I was woken this morning by Jim leaving the house. Even though it was only just light I could see through the window from where I was laid that it was a much better day, weather wise at least. I lay there for a while just thinking about my situation and things in general. Also I was reluctant to move to much as every time I did a part of my body either refused or groaned profusely. My legs, in particular my thighs, felt like pieces of wood. My hand felt no better either, I'd been woken by it several times in the night and I must confess to it being a bit of a worry.
When I did eventually get myself off the sofa I staggered over to the window to take a look outside. It looked lovely, lots of snow under a clear sky and there was Jim across the yard taking bales of hay or from a wheel barrow through the door of a shed. I quickly found my clothes and got dressed which wasn't so easy with the use of only one hand. Everything had dried nicely over night including my boots which I took to the porch before putting on. Outside it was VERY cold but it was dry and bright so that was good. I could see the yard that I had wandered into last night a lot better this morning. It was basically a square yard with house and various farm buildings around three sides. The fourth side being a stone wall in which was a gate that opened out in to fields of snow.
I walked out of the yard on the track by which I had entered last night, I wanted to take a look at where I had come from. It's crazy how much more simple it all looked in the light of day. I could see right down to the river, the hen house and run, the bridge, the wooded area, I could even follow the line of trees by the river all the way up the valley. It really was crazy. I went to find Jim who I hung out with all morning, I enjoyed my time with him feeding the animals and mixing feed and what have you although I wasn't able to help as much as I would have liked because of my hand problem. I sort of wished I could stay there with him.
After lunch grandfather came walking in to the yard. We were in the house at the time, my heart sank like a stone in a pond. I told them I didn't want him coming for me, no one ever listens to me. I was so sickened I just couldn't face him so Jim went out by himself, which I guess, thinking about it now was a bit pointless as I was going to have to face him. There was no way he would leave without seeing me at least. After some discussion and considerable arm waving between them they started coming towards the house so I rushed out as I didn't want to be trapped inside with him. As soon as we laid eyes on each other it was hell as usual. He blamed me for this, I accused him of that, all the usual stuff the only difference was that I wasn't going to be bullied in to being silent like I usually am. It all ended by him calling me a blithering imbecile, which I think must be his pet name for me judging by how many times he calls me it. I told Jim, in a rather nasty manner I'm ashamed to say, to get rid of him and I turned and went back inside. I didn't want to be this sort of a person and it upset me.
Jim came in then sounding like he was having a go at me asking, why did you do that?"
"What, you mean stick up for myself!" I replied.
"No, I mean refuse a lift home, what're you going to do now?"
I answered by asking, "Can't I just stay here with you?"
"Ha ha - No way, I don't want your hassles here. I didn't mind helping when you were in a fix, and you can stay tonight but that's it."
"Right, that's fine, I'll just walk. With a bit of luck I might even get lost again and just die." I retorted rather stupidly. I just couldn't help it.
Jim said he was going out to do some work because there was obviously no talking to me. He did the right thing. I guess this is another place where I out stayed my welcome. I think I must be a truly loathsome person.
I sat on the sofa all pent up and in a proper huff, which is never good. It makes me think up all manner of stupid idea's that make no sense in reality but seem more than reasonable to me at the time.
It was during this time of reflection that I noticed the map from last night still folded up on the corner of the table. I got up and laid it out on the table again and began to study it like some intrepid explorer planning a great expedition. In reality I was looking to see how far I was going to have to walk back to the estate should no one else show up for me, which was more than likely the outcome considering the outburst at my last chauffer. Whilst looking I checked the route against something I knew just as a reference to give me some idea how far it was. Looking at the track from the house to the Durness road I reckoned that the route from where I was at Jim's place back to the house was roughly similar, or maybe even a bit less, so I thought it would be no problem for me to walk it. It seemed it was maybe six miles or so. With an early start I could be back by lunch time. My main concern at that moment was how much humble pie I was going to have to consume when I got there. The problem wasn't the walk but the reception at the end of it - gulp! As they say in comics.
Jim came back in just before darkness fell and lit the fire and then made beans on toast for dinner. We talked okay and there seemed to be no hard feelings or anything but I could tell he wasn't the same Jim.
At bed time I didn't bother with all the messing around with pajamas as it was to difficult, also I had already decided that I was going to sneak off early before Jim was up, even if it meant setting off in the dark. I had actually half been entertaining the idea of maybe walking all the way to the Durness road and trying to get a lift south, escape glen grim altogether and also avoid the humble pie. The idea scared me somewhat so in reality I probably wouldn't. It's okay having brainwaves like that when you're laid on a sofa safe and sound in front of a warm fire. More scary to actually do it though.
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