Caray, Caray!

hija

I'll do the recap tonight.

dondi 356
 

Hija #35 part 1

Demir wakes Oyku. Good morning princess. She doesn’t want to get up, she’s still sleepy. Demir made her favorite breakfast--eggs the way she likes them with the cheese thinly sliced. Oyku wakes up, good morning dad. Hugs and kisses. Demir put her meds in the backpack and she should pack her pjs. Why? Demir says, don’t you remember you’re staying with Asu. Oh, yeah… Demir says get up have breakfast and then get ready. We are going to do something you have wanted to do but I wouldn’t let you. What is it, asks Oyku? Give me a clue. Demir moves his arms up and down. Turns out they are going to paint a room.

Asu is by the window when Cemal comes in. He says, you’re up early. Not really, she couldn’t sleep. Cemal asks if she is excited. No, she’s scared. Asu says, how am I supposed to handle her for a full day and she’s sleeping over. Cemal would have her over his place but if Oyku mentions it in court, that would be a problem He says, don’t worry Asu you said it was easy getting along with her. It’s just for one night. She’s taking Cemal’s car. Cemal says make sure Candan doesn’t see you on the way out.

Asu calls Demir with a 5 minute warning so have Oyku ready. Demir calls Ugur to tell him Asu is on the way. He tells Oyku that Asu is almost there. But dad, we are not finished. Demir promises her he won’t finish without her. They will finish it after work tomorrow. But now hurry and wash.

Demir brings Oyku out to meet Asu. Ugur shows up, too. Ugur issues a warning to Asu, if you do anything to Oyku you won’t have to worry about Demir—I’ll kill you myself. Asu laughs at him. Demir tells Oyku her meds are in her backpack. Don’t forget. Eat well. Don’t stay up too late. He will pick her up early tomorrow. He will be thinking of her all day long. And Oyku will be thinking of Demir. Call if anything happens. Ok, dad. Asu is impatient. Does it take that long to say goodbye? I love you very much, Oyku. Me too, says Oyku. She is crying. They hug. Oyku gets in the car. Demir tells Asu to send her address right away and be very careful. Demir and Oyku press their hands on their sides of the car window. Oyku blows a kiss and Asu drives off.

Ugur’s friend has loaned his car to Demir for a couple of days and he drives off. Mufide calls Ugur. She tells him the young lady she told him about is coming to see the house.

Asu asks, so Oyku, are you ready to spend the day with your mom? No answer. Where should we go? What should we do? Oyku’s response--I just want this day to end. How rude says Asu. We’ll just go to the apartment.

Mufide and Ugur go to the vacant house. Ugur thinks the house is great and the woman will like it very much. Mufide wishes he would marry this girl, move in here and have grandchildren for her to cuddle. Let me know if you like the girl, she says.

Candan calls Demir. She was concerned. He tells her Asu picked up Oyku. His greatest fear became a reality. He’s not feeling good. She asks where he is. He tells her he has something to do. And she’s on her way to see a house. She will call him when she’s done. Mufide is waiting for her. Who? Mufide? Yes, they call her Grandma Mufide. She’s a sweet lady. Uh oh. Demir gets off the phone quick and makes a frantic call to Ugur. Candan walks up to the house and knocks. Mufide goes to answer. Demir asks Ugur, where are you? Get out of the house now, it’s Candan! OMG, Ugur realizes his mom is matching him up with Candan! Ugur tries to get out the back door. He fumbles at the backdoor lock. It won’t open. He ducks down beside a cabinet.

dondi356

 

Hija #35 part 2

Candan likes the house and she’s brought a gift to thank Mufide. They hug. This gives Ugur a little more time. He struggles with the lock again. Mufide says let’s see the rest of the house. Ugur finally gets the door open and hurts his leg on the escape but manages to get away. Hijo? Hijo? Mufide looks for Ugur. He was just here! Ugur is limping away. That was another close call!

Asu and Oyku are walking down the street. Demir is tailing them. They go into the apartment building. Demir stands in front. He says, I’m here Oyku, don’t worry. Demir sits.

Oyku doesn’t take her coat and hat off. Asu asks, why won’t you come in? Asu has nothing for Oyku to drink. You live here, asks Oyku? Yes, it’s nice isn’t it? Oyku doesn’t like it; it’s messy and dirty. Asu says, you’ll have to get used to it.

It’s nighttime and Demir is still outside. Cemal calls Asu to check up. Asu recounts, she’s weird. The kid hasn’t said a word. She tried to clean up and I got mad at her. Cemal gives advice, turn on the tv and order some food for her. Asu has already ordered food. Cemal thinks Oyku will get used to this after a while. Her behavior is normal. No, Cemal, she hates me. You should see how she looks at me. Ah, the takeout is here.

