As the Poppies Bloomed Read online

  “From Van,” Yeraz and Marie concluded together and smiled.

  The merchant’s wife had come from Van. He went there infrequently still.

  “They will pick and dry them soon, Mama,” Anno offered, a bit desperate now. “Shall we go today?”

  “Today? The lavash has been baked and stacked as high as my head. Shall we leave it just that way? The wheat is to be winnowed and sorted today. Today, tomorrow and the day after that, my daughter. The potatoes, the turnips, the onions,” she counted off on fingers not holding lavash, “must still be stored in jugs to be buried in the stable. And then the men will be hungry in the fields soon, waiting for their meal, while we still sit here and chat. How, my daughter, can we look at eggplants?” Yeraz implored, eyebrows fully arched.

  “Then let us go now, quickly, look and get on with our work.” Anno decided, and, rising, began to clear away the remaining breakfast.

  Marie stared after Anno, amazed at the turn this conversation had taken. Anno was everyone’s favorite and much indulged, but to decide on a morning visit during these desperately busy autumn days was unthinkable.

  It was then Yeraz began to understand much that she had struggled to understand before. No, she knew this visit could not be about eggplants at all. This was about her daughter’s quiet detachment of late, her restlessness and dark-circled eyes.

  Yeraz thought of the merchant and his family. His daughter was young and sweet, Yeraz knew, but never a playmate of Anno’s. But the merchant’s son, or his nephews, were more of a possible age of interest. Now, she believed, she was closer to an answer. It was certainly a good time to go look at eggplants, after all.

  “Marie, you come as well,” Yeraz decided.

  They scattered in different directions then, the older women donning head coverings before leaving the house. Anno, Yeraz noticed, was checking all angles of her face in a narrow mirror.

  As they hurried down the lanes, greetings were returned every few yards. To the right and left of the road were flat-roofed homes clustered tightly together. They noted as much activity in the homes and on the roads as on the roofs.

  An old woman seated under the shade of a hazel tree simultaneously churned her goatskin full of milk and rocked the grandchild strapped to her chest. She snapped angrily at a young boy pulling a cart full of straw too close for her liking. “Continue just this way and you will kick up enough dust under those wheels to choke the lice on your head as well as everyone else, you careless scamp!”

  Mihran was already red-faced and hard at work repairing field tools as the sparks flew out about them. The waiting men loudly advised and directed his every move.

  Anno glanced up at the sun worriedly. Were they too late, she wondered? Had Daron left for the fields already? They would not have passed him. His home was on the very bottom of this village road and on the other side began the orchards and then the grain fields beyond to where he would have headed. Or, worse than that, he could have left hours ago to tend his family’s herd and would be somewhere in the ridges and knolls surrounding them.

  To their left now was the church. Crumbling in places from the last attacks in 1894, the porous stone of its walls bore stains of a deep and permanent brown, the blood of the people slain there. But it still stood and served as the heart of the village.

  A large, rectangular slab of walnut stood not far from the church door, and short wooden clubs hung at its side. Each Sunday the clubs were lifted and pounded against the walnut to call the villagers to church. Now, Anno watched them swing listlessly in the breeze. Was there anything more stubborn than a church? she wondered to herself.

  They were almost at the end of the road now. Anno began to feel foolish. What were they doing marching up to Daron’s home this way? She felt unclean suddenly. She turned to look at her mother, and Yeraz returned her look expressionlessly.

  Anno’s face heated and she quickly looked away.

  She knows! Anno realized at that instant. Her sight clouded, but her legs continued to move forward mechanically. Ten paces later she looked at her mother again, but Yeraz’s face was averted.

  Behind a high, mud-covered brick wall was the entrance to Mgro’s small courtyard and garden. Facing them was one door that opened up to a tiny store with room for four or five shelves of goods. Anno saw no one there and looked beyond to the stairs that led to his family’s home. That too looked deserted. To the left of the store entrance, around the corner and away from view, were the doors to the stables. Could she perhaps stroll that way, she wondered? She looked down and it was there she saw, in the middle of the courtyard, the vegetable garden. There, shiny purple eggplant skins shone in the sun.

