gone, walking away with one last wave and a smile, a boy by each side, holding her hands. Well, Ruth had just reconciled me with the world of school gate mothers.
I watched the boys and girls run down the steps, giddy with freedom and pent-up energy, until I saw a wee blonde head bobbing up and down.
‘Eilidh!’ Maisie ran to me and gave me a cuddle. I waved to her teacher who was watching by the steps, checking that each child was safely picked up.
‘Hi baby, how was your day at school? Come while I meet your teacher.’
I walked up to her, a kindly looking woman with grey hair and glasses.
‘I’m Eilidh. Maisie’s dad must have told you about me,’ I said, holding out my hand.
‘Yes, hello, I’m Mrs Hill, Maisie’s teacher. Maisie’s dad told me you’ll come and collect Maisie for a few weeks. How’s Mary?’
‘Aye, doing ok, it’ll be a while I’m afraid.’
‘I’m so glad they found you, then. Maisie was so excited today, weren’t you, darling?’
‘Yes! Eilidh has a shop!’
‘Well, not exactly …’ I began.
‘And I can work in the shop today!’ Maisie added.
‘Well, not work in it, just sit there and do your homework,’ I added hastily. God. They’ll think she’s going to be put to work. Child labour or something.
But Mrs Hill laughed. ‘You’ll be a great help for Eilidh, I’m sure! See you tomorrow!’
A chorus of bye-byes followed until we were alone on the steps.
‘How was your day, sweetheart?’
‘Good! We are growing frogs. But they look like commas. Lots of commas swimming. But then they have their lifecycles and become frogs. Like butterflies. Are we going to your shop?’ She was jumping up and down with excitement.
‘Yes, you’ll have a snack, then you’ll do your homework, then we’ll walk up to your house and wait for your dad. Sound good?’
‘Can I help in the shop?’ she asked, excitedly.
I smiled. I used to love helping in the shop when I was a wee girl, it made me feel all grown up and responsible. To see Maisie so keen, it was like seeing a memory of me coming to life.
‘Of course. Peggy will be grateful for the help,’ I said solemnly.
She nodded, all serious. We held hands and walked in silent companionship, the wind playing with our hair, a hint of darkness in the sky already, in spite of it being just early afternoon. Winter was closing in.
‘Hello!’ I called as we entered the shop.
‘Hello there, girls!’ Peggy answered from behind the counter, her light blue eyes smiling at the sight of us.
‘Can I help you? Can I wear a apron?’
We laughed. ‘You sure can, pet, go and get your snack and Eilidh will get an apron just for you. Eilidh, it’s like seeing you all over again!’ she said to me, a wistful look passing on her face quickly, like the shadow of a cloud on the moors.
‘I suppose you can do your homework later on at your house,’ I sighed. I had been outnumbered.
She downed her jam sandwich at the speed of light, champing at the bits to go and help Peggy.
‘A apron! A apron for me!’ she said happily, as I fastened the strings behind her back. It was a bit too long and too wide for her, but not too bad. She looked so pretty, her hair held back with a white hair band, her wee legs in grey tights sticking out of the burgundy apron, her grey eyes sparkling with excitement.
‘I’m ready!’ she declared, stepping out into the shop.
‘Very well!’ said Peggy. ‘Your first job is to tidy up this shelf,’ she said, handing her a cloth. ‘Look. You move the boxes, then you dust underneath and then you put them back, all lined up nicely.’
Their heads were bent together over the cereal boxes, a blonde one and a grey one, as Peggy crouched to show Maisie the ropes. I could see myself all those years ago, bending over the exact same shelf, tidying up cans and boxes.
The bell tinkled, once, twice. The door opened and a young woman walked in, a train of cold air following her.
There was something exotic about
I watched the boys and girls run down the steps, giddy with freedom and pent-up energy, until I saw a wee blonde head bobbing up and down.
‘Eilidh!’ Maisie ran to me and gave me a cuddle. I waved to her teacher who was watching by the steps, checking that each child was safely picked up.
‘Hi baby, how was your day at school? Come while I meet your teacher.’
I walked up to her, a kindly looking woman with grey hair and glasses.
‘I’m Eilidh. Maisie’s dad must have told you about me,’ I said, holding out my hand.
‘Yes, hello, I’m Mrs Hill, Maisie’s teacher. Maisie’s dad told me you’ll come and collect Maisie for a few weeks. How’s Mary?’
‘Aye, doing ok, it’ll be a while I’m afraid.’
‘I’m so glad they found you, then. Maisie was so excited today, weren’t you, darling?’
‘Yes! Eilidh has a shop!’
‘Well, not exactly …’ I began.
‘And I can work in the shop today!’ Maisie added.
‘Well, not work in it, just sit there and do your homework,’ I added hastily. God. They’ll think she’s going to be put to work. Child labour or something.
But Mrs Hill laughed. ‘You’ll be a great help for Eilidh, I’m sure! See you tomorrow!’
A chorus of bye-byes followed until we were alone on the steps.
‘How was your day, sweetheart?’
‘Good! We are growing frogs. But they look like commas. Lots of commas swimming. But then they have their lifecycles and become frogs. Like butterflies. Are we going to your shop?’ She was jumping up and down with excitement.
‘Yes, you’ll have a snack, then you’ll do your homework, then we’ll walk up to your house and wait for your dad. Sound good?’
‘Can I help in the shop?’ she asked, excitedly.
I smiled. I used to love helping in the shop when I was a wee girl, it made me feel all grown up and responsible. To see Maisie so keen, it was like seeing a memory of me coming to life.
‘Of course. Peggy will be grateful for the help,’ I said solemnly.
She nodded, all serious. We held hands and walked in silent companionship, the wind playing with our hair, a hint of darkness in the sky already, in spite of it being just early afternoon. Winter was closing in.
‘Hello!’ I called as we entered the shop.
‘Hello there, girls!’ Peggy answered from behind the counter, her light blue eyes smiling at the sight of us.
‘Can I help you? Can I wear a apron?’
We laughed. ‘You sure can, pet, go and get your snack and Eilidh will get an apron just for you. Eilidh, it’s like seeing you all over again!’ she said to me, a wistful look passing on her face quickly, like the shadow of a cloud on the moors.
‘I suppose you can do your homework later on at your house,’ I sighed. I had been outnumbered.
She downed her jam sandwich at the speed of light, champing at the bits to go and help Peggy.
‘A apron! A apron for me!’ she said happily, as I fastened the strings behind her back. It was a bit too long and too wide for her, but not too bad. She looked so pretty, her hair held back with a white hair band, her wee legs in grey tights sticking out of the burgundy apron, her grey eyes sparkling with excitement.
‘I’m ready!’ she declared, stepping out into the shop.
‘Very well!’ said Peggy. ‘Your first job is to tidy up this shelf,’ she said, handing her a cloth. ‘Look. You move the boxes, then you dust underneath and then you put them back, all lined up nicely.’
Their heads were bent together over the cereal boxes, a blonde one and a grey one, as Peggy crouched to show Maisie the ropes. I could see myself all those years ago, bending over the exact same shelf, tidying up cans and boxes.
The bell tinkled, once, twice. The door opened and a young woman walked in, a train of cold air following her.
There was something exotic about
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