Ahmet Bey Fifty years old Bihter Hanım Twenty-two years old Hamit Bey Twenty-five years old Maid and servant
A European-style bedroom – Large closet, console, mirror, etc. – Armchairs – The wall clock indicates one o’clock at night.
FIRST SCENE
Ahmet
Ahmet Bey (To himself) – Oh my God. Let’s see what else will happen to us at this rate!… For twenty-four hours I haven’t put a single bite of dry bread in my mouth. My soul wants nothing, yes twenty-four hours—which of you has gone hungry for a day?
Since the day freedom was declared, I’ve tried every trick, resorted to every measure. It’s been forty days now; perhaps I’ve thought of forty different ideas.
I don’t know. Ah, I don’t know the reason. Despite all my mind’s activity, despite this terrible strength in my arms, I couldn’t do anything.
What was I once, what kind of man was I? Would I come before you like this and list my troubles? I, I was a spy. My reference was directly Yıldız. When the time came, the highest officials in the ministry, even the minister himself would fear me, they’d say he belongs to that İzzet Pasha.
İzzet Pasha – may God give him a thousand curses—I was his servant. I was his loyal, faithful slave. Whatever I saw, heard, understood, I would write to him. While everyone lived in debt with their salaries that could barely be collected eight months a year by force, I would receive my stipend every month, always strolling with my rising rank, my chest puffed out, enjoying myself.
Alas, today they kicked me out of the ministry. This is nothing; according to the regulation of reductions, after being thoroughly downsized, I can still secure my life with my salary of about five thousand kuruş. But I’m afraid they’ll completely destroy me in return for those old loyalties, those services…
Ah, I wish I’d died, I wish they’d kill me too, destroy me… No doubt I’d be happier. I see contempt from everyone, hatred from all sides. I think that people passing by me are struggling to control themselves so as not to spit in my face.
Especially what I heard today. If only what I’d receive from the people were just contempt… I’d still be content. Ahmet isn’t the type to be ashamed of such trivial things… Thank God, I don’t possess even the shadow of the words honor, conscience, patriotism… But I’m afraid… They’re going to arrest me, detain me. That’s what I’m afraid of. Today at the coffeehouse, looking at those piles of newspapers: “Ah, my God! Armfuls of harmful documents—if one of these had caught my eye just a few months ago, if I’d seen it in someone’s hand or pocket, ah, even if it were my father, I would have informed on him. Especially that Tanin—no doubt if I’d caught it somewhere back then, I’d have become minister in a day,” I was thinking. A voice reached my ear. Those next to me were talking. I paid attention. Suddenly my hair stood on end. I turned pale yellow, purple, bright red—no no, perhaps pitch black. They were saying “Ahmet Samim.” Ahmet Samim? Oh my, he was a spy, he caused so much suffering, through this he became a pasha’s son-in-law, grabbed a high position. Oh my God, me—they’re talking about me… I fled. Straight here, came home. What should I do… Oh, what should I do? They’re going to arrest me, they’re going to kill me, who knows, maybe they’ll throw me in the sea.
(Footsteps are heard from outside)
Someone’s coming. Who is it?… Ha, is that you, Bihter? I was thinking to myself. I don’t know what to do, how to escape?
SECOND SCENE
Ahmet, Bihter
Bihter – There’s no other way, sir, you must flee. If you ask me, there’s no need to flee to Europe either. Go to one of your relatives in Bursa, be a guest for now, don’t leave there until the Parliament opens and things settle down. Who will know you’re there?
Ahmet – No one will know, right?…
Bihter – Of course no one will know. Staying here in such a dangerous time is not good at all. You never know what might happen. Don’t you see what’s happening to those who get caught…
Ahmet – My soul doesn’t want to leave you at all.
Bihter – What about me—do you think I want it? But there’s no choice… While we don’t want to separate temporarily, it wouldn’t be right to lose each other completely, would it?
Ahmet – You’re right, my dear wife.
Bihter – Then you must leave here tomorrow immediately—in fact, it’s not appropriate for you to even spend tonight here. Go now. Spend tonight at a hotel—you never know, they might come now and arrest you.
