It was dark and rainy around 7:30 a.m. yesterday. The Bosporus has a habit of turning the darkest of clouds into some shade of green or blue even on rainy days but yesterday was an exception. The usually blue waters looked muddy and murky.

The hills looked dark grey and the amateur fishermen had not yet taken their places along the coast between Arnavutköy and Bebek.

A white ferryboat was slowly edging sideways to the Arnavutköy landing. Commuters were rushing to get their tickets from the tiny cubicle of a window at the side of the tiny, white, house-like structure.

I was cruising slowly and taking it all in when I noticed a woman sitting right in the middle of the bench staring out into the murky and dark waters of the Bosporus.

Her back was to me. She was wearing a light beige raincoat of sorts. Her long dark hair with streaked with red (as is the fashion these days) and was dripping wet with water from the heavy rain. Rivulets of water were running down her back.

She was oblivious to everything around her. Her eyes were set on the murky waters and did not venture right or left. I parked my car alongside and turned off the engine. The rain was pouring and was obscuring my line of vision as I had turned off the windshield wipers.

What catastrophe had beset her? Was it her husband who had cheated on her? Had she walked into a room where he was entertaining "other" friends? Had she just lost her dear and beloved father? Or her helpful, angelic mother? Was her child ill? Was she out of money? Was she without a job? Was she in love with another man and asked her husband for a divorce? Did she need help? Did she want someone to hold her hand? There was tragedy surrounding this wet, troubled woman.

My mind was racing with options as the rain kept pouring down in bucketfuls.

After five minutes I could no longer contain myself. Picking up my umbrella I left the car and walked up to her. As I approached I noticed her eyelids were closed as if she were sleeping. I nudged her.

"Excuse me. Do you need help? Are you in trouble?"

Startled, she looked up at me with dark black eyes and recognized me right away.

"Ahhh. Ayşe Hanım! What a surprise to see you here! No, I'm not in trouble. Why did you think so?"

"Well it's pouring rain and you're motionless in your seat. I was wondering if you were in some kind of a trouble and were working a way out ..."

She doubled over with laughter then took an earphone from her left ear and turned to me.

"I was listening to 'Beethoven's 9th,' Ayşe Hanım. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," she said, still doubled up with laughter.

"No, no, no! I apologize for disturbing you in the middle of that. Please forgive me and goodbye."

With that I rushed back to my car and moved on, deeply embarrassed.

AYŞE ÖZGÃœN (www.turkishdailynews.com.tr)

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