مزرعه

CHAPTER TWO

The Croft

The journey was uncomfortable in the pony and trap as we trotted along the narrow roads, but it was fun too. I could see the bay, the seaweed and the rocks and smell the salty sea. Seagulls flew overhead. I looked at my uncle. He had my mother’s smile, but they were very different. He saw me looking at him.

‘So, this is your first visit to Skye, Megan. I’m so pleased you’re here,’ he said.

‘I want to bring mum next time, when she’s better,’ I said.

His eyes looked sad. ‘I want her to come here, too,’ and then he took a deep breath and there was silence.

We trotted on through a forest and then we stopped at a place where the view of the mountains was spectacular.

‘The Cuillin Range,’ said Uncle Fraser. ‘This is the best place to see the mountains.’

I got out of the trap and looked around. It was a magical place. There was a ruined castle and below a sandy beach. The waves crashed and I thought I saw a silvery-white horse playing in the water. It ran and jumped and I am sure that I heard it call me.

‘Uncle Fraser,’ I shouted. ‘There’s a white horse.’ He didn’t hear me and when I turned, the silvery-white horse was not there.

We got into the trap. ‘I saw a silvery-white horse down by the sea,’ I said. Uncle Fraser stopped and looked at me with surprise. ‘Did you?’ but then he said no more.

My mobile phone beeped. ‘You have one new message,’ it said.

I pressed Read.

‘Have a sad holiday.’

I pressed Eliminate. It was from one of the horrible girls at school. I switched my phone off. I needed to forget about them.

The roads were very narrow now. ‘Were nearly home,’ said my uncle. I stared at him. We couldn’t be nearly home. We were in the countryside. I could see some small houses, lots of animals and grass, but there was no town. Uncle Fraser turned right into a small track.

‘Home, Darwin,’ Uncle Fraser said to the pony. Darwin walked slowly because there were chickens running in front of him.

At the end of the track there was a little white house with a front garden full of flowers. In one field I could see four cows waiting patiently by the gate and in another there were some goats and a donkey.

‘We’re home,’ said Uncle Fraser. ‘Welcome to White Heather Cottage.’