The Amazonite Inci Kartal Hi, I’m Inci from Turkey. After having studied ‘ELT’ in Istanbul and worked as an English teacher for seven years, I wanted to focus more on writing. Discovering the ‘MA TESOL & Creative Writing’ programme at the University of Westminster was the key for my ultimate dream to come true!
“Your body feels heavy. Heavier than it has ever felt.” That’s what my friend told me on the day she turned thirty. I was twenty-four then and wondered what kind of feeling that would be. The last six years have passed in a flash and it’s my birthday today. Her words are ringing in my ears and, yes, my body does feel sort of weird. So, no crazy partying, and if it was up to me, I would just stay at home, put ‘Bridget Jones’ on, have a bottle of wine and get depressed under a blanket. What do we celebrate, anyway? Getting old? Why? If I were to celebrate anything, it would be having managed to stop smoking at the age of twentynine and a half. Now that is real success, which deserves ongoing, crazy celebration. But of course, nonsmokers, never knowing what and how much it means to a smoker, see you as a cleared-up substance who now deserves more respect, whereas the smokers skip it with a simple “well-done” and some envious questions like “how?” and “when?” Anyway. If you have friends around, staying in on your birthday is not really an option. You have to actually go out. So, the suggestion was the traditional pub we always go to, The York. A table was already booked. No need to dress up unnecessarily and uncomfortably, no need to slap on stagey make-up or pose around, or anything. I can still get my bottle of New Zealand pinot noir – the best of The York. Just before leaving home, I made sure my amazonite gemstone was in my bag. Mum’s twentieth birthday present to me, which is believed to make one’s dreams come true and so I take it with me everywhere. “Keep it always with you, Julia. Believing is good,” she had said, looking deep into my eyes. Though it hasn’t produced the desired effect so far, quite the opposite in fact, hope is hope and it’s always wise to remember. Perhaps today’s the day…all five of us met at The York at 8 pm, as planned. Thanasis immediately pinned a ‘30’ badge on my green, frilly cardigan, with a cheerful ‘Happy Birthday.’ “Come on, Thanasis, I’m sure this is not the Greek way,” I said, adjusting the badge without considering why I was even bothering to keep it there.
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