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A month after getting married, I went to Diyarbakir [a city in southeastern Turkey] for business. We were separated for one week. Anyways, my lady gave birth in the twelfth month. Fortune was a salesgirl in the ladies’ section in the store she worked at before getting married. It was a shame to have women work after getting married then.
She was supposed to raise children. In any case, six months after we were married, my father had to move from from his house because it was going to be demolished. That is why we took him in with us. My father was a cardiac patient. They came to us together with my stepmother. Those were stressful days because two families were a little difficult to manage in that small house.
We had a wood stove, we kept quite warm with that, actually. I used to go to Galatasaray Hamam once a month, sometimes I would stop by the one in Kapalicharshi [Closed Bazaar]. My wife on the other hand would go to Pangalti Hamam once in a while. Fortune got along well with my stepmother, she even managed her well.
My stepmother was a very good person, but she was very sick, she had nervous breakdowns once or twice a year. She did not thrash the place but she would show childish behavior. When she was very sick, we even interned her in La Paix Hospital [mental hospital in Istanbul] for 15 days when our budget allowed. She treated me very well, but she behaved like a classic stepmother with my older sister.
My older sister had gotten to know my mother longer than me and never grew to love my stepmother.
Our first daughter, Sara was born on the 29th of December in 1953. We named her after my mother, as was my wish always.
On January 30th, 1956, our second daughter Viki was born. She got her name from my mother-in-law, Viktorya. She, the deceased, was upset, saying my name is Viktorya, why did you name her Viki. And we, as a joke, said if the third one is born, we will name her Viktorya.
I spoke Turkish with my daughters from the day they were born. Even when their mother spoke in Spanish sometimes, the children always answered her in Turkish. My daughters’ mother tongue was Turkish.
When my stepmother and father came to our house, more Spanish was spoken in the house and in this way, my daughters’ Spanish improved by listening. Unfortunately, my father died at the end of 1956. Viki was only eleven months old. My stepmother moved in with her older sister.
During those days, we lived in Tunel, on Kumbaraci Hill, in a two and a half bedroom house. That house still exists but I do not remember the name. As the children grew, the expenses grew too. We did not even have a refrigerator then. Everyone had a wire cupboard. Food was kept there.
Pots were put in there too. That was objectionable. It had to be closed by wire. We were only able to own a refrigerator in 1959. I think our first refrigerator’s brand name was Arcelik.
She was supposed to raise children. In any case, six months after we were married, my father had to move from from his house because it was going to be demolished. That is why we took him in with us. My father was a cardiac patient. They came to us together with my stepmother. Those were stressful days because two families were a little difficult to manage in that small house.
We had a wood stove, we kept quite warm with that, actually. I used to go to Galatasaray Hamam once a month, sometimes I would stop by the one in Kapalicharshi [Closed Bazaar]. My wife on the other hand would go to Pangalti Hamam once in a while. Fortune got along well with my stepmother, she even managed her well.
My stepmother was a very good person, but she was very sick, she had nervous breakdowns once or twice a year. She did not thrash the place but she would show childish behavior. When she was very sick, we even interned her in La Paix Hospital [mental hospital in Istanbul] for 15 days when our budget allowed. She treated me very well, but she behaved like a classic stepmother with my older sister.
My older sister had gotten to know my mother longer than me and never grew to love my stepmother.
Our first daughter, Sara was born on the 29th of December in 1953. We named her after my mother, as was my wish always.
On January 30th, 1956, our second daughter Viki was born. She got her name from my mother-in-law, Viktorya. She, the deceased, was upset, saying my name is Viktorya, why did you name her Viki. And we, as a joke, said if the third one is born, we will name her Viktorya.
I spoke Turkish with my daughters from the day they were born. Even when their mother spoke in Spanish sometimes, the children always answered her in Turkish. My daughters’ mother tongue was Turkish.
When my stepmother and father came to our house, more Spanish was spoken in the house and in this way, my daughters’ Spanish improved by listening. Unfortunately, my father died at the end of 1956. Viki was only eleven months old. My stepmother moved in with her older sister.
During those days, we lived in Tunel, on Kumbaraci Hill, in a two and a half bedroom house. That house still exists but I do not remember the name. As the children grew, the expenses grew too. We did not even have a refrigerator then. Everyone had a wire cupboard. Food was kept there.
Pots were put in there too. That was objectionable. It had to be closed by wire. We were only able to own a refrigerator in 1959. I think our first refrigerator’s brand name was Arcelik.
Period
Location
Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Türkiye
Interview
Nesim Levi