*Disclaimer: I acknowledge that "Christy", by Catherine Marshall, is the property of the LeSourd family. The following work of fiction is for entertainment and I receive no compensation as a result of this work. (A Short Story) "THE PRESENT IS A GIFT" Part I Very early in the misty mountain morning, Ben Pentland made his way laboriously up the hill and along the river's bank in front of the MacNeill cabin. School had let out for the summer, and Ben knew that Mrs. MacNeill would be anxiously awaiting the mail. It was already warm, but this mailman had no intention of letting a little heat deter him from his appointed rounds. In his big jacket pocket he carried a large bag of Mrs. Tatum's Moravian sugar cookies which she had sent especially for Christy and Neill. Mrs. Tatum had not forgotten the young school teacher who had arrived one cold winter's day at her El Pano boarding house, and neither had Ben Pentland. "She's shore a spunky 'un fer wimmin' folk," he said to himself as he munched on one of the cookies and urged his horse on toward the cabin. Mrs. Tatum never neglected Ben when she baked, and his paunchy belly was a mute testimony to her talent as a cook. "Howdy, ma'am!" Ben greeted Christy as she rushed out of the cabin door onto the big front porch. "Howdy, Ben!" she called as she smoothed her crisp white apron. "I guess you must have mail for us, or else you wouldn't have come this far!" "No ma'am. Don't rightly reckin I would of. Only thang is these here cookies Mrs. Tatum sent you 'uns would be worth the trip, I kin guarantee it," Ben stated emphatically as he rode up to the edge of the porch and handed Christy the brown paper bag and a bundle of letters tied together with string. "Thank you so much, Ben. Is there any news from El Pano we should know about?" she inquired of him before he had a chance to get in his usual hurry to leave due to his enthusiasm for his government job. "No ma'am. I reckin thangs is just about as usual 'round El Pano. No bad news as fer as I know," he replied as he turned his mare back toward the direction of his next stop. "I got to be a goin'!" he called as he rode away. "Tell the Doc hello and that the gout I been a tusslin' with fer some time is about cleared up!" Christy waved goodbye to Ben as he rode away. She bit into a delicious sugar cookie, and the memories of the trip she and her family once made to Old Salem came flooding back to her. They had toured the quaint, historic old Moravian town stopping at the Winkler's bakery to stuff themselves with sugar cake and the special cookies. "How nice of Mrs. Tatum," she mused to herself. A fleeting twinge of a wish to see her family touched her heart, then she thought lovingly of Neill. Part II In the mail bundle Christy found a letter from her parents, one from her brother, George, and one from Neill's brother, Gregor, who lived in Wilmington where he had grown wealthy in the shipping industry. She felt curiosity; however, she decided to wait and allow Neill to open it himself in spite of the fact that it was addressed to Dr. and Mrs. Neill MacNeill. She knew he would be late, because he had been summoned very early that morning by Joshua Beck. Joshua's daughter, Wanda, had become quite ill in the night with apparent symptoms of appendicitis. Christy busied herself this day with the major job of baking bread. Hours later, as the wholesome loaves stood cooling on the windowsill, Christy looked appreciatively around the cabin which Neill had remodeled and enlarged as soon as they were married the previous year. It really was beautiful with its wide plank floors and simple, handcrafted furniture. She had added a few feminine touches, and the home reminded her so much of the unpretentious, dignified ambience of Alice Henderson's cabin. Simplicity had always been characteristic of Neill, and Christy realized it was now becoming an integral part of herself as well. Neill returned home much earlier than Christy had anticipated. As it turned out, the Beck girl did not have appendicitis after all, and surgery was thankfully not necessary. As Neill burst through the cabin door, he swept Christy into his arms and kissed her passionately. She had been very pleasantly surprised at his complete willingness to show affection coupled with respect for ideas and opinions. "What's this?" Neill asked as he picked up his brother's letter from the rustic kitchen table. "Oh, a letter from Gregor!" he exclaimed. He quickly read the letter, and she could feel the tangibility of his excitement flooding the room. "Christy! How would you like to go to Scotland?" he asked as he grabbed her and swung her around the kitchen in an impromptu dance without music. "You're kidding, Neill!" she declared