BROKEN CHAINS

Esmira Meets Samed

Knowing her mother's personality, Esmira tried not to talk back or argue. Instead, she got up, picked up a plate full of cookies. Esmira went back to her bedroom, perplexed.

All of my friends have supportive, loving mothers, but I have a cold-hearted one. Does she take after her Russian mother? No wonder Russian women beat their men.

For the entire week after sleeping with her boyfriend, Esmira hoped that he would come to the shop, yet he didn't show up. Every time Esmira saw a man entering the bookshop, she would look to see if he was Samed. She called him at least six times in two weeks, but he didn't answer.

Why did I fall in love with him? I thought he was different, but he used me to please himself. I should have listened to Mother.

As she waited for him, he was dating Tatyana, who had moved to Azerbaijan from Russia. Tatyana was ten years older than him. She had a fifteen-year-old daughter from a man with whom she had slept only once. Samed heard that she had other failed relationships before. People didn't respect her because of this, but at the age of twenty-five, Samed didn't give a toss. In his mind, if he could possess a woman with readily-available cash reserves and who had an apartment he could move into, he would serpentine his way into her life. This would save him from having to rent an apartment while engaged in his studies.

Tatyana was happy to have a young, handsome man in her life such as Samed. She would spend her money on him. In return, he would iron for her, wash her clothes, and make love to her. Despite his impressionable age, he was a skilled lover who could please any woman in bed.

At the end of March, he went to her apartment again. When he arrived, she gave him money and sent him to the grocery store. After he left, she noticed that Samed had left his backpack on the floor. Tatyana had a curious nature. So, what does a man like Samed carry with him from place to place?

She giggled to herself, then locked the door, quickly picked it up, and looked inside. The top of the backpack's contents was uninteresting- some gym clothes, a pair of shower shoes, a bottle of cologne. However, hidden below those somewhat innocent items she found his address book, a white envelope, and a camera. She looked at every page of his phone book, noticing many female names in it. Then she opened the envelope with trembling hands. Tatyana read a letter written on a small piece of paper:

'Samed, I have repeatedly tried to reach you by phone, but you keep avoiding my calls. Can you please either call me at my office or visit me. I need to talk to you about our night in your apartment. Love you, Esmira.'

Tatyana became enraged reading the letter. She squeezed the plastic cup that she had been holding and threw it at the wall.

"This bastard has been cheating on me! When he returns, I will show him what he deserves!"

Tatyana squeezed her right hand into a fist. Then she picked up a pen. Samed's lover wrote down Esmira's name and phone number.

She removed the pictures from the envelope and looked at them. Some depicted young girls seated at a table, while others featured a blond girl lying on a bed.

Did he take these photos in his bedroom?

Suddenly, her heart filled with more anger, making her chest and head feel heavy. She breathed faster and narrowed her eyes. Then she tore up the letter with the photos, and put the torn pieces back in the envelope. In a rage, she smashed his camera against the wall. "Bastard! Liar! Do you think you can fool me?" she screamed.

Meanwhile, Samed continued shopping, oblivious to what awaited him when he returned. As he picked up a can of creamed corn from one of the store shelves, his roaming eyes fell on a pair of young Azeri women. The taller one noticed him and gave him a shy smile. He winked in return.