Angels Favorite Dream

11

On Monday morning, Berk took only the documents Zoe had sent, the application form, his passport, and an ATM receipt showing his account balance, then headed to the Pakistani Consulate. When they met at the entrance, Osman asked, "Did you manage to gather all the documents? Did you talk to Meral? Did she send any proof that you worked at the camp?"

Berk sighed slightly and said, "I only got an ATM receipt showing my account balance. I didn't even call Meral because I'm not officially employed at the camp. She can't provide any official documents."

Osman frowned and muttered, "At this rate, we won't get a visa for Pakistan either."

Berk tried to stay calm and said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. One way or another, I'll get this visa." Under Osman's tense gaze, he added, "Please stay quiet. If you speak up, we won't get the visa for Pakistan, just like we didn't for India."

Osman shrugged. "Alright, alright, whatever you say," he said reluctantly.

When they entered the consulate, they were relieved to see that there were not many people waiting. Shortly after, the officer called Berk and Osman, indicating it was their turn. When they sat across from the desk, the officer took Berk's documents and examined them carefully. "Why do you want to go to Pakistan?" he asked.

"We're going to visit a friend we met at the camp where we work. The invitation letter is among the documents," Berk replied.

As the officer continued to scrutinize the documents, he noticed the ATM receipt and raised his eyebrows at Berk.

Berk immediately explained. "The banks were closed over the weekend. We had to apply for the visa early, so I couldn't get an account statement. I could only bring the balance receipt from the ATM."

The officer smiled slightly and continued looking through the other documents before asking the same question again. "So, why do you want to go to Pakistan?"

Berk felt a flash of irritation but managed to remain calm. This time, he gave a more detailed answer.

"Our friend is a musician; she's releasing a new album and has invited us to her gala concert," he said, pointing to the letter. Of course, there was no such concert. Zoe was working on an album, but there wouldn't be a concert like the one Berk had described. He had made up this story because he couldn't think of a better answer.

After listening to Berk's response, the officer picked up the phone, pressed a button, and began a conversation with someone. Berk and Osman exchanged anxious glances, waiting to see what would happen.

Having previously worked at EgyptAir, Berk knew how to communicate effectively with people from Muslim countries. Although Turkey is also a Muslim country, it is generally more moderate compared to countries like Pakistan. Countries like Pakistan are quite conservative in terms of Islamic practices. While they may not be particularly fond of visual arts, they have a deep appreciation for music.

Berk experienced this firsthand during his interview with the general manager of EgyptAir. When the conversation turned to hobbies, Berk mentioned that he was an amateur musician and played bass guitar. The general manager said he played the ney, and they ended up having an in-depth conversation about music. Thanks to this conversation, Berk made a strong impression on the general manager and landed the job.

When the tone of the consulate officer's speech changed, Berk thought he was talking to one of his superiors. He had mentioned they were going to visit a musician releasing an album, so the officer was probably trying to find out if someone knew this musician. However, the officer, whose English was not very good, thought Berk was the musician, that he was releasing an album, and was going to Pakistan for a gala concert. After a while, while still on the phone, the officer suddenly turned to Berk and asked, "Do you have a business card?"

This question caught Berk off guard. He tried to figure out why the officer would ask for such a thing. Since he hadn't presented any official work documents, Berk thought the officer wanted to know his profession. At that moment, he feared he might not be able to proceed with the visa application due to missing documents. He thought the officer was consulting his superior about what to do, and his anxiety grew.

"Sorry, I don't," Berk replied. "I just work as a bartender."

Realizing they weren't going to communicate well, the officer placed a pen and paper in front of Berk. "Then could you write your contact information here?" he asked.

Berk, still puzzled, wrote down his name, surname, and phone number.

After taking the paper, the officer hung up the phone and turned to Berk. "The Consul General wants to meet with you tomorrow," he said.

Berk was stunned by this unexpected request. He wanted to ask, "Why?" but the words got stuck in his throat. Pulling himself together, he said, "Of course, I'd be happy to."

"After paying the visa fee at the bank, you can come and collect your visa tomorrow morning at ten," the officer added.

Berk, remembering they had to catch the train the next morning, said anxiously, "But we need to get the visas today. We're traveling to Pakistan by land, and the train to our first stop, Tehran, leaves tomorrow morning."

The officer, with a regretful expression, explained. "Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do at this hour. That's just the procedure."

At that moment, the officer turned to Osman and asked, "So, what are you waiting for?" Since Osman hadn't spoken, the officer assumed only Berk was applying.

Osman pointed at Berk and said, "We're together. I'm applying too."

The officer gestured for Osman to hand over his documents. He placed them on top of Berk's and, smiling, said, "You need to be here at ten o'clock tomorrow. Don't forget." Then, with a slight wave of his hand, he indicated that the application process was complete and they could leave.

As they left the consulate, they were excited about getting the visa thanks to Zoe's musician identity. Osman, in particular, found it amusing that the officer barely glanced at his documents. Laughing, he said, "Wow, they gave me the visa without even looking at my papers!"

Berk, smiling, replied, "Yeah, thanks to Zoe, the musician identity made things easier for us."

For a moment, they forgot that they were going to miss the train and would have to wait another week for the next one. When Osman remembered this reality, he said, "But we're missing the train. We'll need to make a new plan."

Berk took a deep breath. "No problem. Getting the visa was the hardest part. We'll find another way to get to Karachi. Let's find a nearby café, sit down, and figure out a new route."

Before paying the visa fee and travel insurance, they entered a nearby café. After ordering their coffees, Osman took Berk's phone and started searching for new routes. After a while, he excitedly said, "We could take a bus from Istanbul to Van. Then, from there, we can take a train to Tehran. Even if we miss the train, we can continue by bus."

