Translation: Makbule E. Dündar

Sir Akif was all by himself and suddenly noticed a shadow of a man who was climbing wall of garden and he immediately understood that he was unexpected guest, thief! He went downstairs and he locked all the doors except one which is front of his bedroom. He took a rope, hide himself behind of door and began to wait his unexpected guest!

On the other side, thief who supposed that homeowner was already sleeping, noticed a open door and walked in the Sir Akif's bedroom and immediately he felt rope around his body! Finally thief was tied by homeowner.

After a while, Akif asked thief?

-Why did you enter my house without permission?

Thief was shocked and his reply was clear and honest

- I'm so hungry

This time Akif replied him softly:

-So, come with me to downstairs

He untied thief and they went to kitchen

Beside all food, Akif put also breakfast stuff such as cheese and jam on the tray and thief who was dying because of hunger, ate everything on the tray.

But advanture was still going on

This time homeowner :

-Son, I will not let you go tonight, you are my guest, take this matress, I will take another, it is time to sleep...

Thief was looking to him with thankful eyes and he could not resist to his offer, just obeyed. Soon, they falled asleep...

Akif was always waking up before sun rise and noticed that his guest was still sleeping like a baby and woke him up softly

- Come on son, wake up, do wudhu and lets perform the namaz

This unexpected guest had never prayed before, he saw worshippers many times, he saw people who were going mosque but he personally never intended to practise religion except watching worshippers. Specially his grandmother, how purely she was practising...

And now, a deep voice was inviting him to this forgetten ceremony which was full of joy. He leapt, he felt diziness of truths which was calling him and he felt safe and peace...

A time ago he was a thief, he was like collapsed building after earthquake and now he was ready to rise! He was ready to build skyscraper!

They prasctised together and went to kitchen again. This time Akif said:

-Son, everybody likes my helvah (kind of waffle) come, I will cook helva for you, take it with its tray, sell it and make your own money and come back here to sleep again.

He cooked helvah during three days to his guest and then:

-Well, now you know how to make it. Whatever you need such as oil, sugar you can find in cellar. You can cook it, seel it and then you can still come here for sleeping.

He did, he did it 40 years! In another words, he did not leave, he could not... A man who came to this house as a thief was a dervish now and serving Arif, who was a saint... Nobody wondered his name during those years because they were used to call him as 'Helvah Seller' But when he was old enough, then they began to call him as 'Grandfather' And this old man was so faithful and he was behind of all truths! He was critisizing bad manners and then people began to call him as ' Poison Pa'

Poison Pa served his Saint during 40 years and he closed his eyes as a happy man...

Source: İbrahim Sıddık İmamoğlu, Büyük Dini Hikayeler (Great Religious Stories), Osmanlı Publ., İstanbul March 1980, p. 196-197.

 

 

Share