torn coat pocket, retrieving a large green bottle. ‘Well, me auld highlander, do yez want a sup?’
Rory was not sober for long, as both men gulped and sang until a full moon and drunken sleep brought silence to the night.
Annie still wasn’t well and so Megan went off to bed, sharing soft tales with her mother until she too slept. As Megan lay listening to a hedgehog digging in the rough heather at the rear of her tent, her mother slept fitfully.
As the last embers of fire crackled, Jimmy and Rachel felt themselves growing closer. Each of them could see in the other similar qualities and ways.
Next day, when work was over and the fires gently smouldering again, Doctor Mackenzie came trotting along the path. Hobbling his old horse to a gnarled oak, he called out, ‘Are you folks in good health? For a sharing of your tea I’ll give you all a wee bit look-over.’
Megan and Bruar, who were away somewhere over the high hills checking rabbit snares, would have been sorry not to see and blether awhile with the good doctor. Annie had been sore and thanked God for his visit. ‘I have a pain worse than bairn-labour, doctor, could you give me something to help me sleep? Rachel, pour him a mug of good strong tea, and if you and your sister haven’t eaten them all, a scone to go with it.’
The doctor knelt and lifted a feather pillow, fluffed it and gently laid her back onto it.
‘Is the big world still turning, doctor?’ asked Rachel, gladly pouring him a strong mug of tea from the blackened kettle suspended over the campfire. She buttered a few scones as her mother asked, then added, ‘You see, sir, I sometimes wonder if we are the only folks left alive. We never see a soul unless we go hawking, or buy butter and milk from the good farm wives.’
‘Apart from the village folk and the screeching curlews I have no knowledge of the outside world myself, Rachel.’ He winked; she blushed, bowing slightly as if he were royalty and made an excuse to leave.
‘She’s a lady, is that lass of yours, Annie,’ he said, watching the way she moved and thinking that if her rags were replaced with fine clothes one could easily see her fitting into a world of finery.
‘Aye, she’d be pleased to hear you say such things, for all she moans about is getting free of this life. But is my lassie as near as would be able to hear me? I have to speak serious with you, sir.’
He was concerned at her tone of voice, detected her fear. Casting an eye at Rachel and seeing her speaking with Jimmy, he replied, ‘I must say they make a fine pair, where are the other two?’
‘Never mind them. Listen, doctor, there’s these awful searing pains in my chest, like a hot poker piercing at my heart. Promise me you won’t tell the girls, now will you, because if there’s a bad thing wrong with me I don’t want them worrying.’
He knew enough about tinker folk to tell that when a pain was admitted it was serious. He could see by looking at the woman that she was anxious, and so whispered, ‘You have been too long caring for these lassies. Stop concerning yourself about them so much. Now let’s have a listen to these innards of yours.’ Ushering her to a secluded place at the back of the tent he gently pressed a large stethoscope at her chest. ‘Where exactly is this pain you speak of, my dear?’
Never having seen a stethoscope before, she at first drew back from its cold touch. The old man smiled and gently persuaded her. ‘Come now, lass, this only tells me what’s going on in there.’ He ran a hand across her upper chest and under her chin.
The beats sounded faint and solemn. Mackenzie was long enough in the tooth to know a weakening heart when he heard one. Her face also told a story, with greyish lips, yellowed eyes and cold, clammy skin. ‘Annie, you tinker folk doesn’t like untruths, so I hope you listen to me and take life easy from now on.’
Cupping her face in work-gnarled fingers she gazed into his eyes,
Rory was not sober for long, as both men gulped and sang until a full moon and drunken sleep brought silence to the night.
Annie still wasn’t well and so Megan went off to bed, sharing soft tales with her mother until she too slept. As Megan lay listening to a hedgehog digging in the rough heather at the rear of her tent, her mother slept fitfully.
As the last embers of fire crackled, Jimmy and Rachel felt themselves growing closer. Each of them could see in the other similar qualities and ways.
Next day, when work was over and the fires gently smouldering again, Doctor Mackenzie came trotting along the path. Hobbling his old horse to a gnarled oak, he called out, ‘Are you folks in good health? For a sharing of your tea I’ll give you all a wee bit look-over.’
Megan and Bruar, who were away somewhere over the high hills checking rabbit snares, would have been sorry not to see and blether awhile with the good doctor. Annie had been sore and thanked God for his visit. ‘I have a pain worse than bairn-labour, doctor, could you give me something to help me sleep? Rachel, pour him a mug of good strong tea, and if you and your sister haven’t eaten them all, a scone to go with it.’
The doctor knelt and lifted a feather pillow, fluffed it and gently laid her back onto it.
‘Is the big world still turning, doctor?’ asked Rachel, gladly pouring him a strong mug of tea from the blackened kettle suspended over the campfire. She buttered a few scones as her mother asked, then added, ‘You see, sir, I sometimes wonder if we are the only folks left alive. We never see a soul unless we go hawking, or buy butter and milk from the good farm wives.’
‘Apart from the village folk and the screeching curlews I have no knowledge of the outside world myself, Rachel.’ He winked; she blushed, bowing slightly as if he were royalty and made an excuse to leave.
‘She’s a lady, is that lass of yours, Annie,’ he said, watching the way she moved and thinking that if her rags were replaced with fine clothes one could easily see her fitting into a world of finery.
‘Aye, she’d be pleased to hear you say such things, for all she moans about is getting free of this life. But is my lassie as near as would be able to hear me? I have to speak serious with you, sir.’
He was concerned at her tone of voice, detected her fear. Casting an eye at Rachel and seeing her speaking with Jimmy, he replied, ‘I must say they make a fine pair, where are the other two?’
‘Never mind them. Listen, doctor, there’s these awful searing pains in my chest, like a hot poker piercing at my heart. Promise me you won’t tell the girls, now will you, because if there’s a bad thing wrong with me I don’t want them worrying.’
He knew enough about tinker folk to tell that when a pain was admitted it was serious. He could see by looking at the woman that she was anxious, and so whispered, ‘You have been too long caring for these lassies. Stop concerning yourself about them so much. Now let’s have a listen to these innards of yours.’ Ushering her to a secluded place at the back of the tent he gently pressed a large stethoscope at her chest. ‘Where exactly is this pain you speak of, my dear?’
Never having seen a stethoscope before, she at first drew back from its cold touch. The old man smiled and gently persuaded her. ‘Come now, lass, this only tells me what’s going on in there.’ He ran a hand across her upper chest and under her chin.
The beats sounded faint and solemn. Mackenzie was long enough in the tooth to know a weakening heart when he heard one. Her face also told a story, with greyish lips, yellowed eyes and cold, clammy skin. ‘Annie, you tinker folk doesn’t like untruths, so I hope you listen to me and take life easy from now on.’
Cupping her face in work-gnarled fingers she gazed into his eyes,
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