It was a difficult few minutes up to the car park as she spotted the familiar, comforting figure standing in the huge doorway. The soothing and deep voice called softly to her "Hullo ma darlin', welcome hame!" and the tears broke through her barrier of strength as she dropped her bags and fell into her father's giant arms.
"Daddy!" she cried as he squeezed her tenderly. He was a powerful man of sixty two, his balding head once sported a shock of carrot red hair but his hair and his beard were more grey these days than they used to be. Although he wasn't particularly tall, Hamish Boyle was a big man, powerful, he could lift one end of a tractor with ease and he was once the caber tossing champion of the county. He could easily crush his daughter but there was a softer side to him as well, and this side was threatening to come out as he held her protectively. His only daughter! Returning home to the bosom of her family, twenty eight years of age and feeling as if her life was over. Hamish knew it had only just begun, but convincing Rhona of that at this moment in her life was going to be impossible!
"Come inside hen, yer mammy's dyin' tae see ye!" Hamish put a protective arm around her and guided her into the foyer.
It had been at least a year since she last stepped foot in her family's hotel. A huge mansion, typically Scottish in every way, that housed the Laird and his wife over two hundred years ago and was handed down the generations until Rhona's grandfather converted it into a tourist spot and hotel in the 1960's. His father before him had conducted tours around the big house where the Boyle family had lived all this time. The house was so big that when Rhona was little and she would play hide and seek with her older brother Lachlan, it took her hours to find him! His hiding places were always so hard to locate. The lobby was unchanged, the same brick walls with coats of arms and crests hanging on them, tapestries and portraits of past Lairds. As she breathed in that familiar smell of old building and fresh baking, she heard her mother's excited squeals as she came breezing out from the reception desk.
"Ohhhhhh!!!" Annie Boyle exclaimed, arms outstretched and running towards her. "Rhona ma darlin'!!!" As she threw her arms around her daughter she squealed even more in her ear. Letting go of her and holding her at arms length she frowned and shook her head. "Yer awfy thin!" she sighed, looking her up and down.
"No mum I'm really not!" Rhona replied impatiently as another familiar voice called to her.
"Ho shorty!!!" the masculine voice boomed around the very large foyer. Her big brother came towards her much like her mother did with his arms wide open for a massive hug!
"Hi-ya Lachie!" she giggled and fell into his embrace.
"Couldnae keep away eh?" he chuckled and squeezed her tightly, almost choking her. "Av a mind tae go up there and gi em a piece a ma mind, and ma fist!" Lachie growled and rubbed her back affectionately.
"And what would that achieve?" Rhona mumbled into his huge chest, Lachie was just as big as his father but he was tall with it too. His messy brown hair fell into his eyes as he let his sister breathe and swept it away with a huge paw.
After settling into her old room, which remained unchanged since she left for the bright lights of Glasgow, Rhona headed down to catch up with her family and the staff she hadn't seen for a long time. Mary and Agnes, the cook and her assistant, were exactly the same as when she left too. Still griping at one another but with love and affection. They were sisters, cousins of Rhona's father, but they could not look any more different! Mary was the older sister with greying short hair and an old fashioned sense of everything around her. Agnes on the other hand was red haired like her cousin and always made an effort with her appearance, her long hair was tied up in the kitchen but when she finished work she let it hang down around her shoulders and it made her brown eyes sparkle. Mary had never been married and had worked at the hotel since she was sixteen, she was now in her late sixties and showed no sign of slowing down or retiring. Her cooking was famous all over the county and the hotel was busy at meal times with locals alone nevermind guests staying there. Agnes was widowed, her husband passed away many years ago, he was only thirty two. Kenny Douglas was a farmer, much like the Boyles his family had run their farm for generations. He died during the storm of 1977 while trying to move a fallen tree from the main road with his tractor. Another tree collapsed on top of him and he was killed instantly. He and Agnes were expecting Fergus at the time, he was born two months after his father died and when he was old enough, he took over the running of the farm. Fergus now had a wife and two sons of his own while Agnes moved in to the hotel with her sister fifteen years ago and never left.
