Summary

The chapter opens with Mustafa thinking back to his birth. His mother, Heniya, had been married twice before, but both of her husbands passed away. Everyone started to think she was cursed, since the marriages didn’t last very long. His father, Muhammad, was an unlucky man who consistently seemed to get hurt or sick. Because of that, he was a scholar to avoid the dangers that came with a more physical profession. Mustafa's parents fell for each other and after getting married wanted to return to Muhammad’s home, Azemmur. Heniya was already pregnant with Mustafa on the trip. When they got to a crossing barge, there was a pair of Portuguese soldiers dragging a prisoner. The soldiers insisted they should be allowed to pass first. In a rare moment of bravery, Muhammad stood up to the soldiers. He got sliced in the...