Eat, says Asu. Don’t you want it? No answer. Aren’t you hungry? No answer. Oyku, don’t you want to talk to me? Oyku shoots her a look. Asu is frustrated, she calls Oyku stubborn and weird. Asu raises her voice, I don’t like this ether. Eat and then go to bed. Oyku finally speaks, do you know that I tried to picture you all my life? I always wondered what my mother looked like. I didn’t even have a photo of you. I had to imagine. And, asks Asu, did I live up to your expectations? No, is the response. Oh well, nothing we can do about that. She tells Oyku, you should be happy with what you have. Some children never get to meet their mothers. That’s true, says Oyku. If I had known someone like you was my mom, I wouldn’t be sad. I would have been happy you were far away.

Asu thinks that they are a lot alike. No way says Oyku. Asu disagrees. She tells Oyku, just like you, I know how to hurt other people. (Asu is nasty. Tonight, I’d like to throw her out the window.) She tells Oyku to eat and gets up to go to the bathroom. Flashback to the hospital right after Oyku was born. The nurse brings Oyku in but Asu doesn’t want to see her baby. Take her away quickly, she cries. The baby is crying. Asu cries and yells, get her out of here! (it’s hard for me to feel sorry for Asu) Back to now. Asu washes her face and composes herself. She tries again with Oyku. Eat, or people will think I didn’t feed you. Oyku doesn’t want to eat. Ok, starve for all I care. Oyku responds, if you don’t like it, don’t pick me up. I don’t love you.

Another attempt from Asu, listen I’m you mother. Face it. All right? Phone rings. It’s Demir and Asu hands the phone to Oyku. He asks if everything is ok. Did you eat? No, I’m eating now. He reminds her to take her meds and go to bed early. If anything happens, he will come to get her. Brush your teeth. Kisses and a bite! Bye! Oyku eats her sandwich. Looks like Demir will spend the night outside Asu’s apartment building.

Next morning Asu is awakened by the phone. It’s Demir, he’s outside. Is Oyku ready? Huh, Oyku? She seems to forget Oyku was there. Asu goes to wake Oyku. Oyku is already by the door and ready to go.

Asu wants coffee first so Oyku will have to wait. Demir is nervously waiting outside. Oyku says Asu doesn’t have to go with her. No way, your dad will get mad if I send you alone. Asu says she’s tired of Oyku staring at her so, ok, let’s go. Oyku happily runs into Demir’s arms. Kisses.

dondi356

 

Hija #35 part 3

Demir asks Oyku if she has had breakfast yet. No. Demir shoots a look at Asu, then tells Oyku let’s get out of here. They will have breakfast and then get ready for the play today. Demir takes a last look at Asu before getting in the car and driving away.

Asu is on the phone with Cemal. Yes, Demir just picked her up. I told you motherhood is not my thing. She drove me crazy. She’s a nightmare. Asu notices something (a bracelet or hair tie?) that Oyku left behind. She’ll call him back later. Asu picks up Oyku’s item and makes a few funny faces. Whatever.

Oyku is getting ready for the play. She has her costume on and she’s running around looking for her hair clip. Candan shows up. Oyku needs help with her hair. Now she has to pee, what if she has to pee during the play? Oyku is excited and nervous.

Candan asks about Oyku’s visit. Demir says Oyku hasn’t told him anything. Candan starts to explain what she couldn’t over the phone. Cemal told her everything that Asu had gone through and she thought they could empathize with her. Demir says nothing; he just looks at her. Oyku returns and asks what will happen if I forget my lines in the middle of the play? Demir says, that won’t happen. If it does, I will be there to help you remember. Don’t worry. She smiles. Let’s go.

At the school, Demir goes over to Ilayda’s mom, Ayla. How are you? And what role is your daughter playing…the witch? Mine is Snow White. Bravo, replies Ayla. Demir is pleased with himself and mumbles something about revenge (couldn’t quite catch it) as she walks away. Candan and Demir are talking as Ugur shows up. Demir tries to turn her away in the other direction.

Ugur sees and backs off. Candan asks, what’s wrong? Nothing is wrong. He thanks her and says he’s a little excited. They enter the auditorium. He warns Ugur not to come near. Sevgi greets Ugur. Ugur sits in the back.

We see the play. Demir is saying the lines with her. Oyku delivers a line and Ugur claps loudly and it draws Candan’s attention. Demir turns her back. We see the evil Ilayda, I mean queen, give Snow White the apple. She bites it and falls.

The dwarves are crying around Snow White. Prince Mercan enters and proclaims, she needs the kiss of a prince to wake her. Demir yells, forget it! Shhhh. Demir closes his eyes, he can’t look at the kiss. Mercan kisses Oyku’s forehead. Nothing. Her eyes stay closed. Mercan whispers, Oyku wake up. She’s not waking up. Oyku. Oyku. Demir, Ugur and Sevgi whisper, Oyku… What’s happening? The kids pat her and try to wake her. Mercan says he doesn’t understand. She’s not waking up. Demir runs up on the stage. He holds Oyku’s face. He calls her name. He tries to wake her. Wake up…wake up…Oyku… Oyku.

