Bairns growe up

Posted by Iain Mcgregor

Weel A’m nae deid yet! The ither day A wis oot in the gairden whan a wee laddie , ages aboot five daundert doon fae a neebors hoose an cam throu the gairden yett. He wis lauchin awa tae hissel in short geegles like bairns div. He hunkert doon aside the peth, taen haud o a muckle reid brick, stuid up, leukit me straicht in the ee, haed anither wee geegle tae hissel an hove the brick throu ma glesshoose windaes. For a meenit A wis dumfoonert, syne A gaed intae kinks mindin o ma bairnheid days an ma auld freen, wee Linda.

 

    Wee Linda wis ages wi masel, but still weirin hippins at sax. Big sister tae Peter an wee sister tae Freda, wee Linda wis a strynge bairn. She wis up wi masel in heid-heicht, haed muckle blae een, a wee perjink neb an lang blond hair that wad hiv bin the better o a guid brush an kaim. She wis the eemage o her sibs an a wee sweetie on first leuks; a halie- rinagate whan kent mair.

    An wee Linda wis strang in baith heid an haund. She coud lift twa bricks at yince an cairry thaim, yin in ilka haund, ower the causey athoot haen a rest. The ither bairns strauchlet wi yin. An she wis fykie!  Wad loss the heid at naethin, an nowt keppit her interest lang. Whan her burse wis up it wis better tae flit an play itherwhaur as fechtin wi her wis nae yiss, wi the ootcome aye in her coort, an a greetin match wad fallae.

    Dolls war for lassies, an whan oniebody dare gie her yin tae play wi she wad suin hiv the heid poud aff, the airms an legs raxed squeegee an the body mankit.

She laith dolls.

    Naebody kent the richt wey o thae ill-laits, but A aft lang-lugged the auld-farrant souch in the weeman’s causey-clash while hingin aroond wi ma mither at the sindry vans waiting tae buy breid, butcher mait or paraffin-eil.

Yin by yin thay wad gie thair opeenions :

“Juist you wait till she growes up, thar’l bi tribble!”

“It’s aw doon tae yon mither o her’s, ower saft on bairns noo-a-days, nae discipleen!”

“Ay, yon yin’s nae richt in the heid, A kent fae the first day she wis brocht hame.”

“Gin it war ma bairn, a guid skelpit-letherin ower the erse wi ma man’s belt an ye wad see a cheinged bairn! A’ve gotten ten o ma ain an yon did thaim nae herm!”

 

    An she poud throu. Turnt intae a braw leukin wumman an wis mither tae fower bricht laddies. She gaed on tae the Varsity, wis makkit a Professor in her discipleen an haes juist retired. Nae baud for a lassie that coud cairry twa bricks at yince, ower the causey an wis lat doon by maist fowk in her veelage.

 

Weel  A’ll awa an mend ma glesshoose windaes!

 

Ta – ta the noo. See ye agane afore lang.

 

Iain.

     

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