Written by Hurrium sabah
Tequila Leila’s consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away…’
Again, a new work of genius by Elif Shafek takes our unconsciousness to last precious moments of Leila. In her novel, “10 Mins and 38 Seconds in Strange World” she beautifully intertwined the last seconds of Leila’s consciousness. Laila, a prostitute in the streets of Istanbul, died, but her sensory nerves are still on fire. Her consciousness begins to back flow bit by bit and weaving the pain. For a very little time after her death, her memory dwindles. She reminisces the celebration of his father on a long awaited birth of his son to the essences of the cardamom coffee, which she shares with the men in a brothel. Twinges and pains ebb between her synapses. Born in broken family, her innocence was taken by her uncle at 6. She is forced to marry with the abuser son at 16 but, somehow she manages to flee. Leila, giving voice to many shun and meek creatures of the society. Novel celebrates the happiness of friends who became close to each other after being denied form their own blood relations and society. Amid pains and sufferings, Leila chooses her life, but what fate she gets, brutally murdered and thrown into the garbage. In 1990s, when everyone is talking about the Margret Thatcher’s resignation and US war with Iran, the murder is telecast-ed on T.V. Leila is buried in the Cemetery of Companion less, which is especially reserved for refugees, LGBTs, Transgender and other undenied people of the society in Turkey. Elif interlaces the novel into three parts. The mind, body and soul. Each has its own significance. In the first part Leila is drifting through memories. Her memory ebbs between pain and miseries she faces. Throughout the second part she takes us to long journeys where she meets the small society of denying people. Her five friends are trying to give her a respectful proper burial. Elif lyrical command over the language is connecting soul to soul.
Elif has taken our mind to such outcast issues of the society, which we do not pay heed to. She has connected all the cultures and arose the issues of many women through the character of Laila in 10 min and 38 seconds. In our society after being harassed, molested and raped, women are taught to be silent. There are many women under the belly of the society who have lost their innocence at very small age, but they are not allowed to speak. The rebellious soul of Leila is not her choice rather the patriarchal society forces her to do so. In 10 mins and 38 seconds, Elif made possible for us to hear many voices and triggered us to think about many fallen women around.