GALATA BRIDGE

WHISPER OF A DEAD MAN ON THE GALATA BRIDGE

He set off for work in very early hors of the new day as always he did. He hardly caught the bus that he would wait for or five minutes everyday. Then he sat on a seat as soon as he got on the bus. he leaned his head against the glass and continued his sleep. since he got tired because of hard work and hectic life ,he would take every chance to rest. when he opened his eyes from his light sleep ,the bus was to arrive at the station we would get off. Unfortunately he was late . suddenly he got up and pushed himself out of the bus. He began to proceed to his company with big steeps. As usual he was walking on the Galata bridge by which everybody passes regardless of their being poor,rich ,foreign or native.;a bridge taht is used by milions of people everyday only on purpose of passing,but in fact has a deeper meaning beyond it. actually taht bridge is a place on which people make their living.. well! Millions of people passed by this bridge all day without noticing each other because their only aim was to earn their living and survive. Therefore ,the relationship between people and environment was corrupted. what people only concerned was to arrive at their house and to get rid of the tiredness of the harsh day. he was one of the people of this kind. virtually, he lost joy of life.

He has become a man forgot about enjoying life. He focused on his business and went on his life like a machine. He was so busy with his work that he forgot about his own life and eigth years old son .

It was Friday and he was trying to catch the bus to go home after work. He was running on the Galata Bridge to get across. Suddenly,he recoiled on himself (on his foot) and fell down. at the moment he heard the azan coming from the minarets of Yeni Cami(the New Mosque). That sound brought him alive. He sat on the ground of Galata Bridge and looked around himself it was very crowded. he could not believe his eyes as there were many and many different people on the bridge. some of them was fishing lonely,with his wife ,children or beloved. ther was a flowing life on the bridge far from him. Cries of birds, azan coming from the minarets...how he could not heard these voices of life. He walked to Eminönü in astonishment and curiousity. It was about to get dark. there was an amazing crowd at Eminönü, as well. there were people selling boiled corn,chestnuts, afew ships coloured with red and golden blond in which people enjoyed themselves,seaside,and eat saomething. "sea" said himself. Right there was a huge bright sea.

He run to the Bridge and looked at the sea. He laughed cheerfully as he has never seen sauch a great and dazzling thing like that sea,even he everyday passed on it. At the moment he experienced being happy. he enjoyed himself and felt himself living. he hurried to go home. he bought a bunch of red rose for his wife and a blue toy for his son. when he arrived, his wife and son were astonished as they were not accustomed to him to be so happy and see him laughing. furthermore,he bought present for them. he decided to give a break yo his business,spend a few weeks with his family. The life and sounds on Galata Bridge cahanged his point of view to life.

It was Monday. He was again on Galata Bridge. However ,this time it was not for going to his job,but for enjoying himself with his family. It was an early hour of day. He was catching fish with his family. Now everybody on the bridge seemed happy to him. What a bright sea was this he thought. As the time passed the bbridge became more crowded. He realized that the bridge was not only a means of transition but a place where the heart of the life beats strongly, and may be many of those people experienced the same things with him ,but not aware of it and each other. When he became an old man and retired,he still continued coming to the bridge and listen to the sing of the life. Who knows ,maybe, after he left this world ,his soul visits the bridge everyday and whisper in the ears of those people who are ignorant of the braeth of the life that the life is not that unworthy as to only pass by it.