incredulously. "No, I'm not joking at all, my dear," he answered very seriously. "Gregor has informed me of a gathering of the clans in Glasgow to be held coincidentally at the time of my birthday on September seventh. What a birthday gift this will be!" he exclaimed like a little boy looking forward to Christmas. "Oh, when I think of Gregor and me golfing on the ancient course at St. Andrews, playing the highland games at Glasgow with our clansmen, hiking to Loch Ness, seeing the highlands once again, I am overwhelmed, Christy!" declared Neill. "Why, Neill, we would have to be gone for months," Christy reminded him. "For just this one time, I can get Dr. MacPherson and Dr. Hendrix to fill in for me. Neither one of them is all that far away, and the folks here have seen both of them at one time or the other before I arrived here. Besides, I've certainly tended to their people while they took numerous vacations over the years. Well, now it's my turn. It think two months would be sufficient time to allow for the trip," he assured her. "Also, I'll call Knoxville and get one of the new young medical interns to stay here at the cabin to assist the good doctors with the routine treatments," Neill said to fully assure himself that his responsibilities would be amply met in his absence. Part III Mrs. Tatum's Cookies 3 sticks butter 1/2 tsp. salt 41/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. baking soda 5 eggs 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 5 cups flour 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. lemon extract 1/2 tsp. almond extract Combine flour, cream of tartar, salt, soda and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl; stir in eggs one at a time. Add lemon, vanilla and almond and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture and blend thoroughly. Place in greased bowl and chill overnight. Roll out on a floured pastry cloth and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees until golden brown - 10-15 min. "I would love to go, Neill, but what about school?" It will just be reopening at about the time the clan gathering is set to occur," Christy reluctantly reminded him. Neill appeared to be mulling the problem over as he swept his unruly curls back off his face. Then, in a moment, his countenance cleared. "You would only need a replacement for about three weeks, and that won't be difficult," Neill declared. "Here again, we will call Dr. Ferrand to send in a temporary replacement for you, and I'm sure David will be happy to assist her in getting acquainted with the children. David would like to fill in for you on some classes, I'm sure," he continued with determination. So, with all the responsibilities settled, Neill and Christy busily prepared for the trip. The next few weeks passed quickly, and soon it was time for them to leave for Wilmington where they would meet Gregor. He would accompany them on the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and up the River Clyde to Glasgow. Neill had been disappointed that they would not go on to the Outer Hebrides to the Island of Barra and to the Castle Kisimul, which were the lands of their Clan MacNeill ancestors. However, Gregor had expressed not only concern about the distance but also his own reluctance to face the scene of so much family heartbreak. Neill know that he and Christy might one day return to Scotland and the island, but he would not place pressure on Gregor. Soon the time arrived for Christy and Neill to catch the train in El Pano and depart for their trip to the seaport at Wilmington to board the big ship which would take them to Scotland. The voyage was quite pleasant except for the few days of seasickness which plagued Christy in spite of the ginger Neill gave her to try to alleviate it. He had brought enough of it for everyone on board and happily passed it out to anyone who required it. Once she recovered for the discomfort, the rest of the trip was such a new experience to Christy that it seemed to go really quickly. During the day, Neill and Gregor played at shuffleboard, skeet shooting, and cards while they caught up on brotherly conversation. Christy had never had so much luxurious time for her reading. At night, she and Neill walked on the deck in the moonlight. Christy had only imagined such romantic times in her dreams. Part IV Much sooner than they expected, they were sailing up the Firth of Clyde to Glasgow. A large group of the MacNeill clan met them at the port with transportation to their hotel. Later they would visit all the MacNeill clan living in and around Glasgow. Neill and Gregor were especially anxious to see their Aunt Tabasha and Uncle Angus, with whom they had lived for a time while in school in