Chapter Twenty Three

          Chapter Twenty three

Her grandparents were the first to arrive. They'd had no luck with the restaurant properties they toured, but had driven by a few others that looked promising.

“Tomorrow we are scheduled to look at some properties with nice fronts to them and not too far off the beaten path. Depends on what kind of customers are you looking for. Tourist, or something more regular?” Grandpa asked.

“You know, I never really thought of the tourist possibility. I had always pictured a grill back in Blue Springs, and we know there are no tourists there. I would like to have a good mix of regulars, some tourists...but mostly regulars,” Bruce said, thinking through the implications to the business.

“I think you just found your pub's name.” Kate said. They looked at her. “’Off the Beaten Path’ what do you think?”

“’Off the Beaten Path,’...hmmm...I think I like it. It’s not too comical nor is it touristy. Let me think about it.” He went to his room and brought out a pad and pencil. He started sketching, and talking to himself.

There was a knock on the door and Gavin arrived. He was grinning from ear to ear as he took a stack of papers out of his backpack.

“What have you got there?” India asked.

“Oh not much, just the usual homework and a ton of get well messages from Kate’s adoring fans.”

He beamed at her as he set the homework on her lap. Then he handed her an envelope that had several notes and handmade cards.

“Mr. Corkin sends his best and hopes for a speedy recovery so you can return to helping the defense class. He also wanted me to pass along that Mr. Dougall’s sister, his new bride, will be in to talk to the class about her experience next week. He wanted yer father and grandparents there too, if they wished. Kenzie sweet talked him into giving us all paper to make you a card with. Very fun. Got out the crayons and everything, was like being in kindergarten again." He stopped her in the midst of sorting thought the cards. "A word of caution, you might not want to share Tavey and Frazier’s cards with anyone else. Also Mr. Dougall hopes you are feeling better soon and told me to tell you that the ‘mid-term tests wait for no one.”  He did a passable imitation of Mr. Dougall’s voice. “I think he meant that as a threat.”

“I’m sure he did. Is this all from one day? I had no idea that I did so much homework?” She leafed through the papers. “I guess I did most of it while we were still in class.” She pulled one out of the middle and held it up. “Oh no! We have a paper assigned in History!” she cried in dismay. “Are you kidding me? Dad, I can’t stay home anymore. I need to get back to school. I don’t want to flunk my first semester here.”

“Now calm down, Kate,” her grandpa soothed. “No one is going to flunk you because of a broken leg. I’m sure they are just trying to keep you on track by sending, well, it looks like, just about everything.” He started to laugh. “Gavin, is there a desk in that pile too?”

“Can’nae fit it in,” he said, as they shared a laugh.

Kate sat with the pile on her lap and felt as if she was going to cry. Her grandmother took the papers and began to sort them into separate piles for the separate classes. When she got done, it really didn’t look that bad.

“Look here, some of these pages are notes your friends copied for you,” her grandmother said.

“Mairi, Kenzie and Duncan put their notes in from the classes they share with you. They thought it would help, since you really need them to know what is going on. Duncan was thinking about using a recorder so you could listen to the class, but the school rules won't allow it. So you see, it really isn’t as bad as it first looked.” Gavin handed her a tissue.

“I just wish I had never...” she blew her nose and Gavin finished for her.

“Come to Edinburgh,” he said softly.

“No. I was going to say broken my leg.” She wiped her nose as she talked. "I hate this. I can’t go anywhere, do anything, well at least not at normal speed."

“Don’t worry, it will all be over in another five weeks,” Gavin said.

“Five weeks,” she whispered. “Seems like an eternity.” She lay her head on the back of the couch, “I wish I had never stepped into that hole. It was so stupid of me. I feel so stupid. ‘Hey how’d you break your leg? I stepped into a pothole.’ Stupid, stupid, stupid.” She banged her forehead with the palm of her hand.

“Easy there sweetie, you didn’t have a concussion at the hospital and there is no reason to start one now.” Her grandmother took her hand in hers. “There is no safe place,” she said, her eyes were unfocused and although it looked like she had spoken to Kate, she had actually said it to someone unseen. She shook her head and said again. “There really is no safe place. Could have happened at home, at a competition, in a race, no need to play it safe when it could happen anywhere.”

“Most dangerous room in the home?” Gavin asked.

“Kitchen,” Kate answered.

“Nope, the bathroom. So be careful in there,” he said with mock seriousness.

