LIFE AFTER GLENBOGLE
PART 3
Lexie pulled away from Archie giggling "I knew it" she said pointing her
finger at Archie "Archie Macdonald you and DIY don't mix very well, now
look we have a shattered tile, now what am I to do with you?" she said with
a mischievous glint in her eye as she bent to pick up the tile, "honestly
this is just like the gaping hole in the ceiling you created in Jamie's old
room!"
Archie made a grab for her and pulled her close "well if I remember
rightly" he said smiling suggestively "that event had an ending I
particularly enjoyed and you did too, shall I just say Curtains!"
"Now Archie its the middle of the day we have loads to do, not least
replace the fallen tile before anymore......." before she could continue
Archie was kissing her forcefully, "oh Archie" she murmured as they fell
back onto the old sofa, which was so far the only piece of furniture in the
kitchen.
Suddenly they were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door and the gruff
sound of a throat being cleared "excuse me, Mr and Mrs Macdonald?" Archie
looked up to see a face peering through the open top half of the stable
door "yes" he said. "I've come to deliver and install your aga." responded
a flustered looking man in green overalls.
Lexie jumped up pulling down her top, hoping she didn't look too
dishevelled. She and Archie had both forgotten about the delivery. Before
she went over to the door, she turned, looked at Archie, smiled and
whispered "later!" blowing him a kiss. He smiled back and whispered "oh
yes!"
Lexie let the man into the kitchen who introduced himself as Mr Hurst,
together the three of them discussed the installation of the aga,
particularly where they wanted it positioned, everything appeared to be
straightforward.
"Right then lad will you give us a hand bringing it in" Mr Hurst asked
Archie, "sure, no problem" replied Archie as he followed him out of the
kitchen, he paused and turned to Lexie "you sure the stable door for the
kitchen was a good idea? I felt like a teenager being sprung earlier!"
Lexie swiped at him with a tea towel, laughed and said "go on away with
you, focus on the job in hand and give Mr Hurst some help!"
Still smiling to herself, Lexie turned to the boxes Molly had sent, then
remembered the tile and thought she'd better get on with finding a
replacement and fixing it to the wall. She could see Archie would be
helping Mr Hurst for a while, although she wondered if hindering might be
more accurate, poor old Archie she thought.
Meanwhile outside Archie was attempting to help Mr Hurst, it was proving a
little tricky as Mr Hurst was not very good at explaining what he wanted
Archie to do, eventually they got the aga to the kitchen door. Archie had
his back to the door "what are you doing lad?"
"slight problem the aga won't fit through the door! Nothing for it the door
will have to come off its hinges so we can ease it through" Mr Hurst
started muttering under his breath. Archie went off to get his tool box, he
stopped in his tracks
"Lex what are you doing?"
"fixing a wall tile, what does it look like?!" she asked quizzically
"but do you know what you are doing I mean, you've got to line it up check
with a spirit level, use enough tiling adhesive and grout"
Lexie looked at him
"ok, ok, sorry"
"what is happening with the aga anyway?" Lexie asked
"won't fit through the door, its going to have to come off, told you that
door would be trouble" he smiled, he then added in a whisper "I think Mr
Hurst is not best pleased there was a lot of muttering, reminded me of
father!"
"well I'm finished here, sounds like we all need a cup of tea" Lexie
responded
Lexie made tea for the three of them and Mr Hurst was much more chatty
after, telling them tales of his lifetime of experiences as an aga fitter.
After a couple of hours the aga was installed and leaving a multitude of
instructions., he went on his way.
Lexie looked admiringly at the gleaming blue aga, with its black hoods and
stainless steel rails, she then looked round the kitchen, more or less
finished now with the sofa and its belfast sink. She imagined a welsh
dresser, a large farmhouse table and chairs, maybe a cat asleep on the
sofa, the wind flapping the curtains at the window and then she saw herself
in there nursing a baby, she almost felt she had to pinch herself at the
thought that this dream could easily become a reality. If only she could
shake off her doubts about having children, she knew they were ridiculous,
she wasn't her mother and she knew in her heart of hearts that any child
she and Archie had would grow up surrounded by love in a happy fun filled
home.
Archie watched his wife and could see a distant look in her eyes, but a
smile on her lips, he wondered what she was thinking, she looked so happy
and contented. He then began to think about how he had left her for so long
to go to Nepal, sometimes he wondered how he could and have done it. He
knew why he'd done it, he didn't regret that , what he regretted was going
for so long and leaving Lexie so bereft. He knew he couldn't begin to
imagine how hard it must have been for her, he had left her with a burden
of feelings, a little confused and in the knowledge that he didn't want to
live at Glenbogle anymore, not to mention the emotional and physical
distance between them. He snapped out of it, why ponder on the past when
the future had such possibilities and they was so very happy and so in
love.
Suddenly Lexie was aware Archie was speaking "Right then Lex, I guess we
better go and check the outbuilding for the industrial kitchen for this
meeting tomorrow before we go back to the cottage. He took her by the hand
and led her outside.
