My Granddaughter’s Wedding

Here is my granddaughter's wedding.

Zelda (she was born in 1972) on the other hand grew up in my house.  She is an extremely pleasant girl.  Las piedras de la kaye la konosen (Even the stones on the street know her).  She was living apart from her family, keeping up with the times.  When she started earning her own money she moved to her mother and father' flat in Ortakoy (a neighborhood in Istanbul on the shores of the Bosphorus).  Her father was a little conservative.  But he could not deal with her.  There would be a row at every Sabbath meal. "Who are you going out with? What time are you coming back" were among the questions asked in raised voices.  One day when she was out with the boy she was dating, she realized she had lost the ring her mother had given her and she was very upset.  Her friend Vedat Eskinazi claimed that she was a messy person and that she lost everything.  Later on they went on a trip to the far east together.  At dinner, Zelda saw a bouquet of flowers on the table, she thanked her friend.  Her friend suggested she take a look inside the bouquet.  There was a box and a ring inside the bouquet.  After this romantic proposal, they called us and told us they were engaged.  The mystery of the lost ring was solved too, her friend had taken it to have it sized.

I was very happy when Zelda Barokas and Vedat Eskinazi had their civil marriage.  This ceremony was done in Bozcaada (Bozcaada is an island on the Aegean sea famous for its grapevines), they loved Bozcaada a lot.  They wanted it to be different.  All the guests made their reservations in the hotel.  A private van was rented and we went to the place where the civil marriage was going to take place.  All the guests, men and women had worn white.  The bride came on a tractor.  Even the geese had bows on.  The friends of the groom carried white pigeons from Istanbul and released them in Bozcaada in honor of the young newlyweds.  The offerings were like the offerings of the most luxurious hotel.  Vedat Eskinazi exports handbags, belts and accessories.  Zelda works at a bank.  She went to the United States to learn English.  She went to Italian classes in Istanbul.  My husband could not see all these wonderful things..  But according to my grandchild, he was watching us from wherever he went.  She told me that she  went to his grave, and told him about her engagement, her civil marriage and her wedding.  She had "Lokum (Turkish delight-a type of candy) papi, I love you very much" inscribed on his tombstone.