kept lookin at me.
‘Wonderin how come ah can dae it here – ah don’t mean it’s easy or that, just ah feel ah’m gettin somewhere – but there, it was terrible. Ah could hardly sit still, ma mind was birlin. In the end ah just sat and listened tae the rain on the roof.’
‘Tell me, Jimmy, what were you doing when you were listening to the rain?’
‘Ah wisnae daein anythin, ah tellt you, Rinpoche, ah was just sittin, listenin, followin the sound ae the raindraps landin on a roof – ma mind was just empty.’
‘How wonderful.’
‘But ah thought ah was supposed tae be followin the breaths, daein the mindfulness a breathin.’
‘Maybe you were doing the mindfulness of raindrops, Jimmy.’
He reached ower and touched me, on ma airm, lightly, just for a moment. All of a sudden a big lump rose in ma throat and ah felt as though ah was gonnae greet. And he just kept on lookin at me wi that brilliant wee smile of his and it was like him and me were the only two folk in the universe.
Walkin hame that night ah kept seein raindraps. It’s funny, you’d think livin in a country where it’s chuckin it doon hauf the time you’d be pretty familiar wi them but it was as if ah’d never looked at wan afore. Of course ah hadnae. Who goes roond lookin at raindraps – folk’d think ye were mental. But there ah wis, stoppin at a hedge tae look at a raindrap on a leaf. Ah looked right close and could see the pattern of the veins of the leaf. Wee tracks gaun through it. What were they for? Hudnae a clue. Knew nothin aboot leafs or plants or that – just never been interested. But the Rinpoche was right – it was wonderful.
Liz was watchin the TV when ah got in. Wanny they daft decoratin programmes. Ah kissed the tap ae her heid as ah passed round the back of the settee.
‘Want a cuppa tea?’
‘Just had wan. There was a phone call for you – Barbara – fae the retreat.’
She turned tae look at me.
‘Whit did she want?’
‘Didnae say – she’s left a number for you tae phone back – Edinburgh number.’
‘Right.’
‘Didnae know yous were swoppin numbers.’
‘Ah never gied her mines – she must of got it oot the book. Must be sumpn ta dae wi the retreat.’
Ah went intae the hall tae phone.
‘Is that Barbara?’
‘Speaking. Is that you Jimmy?’
‘Aye.’
‘How’s your hand?’
‘Oh, it’s fine – looked worse than it was.’
‘I hope you don’t mind my calling but I was wondering if you ever did any work in Edinburgh.’
‘Work?’
‘You know, painting.’
‘Eh, well, maisty our work is local – we’ve usually got plenty tae keep us busy. We dae the odd job as far as Stirling or that but ah don’t think we’ve ever had a job in Embra.’
‘I’m looking for a decorator – there’s quite a lot of work needing done in my flat. And I’ve kind of put it off because I work at home most of the time and the idea of having someone around whom I don’t know … well. Anyway, after meeting you at the retreat the other week I just thought it might be the ideal solution if you were able to do it. Obviously I’d pay you a bit more to compensate for your having to travel.’
‘Eh, ah’m no sure … when were you thinkin of?’
‘Well, it was more when it was suitable for you. Any time over the next few months. Be nice to get some of it done before Christmas but there’s really no rush. Are you very busy just now?’
‘We’ve a couple of wee jobs on this week and there’s a big commercial wan comin up soon.’
‘Would it be possible for you to come through and see the place, give me a quote, towards the end of this week maybe? I’d pay expenses, of course.’
‘Aye, ah think we’ll be finished on Friday mornin … ah suppose ah could come through Friday lunchtime if that’s OK.’
‘Great.’
Ah’d never done much drivin in Embra but the flat was quite easy tae find, in a street somewhere up fae the Meadows. Fae the ootside it didnae look much different fae a tenement in Glesga. The close was dark and the front door was painted a dull green. There was a tartan doorplate wi ‘Tweedie’ on it and under that was a piece of card on wi ‘B. Mellis’ typed on it. The bell was wanny they real old-fashioned bell pulls, no an eletric wan – it made a nice jinglin sound. Ah could hear Barbara’s footsteps comin towards the door; she planted her feet doon heavily though she wasnae a heavy wumman, and ah could hear her janglin as she moved.
When she answered the door she was wearin purple leggins, a big baggy jumper and lots of rattly metal bangles up her airms.
‘Hi Jimmy. Nice to see you. Come in.’
As ah came in the door she kissed me on the cheek.
‘Come through and I’ll make us some coffee.’
She led me intae the livin room, which was huge wi a fancy cornice round the ceilin. A couch covered wi a velvet throw and a coupla bean bags was aboot aw the furniture except for an enormous statue of the Buddha in the bay windae wi caundles aw round.
‘My God, you don’t need tae go on retreat. You could set up yer ain Centre here.’
‘Suppose so. He’s lovely isn’t he? A friend brought him back from India then didn’t have room for him. I find his presence very calming.’
‘Aye.’
‘Have you had some lunch?’
‘Afore ah came through. Could murder a cuppa tea though.’
‘I’ve got Earl Grey or herbal.’
‘Nae Typhoo? Or even Scottish Blend?’
‘Fraid not.’
‘Oh well, gie’s the Earl Grey. Milk, nae sugar.’
When she was oot the room ah had a look round at the paintwork. It was basically in good nick though it was pretty dull, painted a kind of putty shade all round, the cornice a dingy cream. A coupla coats would dae if she was just wantin it brightened up. The hall was a disaster though – a dreary shade of dark green wi a red carpet. Ah can never unnerstaund how folk paint these halls in really dark colours when they get nae light.
‘Casting a professional eye, are you?’
Barbara set a