And we are out.

dondi356

 

hija

Wow, dondi356, many thanks for another superb recap!

I confess that I was a little confused about how Demir and Ugur were dealing with Oyku's spending time with Asu. As soon as Asu calls Demir to say she'll be there to pick Oyku up in 5 minutes, Demir calls Ugur. Why? At first I assumed that Ugur was going to follow Asu around all day, but that wasn't the case. Did Demir call Ugur simply for moral support? And did Demir spend the entire day (and night?) standing around outside Asu's apartment house? That seems a bit weird, to put it mildly.

I really enjoyed Oyku's responses to Asu, first refusing to speak to her, then telling her that she'd wondered all her life what her mother was like, but if she had known her mother was someone like Asu, she'd have been happy that Asu was far away. And finally telling Asu that she doesn't love her. Brava, Oyku!

I also enjoyed Demir's phone call waking Asu, who then goes to wake Oyku only to find that she's already fully dressed and ready to leave. Oyku seems wonderfully resourceful, and I'm hoping that that strength will help her prevail in the end.

I too was wondering what it was that Asu found on the sofa. At first I thought it was Oyku's bracelet, but later, Oyku looks unsuccessfully for one of her hairties, so I think that's probably what she left at Asu's.

What Demir said to Ayla is "revenge is a dish best served cold."

I'm wondering whether it's possible that Oyku is not having another blackout or seizure but rather has indeed been poisoned by the evil witch. I realize that's rather likely, but Ilayda and her mother are such perras that I wouldn't completely rule it out.
 

HIJA

Thank you, Dondi, another outstanding recap!

Juanita, I think Demir called Ugur so that Ugur could hurry and bring him the loaner car so that he (Demir) could follow Asu around. It did seem weird that Demir spent the entire day and night standing outside Asu's apartment building, but given the circumstances, I really don't blame him.

I was really impressed with how Oyku handled herself when she was with Asu. And, wow, she really didn't hold back about how she felt about Asu! That was awesome!

There are times (very few and far in between) when I sense that Asu really does care about what Oyku feels for her. When she found the bracelet/hair tie and held it tightly was one occasion. BTW I thought it was the bracelet that Asu gave her too.

Juanita, "I'm wondering whether it's possible that Oyku is not having another blackout or seizure but rather has indeed been poisoned by the evil witch." Wow! That never occurred to me. I just took it as another blackout!
 

hija

Oops, I just realized that at the end of my comment, I said that it's "rather likely" that Oyku was really poisoned by the evil witch. What I meant to say was "rather unlikely."
 

hija

I'll do a recap tonight.
 

Hija

Thanks, Juanita and Rgv Chick.

Juanita thanks for the revenge line. Demir mumbled the Spanish and I wondered if it was an exact translation.

It's nice to watch Oyku speak her mind and stick up for herself. She did that with Demir, too, when she first moved in with him. Thankfully, Demir warmed up to her rather quickly. I guess the best thing I could say about Asu is that she is afraid to have any loving feelings for anyone or anything.

I hope that Ilayda or her mom wouldn't stoop so low but you never know in a TN.

dondi356
 

hija

Didn't have time to comment until now. Sometimes working from home IS almost as busy as being there. But...excellent recap, dondi.

Oyku wants to make Asu so miserable with the arrangement that she stops trying for it. She doesn't realize that Cemal won't let Asu give up because...$$$.

I felt like Asu really was wounded by what Oyku said to her about the fact that, if she'd known what her mother was like, she'd never have fantasized about her. Her response seemed to indicate that in saying that Oyku was like her in knowing how to hurt people. Then she looked pretty sad in the bathroom and then washed her face. Tears? Didn't really see them, but maybe they were there.

I also thought it was a bit over the top about Demir staying outside the whole night. Did he pee in an alley?

The Ugur evading Candan thing is getting old for me. I wish they'd hurry up and have Demir fess up the whole thing.

I have no idea where they're going with Oyku not waking up. She froze up with her eyes open at school a couple of days ago. If it really is her disease, I wish the writers had at least let her have her triumph as Snow White.
 

Todo por mi hija - #36 - p 1 de 3

Demir is bent over Oyku. "Oyku, open your eyes. Please." Oyku doesn't respond. Candan calls for an ambulance. It arrives almost immediately. Demir gets in the ambulance with Oyku, while Candan drives to the hospital in her car. When they get there, Dr. Ihsan (sp?) just happens to be there and recognizes Oyku. Meanwhile, Ugur tells Demir by phone that Candan saw him at the school, so he'll wait outside the hospital. He asks Demir to keep him posted about Oyku.
Candan enters the hospital. Demir tells her he doesn't understand what has happened. She and Demir embrace.

Asu is at home. She remembers what Oyku had told her--"if I had known you were my mother, I'd have been happy that you were far away." Asu looks rather sad, but with her, it's sometimes hard to tell. Cemal comes to see her. He wants to know what happened. Something bad? She tells him, "This whole thing has been very hard on me, and now it's worse. I can't go on with this."

