Many Memories (Chapter 9)

Look around! What do you see?

• An asteroid.

Tell me more about the asteroid you see. Give me details.

• Well… There are curves and ups and downs on the surface. Some areas are as flat as a tidy bed. Some areas have texture and grid. What else… some sides are darker than the others due to solar location. There is not much gravity. I assume there is no heat on the core because this asteroid is a part of some other big planet or star. Basically this asteroid is a solid rock.

“A rock” that is what you see? Is that all?

• Yes sir. I see no plant and no soil on this asteroid.

Very well… What I see is way more different than what you see cause you didn’t understand how enchanted the words are.

• What is it you see, sir?

Those flat areas you said as a tidy bed, I see there the land we played games with my friends when we were cubs. That land’s name was “Çukurova” in my language. It means “lowland” or “coomb”. As cubs, our wings were too tiny to carry our body so we didn’t have the ability to fly. Instead of flying our games included other actions.

We had too much energy at those ages. We couldn’t fly so we had to run. Me, my friends and their siblings were chasing elephant skulls or dried baobab bodies.

• You were chasing elephant skulls when you were little?

Well, we were cubs but still a dragon. We weren’t small or cute the way you expect a cub would be. The size of a dragon cub that can run is nearly twice the size of an elephant.

• You were never small.

Yes. We, dragons are never small. Anyway, when I look at those flat areas I feel the same feeling while I was running to chase an elephant skull. I named those areas “Filovası”.

There is no plant nor soil on this asteroid but there are lots of memories for me. Those curves are the hills that we played hide and seek. I had no ability to find any one when it was my turn to count. I hated to seek others that’s why I was always grumpy. Every time we played hide and seek it always ended up with a fight against me.

Result of the fight we began to play chase. Chase ended up some injury then the play turned to healer and patient. The loop was turning and turning till we all got tired or one of our mothers told us to stop. That’s why I call those curves “Saklambaç Tepesi” which mean “Hiding Hill”.

• Can you tell me what does “Filovası” mean?

I made up that name, not sure how to explain. Well, if I say that means “the plain of elephants” that won’t be wrong but deficient.

• Your imagination is very good, Sir. I cannot see anything but rocks.

This is not imagination. Best of my childhood memories come alive here. Which I enjoyed most. Can’t you see? This is how the spell works. This is how humans immortalised childhood joy by naming this asteroid as Alain Fournier.