Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

A little part of home was coming to Edinburgh to see her and she couldn’t help but feel happy. Her relationship with her grandparents was a staple of her life that had been left behind when they moved. She had felt adrift without her grandfather's gentle advice and easy-going manner. There was a special bond between them. He could read her face like a book and his expressions told her more than most people's words could in five minutes. She relied on him to get her through family get togethers and he relied on her to give him the low down on the latest buzz with her friends and their boyfriends and to get him another cookie or two. Her excitement had spilled over into her cleaning and preparations for their arrival.

Once the bedroom's condition met her approval, Kate moved her cleaning efforts into the bathroom. She was so completely lost in cleaning the sink and the grout that she didn’t hear her dad calling to her from the other room. He discovered her scrubbing the tile behind the toilet with her yellow rubber gloves up to her elbows.

“Kate!”

“What?” She jerked her head around and connected with the sink. She reached up to rub her head, but eyed the wet rubber glove and thought better of it, opting instead, for her shoulder. Squeezing out from under the sink, she sank down on the floor, back to the shower door, and looked up at him. “What is it?” she asked, still rubbing her head with her shoulder.

“Kenzie is on the phone. She wants to know if you want to spend some time with her today.”

“Tell her I can’t, I have to finish this, and then I need to see about the living room,” she said.

“Sweetie, I think you have done wonders in here, and I really don’t think your grandmother will be skulking behind the toilet. Do you? Besides, from up here it looks great. Why don’t you take a break and spend some time with your friends?  I think I can handle the living room by myself.”

“But they will be here tomorrow and I want everything to be just perfect.”

“It will be. Besides, I think your grandparents are coming to see you and not what’s lurking in the bathroom. Go have fun on your day off.”

Kate pulled herself from the floor and headed to the living room, stripping off the gloves as she picked up the phone.

“Hello?” she said.

“Kate help!  I need you. Can you come over please? Please say you will!” Kenzie sounded horribly upset.

“Kenzie, what’s the matter?”

“Just get over here,” Kenzie pleaded.

“OK. I’m on my way. But...I don’t know where I am going.”

Kenzie gave her directions and after a quick wash and change of clothes, Kate was out the door.

Kate arrived at a nicely kept, petite two-story home with an iron fence, and a quite small, front yard. Kate was amazed at how many beautiful plants she saw cuddled together in such a small area. A garden gnome glared at her from under a bush by the front steps, and Kate did a double take when she thought she saw it move.

Kenzie was waiting just outside the door. She looked agitated and anxious. Greeting Kate and thanking her for coming over, she led Kate into a small entry hall and ushered her up the stairs. She guided her to a room in the front of the house, sat her on the bed and swiftly shut the door.

Kate let her eyes roam around the room, finding many small details of her friend’s life. A picture here, a dried flower there, Kenzie kept a stack of books on the nightstand, containing a mix of romance and mystery. Beautiful eyelet curtains framed a small window overlooking the petite garden, and a wooden rocker sat in the corner. A matching white eyelet comforter over a beautiful, dark wooden twin bed made a wonderful accent to the powder blue walls.

Kenzie crossed the room and perched on the edge of the rocker.

“Boyd called me this morning,” she blurted out.

“And...?” Kate asked.

“Boyd, called, me, this, morning,” Kenzie repeated.

“Yes, and...?”

“Are you not hearing me?  Boyd called ME!”

“Kenzie, what’s the problem with that? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I just don’t know why he called. I mean, yes it's a good thing, I guess.”

“Did you talk to him?” Kate asked.

“Of course I talked to him.”

“Well, what did he say?” Kenzie gave her a blank look. “He had to say something.”

“He did. He wanted to know if I could meet him at the esplanade today at 2pm.”

“Did he say who else would be there?” Kate asked, digging a bit deeper.

“I don’t remember. Oh Kate! What am I going to do? He said he would be there around two. Is this a date? Or was I just on a list of people to call? Why the castle?  We were just there on Friday. I hope it’s a date,” Kenzie sighed.

“Hmmm. Without knowing all the details, and you're right, they just went on Friday, I would have to say 'date'. Definitely a 'date.'”

“Why would you say that?”

“What time did he call you?” Kate asked.

“It was around ten this morning. Why?”

“That clinches it. It is noon right now, and I haven’t received a call from anyone about meeting anywhere, so that leads me to think that you, my dear, have a date! Unless they forgot about me...No, no, I know I am right. This is a date.”

Kenzie sat back in her rocker. Her foot began to tap. She was staring at the ceiling and chewing on one of her pinky fingers. She sat like that for a few moments, then sprang out of the chair.

“I don’t know if I can do this!  What would I wear? Should I wear something that says I-know-this-is-a-date or do I wear something that says I-thought-this-was-a-group-thing?' I am so confused,” Kenzie lamented.

“Calm down. First off, I say you wear something you are comfortable with. He is not picking you up at the house, so this is a casual-meeting-up-to-see-how-it-goes sort of date. Second, if it goes well, then on the official date you can bring out the nicer clothes. Think about it Kenzie, he sees you every day in your school uniform. Anything other than that, will be a treat.”

Kenzie bobbed her head and began pacing around the small room.

“Jeans and a button up? Would that be too nice? Or t-shirt and a jacket?” she ventured.

