It was ready—my machine for travelling back in time was finally ready. I was over the moon, jumping from one side to another. I knew I had no time to waste; I was ready to try my machine for the first time. I quickly pressed the buttons and adjusted the time to 1919. While waiting for the machine to work, I was shaking like a leaf, not knowing what to expect. The machine started making a loud, weird, and squeaky sound, like an old, rusty bike that needed fixing.
I closed my eyes, and in the blink of an eye, I was there—in Samsun! I knew I was there because only the people of Samsun, Turkey, could welcome their ancestor like that. Their eyes were full of gratitude, respect, and admiration. At that moment, I turned my head toward the crowd, and I saw him—Mustafa Kemal. He was looking into his people’s eyes with pride. He was waving to everyone, every single person he saw. He was making sure that everyone knew he was one of them. Everyone was ready—more ready than ever—to be independent.
After a few minutes, I knew I had to leave. I didn’t have the power to change the past or the future. Even if I did, I wouldn’t. I had seen with my own eyes that a nation’s independence is not easily gained.