Mercan and his mother arrive at the hospital. Mercan is very upset about Oyku. The doctor comes and says that Oyku is now awake. Demir wants to know why this happened, and can he go see her? The doctor urges him to go see her, she's been asking for him. He and Demir will talk later. Demir and Candan come into Oyku's room. Her face lights up. She says she feels fine. She remembers feeling dizzy and passing out, but she feels fine now. Let's go home. The doctor says she should stay overnight, just for observation, and she'll be able to go home in the morning. Demir goes to talk with the doctor, while Candan stays with Oyku. The nurse tells Oyku she has finished, and she'll leave Oyku with her mother. Candan is about to correct the nurse, but she doesn't. Oyku seems very happy to have Candan seen as her mother.

Dr. Ihsan tells Demir, "I have bad news for you." Demir says she seems to be fine. The doctor agrees that right now, she looks fine, but this was a serious attack. And she may have more. He tells Demir he didn't think the attacks would start so soon. He asks Demir whether anything out of the ordinary has occurred recently, anything stressful. Demir tells him that Oyku's mother, who she thought was dead, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The doctor asks whether the mother knows about Oyku's illness. He thinks she should be told. Demir says that the mother is a terrible person, and if Oyku is to avoid stress, it would be best if her mother doesn't know. Demir then starts blaming himself for not being able to protect Oyku from Asu. The doctor assures him he's not to blame. What he should do is make sure Oyku has a healthy diet and keep her away from stress.

Asu calls Demir. He yells at her, telling her that Oyku is in the hospital because of her. She conveys this to Cemal, who sets about to find out what hospital Oylu is in.

Mercan comes into Oyku's room. She's very happy to see him. She apologizes to Mercan and Sevgi for letting them down. They assure her that she's not to blame. Sevgi tells her she can be in another play they'll have in the spring.

Alone with Candan outside Oyku's room, Sevgi asks where Ugur is, she saw him at the play but then he disappeared. Candan says something about not really knowing Ugur.

Candan returns to Oyku's room and tells Oyku, "Everyone loves you. I'm jealous." Oyku says she loves her father and Candan more than anyone else. Demir returns from seeing the doctor. With some effort he puts on a smile as he enters Oyku's room. Oyku asks him to tell her the truth. Did this happen because of her illness? Demir of course denies this. He goes on to tell her that he saw how much Mercan cares for her, and that has made him like Mercan more. A little more. Demir then leaves to get a change of clothes for Oyku. Candan stays with her.
 

Todo por mi hija - #36 - p 2 de 3

Cemal and Asu arrive at the hospital just after Demir has left. Cemal tells Asu to go see Oyku, and don't fight with Demir. Asu barges into Oyku's room. Candan stares at her. Asu? Asu tells Oyku that she was worried about her when she heard she was in the hospital. Oyku assures her that she's fine. Asu asks whether Oyku thinks this is her fault. Did she faint because Asu upset her? Asu asks Candan to leave her alone with her daughter. Candan looks at Oyku, who seems to signal with her eyes that it's OK.

Asu then tells Oyku, "I did a bit of thinking. I acted like a fool. I treated you and your father badly." Oyku points out that Asu doesn't love her, either. Asu claims that's not true. "I've never been good at expressing my feelings. When you said what you did, I reacted like a child. I want you to know that I won't give up on you, no matter what. I won't give you up. I didn't want to abandon you when you were a baby. You have to believe me. When you're older, you'll understand." She then reaches into her bag and brings out a wrapped present. "I brought this for you. I had a diary when I was a girl, but this one has a lock, so no one can read what you write. Use it if you want, or thrown it away it you don't want it." She bends over to kiss Oyku, but Oyku turns her head away. Asu kisses part of her head anyway, and leaves.

In the hall, she confronts Candan. "It'll take time for us to know each other and understand each other. Cemal has probably told you that Oyku was born during a bad time. Not all of us are born with luck. Be careful. You don't know Demir at all. You have to be careful." With that, Asu leaves. As she's walking out, she remembers her conversation with Cemal. Cemal told her, "The judge said he'd listen to the girl. We're going to trick (engañar) the girl. But not with the way you are now. Focus on defeating Demir. The first thing is to fool Oyku, Focus on that. You're a poor mother who had to abandon her daughter. You're a character in a play (personaje). Act that way for Oyku, Then for Candan. And then for the judge." Asu isn't sure she can fool Oyku. "She's too smart. And I don't even know how to act." Cemal replies, 'All daughters believe their mothers, even if they're lying. Wouldn't you believe yours? Tell me, aren't I right?" A tear falls onto Asu's cheek. She quickly brushes it away. She tells Cemal that she can try with Oyku. But with Candan.... Cemal agrees that that will take more time.