“Jeans and a button up,” Kate agreed.

Kenzie turned and bounded to the closet. She began throwing shirts and jeans at Kate. After several minutes in front of the mirror, they finally agreed on an outfit.

“Next question, hair up or down?” Kenzie asked.

Kate looked at Kenzie's beautiful red wavy hair. Even here in the house, her hair shone with glittering highlights.

“Down,” Kate said. “Have you ever thought about straightening your hair?”

“No. Do you think I should?”

“No, not this time. Let’s see how it goes and save that for a dress up occasion. What time is it?”

Kenzie consulted the clock on the nightstand.

“It’s getting close to 1:15. Oh God, I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Yes, you can do this. It's just Boyd. What did your parents say when you asked to go?” Kate asked.

“I haven’t asked. I never really thought I would go.”

“Well, don’t you think you should ask? What if they won’t let you go?”

Kenzie flew out of the room and Kate heard her scramble down the long wooden stairs. She could hear voices floating up from below. Then feet on the stairs and Kenzie flew back into the room, face flushed.

“Well?” Kate asked.

“Me mum says I can go.”

“Great!  Well, I will get out of your hair so you can get a move on. Call me later if you want or I will get all the details tomorrow at school.” Kate started toward the door. Kenzie grabbed her arm.

“You can’t leave me.” Kenzie said, getting worked up again.

“I can’t go on your date with you, either. I’m not going to be a chaperone.”

“What if you were to just walk with me up there? Then we will see who all is there. And if it is just himself then you don’t have to walk all the way,” Kenzie ended an octave higher.

“Wouldn’t that be like spying?”

“No, no not at all. He won't even have to know you were there. Please Kate!  Walk with me.” Kenzie stuck out her bottom lip and made her best puppy dog eyes.

“Fine, fine. Let’s go.”

Walking out of the house and up the street Kenzie did a little happy dance and practically broke into a jog. Kate smiled at her and took her by the arm to reign her in, explaining to her that it wouldn't do for her to get there before Boyd, or show up sweaty and out of breath. Kenzie tried to be calm, but the only way she could be held back was by physical intervention, and Kate ended up escorting her the whole way. The castle came into view and with a quick peek at Kenzie’s watch, they found they had arrived right on time. They surveyed the esplanade for Boyd. Kenzie found him first; she pointed him out to Kate. He was sitting all alone at the far side by the entrance.

“It’s a date,” Kate declared and Kenzie nodded her agreement. Kate hugged her and whispered, “Good luck.”

Kate watched as Kenzie walked slowly across the concourse. His face lit up when he saw her. He stood and hurried to meet her. Kate watched as they talked for a moment, then he took her hand and they disappeared down a path beside the castle.

Feeling pretty good about her part in getting the two together, Kate smiled and turned to leave. She never saw the eyes that watched her from the wall by the ticket line. Or how they followed her all the way home.

The journey continued, one hill looking much like the next. Kate found herself and Andrew walking up behind Sean and Christopher, who were walking behind their dad and Frank. Kate caught Andrew’s eye and motioned toward them. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped up next to Christopher.

“Why are you walking behind yer da?” he asked.

“We tried walking beside him, but every time we tried to give him a hand he’d hit us. We got tired of being beat up, so we settled for walking behind him,” Christopher answered.

“Yeah, that way when he falls over, we will have the pleasure of leading the rest of the marchers up and over his body,” Sean added.

Overhearing the conversation and missing nothing, Ol' Rob turned and shot his boys an evil stare.

“And I hope each and every one of you enjoys the spit I have saved up for just such an occasion,” Ol' Rob said.

Kate wasn’t at all sure if Ol' Rob was joking or if he meant it.

“Don’t worry, Da. If you run out, I will personally track down those with dry boots and spit on ‘em myself,” Sean volunteered.

Kate and Andrew dropped back to walk with his dad. “They don’t seem to like each other very well,” Andrew said.

“Actually, they care for each other very much. I think the boys are very worried about Rob’s feet,” he said. “But he is too proud to draw attention to them by letting the boys help him. So they tease him to show they know he is still in pain, and if he ever wants help, he will quit giving them trouble about it.” He looked at Andrew who looked completely lost.

“Just know that everything is all right when they are teasing each other,” he said.

Andrew nodded, yet Kate couldn’t understand why they would tease each other. Billy appeared at Andrew's side and punched his arm hard.

“How’s it going, Andy-me-boy?” he said.

“Not yer boy and it'll be better once I get you in a headlock,” laughed Andrew, rubbing his arm, making a half-hearted attempt to swat Billy.

Watching the exchange between the two boys, Kate began to understand what Andrew’s father had been telling them about Ol' Rob and his son's different ways of showing affection.

“Only a few more miles left. Do you think you have it in you?” Frank asked.

“I think I just might. This seemed so far but we are so close now, it doesn’t seem possible that we are going to be there by tonight,” Andrew said.

“Well, let us all hope that Edinburgh is as friendly as the rest of the towns we have been through,” his father said.

Kate wondered at all the people. How had so many people joined the march without her noticing? Frank must have been thinking along the same lines.

“Would you look at all these people, I never thought that our little march from Glasgow would turn into this!” He gestured at the people, “I wonder how many of us there are now?”

“It’s kinda hard to count. They keep moving,” Andrew said.