Ahmet – Now?… Really… Everyone knows I reside here. Yes, yes, I shouldn’t even be here tonight. I’m going, my dear Bihter, I’m going. Who knows how many months we won’t see each other.
Bihter (Affected) – What can we do? Just save yourself, it’s no loss—one day we’ll live better than before. Go, my dear, staying here is not free from danger for you.
Ahmet – Yes, I’ll go, tonight, right now, I’ll go now. But how? We have no preparations.
Bihter – Preparations? What preparations?
Ahmet – Laundry and such…
Bihter – That’s nothing… I’ll have it ready in five minutes now.
(Bihter exits.)
THIRD SCENE
Ahmet Efendi (Alone)
[Ahmet] – Yes, I must go now, must go immediately… (Looking out the window) Someone’s coming—oh, I hope it’s not a commissioner. No, it’s a passerby… How scared I was—something almost dropped into my heart. But how painful it is to leave Bihter—poor woman, on one hand telling me to go, on the other struggling to hold back her tears. Ah, how sensitive these women’s hearts are. I must go—what can I do?—for a few months, perhaps a year, leave this beautiful country, this comfortable house, this dear woman… Oh, all sorts of things come to mind when I think. And where will I spend tonight, at which hotel… That never occurred to me. A secluded place, a hotel… Ha, in Sirkeci…
[…missing pages…]
Ahmet – No, Bihter, there’s nothing to fear—look, let me explain in order… What’s that?… Are you going out? No, sit down, look at the strangest aspect of the matter…
Bihter (To herself) – Now Hamit will come too, oh my God…
Ahmet – What are you thinking? There’s no more reason for worry.
(At this moment the door is knocked.)
Bihter (Unable to control herself) – Alas, I’m ruined, here he comes.
Ahmet (In panic) – He came? Who, the commissioner?
Bihter (Collecting herself) – Commissioner, yes, undoubtedly the commissioner—see?… Now what will you do? You forgot the hundreds of men you informed on, had thrown in the sea, and you say there’s no reason for worry—see now?
(The door is knocked more forcefully.)
Ahmet (In panic, pacing the room, looking around) – Where should I hide, where should I hide? Oh! Open that closet, open that closet, Bihter, hurry…
(Bihter opens the closet, Ahmet Efendi goes among the dresses, the door is locked, at this moment Hamit Bey enters the room.)
EIGHTH SCENE
Bihter, Hamit, Ahmet
Bihter (Running to Hamit, in a low voice) – Shh, my husband is here, inside the closet… You’re the commissioner, now we’ll search the whole house, ask some questions in a loud voice… Careful, careful, my love.
(They slowly search the room… Bihter takes a covering for her head.)
Hamit – I heard Ahmet Efendi was at home.
Bihter – No, sir, he’s not here.
Hamit – My duty is to search everywhere, madam.
Bihter – Please, sir, search wherever you wish.
(Hamit shuffles through books. Looks under the bed. Leans behind the sofa.)
Hamit – I’d like to see the other rooms too.
Bihter – Please, sir.
(They move to the adjacent room… There Bihter’s excited voice is heard.)
Ahmet Efendi (In the closet, to himself) – Poor Bihter, how she’s breathing so excitedly—ah, my dear wife, now I understand how much she loves me.
(Five minutes later, Hamit and Bihter return. Hamit’s face is flushed, Bihter’s hair is disheveled!)
Hamit – Thank you for your assistance in the proper performance of my duty, madam. Goodbye!…
Bihter – Safe travels, commissioner.
(Hamit leaves; Bihter quickly fixes herself in the mirror. Then opens the closet. Ahmet Efendi comes out with his hair in disarray.)
Ahmet – He’s gone, gone, right?
Bihter – But darling, how squeezed I was—look at my state.
Ahmet – And me, my dear wife—I almost suffocated from excitement. Thank goodness that closet occurred to us.
Bihter – Let’s remember, so if someone else comes…
Ahmet – Yes, hide in the closet again, right?… Long live the closet!…
(Both together) Long live the closet!!!…
Ömer Seyfettin