A very disheartened Demir is talking to Ugur. "If I tell Asu that Oyku is sick, she'll use that against me. If I tell Oyku that Asu is just after the money, she'll be devastated." Ugur tries to calm Demir down. He tells him he can't blame himself, he's a terrific father. "You're a much better father than I had. He never carried me on his shoulders, he never picked me up at school. I can barely believe that such parents exist. You are the best father for Oyku." He then tries to assure Demir "we've been in tough situations before, and we've managed, and we'll get through this one too." Demir is moved. "Ugur, you and Oyku mean everything to me." Ugur reminds him of the time Oyku brought home a little puppy and Demir threw it out. "How could I have done that?" asks Demir. "I'm lucky Oyku found me."
 

Todo por mi hija - #36 - p 3 de 3

Demir returns to the hospital in the morning with Oyku's clothes. Candan tells him that Asu was here, that she came because she was worried about Oyku, it's normal for her to come. Demir insists that Asu is only interested in the money. Candan points out that Oyku doesn't know that, she knows only that her mother came to see her.

Almost as an afterthought, Candan mentions that she saw someone at the school--the guy who tried to steal her paintings. Demir says that perhaps the guy was a parent. Perhaps Candan is mistaken. "Are you sure?" he asks. She's not.

Demir stops at the desk at the hospital and says he's unable to pay the entire bill now. Can he pay in installments. No, that's not permitted, but he could put it on his credit card. He doesn't have a credit card, he explains. The person behind the desk asks for the patient's name. Oyku Gokturk. She looks up the record. "According to this, the bill has been paid in full." And the episode ends quickly, on the first bright note of the evening.
 

Hija

Great recap, Juanita. Thanks so much! Wonderful retelling of the touching Ugur – Demir scene.

How sweet when Oyku found out Mercan was visiting, she hurried to fix her hair. Candan smiled at that and offered to help.

Demir was nice to Mercan for once. About time.

Oyku letting the mother misunderstanding go. She keeps hoping and I do, too!

Cemal and Asu are horrible! I think it’s easier to trick Candan than to trick Oyku. Threatening harm to Demir is the only thing I can imagine would work on Oyku.

Did I hear right? Mu-rat “comped” the hospital bill? That’s a surprise. Will Demir accept this graciously? Why do I feel a string will be attached?

dondi356

 

hija

Thanks very much, dondi356, for your wonderful comments. I'm especially glad you included the detail about Oyku's trying to fix her hair when she found out that Mercan had come to visit, and Candan's offering to help.

Good point about it being easier to fool Candan than to fool Oyku. I agree. Candan is almost unbelievably naive, and Oyku is almost unbelievably astute.

Was it ever made clear that Mu-rat was the one who paid the hospital bill? If so, I missed it. I knew someone had paid it, but I wasn't sure who that was. Mu-rat was certainly a very good possibility, but I also considered Candan and even Dr. Ihsan.
 

Hija

I will do the recap tonight

dondi356
 

hija

Thanks so much, Juanita, for the terrific recap!

Yes, Murat paid the hospital bill or arranged for it to be waived. I was terrified they were going with Oyku unable to leave the hospital because her father couldn't pay the bill. Although I suspect hospital bills in Turkey aren't as ruinous as those in the U.S. IIRC Murat has some sort of high-up role at this hospital. He got Ihsan his job there and chewed him out royally for treating Oyku without her father's knowledge.

I hope, hope, hope something awful happens to Cemal. Asu, I believe, may eventually be won over by her daughter and refuse to play along with the plan to take her from her father. I wanted to jump through the screen when Cemal was talking about fooling Oyku about Asu's supposed desire to be her mother.

Juanita, you and dondi are such troopers recapping the whole novela.

In my Spanish Zoom class there is a guy, Phil (or Felipe as we call him) who is my person to talk sports with. He and I are the only ones who even knew who won the World Series! I said, in Spanish of course, that a person born and raised in Ohio had sports inserted in their bloodstream at an early age.

Where I was going with this sports mention is that, at last, there are no playoffs for basketball or baseball. I have more time to, perhaps, catch up on Falsa Identidad 2.
 

Hija

Sorry I’m so late, busy day. Thank you Juanita, for always giving us such a wonderful read.

I hate to admit it, but Asu actually had me fooled. Wow, I knew she was bad, but this takes her to a new level...heartless and evil! And Cemal is right there with her. It is sickening to watch them use Oyku just because of their greed and vengeance. Despicable scumbags!

I was also surprised that Murat footed the bill. I don’t think he did it for Demir, I think he did it more to impress Candan. For whatever reason, I hope Demir accepts it graciously.

Now to watch the next episode...
 

Hija #37 part 1

Demir goes to see Mu-rat. Demir just stands there and stares at him. Murat asks him to have a seat. How is Oyku, Mu-rat asks? He has already spoken with Ihsan. Demir says, then you know. Mu-rat says he’s sorry he was unable to visit her. Was she discharged? Demir thanks Mu-rat for paying the bill and says he will repay the debt as soon as possible. Mu-rat says not to worry. It’s a complicated illness and it’s on him. Demir insists on repaying Mu-rat.