Glasgow after their mother's death. The brothers were ecstatic to once again be indulging in the authentic Scottish foods which they could not find in America. Their extensive travels from childhood had resulted in men of truly flexible and international tastes. Christy liked most of the dishes, especially the wonderful, incomparable smoked Scottish salmon. As for the haggis, she just sampled enough of it to be polite. She became very comfortable at Neill's Aunt Tabasha's home where she would be staying while Neill and Gregor made their trek to St. Andrews and on to the Loch Ness. Christy was seeing another side of Neill in the Loch Ness trip. She could hardly fathom Neill going in search of some elusive sea monster, but here it was. In a way, it seemed that Neill and Gregor were daring each other on, as brothers will do, in an almost juvenile way. This was one part of the trip Christy could have done without, but she realized that Neill and Gregor had probably dreamed of this all their lives. While they were gone, Christy would work on sewing her MacNeill clan regalia for the gathering of the clans in a few weeks. Neill had brought his own kilt and clan uniform which he had been saving many years for just such a time as the special reunion of all the Scottish clans. "Would you tell me if you see the Loch Ness monster?" Christy wistfully asked Neill the night before he and Gregor were to leave for St. Andrews. "Yes, of course, my dear, I would tell you; but you have to promise never to reveal it to anyone. Gregor and I have always agreed, as have many good Scots, not to tell a soul if we ever had the rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of this creature. Tourists can be a curse to a place where the people aren't interested in being invaded," Neill informed her. "I wouldn't ever breathe a word to anyone," Christy assured him. After Neill fell asleep, Christy stayed awake pondering the surreal quality of this whole trip. It had all been such a new adventure for her, and she had learned so much that she had never known before about this man she had married. Part V While Neill and Gregor were away, Christy was occupied with carriage tours of Glasgow and the surrounding area conducted by Uncle Angus. They were accompanied by the daughter of Uncle Angus, Melody MacNeill Wallace, who reminded Christy so much of her friend, Fairlight Spencer. Melody was married to a Glasgow physician, Dr. Eldred Wallace, and she had all the grace and gentility which Fairlight exhibited. How Christy loved the little shops and markets of Glasgow! Shopping was such a delight, and Aunt Tabasha had insisted on working on Christy's outfit of the clan gathering so that she would have more time for sightseeing. Melody, who had no children as yet, arranged for an excursion for herself and Christy for a few days to Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfries. "Caerlaverock is one of mine and Eldred's very favorite summer holidays!" Melody had happily informed Christy. By the time she, Melody and Uncle Angus departed, Christy was quite excited about the trip. Aunt Tabasha had declined to go, choosing rather to stay at home with the capable household staff for company. She loved her big, comfortable Glasgow home and seldom cared to leave it any more. The scenery between Glasgow and Cumnock was quite different from what Christy was accustomed to. They had decided to travel on the train bound for England, which would stop in Dumfries before crossing the border. From the window, Christy took in the moors accented here and there by rocky cliffs. The hilltops were different from the Smokies in that they were barren. There was much more pastureland than in her mountains back home, and sheep and cattle grazed on it in large numbers. She was most impressed by the prize-winning Black Angus cattle. In just a few hours they arrived in Dumfries, where they would be staying at a quaint little bed and breakfast while they toured Caerlaverock and its surrounding environs. Christy especially looked forward to seeing the bird sanctuary located there. She found herself once again missing Neill and wondering how he and Gregor were faring in their journey. She was so happy that Neill was getting the chance to enjoy golfing at St. Andrews. It was not a sport which was normally accessible to him back home. It was such an ancient sport that she wondered that it had not been brought to the New World by the Scottish immigrants; however, she had seen the children hitting a cloth covered ball with a stick during recess at school. Christy imagined Neill and Gregor having a wonderful time and decided to thoroughly enjoy this trip herself and trust the Lord to take care of them all. She tried not