Angels Favorite Dream

4

Nil was a free-spirited girl, always dressed in colorful clothes and walking around barefoot. She had such a peaceful aura that Berk loved being around her. Nil stayed at the camp right next to where Berk worked. Her friends were also staying there and working as volunteers. However, due to the inadequate working conditions at that camp, Nil decided to work at Berk’s camp instead. At first, she had gone to Butterfly Valley, but the workers there had a disagreement with the owner and moved to Kabak Bay. Thankfully, they did, because it allowed Berk to feel something he hadn’t felt for a long time—he fell in love again.

Every day, Nil would come to the camp at certain times, wash dishes, and then return to her friends. Berk eagerly looked forward to these moments, and when Nil came to work, he would immediately go over to accompany her. Every moment he spent with Nil opened doors to another world for Berk, giving him a sense of peace. Nil’s natural, free-spirited personality deeply affected Berk, and he cherished these brief but precious moments.

One evening, after Nil finished washing the dishes, Berk gave her a warm smile and asked, “Would you like me to pour you some of your favorite wine?”

Nil responded with a soft smile. “Why not?” she said, taking a seat at the bar. Berk quickly poured her a glass of her favorite wine, and Nil sipped it with a gentle smile. Volunteers usually paid for the drinks they had, but Berk always paid for Nil’s drinks himself. He didn’t mind the expense, just to have some time with her. Every minute spent with Nil was invaluable to Berk.

At that moment, Osman also came over to the bar and joined their conversation. Osman enjoyed working with Nil but didn’t want a relationship to start between her and Berk. So, he made sure not to leave them alone together. With a mischievous expression, he turned to Nil and asked, “Have you ever been to India?”

Nil’s eyes lit up. “India? It’s like my second home,” she said excitedly. “I’m there every winter. The people are so warm, and the nature is amazing. It’s such a peaceful country; everyone should visit it at least once.”

Seeing the excitement in Nil’s eyes, Berk looked at her in admiration. Osman, not missing the opportunity, added, “Actually, Berk and I are planning to go to India.”

Berk smiled slightly, then nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, we have a plan like that, but I’m not entirely sure. The chaotic atmosphere of India doesn’t really appeal to me.”

Nil noticed his hesitation and spoke in a sincere tone. “It may seem that way from the outside, but India is a completely different world. Once you go, you don’t even notice the crowd or the chaos. You find a sense of peace within. Plus, the nature is so captivating… You end up finding yourself there.”

Berk listened carefully and nodded slightly. “The way you describe it really makes it sound amazing,” he said. “Maybe I could find something about myself there.”

Nil gave Berk an encouraging look. “I think you would. And… there’s a freedom there that you won’t find anywhere else. Life there is much simpler and more real.”

The more Berk listened to Nil, the more the idea of going to India and being with her occupied his mind. He thought to himself, “Maybe I could tell Nil how I feel about her in India.” As long as Nil was working at the camp, he was afraid to express his feelings. He feared she might leave her job if he did.

After Nil finished her wine, she told them she had to go back to her friends and left hurriedly. Osman, noticing Berk’s distracted state, finally stepped in.

“Look, Berk, if you confess your feelings to Nil, it could backfire. If she doesn’t feel the same way, she might leave, and I don’t want to lose her. She’s the hardest worker in the kitchen right now. Please, keep your distance from her,” he said.

Berk took a deep breath. Osman was right. This situation made Berk even more withdrawn. As Berk tried to suppress his feelings for Nil, he constantly battled with how they affected him and the complex emotions she stirred in him. The peace and love he felt when he was around Nil became both an escape and a burden for him.

From that day on, Berk decided to keep his deep feelings for Nil to himself. In the afternoons, he started drinking to cope with these complicated emotions. Alcohol gradually became an escape for Berk. However, his behavior was starting to catch the attention of those around him. He often clashed with customers who came to the bar at night and would forget what he said or did.

Eventually, the inevitable happened, and Meral announced there would be another meeting. As the employees settled into the office chairs, Berk found an empty seat. He felt a slight tension, but the atmosphere of this meeting was different from the others. Given his recent behavior, Berk thought the meeting would be about him, but this time, Meral’s response was softer than he expected.

