2006 - Wildcat Moon by Babs Horton Page A

man’s skin.
    He’d never seen Benjamin’s handwriting until now.
Dear Archie, by the time you get this letter I will be long gone. I wanted to say goodbye to you in person but that wasn’t possible. I wonder if you ever will get into the wobbly chapel? Don’t worry, old son, if you can’t face it, I was a daft old bugger to ask you in the first place. It’s a queer old place—quite ancient—and built by the first settlers in the Skallies going back to the 1600 s . The same fellow who built Killivray House built the chapel and the houses here in the Skallies.
    Well, my son, I’ve lived a colourful old life, not proud of all of it but no man is perfect, that’s a fact. I’ve learned a lot as I’ve gone on and the biggest lesson I ever learned was to change, to keep on changing and never stand still in your thinking. People aren’t always what they seem—usually they’re a lot better, but not always. Trust your instincts, Archie, and you’ll be all right.
    Life brings its share of knocks and losses but we have to get by and make the most.
    I’ve had a feeling in my water these last weeks that things may start moving and changing in the Skailies. There’s a restlessness in the air and things don’t stay the same for evex. I’ve been real fond of the Skailies, Arch, it’s a quaint old place and I’ll be sorry to leave it all behind—it was a sanctuary to me for many years—kept me in touch with normal folk, folk down on their luck. A lot of people look down on the Skailies people but that’s just ignorance and fear. It’s a Halfway House of a place—but people need to move on. The tide washes over some secrets and covers them up but it throws up others, like flotsam and jetsam.
    The truth is always the best option, I believe, however painful. So be sure to search for it and know what it is when you find it. Nan is a good old stick—tetchy but truthful. Someone you can trust.
    You’ve hopefully got the keys by now—anything they open will be yours, remember that. Whether you find the right locks to open, well only fate will decide. Mayhap you’ll find out the secrets of the past and mayhap you won’t. Perhaps you don’t need to and I’m just being a silly old bugger!
    Trust in yourself, though, Arch, and don’t let people put you down. Be sure to look after and respect that brave mother of yours, God knows she hasn’t had it easy. As for the porker, well who knows—maybe his ship will come in one of these days. I’ve put a few shillings away over the years and there’s a few bob for you when you’re twenty-one. Nan knows about this and if you move on you need to let her know where you’re going—best not for your mammy to know just yet. If you get in any difficulties, Arch, there’s a couple of old biddies over at Nanskelly School who would do you a good turn if you were in need: Miss Thomas and Miss Fanthorpe. And of course the Galvinis can be trusted. Watch out for them Kellys, though I don’t need to tell you that.
     
    With love, old son, Benjamin
    Archie folded the letter and hid it under the mattress. He’d read it again later when his eyes weren’t so watery. Now he needed to get out of the house. He had to get some air into his lungs and blow away the stench of his father.
    Archie stepped out into Bloater Row and looked across at Hogwash House. It would never be the same to him now. Someday someone would turn up and move in and wipe all traces of Benjamin away. They couldn’t wipe Archie’s memories away; he’d got them to keep. He’d treasure the letter from Benjamin and keep it for ever.
     
    In the Boathouse Gwennie filled the battered kettle from the tap and put it on the stove to make a brew. She was all of a quiver this morning. She’d been unable to get to sleep when she’d got back from Killivray House and when she had finally drifted off she’d been plagued by terrible dreams.
    It had been daft of her to go back, silly bugger that she was. She’d sworn years