to think about the treacherous mountains up to Inverness and the Loch Ness. It all somehow seemed so dark and mysterious to her. After much thought, Christy finally fell asleep between imported Irish linen sheets to the gentle lowing of cattle in the distance. Part VI The following day Uncle Angus hired a carriage and drove Melody and Christy to the Castle Caerlaverock. Christy was very impressed by the beauty of the place and the workmanship which went into the building of the castle. It was one of the few remaining castles of its magnitude left in the whole country. She wondered in what condition Castle Kisimul at Barra would be found by this time. Christy was in a way glad they weren't going to Barra Island. Gregor might be correct in his assessment that it could be somewhat depressing. "Your family name is Huddleston, isn't it?" Melody inquired of Christy as they strolled around the castle grounds. "Why, yes," Christy responded. "Did you know they fought right here at the Battle of Caerlaverock in the thirteen hundreds?" Melody asked. "That couldn't be, because you see, my family came to America from England," Christy remarked. Then suddenly it dawned on her. The Huddlestons who fought at Caerlaverock were the enemies of the MacNeills and the Wallaces. As she read the historical plaque near the castle, she further realized that the Huddlestons had prevailed in smothering the struggling attempts by the highlanders to secure independence. The MacNeill clan motto was 'Conquer or Die', and Christy's visage clouded as she contemplated the distinct possibility that some Huddleston centuries ago could have destroyed Neill's family line entirely except for the grace of God. Furthermore, the same could be said of Christy's Huddleston lineage. She shivered at all the ramifications of her discovery. "That's ancient history!" Melody assured her when she saw the look of dismay on Christy's face. After the Dumfries holiday, Christy was glad to be back in Glasgow, even though it had been a nice and informative trip. The days that followed continued to be filled with activities which ran the gamut from visits to friends and relatives, to shopping, to learning traditional Scottish recipes, which would certainly please Neill when they returned to Cutter Gap. At home, Neill did enjoy doing some cooking. In fact, he occasionally brought her breakfast in bed and had even built an outdoor grill from the stones which were plentiful around their place. He was very good at grilling venison steaks to perfection. Neill and Gregor had been gone for two and a half weeks, and Christy was beginning to wonder when they might return. Due to the various means of transportation they would have to employ on the trip, it was impossible to say for certain when they could be expected back in Glasgow. The gathering of the clans was scheduled in just a few days, and she desperately hoped Neill would be back in time for that event. She busied herself putting the finishing touches on her plaid skirt, the MacNeill tartan, which she would proudly wear for the gathering. Part VII Day after busy day came and went, and the only news they had from Neill and Gregor was sent through a friend, Hugh MacKay of Aberfeldy, in whose home they had spent one night on their way from St. Andrews to Inverness. Hugh had brought his large extended family to Glasgow for the highland games and the festivities of the gathering. He reported that Neill and Gregor were still excited from their experiences at St. Andrews, arguing extensively about their prowess as golfers and each facetiously accusing the other of cheating about their scores. Christy wished that the telephone system in Scotland was as advanced as back home. She ached to hear Neill's voice. Then, finally, the long awaited morning of September the seventh dawned, and still the two brothers had not returned to Glasgow. "Don't tell me I'm to celebrate Neill's birthday and the clan gathering alone!" Christy exclaimed almost in tears. "There, there, dear. Don't be upset. I'm sure they will arrive home soon safe and sound," said Aunt Tabasha in an effort to comfort the young bride. In her heart of hearts, Aunt Tabasha was a bit irritated at the boys for going on this foolish trip at all. They were like her own children, and she had lived through many of their boyhood adventures. In tears, Christy donned her MacNeill colors and in faith laid Neill's uniform out on the bed where she now wished he had been sleeping for these many days which he had been gone. She then joined the MacNeills for a hearty breakfast and departure for the parade grounds where the day's activities would occur. Somehow, she just didn't have the heart to celebrate and actually dreaded the day. Hugh MacKay's news of Neill and Gregor was some comfort, and she tried to attain peace within herself from that fact. Later, but still early in the morning, Christy and the rest of the considerable MacNeill clan arrived at the grounds. She was astonished by all the color and the sounds. Her senses were almost overwhelmed by them. "Every clan in Scotland must be here today!