Seeing the sea

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33857, 31 May 1975, Page 12

Seeing the sea

(By

LAVINIA DERWENT)

I was very careful not to tell tarradiddles when I was a bairn, for I had been well warned by Jessie that if I telln’t a lee I would be struck doon deid and sent to the Bad Place. But once I told a real thumper. It was the last day at school before the summer holidays and the teacher — we called him Auld Baldy-Heid — was in an almost human mood. He had locked away the tawse, rubbed all the sums off the and then he asked us: “And where are you all going for 'your holidays?" There were not many answers, for few of the country bairns went on their holidays. They just ran wild, and barefoot, as I did, until it was time to go back to school again. Only one or two put up their hands.

“Please, sir, I’m going to stay with m’auntie in Hawick.” “I’m going to Galashiels, sir.” “I’m going to Newcastle,” said Kate from over the Border. Lucky thing. The question Suddenly, without thinking, I shot up my own hand. “I’m going to the seaside,” I heard myself announce. “The seaside,” said the teacher in an interested voice, “Where?” “Please, sir, I don’t .know, sir,” I said, and subsided in my seat. Fancy

telling a black lie like that. It would be the Bad Place for me. The enormity of my sin weighed heavily on my shoulders all the .way home. I had scarcely got into the house before Jessie said: “Ye’d better try on your new plimsolls.” “Plimsolls?” I said in surprise. “What for?”. A miracle “Ye’re gaun your holi-i days to the seaside." It was a miracle, of course, the opposite of be sure your sins will find you out. All the same, I did not try it again. I was sure I would never get away with it a second time. The seaside to which we were going had the unpromising name of. Spittai. It was near Berwick-on-Tweed and I was never sure whether it was in Scotland or England, but it did not matter as long as the sea was there. What a surprise I got when I saw it for the first time. It was far too big. I had imagined it would be a kind of pond which I could walk round and sail on in a wee oary-boat. But this went on for ever, away beyond the horizon, and I was terrified of the waves that came splashing in to the shore as if they were about to swallow ms up. It was ages before I would even take off my plimsolls and venture to wade. Postcard sent But, of course, I got used to it, and was soon bobbing about in the water like a seal. I sent a postcard to Jessie, saying: “The sea .is awful big but it's nice,” and I collected shells and seaweed to take home to her just tp prove I had been there. I was thinking of getting some, too, for Auld BaldyHeid to show that I had not been telling a black lie when. I suddenly saw him, wading in the sea With his trouser-legs rolled lip to his knees. Fancy! “Hullo, you,” he said. “So you did come to the seaside, after all.” “Yes, sir, please, sir,” I said, shooting up my hand as if I was still in the classroom. “Well, enjoy yourself,’’ he said, jumping over a wave and actually smiling at me. But I ran away as far as I could along the beach, for I could not be sure that ha did not have the tawse in his pocket. It would have ruined my holiday, except that he was only there for one day, thank goodness. Work again And when I got back te school, there he was with his trouser-legs rolled down and the usual severt expression on his face. “Get out your jotters," he said sharply, “and gel on with your sums.” Oh well! It had beer good while it lasted, and , could still see the sea it my imagination and Aulj Baldy-Heid wading in it.