This Is the Way, page 16
The next day was the last day me and Arthur were in Judith’s house too but I did not know it then. I did not know a lot of things about it at the time, that I would see a lot of things that day I would not put out of my mind. We stayed in the house in the top room again and all I knew in the morning was I wanted to get up and get out that house quick with Arthur.
I woke at ten and I shook him awake I says let’s be going.
We snuck down the stair then Arthur says I need to be getting some tea for the road me mouth is dry.
I says if we have tea we’ll be here all day just take a sup from the tap.
Arthur says I want me tea.
I says you’ll wake them.
Arthur says what about it, we’ll have our tea say goodbye and go.
All right so I says.
We were seated in the kitchen having our tea then Arthur says did you hear a noise last night, screaming.
I thought about it, I remembered I did hear screaming in the night, it woke me then I went back asleep. The screaming came from Judith’s room where she was sleeping with her boy friend Professor Michael.
Arthur says maybe the two of them are going through troubles.
I says that was some troubles.
A few minutes later they came in the kitchen and Professor Michael looked shook. He walked tense like his body was tight. Judith had her arm about his back. She helped him in a seat at the table. She sat beside him, wiped the side of his mouth with a cloth. She looked at us and gave a dart of a smile at us.
She says well drama boys.
Arthur looked at Professor Michael he says are you all right sir would you like a cup of tea.
No wuh says Professor Michael and he lifting his hand at us and speaking through a down turned mouth.
He won’t be eating or drinking anything right now says Judith. He just needs to sit up for a while.
I says sleep is the only thing for it that’s the only cure for me.
Judith says oh no it’s not what you think. Michael has had this problem for a long time and it’s not brought on by alcohol.
Arthur says is it fits he gets.
Judith did not say anything but Professor Michael closed his eyes and nodded his head at Arthur. Professor Michael then says to Judith pour me a glass of water dear will you and Judith got up and got it.
Arthur says me father who was Anthony’s grandfather used get the exact same, used have terrible fits. Do you feel like your tongue is hard like a stone and you have a bolt of pain one ear to the other.
Professor Michael hummed in his glass, it meant yes.
And do you feel a bolt of pain in the spine of your back and a pain the back of the knees says Arthur.
Professor Michael swallowed his water sharp in his throat and hit the glass down on the table. Judith looked at him and put her hand on his arm.
Yes says Professor Michael.
Ah yes says Arthur. He says you have the look on your face the exact same me father used have the morning after one of his fits, the yellow above the eyes and the red in them and the grey below them and the white and blue lips and the red the sides of your mouth and the green the side of your head. And you’re saying you have these fits how many year, three four year.
They’ve been going on for about ten Michael isn’t that it says Judith.
Ten I’d say he says.
Has it been the same level of bad through the whole of them ten year says Arthur.
Judith says what was it like in the early years Michael, bad wasn’t it.
Bad says Professor Michael.
And he’s been pinged from doctor to doctor in all that time and nobody can shed any light on what’s wrong says Judith. She says to Professor Michael you’ve had every medicine and every test going haven’t you Michael.
Oh no you don’t want to be trying no doctors with that says Arthur. Me own father tried the doctors and none of them could cure him.
Was your father ever cured says Judith.
Yes he was miss yes he was says Arthur. There is only one cure for these fits and it’s up the mountains you have to be going he says. One of the mornings after me father had a fit a man that we knew that was after calling around said he knew the cure and he brought me father up above to the mountains and on the bog the man found the things he was looking for, boiled them up, made the cure, and me father says the moment he took it he felt things was right in him. The man made him remember the things went in the cure said if ever he had a fit again he was to head up the mountains with someone and make up the cure from this but me father never had a fit again from that day. One drink of the cure was all was needed and the fits never came on him again, is true as anything, and this was a man didn’t believe any of that thing, had all his faith in doctors and these men of the world.
Do you know what went into the cure says Judith.
Oh I do maam of course says Arthur, sure we was all made remember it including Anthony’s father Aubrey. The twigs of the bog myrtle is the main part of it but there’s other parts to it too but one thing you do need that is not on the bog is a tin pot or kettle.
Judith says almost jumping out her seat but sure we have a tin kettle.
I know maam sure I seen it in the room beside says Arthur.
Judith went in and got the kettle. It was a battered and ugly thing with a spout came out very long in a vicious beak.
Arthur says this is just the thing is needed.
Judith put her hand on Professor Michael’s shoulder. She says what do you say Michael we have nothing to lose.
Professor Michael says I suppose not, I’m not feeling the best though.
She says Michael it’ll be worth the effort if we can finally find a cure for this thing. What do you say fellas, would you be okay with that, if we went to the mountains, I mean I’ll drive, and Arthur you could help us gather the ingredients up there on the bog.
Arthur says I’d be happy to help if the man is suffering maam, if I have the wisdom how to cure this thing I would feel bad keeping it and him sick there. Maam he says, can we take some of the small bits of wood I seen beside your fire place in the room.
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.
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.
