp at the entrance of the shop being lit.
Aisha's heart sank.
"what to do……"
She muttered to herself, then knocked on the shop door reluctantly, calling out with a glimmer of hope, "Is anyone home? Boss, could you please open the door for me?"
The sound was very clear on the street, and even had a slight echo.
Passersby couldn't help but stop and kindly said, "Their shop is already closed. Come earlier tomorrow."
“But I want to buy it today,” Aisha said disappointedly.
She leaned against the shop window, looking at the counter inside, hoping someone would suddenly come out.
Chichi gently scratched the other person's skirt, gesturing for them to turn around and look at the window with the light on.
Aisha turned around, her gaze sweeping over the layout of the shopping street. It was a typical old-style building, with shops on the ground floor and residential areas and hotels usually connected to the upper floors.
A thought flashed through my mind like a spark.
She had heard from the other party when she and her father delivered goods here before that many owners in this market live upstairs in their shops for convenience!
This idea rekindled the extinguished flame. Aisha abruptly stood up straight, disregarding all manners, clenched her fists and pounded on the shop door, while simultaneously tilting her head back and shouting loudly at the lit window on the second floor.
"I need to buy a box of rose-scented baklava. Please open the door quickly, I'm in a real hurry! I really need it!"
The voice was so loud that even his originally clear voice became slightly hoarse, and his tone was full of urgency.
Chichi called out loudly, "Come down and open the door."
A person and a cat were meowing loudly outside the shop, attracting the attention of passersby.
"This won't work, help me," the kitten said to 1221.
After a long wait, I finally found my way and jumped from the stone slabs on the ground onto the outdoor table of another shop, and then onto the canopy that extended from the table.
A transparent ball of light landed under her hind feet, and the kitten leaped into the air, landing on the ball and jumping onto the brightly lit windowsill, just like a superhero.
She screamed loudly on the windowsill and frantically scratched at the glass, finally alerting the person inside who was still taking a shower.
"What are you doing? It's so noisy!" the other person said gruffly, sounding annoyed at being disturbed.
"Click—"
Finally, a sound came from the window; the latch was pried open from the inside, creating a crack.
The man upstairs had just finished showering, his hair still dripping wet. He was startled by the kitten outside the window, and then he saw the little girl waving at him from below. His brows furrowed.
"We're closed. We're sold out for today. Didn't you see the sign hanging at the door?"
He pointed impatiently downstairs.
Aisha clasped her hands together and pleaded, "I'm so sorry to bother you, boss, but my best friend is sick, very sick, and the only thing she wants to eat right now is your baklava, please..."
"Please help me, I'm willing to pay any price!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She raised her hand and wiped her eyes hard, pleading, "Please, she's in a very bad situation. I have to go back to be with her, and it's going to be too late."
The voices echoing around the streets were tearful and extremely earnest.
Chichi also let out a pleading cry towards the man inside the window, and touched his hand with her paw as he was about to close the window.
The other person paused, looked down at the girl downstairs who was still sobbing and wiping away tears, and then glanced at the unusually intelligent little cat on the windowsill.
After a few seconds of silence, the impatience on his face faded, finally turning into a helpless sigh.
"What a hassle..."
He muttered something, but his tone softened considerably, "Wait here, I'll go down and open the door."
The window slammed shut with a bang, and Aisha waited anxiously downstairs, each second feeling incredibly long.
A few minutes later, the lights in the shop were turned on, and the other person then opened the closed shop door for her and changed into their work clothes.
"Come in, but you'll have to wait a while. We still need to prepare the materials, and it will take time for the stove to heat up."
Seeing Aisha follow him in with delight, Chichi also slowly jumped down from the second floor and followed him into the shop.
Not all the lights in the shop were on. When they came in, only the lights in the kitchen were on. The woman was wearing an apron and taking ingredients out of the refrigerator.
“My friend said that her favorite is the rose-flavored baklava from your store.”
"knew."
The shopkeeper was concise, and then took out a jar of rose syrup from inside.
