by Allison Shaw
John and Euan sat down at the kitchen table while Callie paced back and forth. They watched her for a moment before John asked quietly in Gaelic, “Do you think they’ll let you stay?”
Euan shrugged and replied, also in Gaelic, “I don’t know. I hope so. I want to be with my children.”
“And their mother as well?” John asked.
Euan looked at Callie, who was looking out the window at the bonfire. “Aye,” he said. “More than anything. Seeing her again made me realize…” He gestured with his hands and John nodded in understanding.
“She’s the heart of your heart,” John replied. “If you get another chance with her, don’t ruin it.”
Callie heard the conversation but was too distracted by her own thoughts to remember enough Gaelic to decipher any of it. She was nervous, worried, angry, and afraid. The future for herself and her children was being decided for her, never mind that this was the twenty-first century and not the twelfth. She wondered if she could pack up and leave, but where would she go with two small children and no skills of any use anywhere except in the wilderness or on a farm? God Almighty but she was screwed!
Euan’s voice cut in on her worrying. “Callie, would ye mind if I made some tea?”
She turned and looked at him, her mind registering his request. She shrugged and motioned towards the kettle on the stove. “Knock yourself out.”
He didn’t know what to do to ease her mood except leave and he wasn’t going anywhere just yet. “Do’ ye want a cup o’ tea?” he asked.
“I do,” John said. “There’s a mon-size cup in the cupboard there that’ll do me braw.”
Euan opened the doors to the cabinets one by one until he found the cups and glasses. “Tha’ aen?” he asked, pointing at a huge hand-thrown clay coffee mug with multi-hued glazes.
“Aye, tha’ be it,” John answered with a grin. “I’ll hae t’ buy me aen afore I go home. Nae more drinkin’ from a wee cup!”
Euan pulled the mug off the shelf, along with a smaller one for himself. As he closed the cabinet door, he thought better of it and got one more cup out. Pouring the kettle, he set about making them all some tea.
He remembered the evenings he and Callie had spent in the kitchen at his cottage, cooking their supper and bantering back and forth about their day, ideas for improving the croft’s yields, or something in the news. He would whisper in her ear about his plans for their pleasure that night and took delight in the way she would blush and smile before swatting at him playfully and teasing him right back.
A smile came to his lips as he remembered the first time he’d called her a wee cock-tease. She had blushed furiously, looked him dead in the eye with her hands on her hips, and scolded in all seriousness, “Well, I never! How could you even call me something like that? Especially when there’s nothing wee about your cock!”
He had roared, laughing so hard that he had almost lost his breath while Callie had stood there for a few moments feigning a haughty look before she, too, had laughed. They had made love three times that night, starting right there in the kitchen. By Euan’s reckoning, calculating back from their date of birth and the fact that they had come nearly a month early, that was probably the night Callie had conceived the twins.
Callie watched Euan and wondered what he was smiling about. Her mind reeled with possible nefarious plans he might have for kidnapping her children, right along with various painful and humiliating fates she wished to befall him. Focusing on dealing such richly deserved justice with her own hands helped to keep her from losing control over her fears and temper and gave her some measure of satisfaction, albeit an admittedly warped one.
“Sae tell me, Callie,” John ventured, “how well does this retreat do?”
“Why would you want to know?” she asked, her suspicion of his motives quite evident in the tone of her voice and her facial expression.
“Well, we’ve a good deal of fallow land in the Highlands an’ the Parliament hae been tryin’ tae ken o’ wha’ tae do wi’ it,” he replied. “There’s several reforestation groups workin’ to replant the auld forests using seedlings an’ rooted cuttin’s from the few auld Scottish oaks and pines tha’ still exist. An’ we hae red deer an’ wild sheep fer huntin’.”
“What of predators?” she asked. “No wilderness can function without natural predators.”
Euan shrugged. “Just a few Highland wildcats, fox, weasels, hawk, an’ owl,” he said. “The last wolf was killed aboot five hundred years ago, and there hae nae been bear or lynx in all Britain for a thousand years.”
