When Mommy gets sick

    This past week I came down with the horrible, rather virulent strain of the flu that has been making the rounds on both sides of the Bosporus. Fortunately, my husband and son were spared any of the symptoms. However, I found myself suddenly unable to do anything except sleep, cough and ponder the possibility of my head actually exploding from pain. Happy to know that my husband could stay home from work, and trusting him to keep the home fires burning, or at least simmering, I crawled into bed and spent my days in and out of a feverish stupor, only occasionally surfacing to consciousness long enough to wonder if Ali Adem was completing his homework on time, wearing clean clothes to school and eating meals that were healthy.

    From the early stages of my illness onward, my husband realized that in my bedridden state, any questions about how to cook food or wash clothes were only going to be met with groans and a pull of the quilt over my head. He found himself completely on his own for the first time. Quickly assessing the situation, Ali Adem came in to see me before he left for school in the morning and immediately upon his return home in the afternoon. He wanted to reassure me that he and Baba were managing to survive on their own.

    As I slowly began to recover from the flu, I started to listen from my bed to my son and husband as they dealt with the household chores together. Ali Adem patiently explained how he and I sorted clothes together before placing them in the washing machine. My husband was a little shaky on the details of separating the colors from the whites, but Ali Adem had that part of the procedure down pat since he often helps me with that job. Once a load of dirty clothes was ready, it was up to my husband to get the soap and softener into the machine and put it on the proper settings. This was a learning experience for him, and I am happy to say that he seems to have passed the test with flying colors, since we did not end up with clothes accidentally dyed different hues.

    I did overhear my husband wondering aloud just how he should cook ground meat for their dinner one evening. Ali Adem suggested hamburgers or köfte, but my husband was unsure of how to cook either. As he cautiously poked his head into the bedroom where I was still confined to bed, he asked, "How do I make hamburgers without you?" I peeked out from under the quilt and replied, "Tell me you do not expect me to get up and cook in the condition I'm in. Just make patties and cook them in a pan." Ali Adem, sensing that he could offer invaluable assistance, said, "Baba! I know how to make them. Come on, I will show you. I've helped Mommy do it lots of times before." My husband obediently followed Ali Adem, who proudly explained how to make the burgers just right. Together they worked side by side in the kitchen and later came in to inform me that their meal had been a success.