Summer in Scotland

A SUMMER IN SCOTLAND

It wasn't really fair that she had parent-teacher conferences when she had only taken over for her friend Caroline two weeks ago. Caroline wanted to go on a sabbatical to work at the Chicago Institute of Art for a semester. She cleared it with her school and Joanna agreed to teach her art classes in Inverness, Scotland. The Scottish school thought it would be good to expose their students to a "foreign" teacher.

Joanna tried to bluff her way through the conferences as best as possible. She was still learning names and was supposed to give meaningful feedback to parents? But as Jeremy, her neighboring teacher, pointed out, the parents who scheduled with her were probably more interested in just meeting her.

The parents Joanna met were all very nice. She had made it to the end of the evening and her last appointment, Mr. MacEwan was lingering and trying to engage her in more personal conversation. She was not planning on relocating to Scotland and really didn't need the hassle of getting involved with a local (and a parent on top of it).

She looked up and found Jeremy at her door. "Joanna, it's time for our post parent-teacher conference meeting," he said in an attempt to save her.

"Oh, no. Time just got away from me." Joanna turned back to Mr. MacEwan and begged him to excuse her. Once alone, she softly said to Jeremy, "Thanks. It was starting to get uncomfortable. I want to make a good impression, but I think he wanted to take the conversation to a more personal level."

"Well, Tom just lost his wife a year ago and he is trying to find his way. Who could blame him for hitting on the hot American substitute?"

Joanna snorted at that and told him "Yeh, he gets a real treat with me. Here for only five months and then back to the U.S. That won't help him very much. Will it?"

"No chance that you will want to stay longer?"

Joanna shook her head and told Jeremy that she had a fiancé in Ohio and that she was here to help Caroline out and to spend the summer painting highland landscapes. "Oh, well. Doesn't hurt to ask. Joanna, it's been a long day. A few teachers are going down to the pub for a pint. Care to join us?"

"That's awful nice of you to ask, but it's getting late and I should get home."

"I'd be more than happy to walk you home. Come on, then. It will clear your head of what must have been a fairly frustrating evening," Jeremy cajoled.

"It was. And, you're right. I am a little tense. Besides, tomorrow is Friday. So, why not?" Joanna reasoned. "I'll just get my jacket."

Jeremy was a handsome man from Boston who had moved to Scotland for his post. He was in his mid-thirties, had sandy brown hair and blue eyes. From everything she had experienced, he was a very nice gentleman. Joanna admitted only to herself that he was extremely attractive. If she wasn't already engaged, she might consider something with him.

The teachers that had gathered were some of the more colorful ones that Joanna had met. And they seemed to be wound up by the conferences. Maggie, a history teacher, was recounting a story from the conferences in which she had informed a set of parents that their son had been found behind the building with a girl making out. She was regaling the group with the heartfelt denial of the mother and the father's promise to "skin him alive". As the group laughed at her animated telling of the incident, Jeremy leaned close and said, "Boys will be boys." Joanna smartly retorted that age didn't seem to effect that. She said that she could recount similar stories from her adult years of dating.

"How long have you been with your fiancé?"

"Three years. We met in graduate school and have been together since."

"And what does he do?"

"He is a financial advisor. I don't claim to know much about his job, but then, he could say the same about mine."

Jeremy responded glibly, "Yes, but you do get free financial advice, I'm sure."

Joanna laughed. "You mean for all of my expendable income from teaching?"

Jeremy laughed in response. "Yes, well. I won't be requiring his services either."

It was then that Ennis, a science teacher, interjected. "Hey, you two. Do either of you want another pint?"

Joanna declined and Jeremy did as well since he would be walking her home. They said their farewells and started the walk to Caroline's flat. Joanna inquired, "How did you end up in Scotland?"

"My grandfather and I traveled here after I graduated from high school. He was on a quest to connect with our Cameron relatives. I fell in love with the highlands and returned as soon as I could. How did you and Caroline become so close?"

"Caroline and I were room mates our freshman year at the Ohio State University. We both came into our own there. She was quite the ceramics student and I focused largely on painting. The truth is, I would have loved to have spent the summer with her in Chicago at the art institute, but I was afraid she wouldn't go if she didn't feel comfortable leaving her students."

"So, you are staying on throughout the summer. Do you plan on doing some site seeing?"