“There’s nae way they’d e’er let wolves loose in Scotland,” John stated. “Nae lynx, either. Nae wi’ all the sheep an’ cattle. Too many crofters depend on their flocks an’ are just ekin’ by at that. Our livestock arre nae used to predators. Wild beasts would decimate them.”
“Without natural predators, game animals reproduce rapidly and the ones that would be culled by predators- the weak, sick, and stupid- also reproduce, weakening the herds and resulting in lesser quality animals,” Callie replied. “Too many animals can lead to overgrazing, which weakens the environment as well. Weaker offspring would be the first to catch and spread epidemic diseases to their own kind, who themselves might have impaired immunity due to environmental stress. Added to that, it’s extremely difficult to round up and treat wild deer and sheep.”
Callie absentmindedly accepted the cup of tea that Euan set beside her and took a sip. “The results would be catastrophic for wild game and domestic livestock, and could ruin both agriculture and game industries.”
“Hoo d’ ye ken tha’?” asked John.
“Disease doesn’t die with an animal, you know,” Callie replied. “Carrion eaters consume the meat and take the disease organisms with them. Since few of them suffer any effects they can become carriers. Their feces fall on the ground and into the water, which can contaminate it. Game animals drink the water and eat the grass and the disease continues. Game animals tend to be herd animals, so infected ones spread the disease through normal social contact. Livestock eat the same grass and drink the same water that the game animals do and they get it, too. But, predators keep the game population in check which prevents overgrazing. Daily human presence around livestock drives game animals further up into wilderness areas. Most wolves are afraid of humans and will stay away from where people live.”
After a sip of tea she continued, “Unfortunately, bears are a different story. They’ve learned that humans produce lots of garbage full of food scraps…easy pickings for them. And they’re a lot more dangerous than wolves.”
Euan decided to enter the conversation. “But what guarantee would crofters hae tha’ their livestock would be safe from reintroduced predators such as wolves? I’d take a huge hit in m’ income if a wolf tore through m’ flock or killed a few calves.”
Callie eyed him for a moment or two before replying, “There’s no guarantee of anything in this life, Euan. You learn to live with the risks or you minimize them if you can’t. Where people manage their flocks and herds more closely, the losses are few because the predators are not willing to risk getting killed over a piece of meat. But if it’s your habit to just turn your stock out to fend for themselves, then any predator would see it as an opportunity for something that’s easier to catch than a deer or wild sheep.”
Euan asked, “An’ that’s wha’ ye do wi’ yer stock? I mean, yer wolves come right up tae yer door an’ aroon yer stock.”
Callie shrugged. “Our wolves are rehabilitated to live in the wild, but part of that training is teaching them to not hunt domestic stock. How long that’ll stick before one of them or their offspring decides to take a goat or sheep or calf is up for debate. We pen our livestock up for the night and the dogs guard them.”
Euan took a deep breath, knowing he was about to bring up a dangerous topic. “An’ the bairns, are they truly safe?”
Callie’s eyes narrowed. In a tight voice she replied, “As safe as or safer than
they’d be around dogs. Do you think I’d endanger my children?”
She gave him a disgusted look and then looked away. “I’ve never left them alone around any animal, not even a kitten. And that was as much for the animal’s safety as the kids’. Children have to be trained to respect and respond properly to critters and the critters have to be trained to tolerate the children while they’re learning.”
Suddenly her demeanor turned fierce and she hissed, “But you’ve been thinking about that, haven’t you? A perfect excuse to get the children taken from me so you can take them back to Scotland with you free and clear! Over my dead body, Mr. Wallace!”
Her accusation stung his pride and he tried to keep his own temper in check as he formed his response. Shaking his head he said, “Nae, Callie, tha’s nae wha’ I want tae do, but if I thought the bairns were in any danger I’d do whatever had t’ be done t’ protect ‘em. If I kenned tha’ the wolves were a danger tae them, I’d kill ‘em wi m’ bare hands if need be. If I kenned ye were a danger tae them, I’d try t’ see tha’ they an’ ye both were protected but I’d take no pleasure in takin’ ‘em from ye.”