Kate found herself giggling. It felt good and as she looked at the pile of papers in front of her, they really didn’t look so bad. She could do it.

The Shaw/O'Callaghan's arrived just after three o’clock. Boyd looked a little drawn but he was in good spirits. Kate made room for him on the couch next to her.

“I guess turnabout is fair play,” he said. “You came to visit me when I was sick and here we are to repay yer kindness.” He smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye. “So how did you break your leg?”

Kate started giggling. “I stepped in a hole.” She continued to giggle. Boyd looked puzzled. “I’m sorry. I just feel so stupid saying that. You know, sounds so dumb, stepping in a hole.”

“Then you need to make it sound grander. Like, I stepped into a large hole or I stepped into a bear trap. That would get them,” he winked and elbowed her.

“Lots of bear traps around here?” she asked.

“A few, a few, you’d be surprised. Don't be laughing. Well now, the whole point of a trap is that you don't see it. If you’d seen it you would’nae step in it. Would you?”

Kate had really missed Boyd’s humor. It had been so sad to see him sick and it was nice to see him out and about. Catherine had gone into the kitchen and returned with a vase of flowers.

“These are for you,” she said as she set them down.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Kate was a little embarrassed.

“Yes we did,” Catherine said and inclined her head toward Boyd. “Someone insisted.”

“Did you bring me flowers?” Kate asked as she turned to Boyd.

“Well, Catherine carried them for me. I hate turning up empty handed. You know, I always remember me mum taking something, anything when she was invited to someone’s house. We didn’t have much money in those days, but she always found something. Guess it rubbed off on me.”

“Lucky for me it did. They are beautiful, thank you.” She placed her hand on his.

“We brought that other item you wanted us to bring.” Catherine reached into her bag and pulled out the framed picture of a boy that hung in the Shaw Kennel front room. Boyd looked perplexed.

“Yes now, why on earth did you want us to bring that?” he asked.

“I need it to show to someone.” She tried to shift so she could look at Boyd straight on. “Brace yourself, but I think I may have found your brother.”

Boyd became very still. He locked eyes briefly with Catherine and looked back to Kate.

“Andrew?” he said.

“Yes, Andrew. Turns out he is the father of one of my friends. Actually my friend Boyd, not you Boyd, but another Boyd, this could become very confusing, but Boyd’s father is named Andrew and he doesn’t remember his family. Seems he came here decades ago and had an accident and was taken to the hospital but no one ever came for him and after a few years, his memory of his family and where he was from started to fade. I've read about it. It has some kind of term ending in syndrome, Boyd, his son, says now and then his father has small glimpses but he doesn’t remember.” Kate saw Boyd becoming even paler. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, please continue,” he said.

“Well, he was adopted by one of the nurses in the hospital and grew up not far from here.”

“He named his son Boyd?” he said softly in awe.

“Yes, he did. Maybe there’s something there? You’ll have to ask him,” she said.

“Ask him? When?”

“Today,” she smiled. “He should be here.” She glanced out the window.

“He’s coming here? Today?” Boyd was looking nervous.

“I have to warn you I don’t know what he remembers, if he remembers anything at all, that’s why I wanted you to bring the picture. I thought it might help.”

“Kate, you could give an old man some notice about this. You don’t know how many times I would track down someone with the right name or someone that knew him or said they did, only to find it wasn’t him. I thought I was through with all this. I don’t know if I can handle another disappointment.” Tears sprang to his eyes and he began to get himself worked up.

“Boyd, please relax. Why don’t you just meet him and let it go from there. You don’t expect anything from him and he isn’t expecting anything from you. If nothing else you met another person you didn’t know today,” Kate assured him.

Kate turned to Catherine, “I am sorry, I didn’t think. I mean I thought he would be happy. I never realized...if it wasn't him. Oh Boyd, please just talk to him.”

“It’s all right,” she whispered.

“So how does this work? You think Mr. Shaw and Mr. Kirkpatrick are brothers, right?” Gavin asked.

Kate nodded.

“Boyd’s dad?” he clarified. “Why don't they have the same name?”

“My name is really O’Callaghan, it’s a long story. Kate can tell you,” Boyd said, waving off Gavin's impending question, obviously preoccupied with his own thoughts.

“And Boyd...,” Kate looked to Gavin, troubled. “This is going to be confusing with two Boyd’s around. Let's call our Boyd, junior for now. But back to Mr. Kirkpatrick: The nurse who took care of him later adopted him, thus the Kirkpatrick name. Confused?” she asked Gavin.

