A Creative Whim
(1)
For a young lass in her twenties, bravery, courage, and willingness to take on learning about the new world, or "toughing it out" was questionably frustrating for the girl. Even though she was bright, inquisitive, and brilliant with learning school subjects, she was now seeking advice of the unknown, or relationships, as her quest brought her to her father's door once again. This time without her mother, as it was just she, coming home from university after spring term was close to ending and not wanting to go home.
Everything Mum told her about Da was difficultly hard to believe. Her mother kept 'comparing' and 'contrasting' them, explaining why her father wasn't easy to be with.
All her daughter asked was, 'What's he like, Mum?'
And she'd go, 'Yer Da is against city folk, city living and breathing, and city politics—yanno, fast paced life.' Everything Mum loved! 'He only gives a hoot about the highland wild. He favors the quiet country, easy going and far from hectic life. He'd much rather run around with a silly hunters rifle, shooting innocent animals then seeing them in a zoo.' Everything Mum hated!
She continued to ask her mum questions, 'Why didn't Da stay with you?'
Her mother glanced at her daughter's face, as her stare when blank as a white sheet. 'Jess, go find something to do. Yer Da and I just never got married, end of story.'
She dragged her self up off of her feet and pouted slightly as she walked out of the room. Her mother watched her but instead of explaining to her more about why things didn't work out with her and her Da. She just stood there, before going back to her cooking of supper.
But Jess learned young as her quick wit allowed her to understand that Mum and Da, were never married because their relationship was very short lived. Mostly since they were completely opposite of each other, even though opposites attract, Mum was oil and Da was water. Which concluded that they just didn't mix well together. But they must have loved each other in their own way, or they wouldn't have ever created her. They both care about her deeply, and want her to have the best that life has to offer. She still wanted to know her father. And when they visited Glenbogle years ago, she didn't exactly get to know him-he just broke it to her that he's her Da. Oh come on, she was being a brat, a spoiled little brat, and didn't think of anyone but herself. However, times have changed, she's not in her teens, and she's now twenty-three, and starting to think less of her self, well, sort of. The hard and kind of sad part was Da never left Glenbogle to visit her in Glasgow, even when she wasn't living with Mum and she had started university.
He'd just phone her once a month asking about 'how she was, how's her mother and wondering how school was going for her—when does term end?'…Da and daughter chit chat…she'd just say, ' I'm peachy, Da. How's life in the wild woods?' The conversation got to be monotonous because that was all they had to talk about when he'd ring her. She yearned to be 'Da's Girl' especially, since she was only considered a 'Mum's girl' for most of her dear life. C'est la vie.
Now, she was determined to spend quality time with the dear ol' man. Well, on her way home from university. She'll inquire about staying with him for a short while. Maybe find work in the town and make him as happy, proud and thrilled to have her there. Okay, so thrilled isn't the world's best word for describing his stoic personality she met only over the phone. Anyway, she would iron his shirts, press his trousers, make him a cuppa every day, and just go with it…the way she knows best-try to be better than the last time he saw her, be an innocent flower that he should envision her to be. She was looking at life through rose-colored glasses and in a dream world.
Jess crept up to the door of the newly built croft and tapped the door with her hand, before latching the door open with her other. Her backpack was on her shoulders as she decided to let herself in. Her feet took her down the hall as she called out, "Da? Hello, Da?"
Silence. Quiet. No human movements. 'No hello Jess! I'm happy to see you.' She knew Da didn't have an attack dog. Thank goodness, or it would frighten me.
"Hmm, no one home." Then the corners of her mouth danced into a smile as she could use a warm bath, clean clothing, and undergarments. Da, wouldn't mind, if I decided to freshin' up a bit. Her feet broke out into a quick sprint as she waltzed up the stairs to the bathroom.
The weather was nice for change, not too many mozzies swarming over head and nipping at uncovered human body parts like faces, ears, hands and forearms. He was taking photographs with his father's old camera. Yes, believe it or not the Laird of Glenbogle at that time, Hector MacDonald, loved to take snapshots of the land. His oldest son was following in his footsteps. Hector would spend an evening with his sons sitting in the study glancing at this old camera and going through photos of mountains, trees, people standing on the acres with smiling faces, 'You want to preserve the land, the best way a man knows how…'
The older son would just interrupt him and say, ' By hunting?'
Then younger son would pipe up with the opposite to hunting, 'By keeping animals safe?'
Hector would look down at his young sons and shake his head 'no', 'By taking photographs.'
Every Sunday morning after church they would do their ritual, Hector, while wearing his 'creative picture taking cap', would take his sons out for a hike in the forests of the 40,000 acre homestead. He'd have the camera around his neck and give each boy one try to take a photograph. Of course, the youngest brother would want to photograph bugs. Which would just make the oldest brother roll his eyes and want something more 'nature-like' to take a photo of, like an old growth evergreen. Hector, the proud father to have 'snapshot' followers in his mist, after their photo taking journey, would smile and say, 'Now, come along lads, we're ready to develop them.'
