away from her to resume his intensive study of the waters of the Clyde.
When eventually he again turned to face her, with a strange look on his face, he said, “Ah’ve been standing here thinking aboot the best possible date for ma wedding.”
Her heart soared, she giggled like an enchanted schoolgirl and gazing up at him, she grasped his arm.
“Ah take it ye mean oor wedding, no just yer marriage, it will be mine as well. Oh, Fergie, my darlin boy, so ye’ve guessed already, wonderful. Ah didn’t even need tae tell ye and already ye’re ahead o me, planning oor wedding day.”
He shook off her hand from his arm, took a step away from her and said, “What in God’s name are ye on about, woman? Ma marriage and Ah repeat ma marriage has nothing whatever tae dae with ye.”
Sheena could feel her eyes widen in amazement.
“Sorry, Fergus, but Ah just don’t understand... we’ve been courtin now for months on end... and what we’ve shared together... those times in the old boatshed, surely ye must know...”
With one irritable movement of his arm, he threw aside her words.
“What Ah dae know is that was then, this is now. Things change. The past is over, the future lies ahead and, like Ah said, that means ma marriage no oors.”
“Fergie, my own dearest Fergus, Ah don’t understand... are ye feeling unwell in some way ... what is it? Ah jist don’t ...”
As her words trailed off, his face contorted with a strange mixture of emotions, he said, “Ye’re making this much more difficult than it need be, but if ye still don’t understand let me spell it out for ye ... as of now, there is no longer us. We, ye and me, we’re finished as a couple, it’s over, done with.”
Feeling that the raw emotions and floods of tears were already engulfing her, Sheena somehow managed to blurt out, “But why, Fergus, why? Ah thought we had oor future all mapped out. And aye, Ah dae mean a future for ‘us’.”
He plunged his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he prepared to go, and said, “Ye might hae planned the way ahead, Ah most certainly did not. And no only is oor friendship over –”
She gazed at him through her tears. “Oh, friendship is that what ye called it ... tell me at what point in ma life did Ah suddenly become so very stupid? There’s another word for what we had together, what we did together and it sure as hell was a lot more explicit than friendship.”
Totally ignoring her outburst and clearly refusing to discuss the matter any further, he finished by saying, “And so that there’s no further misunderstandings, ye should know that as of now, Ah am promised tae another. Ah am officially betrothed tae another lassie, a girl called Maggie. The auld weaver Ah work for, Maggie is his adored only grandchild.”
Then without another word being spoken, he walked away from the riverbank, and away from her.
As she watched him make his way up Water Row, she felt as though in a nightmare, bereft, alone and mouthing words which had meaning but no actual sound.
“But Fergie? But Fergie what about my news? Ah listened tae your news, horrendous though it was. But my news? What future now for our bastard bairn?”
As Sheena came back into the cottage, she knew that the carefree young girl who had danced out the door so recently was gone for ever. Now feeling like a tired, spent old woman with all the cares of the world on her shoulders, she gave a howl of anguish when feeling Aunt Annie’s eyes on her. She knew the last thing she could now stand would be compassionate concern, interested questions and a loving arm around her shoulders.
As Sheena cried and went on crying, she was dimly aware of her Aunt saying, “A lover’s tiff, by the look of it. So, Eck, if ye fancy a wee dauner for a breath of air, Ah’ll soon get tae the root of this. Lovers’ tiffs, always hae been around, always will be, nothing new or world-shaking in that. Just wait, by the time ye get back, Eck, Ah’ll hae this
When eventually he again turned to face her, with a strange look on his face, he said, “Ah’ve been standing here thinking aboot the best possible date for ma wedding.”
Her heart soared, she giggled like an enchanted schoolgirl and gazing up at him, she grasped his arm.
“Ah take it ye mean oor wedding, no just yer marriage, it will be mine as well. Oh, Fergie, my darlin boy, so ye’ve guessed already, wonderful. Ah didn’t even need tae tell ye and already ye’re ahead o me, planning oor wedding day.”
He shook off her hand from his arm, took a step away from her and said, “What in God’s name are ye on about, woman? Ma marriage and Ah repeat ma marriage has nothing whatever tae dae with ye.”
Sheena could feel her eyes widen in amazement.
“Sorry, Fergus, but Ah just don’t understand... we’ve been courtin now for months on end... and what we’ve shared together... those times in the old boatshed, surely ye must know...”
With one irritable movement of his arm, he threw aside her words.
“What Ah dae know is that was then, this is now. Things change. The past is over, the future lies ahead and, like Ah said, that means ma marriage no oors.”
“Fergie, my own dearest Fergus, Ah don’t understand... are ye feeling unwell in some way ... what is it? Ah jist don’t ...”
As her words trailed off, his face contorted with a strange mixture of emotions, he said, “Ye’re making this much more difficult than it need be, but if ye still don’t understand let me spell it out for ye ... as of now, there is no longer us. We, ye and me, we’re finished as a couple, it’s over, done with.”
Feeling that the raw emotions and floods of tears were already engulfing her, Sheena somehow managed to blurt out, “But why, Fergus, why? Ah thought we had oor future all mapped out. And aye, Ah dae mean a future for ‘us’.”
He plunged his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he prepared to go, and said, “Ye might hae planned the way ahead, Ah most certainly did not. And no only is oor friendship over –”
She gazed at him through her tears. “Oh, friendship is that what ye called it ... tell me at what point in ma life did Ah suddenly become so very stupid? There’s another word for what we had together, what we did together and it sure as hell was a lot more explicit than friendship.”
Totally ignoring her outburst and clearly refusing to discuss the matter any further, he finished by saying, “And so that there’s no further misunderstandings, ye should know that as of now, Ah am promised tae another. Ah am officially betrothed tae another lassie, a girl called Maggie. The auld weaver Ah work for, Maggie is his adored only grandchild.”
Then without another word being spoken, he walked away from the riverbank, and away from her.
As she watched him make his way up Water Row, she felt as though in a nightmare, bereft, alone and mouthing words which had meaning but no actual sound.
“But Fergie? But Fergie what about my news? Ah listened tae your news, horrendous though it was. But my news? What future now for our bastard bairn?”
As Sheena came back into the cottage, she knew that the carefree young girl who had danced out the door so recently was gone for ever. Now feeling like a tired, spent old woman with all the cares of the world on her shoulders, she gave a howl of anguish when feeling Aunt Annie’s eyes on her. She knew the last thing she could now stand would be compassionate concern, interested questions and a loving arm around her shoulders.
As Sheena cried and went on crying, she was dimly aware of her Aunt saying, “A lover’s tiff, by the look of it. So, Eck, if ye fancy a wee dauner for a breath of air, Ah’ll soon get tae the root of this. Lovers’ tiffs, always hae been around, always will be, nothing new or world-shaking in that. Just wait, by the time ye get back, Eck, Ah’ll hae this
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