“Almost.” He was squinting his eyes with eyebrows furrowed. She could see him trying to work it all out. “So they are brothers?” he finally asked.

“I’m pretty sure,” Kate continued, “That’s why I wanted the picture here. Perhaps he will remember it being taken or recognize himself. That way, even if he doesn’t remember, we will know it's him.”

Gavin looked doubtful.

“If that doesn’t work, I have another ace up my sleeve,” she assured him.

“What’s your ace?” he asked. She was about to answer when the bell to the flat rang. India answered it and ushered in Boyd Jr., Andrew and Mary, his wife. Boyd Jr. was a little confused as to why he was here, but as soon as he saw Gavin and Kate, with her cast sitting on the couch, he relaxed.

“Hey, Kate how’s the leg?” Boyd Jr. asked.  

“Um, broken,” Kate deadpanned.

“Stupid question, I know. I just was wondering if you were in pain or are you able to get around?  It’s pretty boring at defense without you.”

Gavin insistently nodded his head in agreement.

Boyd Jr. looked at his parents standing in the door, “Sorry. Mum, this is Kate. Dad, I’m sure you remember her from the hospital.”

He started making introductions but after Kate's dad and grandmother, he was at a loss.

“I got it from here,” Kate jumped in. “Andrew, this is my Grandpa, Fred Thorn and this is,” she faltered, should she introduce Boyd and Catherine as the Shaw’s or O’Callaghan’s?

“This is Catherine and Boyd...”

She stopped again, and Boyd stood and held out his hand to Andrew.

“O’Callaghan,” he completed for her.

In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought.

Andrew turned to his wife and said, “This is me wife, Mary.” He turned back to and looked at Boyd Sr. closely. “Do I know you?” he asked, “You seem familiar.”

Kate's heart jumped in her chest. This is it!

Boyd just smiled calmly. "Perhaps."

Andrew returned the smile as he and Mary eased into the chairs across from them. “O’Callaghan, you say. That, too, is familiar. Are you related to the O’Callaghan’s on the north bank?” he asked.

“No. Though I thought I was at one time,” Boyd Sr. replied.

Catherine took Andrew's hand, “So Andrew, how long have you been in Edinburgh?

“Quite a while. Came as a boy and then moved to Perth for several years and returned when I was in me early twenties. I've lived here ever since.”

No wonder Boyd never found him.

“Perth?” Boyd Sr. asked. Kate heard the same realization echoed in his voice.

“You know, the ‘Fair City’ Perth. When I was younger I had an accident and was taken to Perth by me mother to convalesce. It is beautiful there. But something always called me to be here, so when I became older I left and moved here. How about yer self? Lived here all your life I bet?”

“Actually I grew up in Glasgow,” Boyd Sr. said. He let that hang in the air for a moment. “Visited here frequently in my late teens. Looking for family and such.”

Boyd Sr. was playing it cool. Kate, on the other hand, had needles and pins coming out of her skin. She was dying to jump up and scream, 'You're brothers!' but bit her tongue, knowing it was Boyd’s story to tell.

“Met this lovely lady and never left.” He turned to Catherine and smiled. Then in a tender moment he kissed her on the hand. After a heartbeat, he turned back to Andrew.

“We inherited Catherine’s father's kennels and I have been known as Mr. Shaw ever since. Got tired of explaining that even though it said Shaw on the outside, I was still O’Callaghan on the inside. So I let them think what they wanted. I can hear them now when I’m gone. ‘Old Mr. Shaw died. Oh that’s sad.’ Or some such, they will never know.”

“O’Callaghan?” Andrew rolled the name around a few times.

Kate's eyes bored into him willing it to all come back.

“What have you got there?” Andrew gestured to the picture Catherine was holding. She passed it to him. He took it and stared intently at it. After what seemed an eternity he said, “I know this.” He stroked the picture and closed his eyes. “Kate mentioned something to me in the hospital about walking here with me da'. I din’t understand it at the time what she was getting at but I have been thinking and I do have a vague memory of walking a long way out in the countryside with a group of people and having a feeling that it was all a great adventure.” He opened his eyes and continued to run his fingers over the picture concentrating.

There was a soft knock and India quietly let in two more people. Finger to her lips, she motioned for them to come in. Silently the two entered and stood in the entryway.