He then added quietly, “But I still remember enough o’ ye tae ken tha’ there nae be a better mathair than ye hae been. Our bairns are fit braw in mind and body, an’ verra well behaved e’en for such wee bairns. Ye’ve done a gude job, Callie. Far better than I could hae done.”
She was genuinely surprised by Euan’s compliment. She had expected criticism for raising Red Wolf and Mountain Rose out in the wilderness with only their cousins and critters for playmates. Hancock County had never been wealthy, not even in its dreams. It was full of mountain folk who eked out a living from one generation to the next, people who expected little more from life than the bare necessities, and to whom trials and tribulations were so familiar that each new one hardly raised an eyebrow.
But no matter how little they had, they were proud, tough, and determined folk. They faced hardships that would crush most people and spat in the devil’s face while doing it. They were plain and practical, preferring to put their efforts into the things they could do and not bothering with what couldn’t be helped. Fervent in faith and devotion to family, they were often derided as superstitious, ignorant, clannish, and hostile to the outside world and change. Yet they knew the value of hanging on to what mattered most, and to hell with what anyone else thought about it.
Where else could kids grow up still able to roam the countryside without their parents having to worry about pedophiles and gang-bangers? Here children could run free, their imaginations unfettered by too much time in front of the television or playing videogames. They lived in God’s Country, the Ridge and Valley landscape of the western slopes of the Appalachians, with the wild splendor of creation around them to feed their hearts, minds, and spirits as well as their bodies.
John agreed. “Aye, lass, ye’ve done fit braw wi’ the bairns. They hae a gude life here. If e’er I left Scotland, this is where I’d come for aye.”
Callie offered reluctant thanks for the compliments. She was too uneasy with these two being there, too unsure of their ulterior motives. Too aware of Euan being too close to her and the unwanted physical responses he aroused in her traitorous body.
The outside kitchen door flew open and a giggling Mountain Rose ran in with Lizzie hot on her heels. The girls ran around the table twice before Callie caught both by an arm and asked what was going on. Lizzie proudly showed the skink she had caught in the woodpile and was trying to put down her cousin’s shirt. Callie smiled. “Well, now that y’all have scared him half out of his skin, go turn him loose where you found him.”
“Aw, Mama!” Mountain Rose said. “Do we hafta? Right now?”
Callie nodded. “He’s a wild thing, honey. He needs to go back home.” She looked at Lizzie. “Go put him back exactly where you found him, Lizzie, and make sure you apologize for scaring him. Make sure he can get down a hole and stay warm so he doesn’t freeze.”
As the girls left, Red Wolf and Lowell Collins, Lizzie’s three-year-old brother, came in. Their faces were flushed and sweaty from running, and there were bits of leaves and grass in their hair.
“You two been rolling on the ground?” Callie asked.
“Yes’m,” Lowell said. “We need soda pop.”
“How about some juice?” Callie countered. “We don’t serve soda pop this late.” She never touched the stuff herself and never gave any to her children. Far too many kids in this area had rotten teeth from drinking so much of it. Well, that and the rather poor access to dental care.
She poured two glasses of apple juice and set them before the boys, who had taken places at the table with John and Euan. Lowell looked at Euan and asked, “You his daddy?”
“Aye, lad,” Euan replied.
Lowell looked very confused. “Your eye’s bad?” He peered at Euan more closely, even getting up on his knees to look into Euan’s face and poked a finger towards the man’s eyes.
“Lowell!” Callie scolded as she grabbed the boy’s hand. “What are you doing?”
“He said his eye’s bad,” Lowell explained.
“No, sweetie,” she said. “Aye means ‘yes’ in Gaelic. He was saying yes he is Red Wolf’s daddy.”
Lowell frowned. “Then why’d he say his eye’s bad?”
Callie closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. “Lowell, drink your juice and go play.”
Lowell looked at her, even more confused than he’d been originally. He looked at his cousin, shrugged, and drank his juice. In typical three-year-old fashion, he amused himself by blowing bubbles in it. Not to be outdone, Red Wolf blew bubbles in his juice as well. Both boys started laughing and ended up spitting juice all over the table and themselves.