"Yes. I will be traveling throughout the highlands staying at different rental cottages. I will be sightseeing, but I will also be photographing and painting during my travels."

Jeremy studied Joanna's features. She was a beautiful woman with long strawberry blonde hair and fair skin. Her eyes were green and if he didn't know better, he might have mistaken her for a local. "That sounds like a terrific way to spend a summer. I am an avid photographer myself. Scotland is one of the best places to photograph."

"How so? I mean, I know that it is a beautiful place, but isn't it a bit too rainy to provide you with the best subject matter?"

Jeremy chuckled. "Actually, it is a fallacy that beautiful weather provides beautiful photos. Overcast, wet weather makes the colors richer in photos. Bright, sunny days actually wash colors out. Besides, the foggy atmosphere makes for beautiful photos as well."

"Oh, well, I guess then that you are in the perfect place." Joanna quipped with a laugh.

"Exactly."

"Well, here we are. Thanks for walking me home."

"Of course. Caroline and I are also friends. Feel free to call on me for whatever you might need. I'll see you at school tomorrow. Have a good evening." Jeremy said as he turned to walk home.

As the spring progressed, Joanna and Jeremy spent increasingly more time together. They shared lunches together when either of them didn't feel like the crowd in the teachers' lounge. They shared the occasional pint together, when Jeremy wasn't out on a date. And they had also driven out into the countryside a few times to photograph the scenery.

Jeremy often wondered how Joanna and her fiancé could stand to spend so much time apart. When he inquired, Joanna had said that Bryce was traveling with his job throughout the summer. It seemed like an oddity to him since he was a financial advisor, but Joanna didn't seem uneasy about it. He had grown more and more fond of her and hoped that everything was as she said.

One Saturday, toward the end of May, Joanna called Jeremy and asked if he could come over. Jeremy thought that she didn't sound good, but she didn't want to get into it over the phone. So, Jeremy stopped for some scones on the way to her flat and showed up at her door with scones in hand.

Joanna looked awful. Her hair was a mess, her nose was red and her eyes were puffy. She had obviously been crying. She let him in and they sat on the sofa together. "Thanks for coming, Jeremy. I really just need to talk and I'm sorry for interrupting any plans you may have had."

"Not at all. I was just lazing around. What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not. I just didn't see this coming." And with that, she broke into tears. "Bryce called me this morning." Joanna was struggling to find the words to explain what was wrong. "He broke up with me. He said that he had been seeing someone for months and that he couldn't in good conscience go into a month of traveling with her without telling me." Joanna broke down again and sobbed without stopping. Jeremy held her, rubbed and patted her back trying to console her.

"What a feckin' bastard."

Joanna wanted to defend him, but couldn't. She had had those same thoughts herself. "I asked him 'why?'. What was wrong with us that he needed someone else?" He said 'nothing'. He said that he wasn't looking for anyone else, but that it had just happened."

"What a bastard! A headache just happens. A paper cut just happens. But an affair that breaks the heart of your fiancé, doesn't just happen!"

"I know. He was seeing her before I ever left to come here. All those late nights at the office were spent with her. He is actually spending the next month traveling with her. We have never taken a vacation together. He always said that student loans came first."

"He's an ass. And you are better off without him. If he can't see what a beautiful, talented woman you are, he doesn't deserve you."

"What's wrong with me? Why did he even look at her?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Joanna. He's a fool."

"She's not even a college graduate! She is a barrista. How did that happen? 'Here's your coffee, sir. Would you care for a cheap fuck with that latte?' He always made me feel like his intellectual inferior! That is really rich. What do they even talk about?"

"My guess is that they don't talk a lot. Which is interesting in itself. You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. He's crazy. It makes no sense."

Joanna sniffled and blew her nose. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better. You don't need to say those things."

"No, I don't need to say those things. I say them because they happen to be the truth. Don't you know how amazing you are? How sweet and beautiful you are? How creative and intelligent you are?"

Joanna shook her head as if to deny what he said. But she stopped when she saw how ernest his face was. He must truly believe what he is saying. "So, if I am so great, why would he do this?"

"You know, I honestly don't know. It makes no sense. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to fly here and tell you in person after being together for three years, says a lot about his character. He's a loser."

"I know. Who does that? One day you are going to spend the rest of your life with someone and the next you are cheating on them with a person that serves you coffee?"

"Come on, Joanna. I brought some scones. Let's eat some and get out of here. You need to go someplace that will show you how insignificant he is."

