Page 75 of Coming Home to Winter Island
I nod.
‘Okay, everyone, as promised, we have the fantastic Ruby Mac to sing for you.’ Lachlan holds out his hand and everyone starts to applaud. I take a deep breath. I’m going to do this just the way I planned it, and not change a thing just because the record producer is here. I’m going to do it my way. Sing it from the heart. And with that, I walk over to Hector, who is sitting in his wheelchair. I whisper to him, then wheel him over to the piano.
‘Mrs Broidy? Would you?’
She nods and hurries forward to where I’m standing, Hector sitting in his wheelchair next to me. The Cruickshanks from the shop shuffle in beside the piano, just like on Burns Night.
Mrs Broidy looks at me, and I find my hand slipping into Hector’s as she begins to play. At once I feel my nerves disappearing, and without thinking, I begin to sing. As I do, Hector gets unsteadily to his feet and joins in, taking my other hand, word perfect. My whole being fills with happiness, and there’s a huge smile on my face to match his, and tears in my eyes. The small choir joins in gently behind us, but it’s mine and Hector’s voices that can be heard most clearly.
As the song comes to an end, Hector looks straight into my eyes. Then he lets go of my hands and cups my face with his own. Tears are filling the soft skin of the rims of his eyes and finding their way down the crevices and creases of his cheeks, just like the water from the mountain stream.
All around me I can hear clapping, but it’s muted, as if far away. All I can see is Hector, looking straight into my eyes.
‘You came!’ he says shakily, and I nod. ‘My granddaughter! You came!’
‘Hello, Grandad,’ I say, and the words catch in my throat.
‘I knew you’d come...one day.’ And he plants a wet, teary kiss on my cheek. ‘I always knew you’d come!’ he repeats. I help him back into his wheelchair and towards his favourite seat looking out over the lawn. ‘Not sure about your mode of transport, though!’ He nods to the helicopter on the lawn, and laughs.
Then Mrs Broidy plays again and we all join in. ‘Looks like the island choir is back together,’ she smiles, and I suddenly wonder if they’ll keep going once I’m gone.
We sing a rousing rendition of ‘The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond’ and finish with ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Hector looks happy but exhausted from the exertion. Lachlan comes over with a cup of tea and a cheese scone for him, but he doesn’t really respond. He seems to be thinking deeply as he looks out beyond the helicopter on the lawn.
‘You were brilliant, fantastic,’ says Lachlan, suddenly hugging me.
Over his shoulder I see Isla, who smiles at me. When he puts me down, I say, ‘So, you and Isla...’
‘She was the only one who knew about these guys coming. I knew I couldn’t tell anyone else, but I couldn’t keep it to myself either. I saw her in the café today.’
‘So you’re not...?’ I raise my eyebrows.
‘No, Ruby. It’s over. She and Gordan are having a baby. They deserve to be happy without me moping around making them feel bad. I need to find some happiness of my own now.’
Just as I go to reply, the producer and the A&R woman come over.
‘Is there somewhere we could talk?’
‘Um, sure,’ I say, looking at Lachlan, who nods his head towards the kitchen with an encouraging smile.
I lead them through the small crowd, who all stop me to tell me how beautiful the song was, many of them with tears in their eyes. My mum is now wearing her sunglasses, and is dabbing at the corners of her eyes. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my mum cry. A song that hasn’t been heard on the island in a long time, brought back to life; a song that I remember my father singing to me, and that his father must have sung to him. A song from the sea.
Jess is standing by the door. I look at her, feeling like I’ve betrayed her, like I’ve stolen the most precious thing from her.
‘It’s okay, Rubes.’ She smiles like we’re two lovers who realise they have fallen out of love and are walking different paths in life but will stay cherished friends. ‘Do what you have to do.’ She gently squeezes my arm.
I turn towards the hallway and lead the two visitors into the kitchen, wondering what my dad would’ve made of today, and whether we’ll ever see another day like it here.
Chapter Forty-six
Holding the contract in my shaking hand, I look at them both.
‘So it’s a record deal, you sign to us,’ says the producer.
‘Just me?’ I confirm.
‘Just you. Doing what you did out there today and on the video. The girl from the island.’
‘Oh, but I’m not...’ I stop myself. Because suddenly I feel very much a part of this island, and I want to make them all proud. I suddenly feel very hot. ‘Could you give me a moment?’ I say. ‘I just need some air.’