John and Euan chuckled, no doubt remembering doing similar things when they were little. Callie grabbed a clean dish cloth and wet it before scrubbing the boys down and shooing them outside so she could clean the juice off the table, chairs, and floor.
Euan held out his hand and offered to clean up after the boys. “Ye’ve cleaned the wee lads,” he said. “I’ll take care o’ the rest.”
Callie leveled a look at him, shrugged, and handed him the cloth. “Yeah, after I’ve done the hard part you want to take over and take credit. Just like a man.”
John laughed. Euan smiled and retorted, “It’s in oor nature. Wha’ can I say?”
Callie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest for a moment before bending over and reaching under the sink. She pulled out a spray bottle of cleanser and handed it to Euan. “Well, since you made such a magnanimous offer, Mr. Wallace, how can I refuse? Here’s something to make sure the job’s done right.”
The sarcasm in her voice was evident but light in tone. Seeing Euan on his knees would provide some amusement in an otherwise frustrating day.
He took the cleanser, bowed with a flourish, and said, “As m’ lady commands.” Euan was used to cleaning up after himself as he employed no servants and only had Elda Walton come in once a week to clean. He knew he didn’t keep things as clean as a woman would, but his abode was nowhere near being a dump.
Euan wiped the table and chairs and then squatted down to clean the floor. John teased, “Are ye comfortable doon there, Euan?”
“Och aye, lad,” came the reply. “Can I do anythin’ fer ye while I be doon on m’ knees here? Mebbe kiss yer arse?”
John’s face crinkled as he cracked a huge grin. “Well, lad, ye might want tae wait until I’ve scrubbed it gude for the occasion,” he chuckled.
“Well, MacQueen, tha’s more than I’d do fer the likes o’ yoo,” Euan returned.
“An’ I kenned ye be m’ friend, Wallace,” John said in feigned shock. “Och, ye’ve hurt me tae the core!”
Euan flipped his hand up in a rude gesture, to which John replied, “Nae thanks, lad. Ye nae hae the right equipment for that job.”
Callie shook her head and rolled her eyes. Men were m
en no matter where they came from. Everything revolved around their egos, their bellies, and their groins. She had long ago figured out that insulting each other’s manhood was the equivalent of chest-thumping for the male of the species, something that had probably gone on since the dawn of humankind. No doubt the females of the species had been rolling their eyes in exasperation ever since then as well.
They were into their second cup of tea when Caleb entered the kitchen. “They’re ready,” he said. Looking at John, he said, “Please don’t think we’re bein’ rude but this concerns them two. Would you mind waitin’ here?”
John nodded. “It’s only right,” he agreed. “I’ve nae problem wi’ it.”
Callie felt weak at the knees and her mouth went dry. Her chest tightened and her whole being was ready to panic. Still, she held her head up and kept her body steady, steeling herself for yet more bad news.
Euan followed Caleb and Callie. His mind turned over various possibilities as to the decision they were about to hear and he hoped that it was favorable. He wanted more time with his children, time enough to perhaps soften Callie’s heart towards him or at least lessen her anger.
They stood in front of Callie’s elders. Papa rose from his chair and faced them. He looked Euan and Callie over for a moment before starting. “It has been decided by the elders of this family that Euan Wallace will be able to stay amongst us so as to get to know his children and be their daddy right an’ proper.
“It was discussed that the best chance for him to do that would be to live under the same roof with ‘em -”
“What?!” Callie interjected.
Papa continued, “- but seein’ as how he ain’t married to the children’s mama, that wouldn’t be proper. Callie’s parents have offered him room and board in exchange for his labor and have accepted responsibility for keepin’ an eye on him. Callie and the children will also live here for the time being so as to enable the children to be with their father whilst keeping things respectable between the parents.
“In return, Mr. Wallace will give his word of honor that he won’t try takin’ off with the young’uns, that he will respect the authority of this family in all matters concernin’ ‘em, and that he’ll conduct himself in a way that won’t bring shame on himself or his children.” Papa paused. “Do ye agree to this, Euan?”