"Alright. That actually sounds good. Can I take a shower first?"

"Of course you can. You can do anything you want. You'll probably feel better after a shower. Go on."

While Joanna showered. Jeremy made a pot of tea. He thought that it was safer than coffee. He washed the few dishes that were in the sink and prepared the table for their breakfast. He sat at the table thinking that Joanna got a raw deal. What a schmuck. What a clueless asshole. Joanna obviously had more class in her pinky than he had in his whole body.

When Joanna came into the kitchen smelling of lavender and dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, Jeremy thought she looked refreshed and beautiful.

"Would you like some tea with your scones?"

"How thoughtful of you. Yes, please. Where are we going?"

Jeremy wanted to keep that a surprise. "You'll see. A few sights that most tourists don't find. Do you have on comfortable shoes?"

"Yes. That's practically all I have with me."

"Good. Here. Have a scone. These are orange cranberry and those are lemon blueberry."

"Mmmmm. Sounds delicious."

Joanna took an orange cranberry scone and bit into it. It was amazing. Washing it down with her Scottish breakfast tea completed the symphony of flavors. "Where did you get these amazing scones?" Joanna exclaimed.

"There is a tea shop that is called Mrs. Walkers on the other side of town. I'll take you there sometime. By the way, I got some shortbread cookies for later. Do you have a thermos? We can take some tea with us if you do."

"Yes, I do. That sounds lovely."

Jeremy drove them to a remote area northeast of Inverness. The roads became narrower and had pull over areas for passing. Finally, they pulled up to an old stone church. There was a for sale sign in the front. "I found this on one of my wandering trips. Isn't it picturesque?"

"Oh, Jeremy. Wow. How beautiful!"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time photographing the structure."

"Of course not. Can I see the photos after? I would love to paint this."

"Absolutely. I have tons of photos on my computer. You are welcome to use anything I have shot."

They each meandered around the church lost in their own thoughts. At one point, Joanna thought that Jeremy was photographing her. But then she brushed it aside. She took a few of her own amateur photos on her phone for her own memories.

After about forty minutes at the site, Jeremy looked at Joanna and asked if she was ready to go. "Sure, this was wonderful. I can only imagine how it looked at its prime and the people who came here to worship. Who do you think will buy it?"

"I don't know. Maybe a private individual looking for a unique residence. It's sort of out of the way for a business of any kind. I'm glad you liked it. It has always stayed in the back of my mind. I guess its pretty hard to forget."

Jeremy drove them to Tain. They walked the streets looking at the lovely architecture. They stopped at a pub, ordered some dinner and had some scotch. "Jeremy, when you promise to lift someone's spirits, you really deliver."

"I'm not done with you yet, lassie" Jeremy said with a smile.

"What more could we possibly do? The sun will be setting soon."

"You'll see. Come on."

They got back in the car and drove to Dornoch. The Dornoch beach was miles of golden sand. "Wow, you think of everything. No wonder you have so many different women wanting to go out with you."

"Yes, there are lots and lots of women waiting by the phone for my call," Jeremy said sarcastically. "Come on you. We have a sunset to watch and some tea and cookies to eat." Jeremy opened the trunk and drew out a blanket and the food.

"Can I take something?" Joanna offered.

"No, I think I can manage" Jeremy said with a smirk.

They sat crossed legged on the blanket and opened the thermos and the box of cookies. "There is just the cup from the thermos. We will have to share."

"That's fine. Are you feeling better?" Jeremy asked.

"I am. Only because you have been so kind. I'm sure that you had better things to do with your Saturday."

"No, I didn't. And besides, this is one of the best days I've had in a long time. It's been fun to share some of these things that I have found with an American. The locals are harder to impress."

Joanna laughed in response. "Well, I am duly impressed. The highlands are so beautiful. I can't wait to see more."

"Where are your rental crofts located?"

"The first is in Ballachulish. And Edinbane on the Isle of Skye, Plockton, Ullapool and Wick."

"Do you have any recommendations of must-see sites?"

"Well, you have chosen some great locations. There are too many must see attractions to mention. I'll write down a list for you before you leave. Are you are going alone?"