They'd journey back to the estate and Hector would go straight to his darkroom. He'd pour out the developing chemicals, put the film in bins and continue to do his work. The boys weren't allowed in his darkroom. His darling wife knew to keep them away. He checks over the prints and then with a grin of satisfaction, he would pin up the photos to dry on a clothesline that went across the small room. They'd wait a day and then he'd unveil the boy's photos and put them in an album. The boys would ask, ' Can we take more photos, father? Can we?' He'd respond, 'Next Sunday, is a new day, a new photo taking day, we wait until then.'
The older son missed his father so dearly. He inherited the camera as his brother inherited his father's 'creative photo taking' cap. They were the Lairds of Glenbogle, Jamie and Archie, as they equally shared the powers of the estate. It was becoming dusk, as he was trailing down the land, staring at the landscape, captivating beauty and majestic undertones, while doing what he father loved best, aside from playing golf and running around with Useless, Monty and Rummel, taking photographs. His muse loved the quiet time, the peaceful sounds of nature was best music when he was out to capture stills with the old black and white camera. It eased his soul, as he imagined it did the same for his late father, opening both their hearts as he used the button to take the picture and the reel to forward the film to the next available exposure. As he was a snap shot away from taking his next photo, as his raven eyes caught something in the instance, not far from Golly's croft.
It wasn't his heritage his eyes caught sight of, just an epiphany of how the land was meant for generations to come. He assumed that his brother and his new wife would be the ones to carry on the MacDonald name and produce another heir to the Lairdship. Archie and Lexie, his pretty brunette sister in law, were married in the Scottish Hillside months ago. It was a private, unexpected, and a surprise of a ceremony, a real last minute request both made by the newlyweds. They had problems through out their courtship, as his brother kept getting mixed up with other ladies who fancied him, Archie didn't want other women, as he just wanted Lexie. Jamie just tried to stay out of it, as he wasn't interested in marriage yet as refused to date the women that were falling over his brother, even though his mother kept suggesting it.
However, when trouble happened in the younger brother's love life, as it always did all the time while growing up together, he looked to Jamie for the advice and the help. Jamie just scratched his head when Archie finally confessed that he had to find his runaway bride and marry her. Lexie became the runaway bride because she was upset at Jamie and Archie for allowing Katrina, a teacher, young blonde, to be rehired for the position in Glenbogle Primary School. What Lexie didn't know was Katrina turned the position down at last minute because she didn't want to be the teacher, as she wanted to be with Archie more and knew it wasn't possible. Archie told her she was correct as Jamie witnessed the whole event. They drove back to the estate and Duncan came running out, waving his arms to get their attention, before telling them that Lexie saw Archie with Katrina in town, saw him hug her, and decided she was going to move on. Both brothers were equally confused, wondering where would she go on foot.
As Jamie just reassured Archie, ' If you love her, you marry her.'
'She ran away, Jamie. How can I marry her? We've been planning a wedding for weeks and she can't seem to understand that I love only her, not Justine, not Katrina, but only her.'
'You marry her when we find her, then, aye?'
'Leave that to me.' The Head Ranger, Duncan, spoke up as he interrupted Archie's desperate plea to his brother for help to track down Lexie. Duncan, the good ol' guy had quickly devised his own plan when Lexie was trying to run free. Both brothers looked at him oddly at first. Duncan showed them a transmitter. Off they went, but before doing so, Archie had Jamie call the minister on a cell phone as they were driving along the road with Duncan directing where the beeping was strongly coming from. They also called their mother and Golly as they told them both what was going on. Archie was finally going to follow through with his plan to marry Lexie by suggesting eloping in the hills.
Jamie was happy his brother found the right woman to settle himself down. He also wondered what else the world had in store for them. If Archie and Lexie created a family and their own life, would he be left to do the Laird duties on his own? Would he marry at some point? Take on a wife, someone with strong breeding hips, and an easy spirited nature lover as much as him? The corners of his mouth went upwards at the thought of getting married and having a family too-he didn't warm up to the idea until two weeks ago when he watched his brother and wife fight about sheepy wallpaper in a spare bedroom of the ancient house. Archie wanted to create a nursery and Lexie thought he had gone mad. Jamie laughed at the whole ordeal as he helped his brother redecorate the room, even though he wasn't supposed to because of a bet Archie had placed with Lexie. They bet dinner that Archie couldn't redo the room by himself. He told her she was on. If he lost, he'd be taking her out and if she lost, well, he'd still be taking her out to dinner anyway. Jamie stood there thinking, 'Uh oh. Your goose has been cooked dear brother.' Archie decided to 'hire' Jamie on as help but informed him not to tell his wife. Duncan even joined in on the redecorating fun, as Archie's team of one was a secret team of three, which won him the bet. Even though Lexie found out that Duncan and Jamie had helped him…she still appreciated the kindness, even if she still thought Archie had lost his marbles. The pair went on and on about children and how she wasn't ready to be a mother. Archie told her the room would wait for them both, when they were ready.