Standing in the middle of the room, Meral spoke. “Friends, we’ve gathered today to discuss something important,” she said, her voice calm. “There will be some changes at the camp, and I want to share them with all of you. First of all, some of our volunteer friends will be leaving because their schools are starting.”

After her words, one of the volunteer workers chimed in with a playful tone. “Yeah, Meral, unfortunately, we have to go back to the real world. Classes won’t be as fun as camp, but what can we do?”

There was a chuckle around the room. Meral responded with a smile at the corner of her lips. “I understand. Thank you so much for all your contributions. It will be hard to see you go, but continuing your education is very important.”

“The time we spent at camp was really valuable. Thank you,” one volunteer added.

Meral smiled back warmly. “We’ve enjoyed working with you too,” she said, her eyes filled with sincerity. Then, with a more serious tone, she turned to Berk. “I have a request from you, Berk. I want you to get back to your old self and be more efficient at work. Your coworkers are counting on you to do your part.”

For the first time in a long while, Berk saw a sense of understanding in Meral. Feeling relieved at the thought of getting back on track, he replied. “Don’t worry, Meral. I’ll do my best.”

Pleased with Berk’s positive response, Meral continued. “Reducing the tensions, we’ve had recently will be good for all of us. We all make mistakes, but we have to solve them together. Peace and harmony at work will boost our performance.”

When the meeting ended, Meral wrapped things up with a final assessment and a few motivational words for everyone. As Berk left the room, he realized that his restlessness had significantly eased. From that day on, the departure of the volunteer workers and Meral’s conciliatory attitude increased his commitment to his work. The tension between him and Meral eased. He now received more constructive criticism about his mistakes, which gave him confidence.

Berk also managed to ease the tension between himself and Selçuk. After the bar closed at night, Selçuk began inviting Berk to the balcony, where he spent most of his day. There, in the peaceful atmosphere of the camp, they would smoke and have long conversations. These shared moments strengthened Selçuk’s trust in Berk; Berk’s changed behavior and more measured attitude made him appear more respectable and reliable in Selçuk’s eyes. Additionally, Berk had decided to confess his feelings to Nil by going to India at the end of the season, so he stopped drinking early in the day and started leading a more balanced life.

However, one night, a big argument between Selçuk and Meral shattered the peace at the camp. That evening, Meral repeatedly came to Berk at the bar, asking him to pour her another drink. When Berk realized that Meral was on her way to getting drunk, he gently warned her. “Meral, you’re drinking too fast. If Selçuk sees this, he might react,” he said.

Meral downed the remaining drink in her glass and, with a mocking smile, said, “He can’t tell me what to do. He smokes weed all day, so I have the right to drink now and then, too.”

After a while, Selçuk came to the bar to check on Meral, and when he saw her drunk, he flew into a rage. With his eyes blazing, he approached Meral. “Are you drunk again? Why are you drinking so much?” he shouted. Meral didn’t hesitate to respond to Selçuk’s reaction. “Don’t overreact, Selçuk! You smoke weed on the balcony all day—do I say anything?!” she shot back.

Selçuk was driven mad by her words. “Weed doesn’t make me like this! When you’re drunk, you don’t even recognize yourself!” he shouted, taking a step closer to Meral. Meral shouted back, her eyes fire-filled. “What right do you have to judge me? You spend all day on that damn balcony!” She then raised her hand and slapped Selçuk.

Selçuk staggered back, pain evident on his face. Berk immediately stepped in, grabbing Meral’s hand. “Meral, stop! Don’t hit Selçuk. If you need to hit someone, hit me. But don’t hurt anyone else or yourself,” he said. These words temporarily halted Meral’s anger. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy. But thanks to Berk’s calm demeanor and the intervention of some familiar faces at the camp, Meral lowered her hand. Selçuk, his face scratched and shocked, looked at Berk. Berk’s composed intervention deeply affected him.

Despite being intoxicated, Berk maintained his composure, which made him a genuine friend in Selçuk’s eyes that night.

The next day, Selçuk handed over all responsibilities of the bar to Berk. He began accepting all of Berk’s decisions, even having a music system installed in the bar and asking Berk to take charge of the playlist. This incident further solidified Berk’s place at the camp; now, he had full control over the bar.