pulled and kicked—for when it came to real, not make-believe, fighting I was more than her equal.
Djimlah's courtesy and tact alone saved the situation. She immediately called to the Christian sekerji, and told us she was going to treat us with all her pennies. Moreover, she addressed herself most politely to the vendor, approved of his wares, and even praised his complexion to him.
Occurrences similar to this arose from time to time. If not often, still they did arise, and they served as water and air and sunshine to the little seed planted years before. I used to become so angry, and to strike them so hard and so quickly that they nicknamed me "yilderim," which means thunder-storm.
Djimlah had a little boy cousin, Mechmet, who lived a short distance from her, and who sometimes came to play with her. He was nice and generous, and gave us ungrudgingly of whatever he had. He was particularly nice to me, and I liked him because he had large blue eyes and light golden hair.
One day when we were playing together he said to me: "I like you ever so much, and when we grow up we can be married."
I shook my head: "That can't be, bcause you are a Turk and I am a Greek."
"That doesn't matter. I shall make you my wife just the same," he answered confidently.
