Why I love the Turks
by Jacinta Nandi
Everyone in Berlin hates the Turks.
Even the Turks hate the Turks.
They have orange skin and they wear gold jewellery and plus they poison the drinking water and stuff.
Except for me: I love the Turks.
I love them, because, when they see you with your baby, they do not ask:
“And. Is he sleeping through the night yet?”
Instead, they grab him off you, rub his head, dangle him about by the ankle and throw him exuberantly into the air.
“Your baby is so delicious!” They cry. “Mmmmm!”
He’s so gorgeous!
He’s so perfect!
He’s so tiny!
He’s so cute!
He’s so wonderful!
He’s so tasty!
THIS BABY IS THE BEST BABY I EVER SAW IN MY WHOLE LIFE!
The thing is, it would be a bit rude just to say, yeah, I know, so you have to slag your baby off a bit.
“He’s not sleeping through the night,” you say.
They look at you blankly.
Sleep?
Why should this baby sleep?
Well, you know, so I could, you know, get a bit more sleep myself…
They snort.
Sleep? HA! Sleep!
What do you wanna sleep for?
Look, they explain to you carefully, when you’re asleep, your eyes are shut.
When your eyes are shut, you can’t see how gorgeous your baby is!
So.
What do you wanna sleep for?
Hmmmn.
Actually…they’ve got a point.
What do I need to sleep for?
And:
That’s why I love the Turks.
“I know now that everything changes, and it’s usually too quickly.”*
Having children reminds us of the changing nature of ourselves and our world. Before children entered my life, years could go by and I would usually have external events to mark them. Now, years are remembered for my children’s birth or ages, and our experiences together. (And the time before the birth of my first child feels like a thousand years ago!). Their growth seems rapid and shockingly sudden – and my time with them is all the more precious for knowing that.
* © from 'Being Mummy' by Anne‑marie Taplin, published April 2007