Gavin Corbett - This Is the Way

It is maam it is says Arthur. Didn’t I say to you we must boil up the medicine on the spot where we find the last ingredient he says.

Judith didn’t say nothing, she looked back down the mountain over the bog then she says okay.

Then Arthur says this. He says maam what we’ll do is you come to the top up there the three of you to the high ground, it isn’t long to walk. You can wait there and rest and you can watch me, it’s flat ground and wide ground there and you can see me from a distance. If I find the last bit of the cure I’ll wave at you or ring you on me phone and you can come to me.

Before we went Arthur took the kettle from me, he put the twigs in it and the roots. He says this is the place to be filling the kettle with good rusty bog water, and he filled it from a spring in the ground.

Right let’s move he says.

It was true what Arthur said, the highest ground was flat, but there didn’t seem nowhere to sit, the ground was wet all about. All we could do was watch Arthur go away in the distance. Sometimes he would seem to go in the ground, sometimes he would leap about left and right. Then we seen him go down a while.

Professor Michael says something seems to be up.

After four five or ten minutes we did not know if he was in trouble or if he found the thing was needed for the cure. Then we seen his head rise. He was in a hole, we seen him come up he was scrambling. He stood on the ground and he waved, he whistled the sharp loud whistle he could do.

When we got to him we seen he been in a crater in the ground Professor Michael said, a wide hollow. Down in the bottom the crater was a dead sheep, a yellow dirty heap. Arthur had his coat off, he was holding it with one hand over his shoulder. His sleeve was rolled up on the arm he had loose. His arm to his elbow was streaked and dirty now with turf and something darker and dirtier. He had in his hand a bit of smooth red meat it looked, it was the sheep’s heart.

Professor Michael says to Arthur we don’t know how long that sheep has been dead for.

Arthur says it has not been dead long.

Judith says are you sure Arthur.

He says I am maam.

She says to Professor Michael well I suppose he will be boiling it.

Arthur says it is true I will be boiling it, it is part of the ingredients for this cure.

Now we moved about the crater to the other side of it where we could walk in it. We went in past the dead sheep, we looked at it each of us, we stood about it. The front of it was torn open. Professor Michael lifted the eyelid of it, he seemed happy with it.

Now we have all the things is needed Arthur says and he threw his coat on the ground.

He lifted the lid of the kettle, he pressed the heart in it, it went ploop in the water. He put the kettle down. He bent down and wiped his arm on the ground to clean it. I seen the tops of his trousers were bulging almost bursting, it looked wrong. He not only been scavenging for dead sheep he been looking for good sized stones he could make a fire with and putting the stones in his trousers. Not long then he had a fire built up on a cooker shelf on the ground out of a circle of stones and inside of the stones the newspaper packed in balls and the wood from Professor Michael’s bag. He put the second cooker shelf on top of the stones, he put the kettle on the bars and he says now we wait until this boils up. He tapped the side of the kettle he says yes a good tin kettle. Then he picked up his coat from the ground and put it on him and he pulled the collar up about his chin.

Judith says to Professor Michael how are you feeling now.

He says I’m okay. He had his hands on his hips and he was moving his hips and waist about, it was to keep the blood moving. He says I feel like I’m back in the boy scouts.

The cold was bad and we moved in close around the fire, right up to it to get the heat. Our hands were in our pockets and our faces were nearly touching and under our chin the flames were licking up the sides of the kettle.

Do we know any songs says Judith. She looked at Arthur and at me.

Ding dang ding dang goo goo says Professor Michael.

I don’t know songs I says.

The kettle bubbled and Arthur says she’s singing now.

We stepped back from the fire and Arthur took off his coat one side of his body and pulled the sleeve the other side over his hand. He stooped down and took the handle of the kettle and lifted it.

Judith says has it boiled long enough Arthur.

Arthur says it has maam, the ingredients was well mixed. We only had to get it to a good heat.

Okay says Professor Michael. The side of his bag had a cup with a lid, he took this cup. Okay okay he says.

He held the cup out to Arthur. Arthur lifted the kettle to the cup and the cup was filled with steam and when the steam was gone dirty looking water was left.

So this is it says Professor Michael.

Arthur says take that now and if you’re the same as me father you won’t never be troubled with the fits again, they will be gone.

Okay so says Professor Michael. Bottoms up he says.

He sipped at it and made a shape with his mouth like he did not like it, mam mam he went with his mouth.

All in one go says Arthur.

It’s very hot says Professor Michael.

Take your time with it says Arthur.

Professor Michael blew and sipped at it, blew and sipped at it.

Well done hun says Judith.

When it was nearly gone he looked in the end of the cup this not happy look on his face and he swirled the cup about.

Drink that bit of it too that is the good bit says Arthur.

In for the penny says Professor Michael and he knocked the rest of it back. Then he threw the cup at his bag and he lifted his face to the sky and he says agh.

Good says Arthur. Okay he says. Let’s get back on the road.

Yes says Judith. She smiled.

Arthur put the kettle on the ground. He kicked off the top shelf of bars to the ground, kicked over the stones, kicked up the bottom shelf. He pressed the shelfs in the ground with his feet, he says you’ll be wanting them again maam, leave them cool in the turf a minute.

Professor Michael made a noise, he was holding his stomach.

Judith says to him are you okay hun.

He did not look well. His face was tight, he was showing his teeth.

Arthur says that’s the cure working. Leave it go down it’ll be all right.

His face eased a bit.

Would you like a mint Michael says Judith.

Arthur says back at her don’t give him nothing, let the cure settle will you. He looked at Professor Michael, nodding, then he looked back at Judith. What’s bad is good for you isn’t that it yes he says.

He turned around and lifted one of the shelfs from the ground. It dripped with slime and dirt, he held it away from him. He held it there watching the drips dropping one bar down to the next bar and down to the next. He was observing this. His face had a pained look. Then he said something not looking at anyone, he did not say it loud, it was the psalm a hundred and thirty that our people would say to help themself and help others.

He says out of the depths I cry to you o Lord Lord hear my voice let your ears be attentive to my voice in suffocation.

He did not finish these words because Professor Michael looked like he was dying, he was on his knees. He was so bad he could not even scream.

Michael Michael says Judith.

This was not looking good, I seen it.

Oh Christ Michael Judith shouts and she beating his back.

I went up to him I says put him lying down.

He’s not breathing says Judith.

He was a deep red colour in the face now, he looked the worst he looked all day.

Arthur took Judith by the shoulders. He threw her away, Professor Michael fell to the side.

Leave him lie there Anthony says Arthur.