The Forty Rules of Love

Ella. Konya, September 7, 2009. Ella is with Aziz in the morning in Konya. Her friends in Massachusetts didn’t understand her decision to leave behind David for a man with no future. Ella and Aziz have been in Konya for four days, but while the first three were enjoyable, eventually, Aziz collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. He wakes, feeling drowsy at first and talking about how the morning is a special time of day for Muslims, since the morning prayer is considered most sacred. They hear the call to prayer go out.

After the call to prayer, Aziz falls back to sleep, looking peaceful. Ella leaves the room to wander around the hospital, finding its garden. She doesn’t have a coin but throws a pebble into the fountain to make a wish. When she comes back, however, she finds that Aziz has died.

Aziz is buried in Konya, like Rumi. His friends come from as far away as Cape Town and São Paulo to make the funeral. It’s a joyful celebration of Aziz’s life. Two days after the funeral, Ella wanders the city of Konya alone. She goes back to her hotel and calls Jeannette, the only family member who supported her, and reveals that Aziz has died.

Ella tells Jeannette that she’s going to Amsterdam and hopes Jeannette and the rest of the family will come see her there soon. Ella wants to live one day at a time, taking into consideration rule 40 of love: “a life without love is of no account.” The rule advises against making arbitrary distinctions like spiritual or material and Eastern or Western, stating that the universe comes alive when fire loves water.