Mu-rat says there’s no way you will be able to pay by working construction. He quickly tries to cover saying, it’s not what he meant. (We recognize this is typical Mu-rat, who gets his jollies by humiliating Demir.) Mu-rat found this out about it through Candan. Demir says he will take another job if necessary, but he will pay Mu-rat back. Mu-rat tells Demir he is doing this for Oyku and Candan, not for him. You don’t have to get upset because you can’t pay the hospital bill. (The RAT can’t resist twisting the knife into Demir.) Demir thanks the Rat again and leaves.

Oyku comes home. She really missed her house. She asks who will stay with her, Ugur or Candan. Ugur will stay with her. Demir wants to put her on the sofa, but she wants to peek at her room first. She can watch TV. He will get a pillow and a blanket. Demir tells her, you heard what the doctor said, you have to rest. Hugs and kisses. He will make tea before he goes because Ugur’s tea isn’t very good.

Demir gets a call from his boss. Hilmi asks, where are you? We need you; the owner is coming. Demir says, I told you my daughter was in the hospital. Hilmi understands but he must come to work now! Demir calls Ugur. But Ugur doesn’t take Demir’s call. It’s an inconvenient time for him.

Ugur is at the school looking for Sevgi. Sevgi asks, where was he? He disappeared without a word. Ugur says he received an urgent call and had to leave before the play ended. Sevgi says it wasn’t nice. Oyku fainted and was rushed to the hospital. She called him several times and he did not answer. We get BS from Ugur, he left his phone in the taxi, blah, blah, you wouldn’t believe what happened. She calls him on it, so what happened? Uh, uh, what happened…? and Ugur is saved by an interruption from a parent or a colleague, not sure. She tells Sevgi they are shorthanded for the charity sale and asks if Sevgi can help. Sevgi will do what she can. They can discuss after school.

So back to Ugur. Yes, he says, they were discussing how he would make this up to her. He will help with the charity sale! Ah, no, no, don’t bother, says Sevgi. Not a bother for Ugur at all. He’s there to support the teachers who work hard to educate the children and make them better people. Sevgi does her best to dissuade him but... It’s no problem for Ugur. He says, I’d do anything for you, Sevgi! She gives him a look. He realizes how that sounds. This will be the best charity sale, he says. Sevgi laughs and relents. Ok, but don’t runaway, don’t be late and answer your phone. Ugur thinks for a moment and mumbles about Candan possibly coming by. Luckily Sevgi doesn’t catch that. Ugur will be waiting for her call bye. All smiles and all is well again.

Ugur arrives at casa Gokturk. Demir leaves in a hurry.

Ugur tells Oyku he was up at school but don’t tell your father. Did you know we are organizing a charity sale? Sevgi will tell us what it’s about. Oyku gives an ‘Ay, Ugur’ look.

dondi356
 

Hija #37 part 2

Demir shows up for work. Hilmi tells Demir that he’s a father too and he understands but if this keeps up…and he mentions that Demir is always on the phone. Hilmi says keep your mind on the task or else you can get hurt. Demir puts his phone away in his coat on the rack and gets to work.

Ugur and Oyku are watching videos. Asu shows up at the door and barges in. Ugur says you can’t just show up. If Demir sees you here, he will kill me. Asu says, you were in court and heard what the judge said. It’s my right, I can see her. How are you, Oyku? No one told me you would be discharged. She’s brought a gift so Oyku won’t be bored. Oyku isn’t very receptive. Ugur wants Asu to leave and they trade words.

Ugur gets a call from Mufide’s phone. It’s the clerk at the store. We see Mufide has fainted. Ugur says to call an ambulance and he will be right there. He tells Oyku to get ready, they have to go. Asu says you can’t take Oyku, she’s sick. She can watch Oyku. No way says Ugur. Oyku says its ok, she will call Demir. Ugur goes to leave saying to Asu, if something happens, I swear I’ll kill you. Ugur calls Demir. Remember, Demir has put his phone away and he misses the call.

Hassan’s son is sick again. Demir overhears. Hassan says, my wife wants me to come home. He asks Demir to cover for him. Demir can’t; the boss is already mad at him. Demir pauses and then tells Hassan to go. He will give an excuse if the boss asks and he will cover for an hour.

Asu asks if Oyku is hungry. Not yet. Asu thinks the house is freezing the heat isn’t working. Oyku thinks it’s no problem. She will tell dad when he gets home. Don’t worry I’m fine. Asu touches Oyku’s nose; it’s cold. Asu wants to take Oyku to her place. Oyku will not go. Oyku says, your house is dirty. But it is warm says Asu. They argue back and forth. (This seems a little too convenient to me. Did Asu do something?)

