Leyla: The Black Tulip

Master Hyacinth

The next day, while at the market, there’s a commotion. A man appears. He is shaped like a pear, and wears a long robe and a sable coat. He has a pointy turban on his head. He has no beard or mustache, and his skin is as smooth as a woman’s. Two men similarly follow him.

Madam Siranush is quiet, and has the girls line up. One by one, the man stands in front of each girl and inspects her. He walks around each girl, and looks at them up and down with a critical stare. Laleena both hopes he never looks at her that way, and also that he does.

And suddenly, he is standing in front of Laleena! She’s petrified. The man orders her to smile. She’s shocked by his high-pitched voice. He repeats his order, and Laleena forces the edges of her mouth upward. He comments that her smile is not real. She must smile as if she’s happy and having fun, with her eyes as well as her lips.

Laleena feels she cannot smile as if she is happy, so far away from home, only a slave. But for just a moment, she remembers the poet from the day before, and a smile truly comes to her face. “There you go,” he exclaims. She has nice teeth, but her smile is even lovelier. A tear rolls down Laleena’s cheek, and he smiles, saying it is a good omen she knows how to smile and how to weep.

With that, the man goes to Madam Siranush and begins to barter. Madam Siranush explains that she’s beautiful, maybe she won’t even sell Laleena. Laleena learns his name is Sümbül Ağa—Master Hyacinth. The two of them go back and forth, negotiating and raising prices. Laleena hopes Master Hyacinth wins the bargaining.

Finally, they agree on a price, and the sale is complete. Nervously, Laleena picks up her bundle and follows Master Hyacinth’s men. She’s taken to a carriage drawn by two black horses. As they ride, she can see the silhouette of mosques and buildings through the lattices of the carriage.

Laleena’s curiosity grows. Where are they taking her? She prays for kindness and luck.