— Bahriye Yıldız ErcanMy dear sister, you have gone before me again and are waiting for me at the door of the oncology department. With your smile that refreshes my soul and calms my heart, you are saying, “Everything will be fine, don’t worry, we will get through this together.” Without ever tiring, you came to almost every one of my treatments; you touched the back of my neck with your healing hands and gave me the strength to endure.
In the middle of a dark winter, you invited me to your home, saying, “Come sister, change your atmosphere for a bit.” It was just the two of us in the neighborhood. It was the first winter of your house. How beautiful our conversation was that day, what a wonderful time we had. You woke up again and again until morning to stoke the fireplace just so I wouldn’t get cold.
Oh, my dear sister, we were going to grow old together, we had promised. In fact, all us girls, as if we could defy fate, were going to stay behind and live together, meeting at your house in the village. We had built such beautiful dreams, sister. Wasn’t your departure a bit too early? Without you, we all felt like birds with broken wings. But you taught us so well, sister; we all continue to live by saying, “This is how my sister would have wanted it.” Don’t you worry at all, the seeds of humanity you sowed are sprouting within us. We are bonding to each other with great strength.
We watch Nil Asya grow through your eyes. We love her just the way you loved her.
Sister, we know there will always be a subtle ache in our hearts, but we also know your memories will always keep it warm. With longing and yearning for you…
