Atatürk's Childhood - 2

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Mustafa’s sister, Makbule, was ill so that she stayed at home that day. For this reason Mustafa was going to take care of the broad bean field alone. It was not so difficult to run after crow. When he first started going to broad bean field to chase after them, the crows understood how clever he was and how difficult it was to overcome with the technique he used. They did their best but could not succeed in getting rid of him so they had to fly away. When Mustafa arrived in the field he took a chair out of the hut which was just in the middle of the field and he sat down on it. After about half an hour he started to get bored because he didn’t like sitting around doing nothing. He always wanted to keep busy and to help other people. He was useful for his uncle by taking care of the broad bean field but this was not enough for him. What else should he do? There were some books in the hut. He always thought that the best friends were books. You read them and you learn more and more things and improve your knowledge. He started reading one of the books. This was much better and he was not bored anymore.

After two hours Mustafa realized that an old man was coming towards him thorough the path in fields. There was a lamb with him. He sat down under a tree which was near the field. When Mustafa saw him sitting, he stood up, took his book back into the hut and left it there and went beside the old man. ‘Hello, sir. Where are you going? , he said to the old man. ‘I am going to the town to visit my son’, he replied and continued ‘I am taking this lamb as a present for my grandson. Last week they came to the village and stayed for a week and my grandson wanted me to give him a lamb as a present but I couldn’t because that time the lambs were too little and I promised to give him one when they grow up. Now I want him to grow up this lamb. The most important thing is love in the world. A person who is lack of love looks like a dying tree that means he doesn’t know what the love of nature or human means and he doesn’t know the value of love. A lot of nationalities became enemies and as a result humanity suffered from this hatred. We must show love to people and teach other people how to love. Because love is a great feeling and it makes people very happy and lively. We should love everything and be loved by everybody’, said the old man.

While he was talking, Mustafa was sitting down and listening to him very carefully. Now, it was his turn to talk.

‘Dear Sir, I get difficulty to understand why some people don’t love their countries. I love my country very much and I am proud of being a member of it. How can people who do not love their countries learn to love it? And how can I improve my love for my country? What would you advice me?’ he said.

The enthusiasm of Mustafa surprised the old man because he was only 10 years old but he was really well informed, cultured and intelligent, but he was not satisfied with it, so he wanted to improve himself much more and he could ask questions bravely. How many of the children at his age would care about the love of homeland.

The old man smiled and said ‘My son you haven’t told me what your name is’. Mustafa replied, ‘My name is Mustafa’. The old man suggested him reading the biography of Namık KEMAL who was a poet and never hesitated to shout out that his love for his country facing lots of prevention. He suffered a lot but he never gave up serving his country’.

Mustafa promised to read his poems much more carefully and asked the old man what happiness was according to him. ‘Happiness is very different for everyone’, said the old man and started talking about it.

‘Happiness is a reality and there is happiness in life and everybody has different forms of it. It is up to you whether to be happy without making others unhappy or not. You do not need money or big things to be happy. If you want, you can be happy when you see a butterfly flying or a flower blooming or people shaking hands. Anyway Mustafa I have to go because I have to be in the town before it gets dark. I will be very happy if I was able to teach you anything about love and happiness. Have a nice day’, he said.

Mustafa said that he was so pleased to talk to him and it was really a useful conversation for him. After the old man left, Mustafa turned back to the hut and started thinking about what they had talked with the old man.

Written by: Serdar Yıldırım - Turkey