  Anno could not remain still and moved toward the vegetables. Yeraz called out a good morning in the direction of the house. A covered head appeared and a woman returned her greeting. Then male voices were heard from around the far side of the vegetable garden where the stables were, and Daron and his cousin Kevork appeared pushing a heavily loaded cart.

  Daron froze at the sight of Anno and they both, involuntarily, broke into wide, happy smiles. Then Anno noticed Daron’s smile begin to fade and, following his gaze, turned to see Yeraz watching him.

  Dismayed at how obvious they had been, Anno squatted suddenly and fingered a tomato vine. Her legs trembled beneath her and she dared not look up. A rush of relief enveloped her as she heard Daron’s grandmother and aunt come into the garden, trailed by his young sister, Nairi.

  The women begin to chatter at once and Anno saw eager hands, close to where she knelt, pluck repeatedly at the vines. As she noticed Marie’s apron filling with an array of vegetables, she slowly stood again.

  Daron began to make his way forward, past Anno, to Yeraz, who still stood watching him. Anno hugged herself as he came closer, her eyes moving from his face to her mother’s.

  He bowed his head as he wished Yeraz a good morning, and quickly after, good health as well. Then he turned away from Yeraz to walk back toward his cart. The smile had long left his face, but he stopped in front of Anno to murmur, “It is wonderful to see you again.” He passed before she could answer.

  Anno watched him leave, and there, on her face, Yeraz saw such sadness that she finally looked away.

  C H A P T E R 11

  Anno expertly balanced a large wooden tray laden with the afternoon meal for the men in the fields. She stonily walked alongside other village girls doing the same.

  Even from beneath the cloth, the delicious smells came to them of heaps of rounded balls of thickened yogurt mixed with boiled wheat and spearmint. The last of the large tomatoes, red and juicy, bounced next to green olives and jugs of yogurt thinned with cold spring water and flavored with dill. Lavash bread, folded into quarters, was placed at all edges of the trays.

  Still stinging from the morning’s humiliation, she kept herself apart from the girls around her. Yeraz now knew her secret. Anno was certain. And worse still, she had watched her young daughter fumble and force her way into Daron and his family’s company. If they had been at all interested in having her as their hars, Anno imagined her mother scolding, then Daron’s family should send someone to present themself in Vartan’s garden one morning!

  Anno did not notice that many of the girls she walked with had slowed their pace or changed direction altogether. She merely plodded ahead, hands still trembling, until it was time to stop and locate her father’s particular whereabouts.

  Immediately, she saw that something was wrong. Instead of bending to their work all across the field, the men stood straight and watched as Vartan spoke to two Turkish gendarmes.

  It did not often happen that any Turk came to Sassoun. They had no Turkish neighbors here. A peasant might wander in and out for trading, but rarely a gendarme.

  Anno looked around her. She stood nearly alone. So close now, she could hear what was being said.

  “But it is days now that he has not been seen.” The gendarme directed his challenge to Vartan.

  “Yes, i
t is true, Pasha. We have not seen him either because he is spending these last good weeks of weather sleeping with the flock. We have had trouble with their butchering and theft,” Vartan answered conversationally.

  So this was regarding Raffi’s absence, Anno realized, and her legs weakened.

  “As much trouble as that, ey?” the other gendarme prodded. “You Christians are stealing from each other now.”

  “No,” Vartan answered evenly. “We only try to keep what is ours to begin with.”

  “Then your other son should be by his father’s side if the flock is being looked after so thoroughly. I do not see him either.” The Turk’s eyes crinkled as he scanned the field again.

  “And he shall return at any moment, Pasha. He never misses a meal.” And with this unlikely promise, Vartan took the last few steps to where Anno stood rooted with their tray of food.

  “We would be honored if you shared our meal with us until Vrej returns.”