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, Christy felt the pride of representing Neill on this special day. The MacNeill clan chieftan called the members to attention and gave a short speech, reminding them of their history and urging them to higher achievement in the future. Neill had once casually mentioned to Christy that he was a direct descendant of the thirty-ninth chief of the Clan MacNeill. She was full of wonder at the continuity of this highlander heritage. - CONCLUSION - When the clan chieftans had finished their prayers and speeches, the parade began. The bagpipes started their various mournful and bold clan pipe music. The songs were all different, yet they all seemed to harmonize. Christy recognized the strains of "Roamin' Through the Gloamin" and realized that she had actuallly stood on the "bonnie banks of Clyde" referred to in the old classic Scottish song. As the MacKay clan lined up and began their banner pipe song, "The White Banner of MacKay", Christy gazed longingly down the brick paved street. Her hopes were not to be dashed this time, for some distance down the street she could see Neill and Gregor running toward her looking strangely unfamiliar in their Scottish clothing. Christy had never before seen Neill in a kilt, and she had to admit he looked absolutely no less than totally handsome. She started running toward Neill in her impatience to see and touch him. Neill and Christy met each other half way, and she was crushed in the tightest bear hug she had ever experienced as the two embraced and clung to each other like they would never let go. Their display of unabashed affection was lost in the huge milling crowd, and it was apparent that neither of them had ever been happier. "Happy birthday, Darling," Christy exclaimed. "Aye, it is a happy birthday!" Neill answered enthusiastically. Then he kissed her like he had never kissed her before. "I'm the luckiest man in the world!" he boomed. Then they both reached out to Gregor, whose wife had died a few years before. She sincerely wished he could find someone to love who would love him in return. The brothers were identical twins, but Christy had no problem detecting the subtle differences in their appearances, although she was the only one who could. "Oh, Gregor! Happy birthday! It's your birthday, too!" she said cheerfully as she gave him the beautifully wrapped box of Scottish shortbread which she had made especially for the his birthday. "Thank you, dear sister-in-law! If this is food, I know I shall have to share it with brother Neill here," Gregor stated jokingly. "Well, it is and I suppose you will," answered Christy. "Did you see it?" Christy asked. "See what?" Neill teased her. "Neill MacNeill! You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! The Loch Ness Monster, of course!" she scolded playfully. "My dear, for some inexplicable reason, no MacNeill has ever been to the loch without having seen the creature!" said Neill. Then he bent over and whispered his secret in Christy's ear, and she looked him in absolute awe and astonishment, for she always knew when he was telling the truth. Then Neill placed a finger to his lips in the universal signal of confidentiality, and Gregor followed suit with the same gesture. Then Gregor turned and walked to the cobblestone sidewalk to speak to Melody, Eldred, and Eldred's pretty sister, Hannah. Christy handed Neill the small gift package she had been holding all morning in the hope that he would arrive in time for his birthday. Neill quickly opened the package, only to find a very tiny kilt in MacNeill tartan plaid in the box. "If this is for me, my dear, I think it's just a bit too small," he said. "Neill, you remember my bout with seasickness on the voyage over?" Christy asked him. "Yes, of course I do," he answered, beginning to look puzzled. "Well, the sea was not the problem. We are going to have a baby - perhaps two, with twins running in the family - in about six months!" Christy happily informed him. A stunned Neill pulled her close to himself as the MacNeill clan began to join the parade of clansmen. He held her and gently caressed her hair while the highland dancers passed them by. "This is the best birthday of my life!" Neill shouted, as the marchers marched, and the drummers drummed, and the pipers piped the perfect birthday song. - THE END -