Kaan muttered, frustration evident.
"Ah come on, this is my 26'th time this week"
His one-bedroom apartment, which he barely afforded by working part-time as a cashier at a convenience store, was sparse: a couch, some dust, and a PC that looked like it belonged to an ancient civilization.
Like most young people struggling to find a job that matched their degree, Kaan was no exception. He was a Mechanical Engineer living in a moist, one-bedroom apartment that felt like a nuclear shelter. He struggled with life, not having parents to guide him, but his ambition and will to live kept him going despite everything.
"When am I going to get a job?" he wondered aloud. "Is there even a single place in Istanbul where a mechanical engineer can work? 'Ten years of experience,' they all say. How am I supposed to get experience if no one gives me a damn job?"
He felt desperate, almost inadequate. Though he was a tough person—growing up in an orphanage had seen to that—he had been feeling weak lately.
"I'm really close to giving up," he thought. "I have a degree, but no one cares."
He started getting ready for his nightshift at the convenience store when he suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, kiddo! Don't forget to bring your hygiene certificate tomorrow. It's mandatory by law!"
He started searching for the certificate, rummaging through a stack of drawers filled with old university projects.
"Ah, back when I had dreams!" he said.
As he went through the drawers one by one, he noticed a small, velvet box. "I don't remember owning a box like this," he thought.
He picked it up and shook it. Rattle, rattle. Then he opened it.
"What the hell is this?"
Inside, he found a note. He unfolded the paper.
"Dear Kaan,
When you were dropped off at the orphanage by a good Samaritan, this box was found with you. We decided not to open it, but we had to open it in order to put this note."
"OF COURSE, THAT'S GENIUS!" he yelled.
The note continued: "We don't know what is inside, but we decided to put it in your backpack. I hope this can help you find your family. With my utmost respect, Mehmet Gündoğan."
His eyes teared up a little. Mehmet, the Director of the orphanage he grew up in, had always been a father figure to him.
"Why did I never notice this box?" he thought.
He looked inside again.
"I must have gone crazy. I didn't see that right." He turned his head away to clear his vision and then looked back. "Dude, I really am going crazy. What tha hail[1] is this!"
It was a brass ring, engraved with stylized dragons, and on its inner band, a perfectly molded USB-C charging port.
The ring was nestled in a small sponge; Kaan picked it out and saw a tiny, coiled USB cable tucked beneath the padding.
"REALLY? It comes with a free charger," he muttered, managing a dry laugh. "How nice."
The persistent beeping of his alarm clock shattered the moment. DIT DIT DIT DIT.
"Oh crap, I'm late for work."
He stuffed the ring back into the box, grabbed the certificate, and rushed out the door.
The convenience store cashier shift was routine: "Cash or card, sir?" "Card, please." "Thanks, have a nice day." "You too, sir."
Just another boring day, but Kaan's mind was racing. What the hell was that ring?A USB-C port?I could call it a newly produced smart-ring, but the note said it was with me when I was a baby.There's no way that thing is 26 years old.
The thought was a promise: "After work, I absolutely have to check that out."
[1] STEVEN HE!!