He had just taken a few sips of his tea when one of the newcomers sat down on his stool. “The only thing we lacked was a drunk governor!” said.
Molla Said looked at the man with a stern look; “Is this a joke?” he seemed to say. The man said, as if frightened, “I saw it with my own eyes, they were entering Seydo’s house. There were a few officers with him who couldn’t stop drinking.” said.
“How do you know what to drink?”
“Seyda is something that is on the lips of everyone where the governor organizes drinking assemblies. It is not possible to find anything better than Seydo Agha’s house in Bitlis. The one who goes there means the drink.”
Bediüzzaman Molla Said jumped up like a spear from the stool he was sitting on. He straightened his dagger and moved his revolver, which he had pushed behind his waist, to his left side so that he could reach it more easily. He turned to the man one last time:
“Are you sure?”
“Of course Seyda, but what are you going to do?”
“That’s none of your business! But if what you say isn’t true, I’ll hold you accountable!”
While the man looked in front of him as if he had committed a crime, he said again, “I’m sure!” said.
A long-time madrasa student who was closer to Molla Said said, “Never mind, Seyda!” said.
“Shush!” said Mullah Said.
Later He moved towards Seydo’s small mansion, which he had passed many times. He looked more like he was running than walking.
The courtyard door of Seydo Mansion was open. When he finished the internal staircase climbing to the second floor, the police officer he came face to face with, said in a harsh manner, “Let me see, what do you want?” said.
Molla Said nimbly pushed the police officer who came in front of him. While the man was staggering, he took advantage of the opportunity and entered the hall where the council was set up.
Governor Ömer Sabri Pasha and his entourage, seated on velvet-covered chairs around a large table, found in very few houses in Bitlis, looked with astonishment at Molla Said, who burst in like a storm while eating the food in front of them with great pleasure. Some of them seemed to freeze suddenly, with the piece of food in their hands, and others with the glass they were bringing to their lips. Except for Ömer Pasha, almost all of the people in the hall knew Molla Said. That’s why the governor’s share of surprise was greater. He was agitated and did not understand how this young man could have bypassed the police and barged in without any permission.
Before the people in the hall had a chance to get over their surprise, Molla Said’s young, harsh and dominating voice rang out:
“Pasha, you have been appointed here as an official of the Supreme State. You are obliged to serve as the representative of our Sultan and Caliph in the highest office of the city. As for me, I was exiled to this city under his rule, as a result of arbitrariness that was not based on any justice. I came here to get rid of this evil, which is impossible to approve and which I cannot ignore in any way. In this Muslim city, setting up a prayer table in the middle of the day is not an acceptable crime.
“Our Prophet (ASV) said, ‘Alcohol is the mother of all evil!’ You cannot be unaware of what He commanded. Again our Prophet said: ‘Avoid alcohol. I swear to God that alcohol and faith cannot go together. So one subtracts the other.’ This arrogance you show against his statement is not audacity, it is criminality! “How will you manage this city with a mind numbed by alcohol?”
It did not go unnoticed by Ömer Pasha that Molla Said kept his right hand on the rovelver on the left side of his waist as he continued his words. Although he understood that this young man, whom he did not know who he was, was Molla Said-i Meşhur and that he was exiled, he was not sure. When he realized that the officer, who had a fit of rage because he missed the first opportunity and could not prevent him from entering the hall, was impatient to make a move, he signaled him to go out with his head. Although the police officer took two steps back, he did not move away and remained alert.
Seydo Agha was more angry than Ömer Pasha. He was disgraced and humiliated in his own home together with the governor. If he had been sure that he would not anger the governor, he could have had this young man crushed by his men and made him regret being born, but he could not find anything to do in the face of the Pasha’s patient and calm attitude.
While Molla Said was leaving the council in the peace and tranquility of people who had done their duty, Ömer Pasha was following him where he stood with his smiling face and shy but shining eyes. He looked pleased, as if he had not been humiliated in front of his entourage, but had witnessed a refreshing scene.
Since he was the father of an only son and six daughters, it could have been thought that he was fond of boys, but what really pleased and pleased Ömer Pasha was the young man who had just stepped into adolescence. This young mullah had a lot of patriotism and confidence. He was quick to understand and evaluate, with his many years of experience, that he was a rare personality. For some reason, Molla Said-i Meşhur aroused in him a love, compassion and admiration, as if his own child had done what needed to be done.
He dashed the hope of the police officer who was dying to arrest Molla Said one last time and motioned him not to touch him with his head.
(Pole Star II)
