Deadline
17
- “Dad, what is this?”
I was looking through the family albums at home while my parents were finishing their dinner.
- “Oh, it’s just an old photograph I will explain it but it’s not time for that. OK?”
When he said that I felt angry because I found a photograph shows my dad’s soldier friends and his broken arm. They didn’t tell me any story about this and I was curious about the photograph. So I said:
- “No, it isn’t OK dad please tell me the story of your broken arm.”
I realize that it wasn’t a good story because he always answered or explained what I asked or said. “Am I ready to hear my family’s history?” “Am I in the enough age for that?” These questions made me more curious about this photograph. So he started to tell me his situation:
- “You know I was an air force pilot and I flew with F-104 type airplanes. This photograph took in 1989 and we wanted to took photo in our working area for a memory when I had an accident.”
- “Accident?” I felt terrified.
- “Yes, accident. My plane had a malfunction while we were performing a training flight with F-104 and engine stopped. The plane was going to crash.”
- “Dad why didn’t you tell me the accident? This happened and you didn’t tell me!”
- “If I told you this when you were 6 you couldn’t understand and blame me maybe. Now you’re 12 and you can understand me now please be calm about it.”
- “OK. Please continue.”
- “Well. Then I started to use my knowledge about this emergency situation. These planes have a handle to open the window up of your head and throw your seat to escape (ejection seat). I pulled the handle to get rid of plane but it didn’t work. I was very scared but our teachers said ‘IF YOU FEEL SCARED YOU LOSE THE CHANCE TO LIVE’ so I tried to be calm and coolheaded. Then I didn’t give up and I pulled it a second time and it worked. Then I heard a noise coming from my back. I used my parachute and landed safely but my arm wasn’t good. I felt nervous about it. When I landed I tried to recognize where am I. I realize the village people came and helped me to do some stuff about the plane. Village people were so helpful and shocked of course. They saw a man who has a different and big helmet with some pipes on it. I thought they didn’t see someone like that so they were like seeing an alien. Then I called our fleet and told this incident. They came with a helicopter and take me to a hospital. They checked my arm, my neck and my back. I stayed in hospital one night. I didn’t have any vital disease or hurt so I prayed to God for this. Then they didn’t allow me to fly for about 2 months.”
- “Well.” I was getting to the most important part. “What did my grandma do?”
He laughed.
- “I didn’t tell her the whole story for three days because you know she didn’t want me to be a fighter pilot and she cares a lot about me so we didn’t tell her the plane crush but we said I didn’t took off right and I had to go back but I bumped in a barrier and hit my arm so tough. Then we told her the truth of course.”
- “Dad I can just say you are the best dad in the whole world for me and I am going to pray to God for having you.”
When he finished his story I was shocked and I felt grateful to God for giving my father to me and for the life he is living. It’s not my story but it affected me like I had this accident. I really can’t get over the thought of my father was dead. When he was telling his story I realize that nobody or nothing more serious then a family. Also he gave me a message about life when he said:
“I DIDN’T GIVE UP.”
Simay Dilek