Looks like Asu won. They arrive at Asu’s. Oyku says, when dad finds out he will be mad. Better than letting you freeze in that house, counters Asu. (What happened? Oyku wins this kind of battle with Demir.)

Asu has cleaned up her place and says she did it just for her. Oyku thinks it’s still dirty but better than before. Oyku takes out her meds. Asu asks what they are for. It’s just vitamins. In the kitchen, Asu sends a text to Cemal. We are at the apartment—it’s time. He responds he’s on his way.

At the construction site, the boss calls everyone for a meeting. Mehmet is here. He owns the building. Mehmet is upset. He says they are behind schedule. Hilmi says they have been short staffed. They find there’s a worker missing from the crew. We know it’s Hassan. The owner is angry. He pays for 15 workers not 14. The boss asks if anyone knows what’s going on.

Demir steps up. Hassan’s son is sick but I’m doing his share. Mehmet wants to know, who said he could leave? Demir steps up again saying we will get the job done. Mehmet reads them the riot act. If you don’t finish this job on time, I won’t pay you! Get it done or you’re out of here! Hilmi warns Demir to be careful. He will be watching him.

Oyku is eating dinner. Asu gives Oyku the meds. That’s a lot of pills. Are you sure they are vitamins? None of your business, says Oyku. Listen, Oyku, you may hate me, but you have to face the fact I am your mother. I don’t need a mother, replies Oyku, I have a dad and why don’t you leave us alone. Asu thought she didn’t need a mother, too. But she assures Oyku that living without a mother is worse.

dondi356


 

Hija #37 part 3

A knock at the door. It’s Cemal. What a surprise! What are you doing here? He was nearby and thought he’d stop in to say hello. Oyku? I didn’t know you were here. Oyku asks, why is this man here? He’s my friend, answers Asu. My dad doesn’t want me talking to him. Oyku, don’t be rude to guests. Asu leaves them alone to make coffee.

Asu has a flashback. She is talking to Cemal. Let’s say Oyku loves me. What if she doesn’t tell the court? She loves Demir too much. I don’t know how he managed that. We have to do something to make them argue with each other. Cemal says, trust me, I’ll handle it. He has an idea. Asu snaps out of it but looks nervous.

Cemal starts a convo with Oyku. Why doesn’t your dad want you to talk to me? Because you are evil. Cemal counters, and you dad isn’t? No, he’s a good man, not like you. Cemal says, I might have believed you if I didn’t know him as well as I do. Listen, I’ve known him since we were little. Oyku looks interested to hear more. Cemal continues, I know him better than anyone. If he was a good man, he would tell you the truth.

Oyku insists her dad tells her the truth. They made a promise not to lie to each other. So, you promised not to lie, asks Cemal? Well your father is not keeping his promise. He’s been lying to you all this time. If your dad told you the truth, he would tell you he’s not your biological father. (Does an 8-year-old understand what that means? What cruelty! I wonder if he would he have the audacity to have a fake DNA test?)

Poor Oyku is in shock. What? I told you, Demir is not your biological dad. Oyku reacts, you’re lying, aren’t you? You’re a liar! You’re a liar! (Cemal looks like the devil, What a bastard!) Oyku is crying. Asu comes in and Oyku points to Cemal and yells, He’s a liar! He’s lying! I don’t want to see him! Asu plays the game and asks Cemal, what happened? He doesn’t know. They were talking and then she went crazy. Oyku is hysterical, she repeats he’s a liar, he’s telling lies. Asu says Cemal should go. he gets up and tells Oyku to remember what he said. Cemal is laughing on his way out. Asu asks, did you tell her? Yes, that’s why she’s crying. He did his part, now the rest is up to Asu. Oyku insists that Asu call Demir right now. Asu calls. No answer. She tries again. No answer.

Demir goes on break. He checks his phone for missed calls. He has 4 of them.

Ugur is with Mufide in the hospital. She’s feeling better now. Ugur says, you should take care; your blood pressure dropped. Demir calls Ugur. What’s happening? Ugur asks, why didn’t you answer when I called? Demir wants to know if Oyku is ok. Yes, but he had to leave Oyku with Asu. What? My mom is in the hospital; I had no choice. Demir asks if Mufide is ok. Yes, but Ugur had to leave quickly and he doesn’t have Asu’s number to check up on her. Call her.

Demir calls Asu. Is Oyku there? They speak. Oyku is upset, she asks Demir to please get her out of here. He asks her what’s wrong. Where are you? She’s at Asu’s because their heater broke. Please get me out of here! As soon as I’m done at work I’ll come and get you. Demir tells her not to worry. He will come get her no matter the time. Just be patient. Ok dad. Dad? She starts to ask him a question but then she looks at Asu. Is Mufide ok? Yes, she is. I spoke to Ugur. Oyku hands the phone to Asu. Asu tells Demir that Oyku can spend the night here. No way says Demir.

dondi356
 

Hija #37 part 4

Demir calls Candan. She was worried. He couldn’t answer his phone because he is at work. She asks if Oyku is with Ugur. No, Ugur’s mother is sick. Asu has her at her apartment. He’s not happy Oyku is with her. Candan defends Asu. She doubts that Asu will hurt Oyku. (really, Candan?) Demir wishes he was that optimistic. Candan will be in the neighborhood tomorrow to sign the lease on the house. She can look after Oyku if she is home. Not necessary because Oyku will go to school. Hilmi barks at Demir, back to work!