Aisha, holding the kitten, stood quietly outside the work area, watching the other person skillfully brush on butter, spread dough, add nut filling, and then cover it with another thin layer of dough, repeating this process several times.
Finally, the finished puff pastry is placed into a preheated, large oven.
While waiting, Chichi's nose began to twitch.
Aisha kept sniffing, the air filled with an increasingly rich aroma of baking, with the scents of butter, pastry, and nuts.
Finally, with a "ding," the oven timer went off.
The owner put on thick gloves, took out a baking tray that was scorching hot, and the freshly baked mille-feuille was golden brown, with the crust still sizzling and the rich and tempting aroma lingering for a long time.
The other party then sprinkled a generous amount of rose syrup on top, quickly packed several pieces into a cardboard box, and tied them with ribbons.
"It's best to eat it while it's hot. Go back now."
Aisha took out all the money in her pocket and gave it to the other person, but the other person refused to accept it and stuffed it back into her pocket.
Thank you so much!
Aisha bowed repeatedly in gratitude, clutching the snack box tightly to her chest as if it were a precious treasure.
They were slow to come out with the other person when the rain outside the shop started pouring down even harder. The owner called them from behind and handed them a large umbrella.
Aisha didn't have time to stop the car; she simply opened her umbrella and ran into the rain, heading back the way she came.
The weather was terrible, and all the empty taxis on the road were full of passengers. They ran all the way but couldn't flag down a suitable car, so they had no choice but to continue walking back.
The road surface becomes slippery after it rains. Aisha was wearing an inconvenient thick long skirt today, so she couldn't run fast or get on the bus. She was getting more and more anxious when her foot slipped and she fell to the ground on the stone road at the corner.
He quickly jumped off the other person's shoulder and tried to help them up by pushing their lower back.
Aisha, however, didn't bother to stand up herself and first checked the box of pastries in her arms. Fortunately, she had held it carefully, and the pastries inside hadn't been dropped or crushed.
Only a few passersby remained on the street, and once you turned off the bustling street, you couldn't see a single person at all.
Aisha picked up the large umbrella that was being blown about by the wind, stood up again and walked towards Hussein Street. She squatted down and reached out to the kitten whose fur was wet from the rain, but hesitated to jump into its arms. Instead, she ran ahead first.
"Let's go quickly, it will be inconvenient for you to hold the umbrella if you're holding me."
1221 looked at Chi Chi, who was soaked to the bone by the rain, and said, "Damn weather, please stop raining, it's wet and cold."
Aisha ran ahead, her steps uneven, and when she was almost at Hussein Street, she stopped and looked at the small temple across the street.
Unlike large mosques such as the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque, it lacks a magnificent dome and imposing minarets.
The low, domed roof bows humbly, like an inconspicuous gray crayon, containing only a small space and a few small glass windows.
The niches inside are extremely simple, more like a temporary living room for the gods.
The raindrops finally stopped pattering down and gradually subsided, turning into a light drizzle that didn't require an umbrella.
Aisha couldn't move, so she put away her large umbrella and stood still on the quiet, deserted street.
A light drizzle clung to her hair and soaked her heavy skirt. She lowered her head, cradling her pounding heart, and prayed fervently for Zelin.
"May she live," Aisha murmured. "I'm willing to offer all my treasures..."
"She's praying again, and the mille-feuille is getting cold." 1221 was also getting anxious.
"Oh right, 1221." Chi Chi suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Do you remember the myths and legends you told me?"
When you sincerely pray for your wish to come true, it is easier to achieve it by using the beloved possessions of the person you wish to receive.
Looking at Hussein Street so close by, Chi Chi meowed at Aisha a few times, saying, "Wait here for a bit, I'll go back and get something and come back!"
"1221, wait for me here. Try to stop Aisha and don't let her leave."
After she finished speaking, she turned and ran quickly toward Hussein Street.
Rainwater splashed up behind her, creating a misty spray as her small figure moved through the rainy night.
Ignoring the puddles on the ground, the kitten took the shortest route back to Zelin's house. She banged on the door with her paws, and when the nanny mistook it for Aisha coming to open the door, the kitten seized the opportunity to slip into the entryway from under the human's feet.