  Face-to-face with Vartan now as he took the tray from her arms, Anno searched his face in alarm at this last lie. Her father’s eyes narrowed at her and then he swung back toward the Turks, pointing them to a comfortable spot under the shade of a row of poplars.

  Anno understood. Vrej was not due to come to the fields at all. In his older brother’s absence, Vrej had taken over the care of the flock as these Turks suspected. Too lazy to climb the vast hills in search of Raffi to prove that indeed Vartan’s story was a lie, they would gladly wait here until sundown if necessary for one of the brothers to make an appearance. Vrej must now be found on the hills, wherever he might have roamed, and stealthily brought to this spot, without delay.

  Anno stared helplessly at her father’s back as Vartan laid sheets of lavash in the gendarmes’ hands. One was already tearing the bread into strips and chewing large mouthfuls, but the other one was still. He was studying Anno intently. Seeing this, she swung around, controlling the urge to run.

  She knew what had to be done. When the Turks could see her no more, she would run to the hills and bring back Vrej.

  She hurried through the village. Eyes ahead, the morning’s events forgotten, all she could think was how she would locate her brother.

  Well, she thought to herself. I must get there first. She wished she could run, but did not, for that would surely draw a crowd and many, many questions.

  She looked for the open spaces left between the walls of the homes. She darted through one now and climbed the low slopes behind the village. Remembering her father’s drained face, she did begin to run.

  Minutes later, reaching an area where the land flattened briefly, she slowed to rest. Searching constantly, she knew that once she was able to find just one shepherd, she would be pointed in the right direction.

  But here, the grass was still too dry for grazing. She must climb higher.

  After many slips and falls, Anno glimpsed a flock. But looking for the shepherd, she saw no one. Moving closer still, focusing under tree trunks where they might lie resting, she still saw no one. She moved on. After another long distance of open space, she saw another flock of sheep and again searched in vain for a shepherd. Frustrated, and more than a little afraid that she would fail her family, she swung herself around in one full exasperated circle and began running in a new direction.

  There! More sheep, and this time goats too, but no shepherds.

  Light-headed with exhaustion, she called out in desperation. Her throat was dry and hardly a sound emerged. She dropped to her knees, and swallowing once, took a deep breath and screamed out Vrej’s name. The sheep raised their heads in surprise in her direction and their mouthfuls hung unchewed.

  Feeling alarmingly weak now and dizzy, Anno walked blindly toward a wide shade tree and slumped against its trunk. Bent and ready to slide to the ground, she was suddenly seized from behind and her nose and mouth were covered by a large hand as she was dragged down behind the trees.

  Anno’s legs kicked out. Her screams burned her throat, but she could make no sound at all, so firmly was the hand clamping down on her mouth. She tried to swing her body to the left and right, but the grasp on her only tightened. And then she heard a low voice speaking angrily in her ear.

  “Do not,” he said. “Do not.” And he spoke in her own language!

  Her entire body slackened in shock and her head fell back. The large hand slowly peeled itself off her face and Anno whirled around to look into Avo’s face. Behind him she saw Daron and two other shepherds.

  Astounded, she could only stare at them.

  “Sister, listen,” Avo whispered. “Did you see anyone on your way here?”

  Anno still only stared.

  “Did you see anyone?” he insisted.

  Anno shook her head, eyes tearing now in relief.

  “Why are you here?” Avo implored. His attempted whisper had become more a low growl.

  Anno opened her mouth. She closed it again. She cleared her throat and tried again to speak. “Vrej. I need Vrej. Two gendarmes are sitting in our field and waiting there until he appears.” She tried to keep her voice from breaking.

  “What? Why Vrej?” they all asked at once.

  “Baba told them that Raffi is not absent as they suspect. He said that he is shepherding and that Vrej is working in the fields as usual. And so, they will not leave until they see Vrej.” This last came out more quickly as she reflected on how much time had already passed.

  Her eyes rested on Daron. She had scarcely seen him all month and now it was twice in one day. The affection and sympathy she saw in his eyes did not help her fight for composure and brought her closer to tears.

