Mücahit

Mücahit has a way with words. The cabinet-maker charms his customers not only with his craftsmanship but also with his eloquence. Döne heard about him while she was on holiday in Bodrum. Her curiosity piqued, the young woman visited the craftsman in his workshop. How much would it cost to have a cabinet made for shoes? she wanted to know. When Mücahit named his price, she turned him down – and teasingly offered him a paltry 10 to 15 euros instead. Mücahit was offended. Was that all his work was worth? Two days later, he was asked to visit a prospective client at home. To his astonishment, he found himself face to face with his cheeky customer. There was something about the silver-tongued craftsman that had appealed to Döne. When she flew back to Germany, she made sure she took his e-mail address with her. They were married in Bodrum in July the following year. And they lived happily ever after … but where?

Mücahit loved his city and the sea, and had a flourishing business. But Döne had lived in Germany since she was four and couldn’t imagine making a life in Turkey. Finally, Mücahit gave in.

When he speaks Turkish, Mücahit conjures with words. “If you don’t speak the language, people won’t trust you”, he says. That’s why he wants to become adept at German as well. Many of his relatives went to live in Germany without knowing a word of the language. “They might as well have been blind and deaf”, says Mücahit. He is determined to do things differently. He wants to integrate and not cling to his culture too much. He handed the business over to his brother and started the language course a year after the wedding. He lives in a hotel in Izmir, and calls his wife every day.

“Just bring your clothes, you don’t need anything else”, Döne tells him. And that’s how Mücahit is setting off towards the future – unencumbered by belongings, but with an open mind and bags of curiosity.