| |
Seventeen Months After The Stock Market Crash.
Caitlin sat by the open fire. The weather was cold out; she had completed her chores for the day and now the green couch was as good a place as any. She’d have to vacate it before long as, due to the season cooling, it was now Alistair’s bed. Caitlin couldn’t let him freeze in the shed another night. She lowered her gaze to the book in her hands, reading the same line, yet again. She didn’t look forward to another night in the double bed...without Scott.
Laughter wafted from Kelly’s room. They’d become close. They were in love. Kelly was so young, but she was a sensible girl. If they were in another time, she’d say wait. But why? If you’re in love with the right person, don’t waste time. Be with them. Yes, she’d suggest they formalise things. Uncle Robert at Bridge of Orchy was sometimes on the citizen band radio. Maybe they could make the journey. Or do it by proxy. You can do that, can’t you?
***
“YOU KNOW I MUST GO.” Caitlin sat at the table after the evening meal; Kelly and Alistair’s baby had settled. Kelly was a natural mother, and luckily breast feeding had worked out for her. The birth had been routine as well. Caitlin recalled from her maternity secondment that younger first-time mothers usually did well. Kelly stared at the remains of her dinner; Alistair paused briefly in his chewing. “Now little Murray is three months old, I’ll gather what I’ll need, but I must ask you a great favour, Kelly.”
Kelly swallowed hard. The possibility of Caitlin starting her journey north had hung over their heads since Rory left a year ago. Kelly looked up from her plate.
“Please, would you both come with me for protection while I travel to Invercharing?” Her daughter glanced sideways at her husband. “Are you okay with that, Kelly? I must go north and start setting up the Community.”
Kelly stayed silent, her eyes glistening, now staring back at her dirty plate.
“I’ve got to stay alive and make a place for when your father gets there.” Caitlin placed her hand over her daughter’s as she rested it on the kitchen table. “We hear Brendan on the CB often. I’ll radio Brendan and Bec the minute I arrive.”
Shaking her head to dispel the tears, Kelly stood and hugged her.
“I may never see you again, Mum.” Kelly’s voice muffled into her shoulder.
“We can keep close contact by radio. When you have your next baby, if you have any trouble, I can come.” Caitlin smiled over at Alistair. “Your husband did a wonderful job helping me when Murray was born. You’ll be fine.” Her throat was tight. “We can’t risk it ever being discovered that you are adult Kelly. It would ruin everything. Change the future and the past in one hit.” She rubbed her daughter’s back affectionately. “We must be careful.”
Caitlin started gathering the items on her list she had made with Rory.
“You won’t see your grandchildren grow up.” Kelly leaned against the bedroom door. “Even when they are older, you can’t let Dad or even young me see them.”
Caitlin’s shoulders slumped as her gaze fell on her packing. “Yes, I know. We’ll talk often on the citizen band radio.” She fought the hollowness starting in her chest. “I’m still coming to terms with it all myself.”
“When will you go?”
“As soon as I can and before the weather turns.”
***
ALISTAIR FOUND ENOUGH petrol to fill the 4WD for one return journey to Invercharing. It was the last of their fuel supply. He loaded the vehicle with food, suitcases of clothing, medical supplies, books, small items of furniture, bedding, another citizen band radio and an antenna, which he found in the roof space of the cottage. Caitlin and Alistair armed themselves well.
Caitlin rode Adam, who now behaved himself for her, while Alistair drove slowly behind with Kelly and the baby. They left early and reached Fort William by lunch time.
They travelled through the town, with their heads down to avoid attracting attention. The town was almost deserted as it was on a non-market day. There was a sparse crowd of about twenty people standing by the railway station. Security-type men surrounded an older couple. She pulled Adam back to speak to Alistair through the car window.
“I think I know those people.” She jumped off Adam. “Hold him for me.” She threw Adam’s reins through the vehicle window and ran over to the group.
“Wait! Caitlin,” Alistair shouted. She didn’t reply.
Caitlin approached the couple, but a burly man with a gun halted her. The man of the couple pivoted to see why his guard had reacted, and looked into Caitlin’s face.
“Uncle Kieran!”
The man blinked and stood open-mouthed for a moment. The woman turned, and not saying a word, ran to Caitlin and embraced her.
“Aunty May! I thought you were dead!”
“So did we...for you! We gave up hope months ago, after all our investigations came to dead-ends.” Aunt May held Caitlin at arms-length and peered closely. “Oh, my beautiful girl, are you not a sight for these sore old eyes?”
A tall, slim young man stepped from within the group.
“Caitlin?”
“Martin!” She hugged her cousin, her heart bursting with relief at finding her family again.
Caitlin introduced Alistair and Kelly as helpful friends she’d met during the crisis. Anything else would give too much away. She had to bend the truth so she lied to the best of her ability. How could she tell them of Scott and Kelly’s time travel? What might the implications be if she did? She made the snap decision and went with it.
“I couldn’t find you, Aunt May, once the mob had entered the house. So, I ran. You weren’t there when I came back, and the mob was still around and wrecking the place. I wasn’t safe anywhere. I got a lift to the Highlands and found a cottage in Glencoe. Alistair and Kelly have been with me since. Oh, and for a while some other friends stayed too.” She added in case Bec and Brendan ever encountered her aunt and uncle. It was getting complicated. She’d have to remember all this. She had to keep Scott and his time travel secret safe.
Throughout her story, Aunt May silently shook her head in wonder.
“When it all calmed down, we looked everywhere for you on the property. Your Bonny was gone, so we thought you’d ridden off on her. Somewhere safe, we hoped. But you were nowhere...Well, Caitlin, you’re with us again now and you are safe.” Aunt May was always so good at taking charge. “We are heading north. We’ve heard there are some safer places up there. You’ll come with us. What about your friends? They are most welcome.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Alistair’s Canadian accent seemed thicker. “We’re quite content to go back to our cottage in Glencoe. Actually, we better get going. We have animals to tend to, and I don’t want to leave them for too long. Thank you anyway. Really nice meeting you.”
“People have been setting up secure communities all over the world.” Caitlin said. This had happened already, and maybe this idea would inspire her aunt and uncle. If they were the same people, unchanged by the difficult world they now lived in, they would be. “Where people are safe and can ride out this storm, which seems to go on forever. I’ve heard there are a few abandoned farms up north. I know the location of a decent one.” Caitlin omitted the fact her son from the future had given her directions to the exact place where they had set up this Community already, in the future.
“We had planned for your other cousins to meet us when we found somewhere. I like the idea of a safe community.” Aunt May squinted her eyes in thought. “It’s logical and meant to be. We’ll pool our resources and go to this abandoned farmhouse you know of.”
Relief floated through Caitlin. They transferred Caitlin’s supplies from the 4WD to her uncle’s vehicles. Uncle Kieran and Aunt May had a company of twenty people and plenty of supplies with them.
“Well, I haven’t kept you from your home for too long.” Caitlin leaned against the vehicle as she cradled her grandson. The moment had come to leave all behind. To see her daughter, son-in-law and grandson for possibly the last time. Still holding the baby, she gave her daughter a wordless hug.
“We’ll keep in touch. I love you...” Kelly choked off the last words.
Caitlin handed baby Murray to Kelly and turned to Alistair. “I know my daughter will be safe and secure with you. You remind me of Scott.” She hugged him, conscious of an ending and a new beginning.
Alistair, his smile from the compliment fading, waved solemnly from the vehicle’s window as he drove the old 4WD out of Fort William.