"Yes, dear viewers, we now continue our news bulletin with a very important piece of news. As you know, the rumor wave that spread across the whole country last week claimed that the Glory Family, one of America's significantly considerable families, would be collaborating with the Korkmaz Family, who are at least as considerable in Turkey.
While it already seemed like a dream that this family, which up until now had not admitted any foreign institution other than itself into its structure, saying 'we are enough for ourselves,' would take in or partner with a company outside itself, hearing that the first company would be from Turkey seemed even more beyond a dream. That is, until a few days ago, when the elder of the Glory Family, in his own words the sovereign of the Glorys, gave an interview to a foreign news anchor... Here, dear viewers, we are now watching together on screen the answer that Henry Glory, the sovereign of the Glory Family, gave to the collaboration rumors he was asked about."
"Mr. Glory, you must have heard the rumor that has been circulating recently about your business life, sir. It is said that you have abandoned the philosophy of 'we are enough for ourselves,' which has practically become your slogan throughout your business life, and that to realize this, you are aiming to take the first step by making an agreement with a businessman from Turkey. Could you respond to the rumors and clarify the situation?"
"My dear sir, first of all I would like you to know that I wished with all my heart for you to hear such big news and process directly from me rather than from here and there. However, the media moved faster than us, and I think faster than our attention, and let this news slip out to you. For that reason, there is no longer any benefit in us hiding this news further. The news that has come out about our company's business partnership is true, but in this partnership, it is not our company that has been partnered into, but the Korkmaz Family's company."
"So you still haven't abandoned your understanding of singularity in the company, Mr. Glory."
"I think it was more correct for the first time to be done this way, so that this understanding could undergo a bit of change."
"There, dear viewers, with the footage we just brought to our screen, we have learned that the information circulating around is not a rumor. We wish that this partnership, which will be made for the sake of our country, brings about good, and we move on to the next news..."
"Yes, my uncle got what he wanted, we're in all the headlines," I said, turning off the television and turning back to Variant.
"You're right, Angel, your uncle got what he wanted. Rather than saying it all at once like this, leaking it to the media little by little attracted much more attention. However..."
"However what?" I was waiting curiously for the rest of his sentence.
"However, after your uncle said, 'I think it was more correct for the first time to be done this way, so that this understanding could undergo a bit of change,' the momentary change on his face at the words the anchor said afterward was much better."
With Variant's words, that scene appeared in my mind again.
'I think it was more correct for the first time to be done this way, so that this understanding could undergo a bit of change.'
'It's quite interesting to hear these words from a man like you. It might be a bit rude, perhaps, Mr. Glory, but I would have expected you to deny the events, or, if you have entered the business sector in Turkey, to say that this part is true but the part about the second person is false.'
'As a famous philosopher also said, sir, "The only thing that doesn't change is change."'
'So you don't have a plan such as buying the company afterward or turning into the sole shareholder.'
At these words from the anchor, my and Variant's eyes furiously found the anchor who had said them, while my uncle also remained silent for a very short while.
My uncle was about to start speaking again when a man suddenly fell down loudly and fainted. It was as if he was having a seizure. He was shaking and mumbling where he had fallen. Everyone's attention shifted from my uncle to there. My uncle ran from where he was to the man's side.
When he did a few things and tried to get the man up, Variant and I helped too. My uncle and Variant were carrying the man on one side. Saying that our car was better for taking him to the hospital (!), we put him in our car. At that moment, the people around had forgotten our actual purpose for being there. In their eyes, we had become the heroes of the day.
Once we got into the car, we had just left the man to himself and settled in the back. The man was one of our plainclothes guards. If something were to go wrong, his job was to drink the medication that my uncle gave him, which created a temporary loss of consciousness, so that attention would shift to him. Now that I think about it, he had completed his duty successfully; the journalists had only been able to learn whether such a partnership existed or not. They hadn't been able to learn why specifically Turkey, or whether two people would always be running that company.
This man trick was one of my uncle's oldest games... If things started to evolve toward somewhere he didn't want, my uncle would immediately focus attention on something else and change the subject. That way, the reins would fall back into my uncle's hands.
Coming out of the memory, I shook my head side to side and laughed.
"You're right, the journalists managed to put their finger on a correct point for once in a blue moon, and that was finding my uncle. Protection from God got the message just in time."
"I wonder what happened to the man?"
"I don't know, Variant, I last saw him together with you too. Once the effect of the pill wears off, he's probably continued his duty from where he left off."
"Do you think your uncle kept the man on duty? He partially found out what was in the pills."
"Maybe once they lose consciousness, they forget that they took the pill too."
"But he takes the pill before losing consciousness. Maybe the pill is slowly killing him, and your uncle is calling it losing consciousness."
"Since it concerns my uncle, yes, there's potential for him to do such a thing. But if it were as you say, why would he give a bunch of pills? Instead, he'd give one pill with a high dosage and finish the job."
"Maybe he wants us to think that way. Maybe one of those pills is already a lethal dose. Maybe we don't know either, like that guard."
"The guard doesn't know what the pill actually does; we, on the other hand, don't know the dosage of the pill. On top of that, it's been quite a while since I stopped taking the pills my uncle gave me. So even if I found out, not much would change, I still wouldn't take the pills my uncle gives me."
"Yes," Variant chuckled. "You're really a master at pretending to take the pills. You fooled both me and my father well. If you hadn't told me, I'd still believe you were taking them, you know?"
"The one thing I've been able to escape from among the things my uncle wants to make me do or has made me do, was not taking those medications." I leaned my head back.
"God, it made me feel so awful. Good thing I quit those damn pills. Although, you know, it's been a long time since I quit, but sometimes it feels like they're taking effect again. Not as much as before, a little. I think the effects are barely passing now."
"How many years did you take them, it's normal for you to underestimate it sometimes."
"You're right, I'll give you that too. Anyway, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow will be our first face-to-face meeting, so I need to store up some energy for that."
I headed toward the stairs and began slowly climbing up toward my room. Hearing Variant's voice, I turned back to him from where I was.
"Don't you dare sleep until I prepare and bring your honey milk. We're working so hard for you, let it be worth it at least."
A faint smile appeared on my face. When I was 11 years old, he suddenly made me honey milk, and after that he never stopped making me honey milk again. He wouldn't leave my side without seeing me finish it either.
"Alright, no sleeping for me without you coming and seeing me finish it, sir."
"Alright. If you start feeling like you're on medication again, tell me, okay?"
"Okay, I'll tell you, Vari. In fact, I'll tell you first and only," I said, and headed toward my room again.
Without knowing that Variant picked up his phone the moment I turned my back.