  She turned accusingly to Avo. “Why did you silence me that way? Why are you hiding like this?”

  The younger shepherds let Avo speak. “There is trouble today. First one animal was slaughtered and left for us to find, and then a second. It is the Kurds. They are baiting us.”

  Daron pointed up to his left. “Vrej is just behind those rocks.”

  Avo shook his head. “He is angry. Getting him away from here is a good idea.”

  Almost before he had finished his sentence, Daron had stood up. “I will go to him now and send him on his way.”

  Avo nodded in agreement. “He can choose a faster path and return on his own. Tell him to go. Then you come back, Daron, and take my sister safely down the mountain. When you get to the village, bring help.”

  Daron disappeared. Avo and the two shepherds again turned their gaze toward the flocks.

  Anno, trembling, settled cross-legged behind them on the grass and waited in silence.

  Minutes later she ventured, “Were there many, brother?”

  “No,” he answered without turning. “But they were reckless. They want us to show ourselves and retaliate so they can make an example of us to the Turks.” Crushed between the manipulations of the Turks and the Kurds, as always, his voice said.

  Hearing rustling behind them, they looked around to see Daron jump down off one rock to a second and land next to them. Stretching out his arm, he lifted Anno to her feet and told them all, “Vrej is on his way and I shall be back with help.”

  While the trek up the hills had been so laborious and desperate, Anno felt as if she were practically flying on the way down. Daron had not spoken a word to her, but neither had he let go of her hand even once. He guided and pulled her expertly and slowed only to avoid injury. He often checked behind them as well, but finally Anno had to insist that they stop because her boots were so filled with pebbles that each step had become agony.

  Not wanting to waste even seconds searching for a comfortable rock to lean against, she sat straight on the ground and began to unlace her right boot. Daron lifted her left to do the same and she stopped and stared at him. He gathered both her hands together and kissed them, laughing. “Soon I shall see much more of you than your feet, Anno.”

  Completely unable to move now after such a promise, she stared at him as he pulled off her boot and shook out the pebbles and dust.
He cradled her foot in his lap and brushed off her wool sock as well. With a quick caress to the bottom of her foot, he replaced the boot and motioned for her to lace it while he moved to do the same to the other. When both boots were laced again he pulled her to her feet and held her to him.

  “Do you know how I love you, Anno?” he asked.

  She nodded only, embracing him even more desperately. Would their happiest moments always be so overshadowed with fear and helplessness?

  They did not stop again until they reached the village. Daron warned Anno to stay away from her father’s field and then they separated. Anno went straight to join the women for the winnowing, while Daron headed toward Headman Vartan.

  He planned what should be done as he walked. If Vrej had made his appearance and the gendarmes had left, Daron would go straight to Vartan and carry out whatever instruction he had regarding the Kurds and their slaughtered sheep. If the gendarmes were still there, and he could not consult with Vartan, he would go to his father. Daron nearly halted on the spot as he remembered. He could not go to his father. Mgro had left for Van many days ago.

  It was simple enough for Daron to see across the fields now that the barley stalks were mostly harvested. Intent on their work, villagers mumbled greetings as he passed. The few who would have liked to chat, Daron discouraged by looking away. It would do no good for everyone to know of the morning’s incident with the Kurds. Practically everyone had sons or pesas in those hills.

  Reaching the edge of Vartan’s field, Daron stopped a great distance away.

  The Turks were still there, but they were mounted. Vrej was there as well. Vartan was looking up at the horsemen as they still spoke. Abruptly they turned their horses around and trotted slowly away, the animals’ hooves sinking heavily into the softly furrowed soil. Vartan stared after them and wiped his brow. Tired, he turned back toward his family. Vrej, angered and ashen, watched Daron approach and moved toward him.

  Daron greeted Vartan respectfully, face-to-face with Anno’s father for the first time in his life. Knowing it was hardly likely Vrej could have explained any of the problems with the Turks still present, Daron did so fully and quickly, giving the man no time to recover from his first shock of the day.