اومدنِ ادریس

CHAPTER FIVE

The Arrival of Idris

When I woke the next day I felt so happy. I had a pony, a beautiful pony, and I wanted to ride her. Then I thought of mum. It was fun at the croft, but I missed her. I wrote her a text message.

I’m fine. I’ve got a pony called Dolly. How are you? Lots and lots of love Megan.

I pushed Send and waited.

I’m not too bad my darling. How lovely! A puny! Lots of love Mum

I typed another message.

Got better quickly. I want to bring you here!

A message came back.

OK

I could hear voices downstairs. One was Uncle Fraser’s, but there was someone with him. I went into the sitting room. A boy stood near the fire. He was about my age, but he was very tall and he had wavy blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a checked shirt and he had a box in his hands.

‘Megan, this is Ben, our neighbour,’ my uncle said.

‘Hi,’ I said.

‘Hi Megan,’ Ben gave me the box. ‘I found this,’ he said as he opened it. ‘We can look after it together.’

Inside the box was a baby otter. It looked at me. It was so sweet.

‘Its name is Idris,’ Ben said, ‘and I think it’s hungry.’

Uncle Fraser knew what baby otters like for breakfast. He put some homemade bread in a bowl and poured milk on it. Then he added a little fish oil. Idris loved it. He ate it all and then licked the plate.

‘I think he wants some more,’ I said.

‘Babies have lots of small meals,’ my uncle said. ‘He needs a bed. You can find a box and some straw in the barn.’

So Ben and I made Idris a bed and put it in a corner of the sitting room near the fire. We introduced him to Marmaduke, who was not very pleased to see another animal in the house.

Then after lunch my uncle appeared with the pony and trap.

‘Come on, you two. We have to buy Megan some riding trousers, boots and a jacket. We are in the Highlands of Scotland and sometimes mists come down and it can get very cold.’

We drove into Portree, the main town on Skye.

‘Portree in Gaelic means King’s Port,’ said Ben. We went to the harbour and watched the boats.

In Wentworth Street my uncle bought the clothes I needed. Then we went to the post office and I sent mum a postcard with a Highland cow on it.

Ben had dinner with us in the croft and after dinner Uncle Fraser played the piano. We sang hymns and old songs. Then we all sang the Skye Boat Song.

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing

Onward, The sailors cry

Carry the lad that’s born to be King Over the sea to Skye.

Idris and Marmaduke thought we were very strange.