Chapter 30
John Brown hunched up against the wind sighing through the
headstones around the graveyard and grimaced at the cold touch of rain
on his skin. He looked around at the trees and then up at the dark sky.
He then glanced around the graveyard at the few folks who had come to
pay their last respects to Roddy Morrison. Dugal stood quietly off by
himself, watching the ceremony with doleful eyes, the wind ruffling the
two clumps of hair hanging over his ears. Holmes stood near the grave,
towering head and shoulders over everyone else, with Mary beside him.
They looked an odd couple with him being so tall, but they were both
obviously very happy.
The Thompson’s stood patiently
beside the minister, a well practiced, professionally respectful aura
about them. John couldn't keep a small smile from his lips when he
looked their way, and he turned his head so they wouldn't notice.
A late car pulled up and John looked up with interest as Janet Munro was
helped out of the car by her husband Murdo, who he hadn’t seen in quite
a few months. The man had just that morning arrived home from sea, and
his deep suntan seemed somehow incongruous under the grey clouds
sweeping across the sky. Janet Munro held her head high as she was
escorted to the graveside. To John, she seemed greatly relieved,
although her pain was also clear to be seen. Her husband remained dour
faced and grim beside her as they took their place among the handful of
mourners. When it looked as if she would burst into tears, Munro put an
arm round his wife’s shoulder and pulled her close to him to protect her
from the rain. Dugal remained quiet and impassive, observing proceedings
with something approaching awe.
When the minister began
muttering his words over the coffin, John’s mind went back to the time
he’d buried his parents all those years before. It had been raining then
too. His old bones creaked as he shifted his weight on his feet.
When the minister had said his stuff, there were a few minutes of
uncomfortable silence before the coffin was lowered into the ground.
When the ropes followed the coffin into the hole, John glanced across at
Munro and was startled to see a grim snarl on his face. It had been a
while since he’d seen such hatred in a man’s eyes. He was in no doubt
then that Munro knew Morrison had been shagging his wife.
The sky darkened, the rain became heavier and folks began to make their
way back to the comfort of their cars.
‘Shall we go
John?’ asked Dugal, looking up from the grave.
‘If you
don’t mind, I’d like to stand for a few more minutes.’
‘It was nice of the Thompsons to offer us a lift.’
‘Being chauffeured around in a hearse isn’t my ideal choice of
transport.’
‘Who’s complaining in this weather? I’ll
wait for you at the car.’
John nodded as Dugal pulled
his collar together and shuffled off.
When he was alone,
John bowed his head and tried to picture his father and mother. He could
still almost hear their laughter and see the twinkle of love that always
sparkled in their eyes. He missed them. With a conscious effort to hold
himself together, he glanced over in the direction of their graves and
then wandered over to spend some time with them alone.
His eyes brimmed as he stood silently before their double headstone, but
no words were forthcoming. In his mind, he saw his mother smiling at
him.
While he wended his way back through the graves
towards the main gate, he was joined by Holmes and the Thompsons.
‘Will you be joining us for a drink?’ asked Jock.
‘Are
you going to the hotel?’
‘Indeed we are,’ said Holmes.
‘Won’t you join us?’
‘Oh I don’t know. I don’t much feel
like company right now.’
‘Your parents were good
people,’ said Jock quietly.
‘And they raised a good
man,’ added Holmes.
Although Holmes wasn’t smiling, John
recognised the warmth of true friendship in his tone.
‘Well, I guess that’s that then,’ said Jimmy philosophically, nodding to
where a couple of council workers were shovelling damp earth on top of
Morrison’s coffin.
‘Looks like it,’ replied Jock.
‘I must say,’ continued Jimmy. ‘I’m relieved Roddy has finally been laid
to rest.’
‘Indeed,’ said Holmes, giving the twins a
curious sideways glance. 'However,' he added, 'I suspect there is still
a twist in this tale still to be revealed.'
‘Perhaps I
will join you for that drink,’ said John hurriedly, ignoring
the comment.