As Rhona entered the giant kitchen and smiled, Agnes gasped and clapped her hands. "Wee Rhona!" she declared to her sister who was bending over into the oven.
"Whit?" Mary muttered as she brought out a delicious smelling steak pie.
"Wee Rhona's here Mary!"
"Awww, wee Rhona???" It was comical, Mary was deaf in one ear and Agnes had a very whispery voice. As Rhona embraced them both and said hello, Mary began hacking away at the steak pie. "Yer havin' a piece a this, yer rake thin hen!" Rhona rolled her eyes, everyone was saying that these days!
"No Auntie Mary I'm fine!" she tried to laugh but the comments about her weight were beginning to worry her. Was she really that thin? Agnes seemed to know what she was thinking and said with a sympathetic voice,
"Aye, yer a wee bitty too thin darlin'! But dinnae mind that, Auntie Mary will soon huv ye back tae yer wee curvy self!"
"Aye a will that!" Mary piped up as she slapped a great big piece of pie onto a plate and began muttering to herself, "Just a hawndfa a tatties and some neeps tae colour the plate..."
"Auntie Mary..." Rhona began, but realised that for the first time since she left Glasgow, she actually was very hungry! As she wolfed down the amazing food and listened to all the stories her Aunts had to tell her, she realised that the past year and a half had been a waste of time! Why had she ever left? And why did she think that coming back was such a huge disaster?
Next stop for Rhona was the laundry room. Terry, Hannah and Elspeth were there getting the sheets and towels ready for the morning. "Rhona?" Elspeth was pleased to see her old friend and greeted her with a hug much like everyone else had since she arrived. Terry blushed and gave her a brief cuddle before returning to his work, he had always liked Rhona and when she left he was heartbroken.
"How are you holding up?" Hannah cocked her head to the side and looked at her sympathetically.
"I'm fine Hannah, truly I am!"
"That's good, he's an arse and you're too good for him!" Hannah always spoke her mind, it got her into heaps of trouble but sometimes it was needed.
"Well it's great to see you guys again!" Rhona smiled genuinely, "I've had a long journey and I really need to try and sleep so..."
"Well don't be a stranger!" Elspeth punched her lightly on the arm.
"No, I won't! Dad says I can have my old job back in the bar and lounge so I'll be around!"
As Rhona finally arrived back into her old room, she looked around at the old posters and the cuddly toys sitting on the ottoman at her window that looked out to the Loch. She'd missed Loch Tavish, she couldn't swim but her brother and his friends would often jump off the jetty and play there as she watched from the shore. Growing up in the village of Tavish Brig, Rhona always felt like an outsider, she never felt like she fitted in. Living in the big hotel was fun when she was a child, but as she grew older and her parents found odd jobs for her to do, she grew bored of the place. Looking out the window onto the Loch, she couldn't imagine ever being bored of the quiet, tranquil place that she called home. As she got into her pyjamas and climbed into her old bed, smelling the freshly laundered sheets that her mother had no doubt cleaned in anticipation of her daughter's arrival, she thought about Jamie. The reason she was back here in the first place! It hurt to think of him, how little she meant to him, as the hot tears ran down her cheeks and onto the pillow behind her, soaking her hair and dampening her ears, she decided not to think about him any more! Drifting off to sleep she thought about the gorgeous Gerard Way staring down at her from one of her posters on the wall, and she was suddenly transported into a My Chemical Romance concert in another world altogether!
Lachie Boyle was manning the reception desk the next morning when a young man entered the hotel foyer. He had long brown, shaggy hair, he wore sunglasses and had one suitcase with him, His ripped jeans and loud shirt made Lachie dislike him straight away, that and he was very good looking. When he spotted the desk he gave Lachie a relieved smile and approached him, dropping his case on the floor he leaned on the desk and nodded, "Hey!" he greeted him as Lachie curled up his lip.
