The Final Serving.
The train pulled intae Macduff station and the sojer lad stepped doon fae the guard box intae the caal nicht air. He thanked Jimmy Reid the guard for the hurl. He’d been stranded in Aiberdeen and wid’ve hin tae wyte till the next mornin for the Macduff train but Jimmy hid spotted him.
Jimmy kent his father Geordie Sangster they’d been at school
thegither so he’d shouted him ower and offered him a hurl on the late
goods train gyan tae Macduff. Hamish hid been fair chuffed and in nae
time wiz in the guard box haein a fine strong cup o tay and o aa things a
Dandyduff butterie. He thocht he wiz in heaven.
Hamish walked fae the station doon intae the toon wi his kitbag on his shooder. So far he’d been sax weeks ontae a troopship and the last fortyaicht oors on different trains fae Southampton. He wiz tired, hungry and feelin the caal chill breeze comin aff the Moray Firth.
Hamish walked fae the station doon intae the toon wi his kitbag on his shooder. So far he’d been sax weeks ontae a troopship and the last fortyaicht oors on different trains fae Southampton. He wiz tired, hungry and feelin the caal chill breeze comin aff the Moray Firth.
Makin his wye doon tae Duff
street he noticed there wisna muckle fowk gyan aboot. Maybe it bein sic
a caal nicht fowk were mair inclined tae their ain hearth steens. He
got the waft o breed fae the bakehoose, aal Tammar Stewart nae doot hard
at it getting stuff ready for the next day.
As he wint doon the street
memories came floodin back tae fin he wiz a bairn. A lot o years hid
passed since he ran up an doon this brae wi his pals. The sichts an
sounds o the hairbour or the fine smell o the smoke sheds as they
kippered herrin or cured haddocks. Though aa the shops were shut for the
nicht he noticed a licht on in Candy Nellie’s sweetie shop. Candy
Nellie wisna her richt name that wiz Mary Simpson but tae generations o
Dandyduffers she wiz Candy Nellie. God the pu-candy she made wiz nivver
tae be forgotten, a great twist the size o yer hand for a bawbee and if
ye did it richt ye could mak it last a whole day. He tried the door an
found it open. The wee bell rang oot as the door hut it and pushed the
wee airm.
Though the licht wiz turned doon low Hamish could see the different sweeties in tin trays on the simple widden coonter. He waited a couple o minutes but naebody appeared so he shouted “SHOP!” A skuffle came fae the back room and Candy Nellie wiz there wi her smiling face jist as he mind.
“Aye sojer lad fit can I dee for ye?”
Even her voice wiz the same and she’d hardly aged ava. Obviously she didna recognise him but then again why would she wi the amount o bairns that hid passed throwe her door in aa the years?
He tellt her that fin he wiz on the Peshawar plains in India he’d often thocht o her pu-candy. She smiled her kind smile and wint tae een o the trays and got him a twist. She put it intae a wee paper bag afore handin it ower the coonter. Hamish speired at he foo muckle it cost but she shook her heed sayin she wisna seekin siller for it and that if he enjoyed it that wiz aa the peyment she nott. He thanked her and made for the door sayin good nicht. Jist as he left he heard her saying “Aye good nicht tae you ana Hamish!” Michty she must’ve mind on him aifter aa this time. He thocht o gan back inside but he could see her turnin the lamp oot so he decided he’d gyang back anither day.
Makin his wye tae his mither’s at Tarlair street he felt the shiver in his bones as if the fever fae the Peshawar plains wiz returning. But he shrugged that aff sayin tae himsel it wiz only the caal ween and he wiz tired. The familiar sight o Tarlair street teen his mind fae dwelling on the fevers that near killed him in the burnin heat o India. His step quickened as he neared his ain door. It hid been seven lang years since he last walked here. He could see the greenish glow o the gas licht ahin his mither’s closed curtains and could picture her sittin there knittin in front o the range or maybe makin scones on the girdle and faither readin een o his beuks.. He tried the door but it wiz locked so he gave a light chap. A minty or twa later and the door opened and there wiz his aal mither so he teen her intae his bosie wi a “Mam!” Oh sic a welcome he got. Father came ben the hoose wi his pipe in his moo and the glasses perched up on his broo and grabbed his laddie and danced aroon. Hamish started tae say something but the words nivver formed as he collapsed in a heap and lay still as if he wiz deed.