"Yes. Even before Bryce broke up with me, I was planning on going alone. It's a shame really since most of the crofts can accommodate up to four people at least. Do you want to come with me? I could use a tour guide. The pay isn't great, but the accommodations certainly look like they are."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. Do you think I want to spend two months traveling alone? Besides, you are used to driving on the wrong side of the road and you are a great tour guide. Today certainly proves that. You could photograph to your heart's desire. You could even have days to yourself if I decide to stay and paint somewhere."

"I think that sounds like a fantastic way to spend my summer. You think about it. If you want to rescind the offer, I will understand with no hard feelings."

"Alright, but I will not be changing my mind. I think it is a win-win situation for us both."

After finishing the tea and cookies, Joanna and Jeremy walked along the beach. They were talking so they hadn't noticed the dead seal on the beach until they were in front of it. "Oh, noooooo!" Joanna backed away and started to cry. Jeremy was caught off guard. He put his arms around Joanna as if to protect her from the sight of the seal. "How can someone just kill a three year relationship? How could I not see it coming?"

"Maybe you didn't want to see it."

Joanna was stopped in her tracks. Had she ignored the late nights? Had she ignored the mysterious phone calls? Or the faint perfume smell on his suit jacket? So, she had registered the affair on some level, but was unable to acknowledge it? "Oh my God! I am so stupid! What is my problem?"

Jeremy didn't know what to say so he remained silent.

"What was I thinking? Was I so afraid of the relationship ending that I ignored that it already had? Is that why I took this job in another continent?" She stared at Jeremy as if expecting him to answer.

"I think that it is a possibility."

"Yeh. I think so too."

"Joanna, did you think that the affair would end while you were away?"

"I don't know. I guess I needed to leave the country in order to move on."

"So, this way, you actually got to do the leaving without having to acknowledge Bryce's tacky, tasteless behavior. You left to go to a beautiful place."

Joanna nodded and affirmed it. At that moment, the beautiful sunset drew her attention. She nodded toward it to draw Jeremy's attention to it. "And oh, what a beautiful place it is."

Jeremy had her pose in the warm glow of the sunset while he photographed her. God she is beautiful. And she doesn't even know it. That is truly amazing.

Afterward, they drove back to Caroline's flat. Standing in front of her door, Joanna hugged him and thanked him for everything. The day turned out much differently than it had started. Without thinking, she kissed him on the lips, turned around and went into the flat. Jeremy stared at the closed door for a moment, turned and smiled all the way home.

The last month of the school year flew by. Joanna knew she would miss the students, but was also looking forward to her summer of travel. She and Jeremy had scoured tourist books on Scotland. They felt confident that they had compiled great lists of things to do in each of the areas they would be staying. Activities were not scheduled, but would be chosen on the day so that they could be spontaneous.

The day was here and Jeremy was loading the trunk with their bags. Some of their accommodations had laundry facilities, so packing was kept to a minimum. Jeremy and Joanna were both so excited for the journey. The first destination was to Ballachulish, a small town just south of Fort William. They traveled south along the Great Glen. They arrived at Ballachulish too early to check into their rental so they continued on to Glencoe. Glencoe was a small range of mountains that had been used as a backdrop to practically every movie ever set in Scotland. It was magical and majestic. Although it was the end of June, the tops of the mountains still had snow. Below the mountains were various beautiful shades of green. They stopped at a waterfall and at the main overlook to take photographs. The scenery was amazing. They even walked along a hiker's path for a while.

They ate lunch at the Village of Glencoe where there was a museum that showcased the tragic story of The Glencoe Massacre. After the deposement of King James II of Scotland and England in favor of King William of Orange, many highland clans continued to support King James. King William decreed that all clans should sign an oath of loyalty to him by January 1, 1692 or be dealt with severely. The laird of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe waited until December 31,1691 to sign and couldn't pronounce his oath in front of a magistrate until January 6, 1992. One hundred royal soldiers were quartered amicably with clan MacDonald until the morning of February 13. Under the command of Captain Robert Cambell of a rival clan, these men killed the Laird MacDonald, thirty three other men, two women and two children. The soldiers had searched up and down the glen trying to decimate the MacDonald clan. Some clan members escaped into the mountains. And some of those refugees died of exposure to the extreme weather. This attack on the MacDonald clan was received by highlanders alike as egregious since it is the highland way to give hospitality to strangers. The royal soldiers had received shelter and food for nearly two weeks and the actions were not only atrocious, but also a betrayal of the highland code. This theme of violence and treachery amidst the beautiful landscape of Scotland would be revealed again and again.