The boys were looking forward to meet the governor.Finally,he entered inside the hall from another door near to the right wall.Suleiman pasha orange hair and light brown eyes.He was wearing traditional Georgian silk coat-Chockha.This was red,short coat and it was accompanied by akhalukhi(shirt underneath),masrebi(bullet holders) on each side of the chest.The governor was wearing kamar-khanjali(belt with a dagger).Under the coat,Suleiman pasha was wearing black trousers.He was also wearing brown leather boots.Suleiman pasha smiled at the boys:
-I am the man you were waiting for.I am Suleiman pasha,the governor of the Ottoman province of Iraq.Please,sit down at the tables!
The boys did as they were told and soon everyone was sitting around the tables.
-Here are Georgian dishes from our homeland's western and eastern regions:Khahapuri in the form of Shoti with egg;Lobiani(Fried dough made from wheat flour.It has boiled beans inside);Khinkali(Twisted knobs of dough stuffed with minced beef,garlic,onion,chili pepper,coriander,parsley and cumin);Churchkhekas(Georgian candys made from wheat flour,boiled grape juice and nuts);Ghomi(Boiled wheat grain and wheat flour.It is accompanied with slices of cheese and sauce made from nut,saffron,boiled water and salt).I also ordered the cooks to prepare Circassian meals.Rifat,are all of these boys Georgians?Is there anyone Circassian here?
-All of them are Georgians.However,I brought one Georgian boy with his Circassian adoptive father and sister.This man was refusing to sell this boy.His name is Selim.-Rifat pointed at Selim with his right hand.
-Why?
-He told me,that he was sold to the Ottomans by his own father.He didn't want to do the same.
Suleiman pasha looked at Selim:
-What was your original name?
-My birth name is Davit.
-Selim does not fit you at all.Especially,if your name was Davit.From now on,your name will be Davut.It resembles your true name a lot.Rifat,I think,that Davut's adoptive father can't speak Georgian.You are fluent in Circassian,so assist me to translate whatever I will say from Georgian into Circassian.
-As you command me,governor!
-Boys,before you start eating these yummy meals,I must tell you,that you will always be able to speak Georgian here.We,mamluks are the ruling dynasty of this semi-independebt province.We are not entirely independent from the Ottoman empire,but we use and speak our language,we teach Georgian and the knight in the panther's skin(Epic Georgian poem written in the 13th century by the poet-Shota Rustaveli)in madrasas(Islamic schools),we have army that does not include any janissary.Only Georgians and Circassian men are in my army.Every year,in the autumn,I order my subordinates to send tribute to Istanbul.In return,the Ottoman sultan allows us to choose the most capable Georgian mamluk warrior as the new governor.All of us were sold by our own parents or abducted.We lost our religion,but never our Georgian identity.We remember our birth names and families.I am from the principalities of Guria.It is located on the southwest coast of the black sea.My parents were the peasants under the surveillance of the ruling royal family of this principality.My genuine name is Guram.I was the eldest son of my parents.They sold me at the age of 11 at the local slave market.I was imploring them not to sell me,but although they didn't listen to me.My parents told me,that I was burden for their poor family.Because of my existence,as my father told me,he couldn't afford to take care of my 4 younger brothers.
Rifat translated the governor's narrative in Circassian.Safiye and Mustafa teared up.Mustafa recalled his painful past and his father's unforgivable act back then.