Gavin Corbett: This Is the Way

Yes of course, and anything else you might need Judith says.

She went out with Professor Michael to the hall to gather themself, get their coats.

I looked at Arthur. He was looking at the wall, chewing a smile, his eyes bright and shining.

I says what’s all this. I says is this tricks.

He moved his eyes but not his head to look at me. He says no tricks no.

Judith came back in the kitchen, she says Anthony you’ll come with us yes.

Arthur says oh he’ll come with us sure. He’ll want to see how all this is done.

Judith’s car was a silver Ford estate car, was twenty five year old she said. It was wrecked inside, it smelt of feet and old rain, and it was noisy when it was going. I sat in the front with Judith. I could not hear Arthur and Professor Michael in the back. There was a hissing and flapping over my head and I seen there was a hole in the roof, was covered in a sheet was stuck on with water proof tape said Judith. She said there used to be a sun roof where the hole was but it came off one time she was going a hundred mile an hour and it hit the car behind but she could not stop because she was breaking the law.

She says shouting behind to Arthur are we going in the right direction.

Arthur came forward his head on Judith’s seat he says just keep going this way maam.

Out in front past the houses was the mountains and we kept in that direction. When we got to the bottom of the mountains Arthur came forward again he says maam you wouldn’t mind stopping the car only I meant to go in the house before we left it.

Judith brought the car over the side of the road by a low wall and Arthur hopped over the wall.

All right in the rear there says Judith to Professor Michael.

Holding on my dear holding on says Professor Michael.

She watched Arthur concentrating behind the wall.

She says Anthony I hope you’re getting something out of these nights in my house.

I says they’re very good.

She says we’re certainly getting a lot from you being there. You’ve enriched our group. Isn’t that right big head she says to Professor Michael.

Oh very true says Professor Michael.

She says I just want you to know that we’re all very keen that you and your uncle stay part of the group.

Thank you I says.

She watched Arthur climbing back over the wall she says we’re both of us in our own way in the same boat.

Arthur got back in the car and Judith says I was just saying what crap society is Arthur aye.

Crap maam fucking shit says Arthur.

I looked at Professor Michael sitting beside him, he was looking out the window picking his teeth.

Turn your position to your advantage that’s the way she says.

Professor Michael says let’s turn this car to our advantage and be on our way dear.

Yes Michael says Judith. She says to Arthur will any of these hill sides around here do, they all look quite boggy.

Arthur says no miss you’d want to be going in a bit to the ground more open to the wind. Take the car over the hill and follow the road as it dips and goes by the side of the mountain.

When we went over the hill the colour of the ground changed, it was a browner colour, and we went down with the road and followed it along the side of a valley. We went into pine trees and out again and the wind hit the side of the car made it shake on the road and Arthur says stop it.

Right here Arthur says Judith.

Right here this is the exact spot you be wanting he says.

We got out the car the four of us.

Judith says to Professor Michael how are you feeling.

He stretched his arms wide he says much much better dear.

Arthur says are you right for the walk across the field sir.

I’m well up for it you might say he says.

I can’t wait to see how this is done says Judith. She put her arms around Professor Michael’s arms and squeezed him, she looked at him like an excited child.

We went off the road into the bog, Arthur leading the way. It was happy enough the start of it, Judith and Professor Michael were laughing about it, but soon we found the going was not easy. The ground was lumps and holes, you had to step on the lumps, sometimes your foot slid in a hole. Arthur was on ahead, it was like it was natural for him. He was like the tiny birds were darting and springing low over the ground. His hands were free but the rest of our hands were not free. I had in my hand the kettle, I had in the other hand a bag from Judith’s house with a newspaper and a fire lighter in it. Judith had under her arms the shelfs the inside of her cooker, the bars of it. Sometimes she had a shelf under each of her arms, they looked like wings to keep her steady, sometimes she had both of the shelfs under one arm to free the other arm to help Professor Michael. Professor Michael found it the hardest, he was a big man with a big head and a lot of thick hair and he was not steady. He had over his shoulder a small bag with the wood in it. When Judith held him they did not help the other, they slipped. Someone seen the group of us they would have thought we were strange. They would have seen these people on the bog in the wind with these things of metal that were taken and these bags and their back crooked, they would have thought these people are escaping they have been moved on.

I seen Arthur was heading toward a small tree and when he got to the tree he stopped at it. I came to him I says are you trying to drown them. He said nothing he looked across at Judith and Professor Michael until they caught up to us. They were breathing hard but they did not give out, Judith had a big smile on her face but a purple and red face, Professor Michael had a yellow face.

Arthur had a twig of the tree in his hand he says this is it now see and he held it out. He says this is the bog myrtle one of the main ingredients of the cure for the fits. He twisted some more of it off the tree he says about this much.

Judith says and so we set up here and we boil this up do we.

Arthur says ah no maam like I says before the bog myrtle is one of the main ingredients but it’s not the only thing in it, there’s two other ingredients we need to get. The thing about it is where you find the last of the ingredients is where you must boil up the kettle see.

Of course says Judith.

Arthur says to Professor Michael are you happy to be going on now sir.

Very happy he says, let’s proceed.

The next bit of the walk was beyond the tree up the mountain. When we got to where we thought was the top of the mountain there was more to go, it was up and up, was hard on the legs. There was a wind against us, there were small round creatures in the turf got stuck on your shoes and the bottom your trousers. I seen Arthur way ahead, head down. I looked back I seen Judith and Professor Michael swaying about like drunks. I could not see the road now, I could not see Judith’s car. We’d walked two mile we must have done. I shouted up at Arthur but the wind was coming in rivers over the grass, splitting into streams saying whisht was the sound, blowing back the sound, this one moment the wind was a knife was cutting, was ice in the throat.

Arthur was leaned in low to the wind, he was a black animal. Then he straightened and he shouted, his voice came down the mountain with the wind. Same again, he stood on the spot didn’t look at me when I came to him, he was looking down at Judith and Professor Michael. He had his hand in a fist to them, his hand streaked with turf, he waited until they came to him.

Roots he says to them.

Professor Michael had tears down his cheeks and his nose was streaming.

Judith says Arthur we can’t do this for much longer.

Arthur says maam we must go on, there is the last ingredient still to get.

Judith says is it absolutely necessary that we come with you all the way.