I was woken twice by the lady to check that I hadn't died and once by George to see where he could put my suit. This brought me down to earth a bit. I think I must have been so phased out by events that I had completely forgotten that I still had a need to get to Durness.
So when he asked, "can I put this in the storage locker?"
I felt on the one hand quite demoralized that I still had to face that problem, yet on the other hand, the fact that he wanted to put it out of the way somewhere seemed to imply that he intended me staying where I was for the time being, which was something that I would happily do. I hadn't known them for hardly more than half an hour yet I felt oddly at home with these two for some reason.
"I will be needing it after I've finished my tea," was my reply to his question. I didn't dare jump to the conclusion that they intended me to stay for fear of the disappointment should that not be the case.
"So where do you think you're going tonight that you will be needing that?" Asked the lady as she put a mug of tea down in front of me at the same time informing me that she had taken the liberty of adding a spoon full of honey in to my tea, she thought it might perk me up a bit.
"The best place for that thing is in the rubbish bin if you ask me," she added before I could reply to her question.
"Oh, don't do that, I have to return it to the person who's lent it to me when I've finished with it." I said in haste as George disappeared out of the door with it.
"Ha ha - I'm sure they are going to feel truly bless the day they receive that thing through the post." Said the lady with a chuckle and in a light hearted manner.
When George returned without the suit I dared now to assume that I was staying there for the night, it was now I that was the one feeling truly blessed. But at the same time pushing the terrible thought from my head that I wasn't going to be in Durness in time to catch my bus and worse still all the problems that was going to cause me.
George sat down at the table with me, then introduce me to the lady who is his wife and is called Jan. I told them then that I'm Katlyn Annabell so and so, and that I was on my way to visit a friend in Edinburgh, where I intended to find a job so as to be able to support myself. George and Jan are farmers from Yorkshire and are here enjoying a holiday in their new camper van before all the spring work begins on the farm. I didn't really intend telling them every little detail of how I ended up here, especially as I was having great trouble keeping my eyes open. But one question led to another and they both showed a genuine interest without judging me at all, so I felt free to be honest. I even told of my formula one indiscretions with dirty Dave, although I thought it best to omit the finer details.
Jan just said, "I can see how it wasn't ideal but if you've learnt something from the experience and put it to good use in the future then it wasn't necessarily a bad thing."
At one point Jan got up and served up a dinner of Shepherds Pie and vegetables. She had made it herself and I absolutely devoured it. With it being the first proper meal I've had in nearly a month I think made it especially good. When I said this to them Jan said that this probably had something to do with me collapsing everywhere. We talked some more over dinner, George being particularly interested in my stay at the house, he wanted to know every detail. He said something at the end that made me become all emotional. I was finding this situation so nice that I was feeling all the pent up tensions and emotions that had been building up inside me trying to burst out, it was so hard holding them back.
"I've known a lot of people in my time, some of them have impressed me over time and there are others that never have, but I can honestly say that no one has ever impressed me in such a shorter time as you have lass." Is what he said. I loved him for that, I found it such a nice thing to say. It made me feel so good about myself.
"What do you say Jan?" he asked turning to his wife.
"Well yes of course. I'm just amazed at how you coped all alone in that blizzard after that horrible man abandoned you like that. It scares me witless just looking at all that wilderness, I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for you being lost in it. As you know, I've recently been on the wrong end of your stubborn tongue, it cuts deep but I would never abandon you for it, especially not out there in a blizzard." I saw George give a thoughtful nod in agreement with his wife's statement.
"I just did what I though I needed to do," I said in reply.
"Yes, and that's what I find impressive. You've got this idea of what you want to achieve and here you are still on track fighting to achieve it after all this time and hardship. Most people your age would have given up that day when you were laid up in that freezing cold derelict room with the flu and in pain with what was potentially a broken wrist and with nothing to eat."
It's amazing how you can go for years with little or no praise, even getting ripped to pieces a lot of the time and then it all comes at once in just one night. The thing is he wasn't finished yet. It's a bit embarrassing writing any more about it to be honest.
He went on further by adding, "I'd stake my life on the fact that if we kicked you out of here right now I would find you on that bus to Edinburgh in the morning, somehow you'd just do it wouldn't you. I don't have any doubt that you are going to get what you've set out to achieve"
I didn't say anything, but I thought about what he said. Those thoughts being, that I would probably make it to the bus somehow but I would be traveling with a broken heart because of having to leave you two. Because of this I can't say that I was truly happy because it was always in the back of my mind that this was all just a temporary situation. If I had to say anything I would say that I was feeling warm and cosy. Anyway I didn't dwell on it as George then made a suggestion....
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