Demir shows up at Asu’s after work. Asu asks again to let Oyku stay. Nope. Demir wakes Oyku. Dad, you’re finally here. Are we going home? Yes, here’s your coat. Demir carries sleepy Oyku through the streets. He can’t even afford to take a cab?

It’s morning and Oyku is still sleeping in her bed. Demir is trying to fix the heater. No go. He decides to call a plumber. The plumber can’t come right away and Demir will have to leave for work. Demir will call back.

Demir tidies up and puts Oyku’s books in her bag. He notices Oyku’s new diary. It’s locked. Did she get this so he couldn’t read it? Should he read it? He goes to put it back in her bookbag. Then he decides to pick the lock. Dear diary, something terrible happened tonight. I’ll only tell you because there a lock. No one other than me can read you. My dad’s old friend, Cemal, said something horrible. He said that dad is not my biological father. My dad lied to me. He’s not my dad. God, I pray this isn’t true.

And we are out.

dondi356

 

hija

Muchísimas gracias, dondi356, for another excellent recap. I love how you notice even the little things, e.g., "Oyku gives an ‘Ay, Ugur’ look."

I was a bit surprised when Asu won the battle of wills with Oyku. As you note, Oyku usually wins these battles with Demir. I suspect that partly it's because she may be even more stubborn than he is, but I think part of it, too, is that Demir really loves Oyku and wants to make her happy, whereas Asu....

Perhaps I'm naive, but I didn't think that Mu-rat was "twisting the knife into Demir" when he insisted it wasn't necessary for Demir to pay him back (not to mention its being next to impossible if hospital bills in Istanbul are anything like those in the USA). I think the expense was no big deal for Mu-rat, especially given his situation at the hospital, and I thought he was trying to be reassuring when Demir promised (unrealistically) to pay him back. True, Mu-rat has in the past always tried to one-up Demir, but somehow I didn't see this scene as another example.

I'm filled with rage at both Cemal and Asu, who have clearly planned out every step of what happened in the episode (perhaps, as you suggest, even messing with Demir's heating, though that hadn't occurred to me). I'm more angry at Cemal, since much of this is more his doing, but at least for now, I hope they both come to a bad end.

I have an uneasy feeling about Demir's picking the lock on Oyku's diary. I suspect she will feel deeply betrayed by his violating her privacy. Sigh.
 

Hija

Thanks for the thanks and for your great comments, Juanita.

This episode really got to me. It’s amazing how a fictional story can arouse such strong emotions. Sometimes I think I should keep my comments out of my recapping and make a separate post. I don’t often have the time to do so.

I can appreciate the way you look at Mu-rat’s generosity. I don’t think you are being naïve at all. To quote Demir, “I wish I could be so optimistic.”

Probably because I can’t stand the arrogant and elitist Mu-rat, I was looking at it from Demir’s point of view. What I heard was, “I paid the bill because you are incapable of providing for your daughter.” Kick a man when he's down, why don't ya.

IMHO, Mu-rat did a good thing but, he ruined it by way of his deliberate explanation. Couldn’t he have left Demir with a shred of dignity and said don’t worry, we can talk about repayment at a later date? Leave it at that. Mu-rat can’t help but tell Demir that he's out of his league.

I feel the same rage as you regarding Cemal and Asu. There’s a special place in hell for people who would do this to a child. The look on Cemal's face was chilling; he looked like he enjoyed every minute. It will be interesting if the writers try to redeem these two. I don’t know how they could do it.

I think you are spot on about Oyku’s diary. Will she actually be upset enough to go with Asu? That really sucks.

dondi356

 

hija

Another fantastic recap, dondi!

And I agree that the episode really upset me. Cemal needs to die, and badly! I don't know if Turkish novelas are as good at bad ends for bad guys as the ones Uni and Telemundo do in Spanish. But Cemal is rotten to the core. And it's pretty amazing that the car dealer apparently continues to pay Cemal's expenses. The car didn't cost him anything since he has a lot full. But he has to be paying the rent.

Actually I'm glad Demir picked the lock. I was telling him no, no, no from my couch. But he knows now what Cemal did. I suspect we're going to get a lot more infuriating Cemal/Asu intrigues. They aren't showing anything to replace the novela yet.

Asu actually had a distressed look on her face at how Cemal had upset Oyku. But she's beneath contempt for even letting him say that to Oyku.

If I were Demir, I'd just leave Budapest. But that would not serve the writers' purpose.