“I remember Da' and I were separated for the night,” Andrew continued quietly, “and the next day before I was to meet him, I was with some people I trusted. I forget who. We were out in front of the Tron and a photographer took this on the steps. I don't remember much after that except waking up in hospital with a huge headache and a broken arm.” He finished haltingly. A pained expression came across his face and he closed his eyes, his lips moved as he talked to himself. After a few moments, he opened his eyes to look at the picture again, tears streamed down his face. "O'Callaghan.” He looked at his wife. "Oh my God Mary, my name is O'Callaghan." Mary put her hand to her mouth, her face full of emotion. "Andrew O'Callaghan." He looked over at Boyd, who had a calm but expectant look on his face. "If my name is O'Callaghan and you're an O'Callaghan that must mean we are related." Boyd nodded waiting for Andrew to make the last connection himself. "Boyd O'Callaghan, is it true? Are you really?  Are you really, Boyd!" he cried.

Andrew and Boyd stood in unison, each grabbing hold of the other. The room was completely silent as the two brothers, who had searched for so long clung together, both afraid to let go of the one they'd found.

Kate tore herself from the brothers and glanced about the room. She had not been the only one caught up in this story. Not a dry eye was to be found in the group. She turned to Gavin who caught her look, reached up and pulled her back to sit closer to him. So engrossed in the unfolding of the story, she hadn't realized until then the uncomfortable twisted position she had put herself in. Relief washed over her as a burden lifted.

“So am I a Kirkpatrick or an O’Callaghan?” Boyd Jr.'s question broke the silence.

Laughter answered him as the group felt a wave of emotions wash over them.

“Pick one!” his father laughed, “I don’t care. I have me brother back and that is all I care about right now.” He reached out and ruffled his son’s hair. "Boyd meet your uncle Boyd." He let out a hearty laugh.

He sat back down and wiped the tears from his face.

“It’s amazing after all these years. It is like someone took a sledgehammer and broke open a dam. The memories are almost overwhelming.” He put his hands over his eyes, his face a mask of pain as his mind tried to embrace the memories that flooded in. “I’m sure I have forgotten a lot, but I am remembering. I remember chasing you out of me things,” he teased Boyd Sr. “I remember our home,” his voice caught. “Mum and Da.”

“You remember him?” Boyd Sr. pointed to the newcomers. Andrew looked at two men. A tall slim boy with blonde hair he had come to know as Tavish, and a tall man with gray curly hair he had never met. Or had he?

“Tavish is Boyd’s friend. He comes to the house often.”

“Hello Mr. Kirk-O'Callaghan," Tavey said as only he could. "This is my Granddad, Mr. Stewart, Granddad, this is Boyd’s dad.”

“Billy?” Andrew said, standing again.

“Oh my God, Andrew!”

The two men approached each other. Billy held out his hand and Andrew shoved it away and grabbed him in a rough embrace.

“We...” Billy started through tears, “I never thought I would see you again. We looked and looked. It wasn’t until the second week that we even thought to look in the hospital, but you weren’t there.”

“They had me transferred to a recuperative home after the first couple of days. What were they to do with a boy with no family? They shipped me off to a convalescent home. I was there for a month before me Mum, well, Carole Kirkpatrick, got me out and took me to Perth to live with her family.”

“And that explains why we could nae find you,” Billy said, looking down at his hands. “Yer father was frantic. He searched for a month before we could get him on a bus home. Da' and I carried the news to yer mom.” He paused, “Christ, Andrew. You just disappeared.” He rubbed his forehead. “Yer mom,” Billy’s voice quivered, “took it hard, if it hadn’t been for this one,” pointing at Boyd, “I don’t think she could have survived it.”

Andrew looked from Boyd Sr. back to Billy.

“Da' worked at the shipyard all week and then searched here all weekend,” Boyd said. “When I got old enough, I started coming with him.” He gestured to the picture still in Andrew’s hand, “I carried that with me but by then you din’t look anytheen like that. But there was always the chance.” He sighed and continued with his story, “On one trip I met Catherine and moved here permanently. Mum and Da' stayed in Glasgow awhile longer, but they soon came here to live with us.” He looked at Andrew. “They are buried here in town, I can take you there if you want?”

Andrew's face clouded over, he took a few deep breaths and nodded.

“I always wanted to find me family. Dreamed about what it would be like. I just never thought there would be so much pain. Boyd, I am so sorry.”