Jamie brought the scan hole of the camera to his eyes, placed a finger on the button…he was crouched down behind a rock quietly as his lens was pointing at mother deer at her young fawn. She was magnificent, standing there quietly staring back at Jamie as her fawn was chewing on long green grass and other vegetation with a backdrop of evergreens and rocks in the perfect picture. He was perfectly still, as he didn't want to frighten his photo subjects away as he clicked the photo and lowered the camera down as it hung from his neck on a strap. He got up on all fours slowly. He kept his eyes on the doe and fawn, which were eating and didn't move a muscle. He inched backwards on his hands and knees. When the coast was clear, and he felt wasn't going to disturb the wild pair, he wandered away, down a slope, towards Golly's.
He understood gaming, hunting animals, and fishing trout but he agreed with his brother about opening up the Wild life Center months upon months ago. They both wanted to restore wolves to their natural habitat. They felt better knowing that most of the wildlife on the lands couldn't be touched unless authorized by the MacDonald brothers. But Golly, like a father figure to both boys, had a hard time adjusting to the new idea, mostly because he felt it went against what their father would have wanted. They decided the estate was in their hands now and as their father loved the nature, so the place had to be opened to public for camping, outward bound for inner city teens, and a sporting club for children who wanted to hike, bike, play sports, go away for weeks at a time. This was the MacDonald's way of giving back to the community. Golly didn't understand why the place had to be 'modernized' but he was the Ghillie, and he just went along with their plans. After all it got him a new home, one that Jamie was now looking at with its lights on.
He strolled up to the first steps and skipped up them before tapping the unlocked door. He didn't hesitate about going inside, as he entered and wandered down the hall. His head peeked into the kitchen and then he strolled into the lounge, as he stifled a laugh, what was Golly doing with girly things hanging on his drying rack? His hand lifted the red lacy bra, as he simpered some more. If Golly had a new lady friend, other than his mother, then he was in serious deep doo doo. And if his brother knew about this, then he would have said something to him about it. His fingers pulled down a pair of light blue underwear. The clothing was still wet, as if it has been washed. He could smell the faint soap of roses as the scent wafted up into his nose. The scene gave him a good laugh, but the next scene made him at loss for words.
"Da?" Jess stood there with a blue towel around her chest and as her hair was wrapped into a towel turban. "You're not…"
"Him." Jamie replied, as he turned around to glance at her. "Hello Jess."
Jess clutched the towel tighter around her body. She felt uncomfortable to be standing partially naked in front of Jamie MacDonald. He was one of Da's 'bosses' as horror glazed her ocean eyes, he was holding onto a pair of her underwear. He chuckled lightly, noting she was shifting on her feet. "I believe all of this is yours?"
"Yes, it is." She snatched the pair of looms from his hands. Jamie had a blissful smile on his face. He expressed kindness and then some concern.
"Shouldn't you be away at university?"
"Um, lemme get dressed." She changed the subject before turning on the balls of her feet and hopping up the stairs, two by two, before running into the bathroom and shutting the door. Being witty, smart and beautiful was one thing, but being embarrassed because a guy she had taken a liking to the last time she was here, was now interested in talking to her! Then it hit her, as she left her backpack and clothing on the couch in the living room. "Oh fiddle."
She opened the bathroom door and hoped back down the steps, snatched her backpack with her hands off of the couch, as the pack had been sitting beside Jamie. Her gaze met his as she grinned, before adding, "I forgot my clothes." She jaunted out of the room and back to the bathroom before he could comment on her reappearance.
About fifteen minutes later, she braved the lounge again. Jamie was sitting down looking at a textbook, and it was one about Economics. It was her textbook from school. She had left it on the couch after hanging her 'laundry.' "Hi."
"Hello." Jamie shut the book and placed it on the table before him before standing up to greet her again. This time she was dressed in a striped shirt, of reds, oranges and pinks and a pair of jeans. He humored her, "Good to see you're not wearing a towel."
"Yea, um, want a cuppa?" She wandered into the kitchen before placing a kettle on the range.
"Actually, I can't stay, as I was just wondering if your father was home."
"I haven't seen him." 'yet,' Her mind added with her response.
"No? I'm sure Golly will be happy to see you." He nodded purposefully.
"Jamie?"
"Yea?"
"I'm not in school anymore as I am done with it." She fibbed, as she had no intention of going back to university for another term. Not after everything she had just been through. Jamie peered at her, not questioning her falsehood, and taking it as truth.
"I see. I was taking a gander at your textbook over there." He gestured to the book on the table.
"Oh, right."
"Good, well, tell Golly, we have a few things to discuss. I'm sure he's still with the wolves. Good seeing you Jess." Jamie nodded his head and strolled towards the entrance to the croft. Jess watched him out of the window, before concluding to her self, "Nice to see you too."