He came tee tae find himsel lyin on his ain bed wi aal Doctor McBain leanin ower him. He could see his mither and father standin at the ither side o the bed wi really concerned looks on their faces. He tried tae tell them he’d be aricht that it wiz only the fever but the spasms wracked throwe his body again makin speech impossible. The next thing he kent wiz the feeling o caal water being swabbed ontae his broo and as he opened his een he saw it wiz his mither. He could see that she’d been greetin and he couldna imagine why so he teen her hand in his and saw her smile wi relief.
Ower the next couple o weeks Hamish got back tae his feet but michty he wiz as weak as a kittlin. Slowly he got mair mobile and Doctor McBain suggested that he should get oot intae the fresh air.
The next day it wiz a fine sunny day so Hamish put on his civie clyes and wint for a traivell. His clyse were far too slack on him and he felt uncomfortable weerin breeks instead o the kilt he wiz used tae. Neentheless he wint for a walk alang the shore. The fine appetising smell o fish being smoked wint roon his hert like a hairy worm. Some o the fisher loons were workin on the nets. He kent een or twa o them so he stood up for a bit news wi them. A fylie later he found himsel near the fit o Duff street so he thocht he’d gang in past Candy Nellie tae thank her again for the pu-candy and maybe buy a bit mair cause he must’ve lost the last bit. Onywye as he approached the shop he could see the blinds were doon and it looked shut. Sic a shock he got fin he saw the neglected look o the place. The windae wiz dirty and on the inside he could see loads o deed bluebottles and wasps some caught in the multitude o spider webs that hung awye. It hid only been a couple o weeks since he spoke tae her so there wiz nae wye it could be in this state?
Fin Hamish won his wye hame and sat doon for his denner he seemed affa deep in thought. His mither noticed this and speired if there wiz something wrang. Hamish at first seemed reluctant but eventually tellt her aboot Candy Nellie and him gyan in by on the nicht he’d came hame. His mither tellt him he couldna hae been intae the shop for it hid been shut for the past seven years iver since she’d died.
Doctor McBain came tae visit so his mither tellt him fit Hamish hid been tellin her aboot Candy Nellie. Doctor McBain laached at this sayin “Dinna you worry ma loon ye nivver saw a ghost!” And tellt him that wi him suffering fae the fever he’d only hid a wee bit o a hallucination and that wiz quite normal. Of course Hamish believed this but somehow it still left him feelin a wee bittie uneasy.
Onywye a fyowe wiks later he’d gotten his marchin orders and wiz tae leave for Fort George up the Inverness wye. His mither readied his kit makin sure the pleats on his kilt were perfect and that his tunic wiz pressed and clean. Aifter she’d laid athing oot she teen the sporran tae gie it a polish and tidy up. Something fell tae the grun so she bent doon tae pick it up. It wiz a wee paper bag and inside there wiz a big twist o pu-candy.
End.
Though the licht wiz turned doon low Hamish could see the different sweeties in tin trays on the simple widden coonter. He waited a couple o minutes but naebody appeared so he shouted “SHOP!” A skuffle came fae the back room and Candy Nellie wiz there wi her smiling face jist as he mind.
“Aye sojer lad fit can I dee for ye?”
Even her voice wiz the same and she’d hardly aged ava. Obviously she didna recognise him but then again why would she wi the amount o bairns that hid passed throwe her door in aa the years?
He tellt her that fin he wiz on the Peshawar plains in India he’d often thocht o her pu-candy. She smiled her kind smile and wint tae een o the trays and got him a twist. She put it intae a wee paper bag afore handin it ower the coonter. Hamish speired at he foo muckle it cost but she shook her heed sayin she wisna seekin siller for it and that if he enjoyed it that wiz aa the peyment she nott. He thanked her and made for the door sayin good nicht. Jist as he left he heard her saying “Aye good nicht tae you ana Hamish!” Michty she must’ve mind on him aifter aa this time. He thocht o gan back inside but he could see her turnin the lamp oot so he decided he’d gyang back anither day.