The nanny screamed, which drew Zelin's parents to come and check on the situation.
Ignoring the crowd's attempts to shoo him away, he used his head to pry open the closed door to Zelin's room and jumped to her bedside at the fastest speed he had ever been.
Zelin was fast asleep. Zelin's mother frowned and said to the nanny, "What does this cat want to do? Get it away from here!"
Chichi bit off the red string tied to Zelin's wrist with her teeth, picked up the demon eye pendant, and ran outside like a still-dripping lightning bolt, rushing back the way she came.
She had never been this fast before; her lungs felt like they were going to burst.
When they returned to the small temple, Aisha was still standing there praying with her eyes closed.
“I used some background noise that humans can hear to make her think she got a response, so she hasn’t left yet.” 1221 saw the thing the kitten was carrying in its mouth. “You went back to get this?”
Chichi let out a soft meow, which made Aisha open her eyes in confusion and look at her.
She placed the pendant in the other person's palm: "Pray with this, maybe it will help."
Half a red rope still hung from the blue demon's eye, seemingly still warm from Zelin's wrist. Aisha's eyes stung, she clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes again.
“Oh God who can hear my prayers,” her voice was more resolute than before, “I beg you to hear my wish and make Zelin better. I am willing to give half of my life for it!”
She clutched the pendant tightly, as if trying to infuse it with her own beliefs.
Before leaving, Aisha placed the demon eye pendant in front of the niche, then ran towards Zelin's house with the snack box in her arms.
After rushing inside, Aisha was soaked to the bone and shivering uncontrollably, whether from the cold or fear, she didn't know.
She didn't bother to explain anything to the adults, and ran into Zelin's room with the snack box she had carefully protected in her arms.
"Zelin... wake up."
Aisha gently woke the other person.
Carefully open the box to reveal layers of flaky pastry and a glistening, viscous syrup that exudes a rich rose aroma.
She broke off a small piece of the syrup-soaked part and brought it to Zelin's lips.
"Zelin, look, I bought some cracked mille-feuille from Kadkoy, and it's even rose flavored!" Aisha said expectantly. "Would you like some?"
The incredibly alluring sweet scent awakened her sense of smell, and Zelin finally opened her weak, half-closed eyelids.
"She can't eat this—"
Just as Zelin's mother was about to stop her, her hand was stopped by someone. Zelin's father shook his head at her and said, "Let her have a little."
The person on the bed smelled the familiar aroma, which whetted their appetite. They obediently opened their lips and took a bite of the mille-feuille pastry in Aisha's hand.
Zelin's throat moved as she swallowed the sweet pastry with difficulty, then coughed a few times.
The nanny quickly brought water, but only fed him a tiny sip.
Everyone was praying for a miracle. Aisha didn't go home; she stubbornly stayed by Zelin's bedside, talking to her over and over again, keeping her company all night.
Time ticked by in the somber atmosphere, and the sky outside the window gradually changed from inky black to deep blue, with a hint of gray.
The rain stopped completely, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the curtains.
Aisha was awakened by the dazzling light. She had slept on a makeshift bed in the other person's room all night and was still holding Zelin's hand when she woke up.
My arms were incredibly sore from holding them up all night.
She was about to use a cotton swab to moisten Zelin's chapped lips when she noticed the other person slowly opening their eyes.
"You're awake!" Aisha exclaimed, then quickly asked, "How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable?"
Zelin gently shook her head.
As the night passed, her breathing became slightly more stable, though still weak, but no longer at that rapid and distressing pace.
The doctor was called in again.
After the examination, the other person also showed a surprised and confused expression: "It's incredible, the inflammation has actually subsided."
Although the little girl on the bed was still very weak and had little strength, she seemed to have survived the most dangerous moment.
This sudden improvement, which cannot be explained by medicine, can only be attributed to a miracle and the tenacious vitality of young people.
The sunlight finally pierced through the heavy curtains and shone into the room again, dispelling the long, unbearable night.
Zelin glanced at her empty wrist and looked at Aisha.
"I had a dream that a kitten came."
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