Page 6 of On The Edge

“Well not really - I used to be! Feels like a long time ago.”

The woman looked up to the clock over the counter.

“If your getting the ferry dear, you better be going…it leaves in thirty minutes!”

The time! I keep losing track of time, where does it go?

“Oh no! Is it just along the road to the ferry?” gasped Cat.

“It’s further than that. Don’t worry dear I’ll call Bill, he’s the taxi man around here.” She trotted over to the phone and spent some time quietly talking. Cat sat there anxiously waiting, and watched the woman. She asked a few customers how their food was, and took some more orders, then she came back to Cat, whose heart was thumping by this stage, panicking at potentially missing the ferry. “He said he’ll be here in five minutes, don’t worry, you’ll make it in time!” She smiled and then glanced around to see more customers approaching the counter. “I better get back to work, but it was lovely meeting you dear! My name is Barbara, now you make sure you contact Jessie, she’s a lovely girl and knows the locals there.” She gently patted Cat on the shoulder.

Once safely picked up by the taxi and dropped off at the ferry, Cat marvelled at how big the boat was. It was huge, like a luxury cruise liner. There was a shop, café, cinema and bar on board, and Cat took some time walking around in awe, while the ferry began its journey. Carting her luggage behind her, she decided to sit in the bar area beside the window, and looked out onto the misty sea, though she couldn’t see an awful lot, apart from the occasional seagull flying past the window. It was after thirty minutes of gentle gliding that the hell began. The ferry started slowly rocking back and forth, and then waves crashed up all around them and the rocking increased threefold. Cat gritted her teeth, put on her headphones again and tried to imagine she was not on a ship, but in a hammock, with the evening sun drifting over her. As tight as she shut her eyes, she could not keep the tranquil image going. The ferry lunged and shook with force through the wild waves. Cat watched a young couple drinking beer deep in conversation, and a middle-aged man with a pint at the bar watching intently the football results that flashed and crackled on the TV overhead. No one paid any attention to the sounds of the battering waves or the shaking vessel itself. Cat felt abruptly cold and shaky, and zigzagged her way to the toilet to be sick. As soon as she reappeared at the bar the rocking disappeared, as if by magic. She went back to her seat and curled into a shivering ball.

“Excuse me?” A man with curly dark hair and green eyes placed a glass of water on the table beside Cat. He looked so concerned that Cat almost laughed and began to say that she was OK, but as soon as she moved, she felt the dreaded still-present acid gurgling in the pit of her stomach.

“It’s alright there, don’t move. I just thought you looked very pale. Drink the water, it should help.” His face was still full of sympathy as his large hands presented the glass to her. “Is there anything I can get you?” he asked.

“No I’m fine!” she shakily replied.

“Patrick, another pint when you’re ready!” came the football fan at the bar behind them.

“One minute.” He knelt down so his head was near hers. “You’re not the only one, it’s pretty common to feel unwell on the ferry. I did!” He gave her a half smile and stood up again. “Anything you need, just let me know.” He turned to go away.

“Thank you,” Cat raised the glass a little with a smile, “for the water..”, but he had left and was busy serving customers.

The ferry docked and Cat was glad to be on dry land again. She looked at her new home to be, and to her dismay it was cold, windy and raining. Everything was grey; the water, the buildings and the sky. What have I done? I’ve come to the edge of the world and there’s nothing here! Cat went immediately to the tourist information centre, hoping she could find accommodation. She berated herself for not sorting out a place to stay earlier; apparently she was not as organised as she imagined. Luckily the centre was across the road from the ferry terminal, but by the time she had reached it she was soaked through. She sighed, and dreamed of a shower and warm dry clothes as she skimmed through the noticeboard of holiday houses to rent, calling the few potential places one by one. Each was already booked out. Cat sat down on a dusty chair, and decided the only thing she could realistically do was try and call the local hotels for a room, at least for the night. As she was in a town, she thought, maybe if she walked along the road, perhaps she would come across a hotel.

Cat decided to get the last step over with, grabbed her suitcases and walked back out into the never-ending rain. On the cobbled streets the odd car drove past and a few passersby walked onward with determination, umbrellas up, but threatening to blow away in the now gale force winds that swept through the street. Shop window lights beamed out, spilling onto the road, reminding Cat of old Christmas cards. She peered into some of the windows, seeing a florist, craft shop, clothes shop, fishing shop and café, before she reached her first stop, a small hotel. Stepping into the front porch she was greeted by warmth and several dogs jumping on her. Two big golden retrievers and a Labrador all tried to lick and tackle Cat to the ground.

“Lucky, Terry, Moss! Off!” came a loud voice from a very small woman. Her blonde bobbed hair and big bosom startled Cat. She hadn’t envisaged a glamorous woman like this would be living on a remote island. The dogs jumped off, and dashed through another door, to jump on more people, Cat presumed.

The woman, who was in her mid-forties, wore a black round-neck sweater and a burgundy pencil skirt and heels. Her glasses were almost pointed at the corners, to give a 1950s style jaunt, but at the same time she had that secretarial look that would set men panting almost as much as her dogs.

“Hello there, what can I do for you Madam?”, the lady asked in a huskier voice. Is she serious? Cat thought.

“Er, hello, my... name is Catherine. I’ve just come to the island, and, I wondered... if you had a room for the night?”

“I do indeed! You’re very lucky, a couple just cancelled an hour ago, said they missed the ferry or something, so they’re travelling tomorrow, but will skip Stromness and go straight to Kirkwall.” She patted her hair and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why they tell me, and as I said to them it’s all very well calling, but they should’ve informed me earlier... this is our busiest time of year and that room was reserved for them for five days!” Cat wondered when the lady would take a breath. “But it was meant to be - you’re here and the room is available. That’s all that matters.” She pointed her finger rigidly upwards as if giving Cat a lecture in the schoolroom. “OK! Follow me,” she ordered, and started walking away while Cat grabbed her suitcases. The blonde bob peeped back around the corner, eyes flashing beneath the glasses. “Leave the suitcases darling, my husband will take them up for you. Don’t want you sweating any more do we...”

Cat sighed with relief, but was a little offended. Did she smell? She sniffed her underarms, then quickly and obediently followed her hostess.

They ascended a white wooden spiral staircase up three floors, and finally they stopped outside the only door on the top floor. The door was unlocked, and opened to a cosy yet spacious room. A grate fire kindled gently in the corner of the room, welcoming the gloomy light from outside through the window. Cat walked through in exhausted bliss to the adjoining room that had a large bathtub with a long window looking out over the bay, where the notorious ferry was docked for the evening.

The blonde woman fussed about with the fire and looked out the window rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. “I had set the fire already for the couple earlier, just add the logs from the basket to top it up.” She indicated the wicker basket next to the mantelpiece. “Everything ok?”

Cat looked at the king-size bed with big fluffy pillows.

“It’s perfect!”