Makin his wye tae his mither’s at Tarlair street he felt the shiver in his bones as if the fever fae the Peshawar plains wiz returning. But he shrugged that aff sayin tae himsel it wiz only the caal ween and he wiz tired. The familiar sight o Tarlair street teen his mind fae dwelling on the fevers that near killed him in the burnin heat o India. His step quickened as he neared his ain door. It hid been seven lang years since he last walked here. He could see the greenish glow o the gas licht ahin his mither’s closed curtains and could picture her sittin there knittin in front o the range or maybe makin scones on the girdle and faither readin een o his beuks.. He tried the door but it wiz locked so he gave a light chap. A minty or twa later and the door opened and there wiz his aal mither so he teen her intae his bosie wi a “Mam!” Oh sic a welcome he got. Father came ben the hoose wi his pipe in his moo and the glasses perched up on his broo and grabbed his laddie and danced aroon. Hamish started tae say something but the words nivver formed as he collapsed in a heap and lay still as if he wiz deed.
He came tee tae find himsel lyin on his ain bed wi aal Doctor McBain leanin ower him. He could see his mither and father standin at the ither side o the bed wi really concerned looks on their faces. He tried tae tell them he’d be aricht that it wiz only the fever but the spasms wracked throwe his body again makin speech impossible. The next thing he kent wiz the feeling o caal water being swabbed ontae his broo and as he opened his een he saw it wiz his mither. He could see that she’d been greetin and he couldna imagine why so he teen her hand in his and saw her smile wi relief.
Ower the next couple o weeks Hamish got back tae his feet but michty he wiz as weak as a kittlin. Slowly he got mair mobile and Doctor McBain suggested that he should get oot intae the fresh air.
The next day it wiz a fine sunny day so Hamish put on his civie clyes and wint for a traivell. His clyse were far too slack on him and he felt uncomfortable weerin breeks instead o the kilt he wiz used tae. Neentheless he wint for a walk alang the shore. The fine appetising smell o fish being smoked wint roon his hert like a hairy worm. Some o the fisher loons were workin on the nets. He kent een or twa o them so he stood up for a bit news wi them. A fylie later he found himsel near the fit o Duff street so he thocht he’d gang in past Candy Nellie tae thank her again for the pu-candy and maybe buy a bit mair cause he must’ve lost the last bit. Onywye as he approached the shop he could see the blinds were doon and it looked shut. Sic a shock he got fin he saw the neglected look o the place. The windae wiz dirty and on the inside he could see loads o deed bluebottles and wasps some caught in the multitude o spider webs that hung awye. It hid only been a couple o weeks since he spoke tae her so there wiz nae wye it could be in this state?
Fin Hamish won his wye hame and sat doon for his denner he seemed affa deep in thought. His mither noticed this and speired if there wiz something wrang. Hamish at first seemed reluctant but eventually tellt her aboot Candy Nellie and him gyan in by on the nicht he’d came hame. His mither tellt him he couldna hae been intae the shop for it hid been shut for the past seven years iver since she’d died.
Doctor McBain came tae visit so his mither tellt him fit Hamish hid been tellin her aboot Candy Nellie. Doctor McBain laached at this sayin “Dinna you worry ma loon ye nivver saw a ghost!” And tellt him that wi him suffering fae the fever he’d only hid a wee bit o a hallucination and that wiz quite normal. Of course Hamish believed this but somehow it still left him feelin a wee bittie uneasy.
Onywye a fyowe wiks later he’d gotten his marchin orders and wiz tae leave for Fort George up the Inverness wye. His mither readied his kit makin sure the pleats on his kilt were perfect and that his tunic wiz pressed and clean. Aifter she’d laid athing oot she teen the sporran tae gie it a polish and tidy up. Something fell tae the grun so she bent doon tae pick it up. It wiz a wee paper bag and inside there wiz a big twist o pu-candy.
End.
copyright © Sanners Gow
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