However, while checking bus ticket prices, he saw that a low-cost airline had cheap plane tickets. Surprised, he said, "Look, a plane ticket to Tehran costs the same as the bus and train tickets!"

Berk immediately jumped in. "Then why waste time with buses and trains? Let's fly. Plus, we'd save all the expenses we'd have on the road."

Osman said, "Yeah, flying would be much faster. Like you said, considering the cost of food for three days, the plane ticket actually ends up being cheaper."

Berk felt relieved. The fact that Osman, who stubbornly wanted to travel everywhere by land, had agreed to fly meant they would save three days, and Berk could reach Zoe sooner. After all, for Osman, going to Pakistan was just a trip, but for Berk, it was a heartfelt journey.

"After Tehran, we have three days to reach Karachi. We'll still be traveling by train. Luckily, there's a train on the day we arrive, so we won't be staying in Tehran for too long," Osman added.

Excited about finally setting off, they bought their plane tickets online. Then they left the café and headed to the bank where the consulate had directed them to pay the visa fee.

The next day, Berk had been out late the previous night and only managed to wake up around noon. He quickly got ready and left home. When he arrived at the consulate, he saw Osman waiting outside, looking frustrated. As soon as Osman saw Berk, he started complaining.

"You were out partying again, weren't you?" Osman's voice was a mix of reproach and anger. "You want to go to Pakistan, but you keep acting irresponsibly. We're not going to get the visas because of you!"

Berk hadn't even had his coffee yet and had no patience for Osman's nagging. In a tired voice, "Alright, don't drag it out. Just stay quiet when we get inside, I'll handle it," he said.

Osman gave Berk a stern look but stayed silent. They walked together through the consulate doors. It was quite calm inside. When they headed to the office where visa procedures were handled, they found no one there.

Berk looked around anxiously, trying to find someone to talk to. Finally, someone popped his head out of a window on the ground floor and asked, "Can I help you?"

Berk felt a bit relieved when he saw the officer he'd spoken to the day before. "Sorry, we're a bit late. We're here to pick up our visas."

The officer remembered Berk, but his expression wasn't friendly. Raising his eyebrows and in a reproachful tone, he said, "Visas are issued by noon. But you... you're that musician, right? The Consul General wanted to meet you. You're late for that too. He just left."

Berk's face turned bright red. He didn't know what to say, but he tried to come up with a reasonable response. "I really apologize. Is there any chance I could meet him another day?"

The officer remained silent for a while, as if wanting to make Berk more anxious. Then, with a slight smile on his face, he said, "Well, you can tell him what you've been up to once you're back from Pakistan!"

Berk wiped the sweat off his forehead, and his tension began to ease. He felt a slight sense of relief but was still embarrassed. Forcing a smile, he said, "I'm sure I'll have some great stories to share." Then, in a more serious tone, he added, "So, can we get our visas now?"

At that moment, another window opened, and other staff members who had overheard the conversation stuck their heads out to join in. One of them looked at Berk with curiosity and asked, "What instrument do you play?"

Berk smiled slightly and said, "I play bass guitar, but I'm not a professional musician."

The staff member thought Berk was being modest and said, "Do you have a business card? We'd love to play with you when you get back from Pakistan. We're into music too. I play drums, and my friend plays guitar."

Berk smiled slightly and said, "Sorry, I don't have a business card. But I can give you my phone number if you'd like."

The staff member quickly handed him a pen and paper. Berk wrote down his number, and while taking the paper, the staff member said, "We'll definitely call you."

Meanwhile, the officer handling the visa procedures turned to Berk and asked, "Did you pay the visa fee?"

Berk pulled out the receipts from his pocket and handed them to the officer. After reviewing and approving the receipts, the officer said, "Alright, just wait a bit. I'll bring your passports."

Berk took a deep breath; everything had finally fallen into place. Turning to Osman, he smiled slightly, as if he had known all along how things would turn out. "Didn't I tell you there was nothing to worry about?" he said.

Osman gave a faint smile. "I was a bit nervous, but in the end, everything worked out," he said.

After getting their visas, they thanked the officer and left the consulate. Once outside, they walked quietly for a while, both lost in their thoughts.

When they reached a crossroads, Berk paused and turned to Osman. "I'd better get home and start packing. The flight is at eleven-thirty tonight, remember? We need to be at the airport by nine. Don’t be late," he said in a serious tone.

Osman laughed and teased, "You're the one who's always late. Why are you on my case now?" Then he added, "See you at the airport." They said their goodbyes.

On his way home, Berk felt an indescribable excitement. He kept imagining the days ahead with Zoe. He was finally on his way to see the woman he loved. As soon as he got home, he opened his computer to share the good news with Zoe and started typing an email.

"Hey Zoe, I just got back from the consulate. Our visas were approved, and we're leaving tonight. Since we missed the train, we'll be flying to Tehran, so we’ll actually arrive earlier than I told you. If all goes well, we'll be in Karachi in three days. I’m not sure if I'll have internet access along the way, but I'll keep you updated somehow. I'm going to activate my line for international calls, so could you send me your phone number? If I have service, I'll give you a call."

After sending the email, Berk excitedly packed his bag while waiting for Zoe's response. In the late afternoon, a friend called and suggested grabbing a few beers. Berk explained that he was leaving for Pakistan that evening and was short on time. However, his friend insisted, promising it wouldn't take long, and Berk reluctantly agreed. Deciding to head straight to the airport from the bar, he said his goodbyes to his family, grabbed his bag, and left home.