"Can a help ye?" he replied as the young man chuckled.
"Yes, yes do you have any rooms left?" he was American, Lachie groaned, tourist! Hideous shirt and grungy jeans, rock star hair, goofy grin...the worst kind!
"Aye we dae that!" the young man gave him a confused look.
"I'm sorry, was that a yes?" Lachie let out a huge sigh and attempted to tone down his broad Scots dialect.
"Yes it wiz!"
"Oh good!" the man smiled again, "So can I have a room please?"
"Aye, how long fur?" the young man began to think.
"Um...I dunno to be honest with you!" he shook his head, "Can we say, a week for now? And then I'll see!"
"See whit?"
"A week, yeah, for now. If that's okay?" Lachie frowned and began tapping at the keyboard.
"Right, name?"
"Oz Truman!"
"Okay, fill in this form wie yer address and payment details and a'll get ye a room." Lachie looked the young man up and down, Oz? What sort of name was that? Typical American with a stupid name! He'd be keeping an eye on this one, he had a funny feeling about him!
To Be Continued...
"Hi-ya Lachie!" she giggled and fell into his embrace.
"Couldnae keep away eh?" he chuckled and squeezed her tightly, almost choking her. "Av a mind tae go up there and gi em a piece a ma mind, and ma fist!" Lachie growled and rubbed her back affectionately.
"And what would that achieve?" Rhona mumbled into his huge chest, Lachie was just as big as his father but he was tall with it too. His messy brown hair fell into his eyes as he let his sister breathe and swept it away with a huge paw.
After settling into her old room, which remained unchanged since she left for the bright lights of Glasgow, Rhona headed down to catch up with her family and the staff she hadn't seen for a long time. Mary and Agnes, the cook and her assistant, were exactly the same as when she left too. Still griping at one another but with love and affection. They were sisters, cousins of Rhona's father, but they could not look any more different! Mary was the older sister with greying short hair and an old fashioned sense of everything around her. Agnes on the other hand was red haired like her cousin and always made an effort with her appearance, her long hair was tied up in the kitchen but when she finished work she let it hang down around her shoulders and it made her brown eyes sparkle. Mary had never been married and had worked at the hotel since she was sixteen, she was now in her late sixties and showed no sign of slowing down or retiring. Her cooking was famous all over the county and the hotel was busy at meal times with locals alone nevermind guests staying there. Agnes was widowed, her husband passed away many years ago, he was only thirty two. Kenny Douglas was a farmer, much like the Boyles his family had run their farm for generations. He died during the storm of 1977 while trying to move a fallen tree from the main road with his tractor. Another tree collapsed on top of him and he was killed instantly. He and Agnes were expecting Fergus at the time, he was born two months after his father died and when he was old enough, he took over the running of the farm. Fergus now had a wife and two sons of his own while Agnes moved in to the hotel with her sister fifteen years ago and never left.
As Rhona entered the giant kitchen and smiled, Agnes gasped and clapped her hands. "Wee Rhona!" she declared to her sister who was bending over into the oven.
"Whit?" Mary muttered as she brought out a delicious smelling steak pie.
"Wee Rhona's here Mary!"
"Awww, wee Rhona???" It was comical, Mary was deaf in one ear and Agnes had a very whispery voice. As Rhona embraced them both and said hello, Mary began hacking away at the steak pie. "Yer havin' a piece a this, yer rake thin hen!" Rhona rolled her eyes, everyone was saying that these days!
"No Auntie Mary I'm fine!" she tried to laugh but the comments about her weight were beginning to worry her. Was she really that thin? Agnes seemed to know what she was thinking and said with a sympathetic voice,
"Aye, yer a wee bitty too thin darlin'! But dinnae mind that, Auntie Mary will soon huv ye back tae yer wee curvy self!"
"Aye a will that!" Mary piped up as she slapped a great big piece of pie onto a plate and began muttering to herself, "Just a hawndfa a tatties and some neeps tae colour the plate..."