“Sorry? For what? Being clumsy, breaking your arm? I don't think so.” He smiled at his brother. “I am just glad I have you back. It makes me life complete. No more mysteries, no more feeling like I let someone down. I have me brother back. Whatever life plans for me next is completely insignificant to that.” He grabbed his brother’s hand. “Besides, Kate here broke her leg and not once has she apologized, lots of complaining but no apology, nothing to apologize for. “

“And we're back to the leg,” Kate sighed.

Kate sat for a while and listened to Boyd Sr. and Billy talk about the old days. She would notice a spark in Andrew’s eyes every now and then as if another memory had resurfaced. She laid her head back just intending to rest her eyes.

She woke up later to soft voices in the kitchen. Her neck was stiff and her leg was throbbing. She gingerly turned from side to side. Boyd Jr., Gavin, and Tavey were standing by the window looking out into the courtyard below.

“What is going on?” Kate asked.

“Hey sleepy head,” Tavey teased. “Did the wee bairn get her little sleepy time?”

Sometimes he could be so trying.

“I guess it must have been the medicine I took before you got here, Tavish.”

"Point taken," he said.

She scratched her head and tried to stand up. She wobbled a little and almost fell but Tavey was there to catch her and helped her hobble to the window with them.

“What are we looking at?” she whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Gavin asked.

“I don’t know why. You were whispering when I woke up.”

“That was so we wouldn’t wake you.”

“Oh,” she said sheepishly.

“My Granddad and Boyd’s dad and the other Boyd are outside looking for something,” Tavey offered.

“Oh, the thing in the drain pipe?” she asked.

They all turned and stared at her.

“What thing in the drain pipe?” Boyd asked.

Kate still dazed from waking up realized they had no idea what she was talking about. “They are standing by a down spout, I just figured...?” she let it drop.

They watched as the three men moved from one down spout to the next. Billy would get down on his knees and feel around inside the spout. When they didn’t find anything, they moved on to the next. It was torture watching them inch slowly toward the spout Kate knew was the right one. Finally Billy stood up with something in his hand. The three men gathered together. From the window they saw all of them laugh at the same time. They stood there for several minutes passing around what they had found. Just as Kate was getting tired of standing, they turned to come inside.

The boys helped her back to the couch just as the older boys came in the flat.

“What cha got there?” Kate asked.

Andrew handed her a rock. She took it and saw that there was something scratched on it. She tried to read it. She shook her head and handed the rock to the boys. They each took turns but couldn’t decipher it and handed it back to Andrew.

“I give up. What does it say?” Tavey asked.

Billy sighed. “Did they teach you nothing in that fancy school of yours?” He looked sadly at his grandson and his friends and shook his head. “It's in code,” he said

“Oh. It's in code. Why didn’t you think of that?” Tavey punched Boyd.

“Well sure, that’s what I thought,” Boyd said.

“Oh go on with ya.” Tavey shoved Boyd again.

“You two! Don’t make me separate you,” Kate yelled above them.

“Sorry Kate," Boyd Jr. said. "Mr. Stewart, you were saying?”

“Well, it says right here, Billy and Andrew were here,” he pointed to the rock.

Kate took the rock and after a moment she saw it. It wasn’t that there was really a code, just that some letters were deeper than others and some larger. She was amazed at the lengths the two went to keep someone from reading such a simple message.

She handed the rock over to the other boys as she managed to get herself off the couch. She had been sitting for so long she really needed to stretch her other leg. She shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. Sometimes she thought she saw another person looking out at her, but then she was growing up and changing all the time. She heard a noise behind her and in the reflection of the mirror she saw Andrew standing there. He knocked on the open door.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he smiled. “I just wanted to thank you and to tell you that last night I realized that I have seen you before. I wasn’t sure until today when all the memories started coming back, but when I was a wee slip of a lad, I used to dream about a girl that looked like you. It never made any sense until now.”

He stopped and looked down, laughing. Kate continued to stare at him through the mirror.

“I sound like a crazy old man, don’t I?” he said.

She shook her head. “No, you don’t. I dreamed about you, too. Of course, for me it was just this year. It never occurred to me that you would have had those dreams in the past.”  She was trying to come to grips with this concept. Time travel? How could this even be? “In fact, I had a dream about you, the younger you, last night. I was going to ask you if you...” she couldn’t frame the words. It was too big for her.

“I remember you,” was all he said. Then he turned and walked back down the hall.