"Auntie Mary..." Rhona began, but realised that for the first time since she left Glasgow, she actually was very hungry! As she wolfed down the amazing food and listened to all the stories her Aunts had to tell her, she realised that the past year and a half had been a waste of time! Why had she ever left? And why did she think that coming back was such a huge disaster?
Next stop for Rhona was the laundry room. Terry, Hannah and Elspeth were there getting the sheets and towels ready for the morning. "Rhona?" Elspeth was pleased to see her old friend and greeted her with a hug much like everyone else had since she arrived. Terry blushed and gave her a brief cuddle before returning to his work, he had always liked Rhona and when she left he was heartbroken.
"How are you holding up?" Hannah cocked her head to the side and looked at her sympathetically.
"I'm fine Hannah, truly I am!"
"That's good, he's an arse and you're too good for him!" Hannah always spoke her mind, it got her into heaps of trouble but sometimes it was needed.
"Well it's great to see you guys again!" Rhona smiled genuinely, "I've had a long journey and I really need to try and sleep so..."
"Well don't be a stranger!" Elspeth punched her lightly on the arm.
"No, I won't! Dad says I can have my old job back in the bar and lounge so I'll be around!"
As Rhona finally arrived back into her old room, she looked around at the old posters and the cuddly toys sitting on the ottoman at her window that looked out to the Loch. She'd missed Loch Tavish, she couldn't swim but her brother and his friends would often jump off the jetty and play there as she watched from the shore. Growing up in the village of Tavish Brig, Rhona always felt like an outsider, she never felt like she fitted in. Living in the big hotel was fun when she was a child, but as she grew older and her parents found odd jobs for her to do, she grew bored of the place. Looking out the window onto the Loch, she couldn't imagine ever being bored of the quiet, tranquil place that she called home. As she got into her pyjamas and climbed into her old bed, smelling the freshly laundered sheets that her mother had no doubt cleaned in anticipation of her daughter's arrival, she thought about Jamie. The reason she was back here in the first place! It hurt to think of him, how little she meant to him, as the hot tears ran down her cheeks and onto the pillow behind her, soaking her hair and dampening her ears, she decided not to think about him any more! Drifting off to sleep she thought about the gorgeous Gerard Way staring down at her from one of her posters on the wall, and she was suddenly transported into a My Chemical Romance concert in another world altogether!
Lachie Boyle was manning the reception desk the next morning when a young man entered the hotel foyer. He had long brown, shaggy hair, he wore sunglasses and had one suitcase with him, His ripped jeans and loud shirt made Lachie dislike him straight away, that and he was very good looking. When he spotted the desk he gave Lachie a relieved smile and approached him, dropping his case on the floor he leaned on the desk and nodded, "Hey!" he greeted him as Lachie curled up his lip.
"Can a help ye?" he replied as the young man chuckled.
"Yes, yes do you have any rooms left?" he was American, Lachie groaned, tourist! Hideous shirt and grungy jeans, rock star hair, goofy grin...the worst kind!
"Aye we dae that!" the young man gave him a confused look.
"I'm sorry, was that a yes?" Lachie let out a huge sigh and attempted to tone down his broad Scots dialect.
"Yes it wiz!"
"Oh good!" the man smiled again, "So can I have a room please?"
"Aye, how long fur?" the young man began to think.
"Um...I dunno to be honest with you!" he shook his head, "Can we say, a week for now? And then I'll see!"
"See whit?"
"A week, yeah, for now. If that's okay?" Lachie frowned and began tapping at the keyboard.
"Right, name?"
"Oz Truman!"
"Okay, fill in this form wie yer address and payment details and a'll get ye a room." Lachie looked the young man up and down, Oz? What sort of name was that? Typical American with a stupid name! He'd be keeping an eye on this one, he had a funny feeling about him!
To Be Continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment, but be nice! I share my thoughts and my stories with you because I want to, not to be insulted! Have a nice day! :)