“I dreamt last night tha’ we got hit by an atom bomb…”

“Och, Carrie, do nae be daft…”

“I’m nae being daft, Siné! I really dreamt it.”

“So – wha’ happened? Did we all die, then?”

“Well, if ye get hit by an atom bomb there’s nae many ways ye can bloody survive, are there?”

“I do nae know. I ne’er got hit by an atom bomb!”

“That was a daft answer.”

“Nae more than the question.”

“The question was good enough.”

“Maybe I did nae understand it because it came from such a dobber!”

” …  – That’s gaun ta cost ye!”

“Oh yeah, ye an’ who else?”

“Shut up…”

“Shut up yerself.”

“Why? Ye’re askin’ for a lil’ lesson.”

“Hey – watch it!”

” – And I’m gaun ta give ye more a lot more ta worry abou’ than one lil’ atom bomb.”

“Stop it! – Ye know bloody well I cannae stand that.”

“What? Ticklin’? Well, good ta know – ’cause ye’re not gettin’ away!”

“Carrie! Stop it! Hii-ayy- stop it..!!!”

“Naah, ye do nae really want me ta stop?”

“Y-yes!! Hii – take that ye lil’ – “

“Ye will nae call me dobber anymore, Siné Munroe, or I swear I’m ne’er gaun ta stop – and ye’re gaun ta – “

*

“Children! – Keep it quiet up there.”

*

“Okaay, ma.”

“Whoups… “

“Oh, bloody… “

“Do nae say ‘bloody’ all tha’ time, Carrie.”

“Why for no?”

“Me mum says ye should nae say that. Ye’d be invoking the devil… or something.”

“Ye said ‘bloody’ yerself just before!”

“Didnae!”

“Did so!”

“Well… me mum says… “

“Ye do nae believe in the devil, do ye know, Siné?”

” … Nae really.”

“Och! Ye’re not gaun ta start like me grandpaw now? He’s always bletherin ’bout the devil. “

“Yes, well, I do nae want ta sound like yer grandpaw. He’s scary.”

“Yeah… I reckon he is. But since when did yer ma begin ta talk about the devil?!”

“Well, she talks sometimes about the devil – an’ God. Ever since Iseabeal died at least. She goes a lot ta church now.”

“Ye trying ta tell me somethin’ ?”

“… I’m jus’ sayin’…”

“Is it because we do nae go? Ta church?”

” – Come on! – Ye know I think church is boring!”

” … Yer ma still does nae like ye comin’ here, ta our house, does she?”

“I guess… but me pa said I could go and of course I’m gaun then. Did ye think I’d ever nae come?”

“I di’nae know… Sometimes I’m ….”

“What?”

“Well, sometimes I think what if ye’d one day nae want ta come o’er here.”

“Ye’d have other pals.”

“That’s the daftest answer ever! Ye know I don’ got many pals. They call me all sorts o’ nasty things because o’ me ma.”

” … Did she get tha’ job in Kyle?”

” … I’m afraid it’s gaun ta be awhile. I wish she’d get one soon, tho’. She’s drivin’ me mad gaun around the house all the time, cleanin’ an’ everything twice!”

“Och! … Ye have enough money?”

“I’m nae starvin’ – See? – See how fat I am!”

“Aaargh – Get yer fat blubber skin inta yer blouse again! Or I’ll – “

“Or ye’ll what? Don’t come near or ye know I’ll unleash me secret ticklin’-weapon on ye..!”

“Yeah, well, I bet ye’d much rather be unleashin’ it on Tommy  than me.”

“Why ye – “

“Haha – le’go! Let go! Hihi-hahaa – Caaarrieee!!”

*

“HEY CHILDER – KEEP DOWN THE BELLUM! – DID YE NAE HEAR WHAT DEBORAH SAID?!”

*

“OhmiGod – yer pa heard us….”

“Yes – yes, big surprise. – We’d better… – We do nae want ta – “

“What was tha’?”

“What?”

“Is he comin’ up?”

“Naah – he’d never bother. He jus’ likes shoutin’.”

“Really? … Fer sure?”

“Yes!”

“I… “

“Calm down, girl. He’s not gaun ta eat ye.”

“Of course nae. No problem … of course nae … Hey, is there something on  – ?”

“Oh, not at this hour… jus’ news and boring stuff.”

“Maybe we could – “

“What? So they’d nae hear us? Ye’ll make some noise with the telly, more than us and then hope my pa won’t come up an’  – “

“He’d ne’er – “

” – Yer not scared o’ me pa, too, are ye?”

“Of course nae.”

“Well, jus’ turn on the bloody thing then – might as well… “

“I’ll keep it low… “

“Do that.”

“…”

“…”

“What’s that all abou’?”

“Jus’ some war or something…”

” … Do ye reckon they’d ever be settin’ off an atom bomb today?”

“Maybe…  Me pa says they got hundreds of them, jus’ waitin’ ta go off.”

“Well, why would they – I mean that’ll be crazy!“

“Yes, well, grown-ups are crazy. Those Communists are crazy. If it weren’t for them we’d be safe.”

“My dad says it’s because the Americans are crazy… No no – I don’ mean ye of course!”

“I’m nae American, Siné -!”

“Yes, yes… I was jus’ thinkin’ ‘bout yer ma… “

“Well – don’t!”

“I’m nae gaun ta call yer names or anything, like that Rory-pig – Oh, Carrie – ye know that!”

“Well, maybe I know – maybe I do nae – “

“Do ye trust me?”

“I… trust ye …”

“We swore an oath, remember?”

“Yes, I remember that day at Talisker Beach. I also remember that idiot, Rory, gaun mad on yer bike.”

“If Alasdair had been there he’d have broken Rory’s teeth… “

“Yer brother does nae care about wee children like Rory – an’ us…”

“Aye! I think Tim should’a been there … actually … “

“Yeah … but right now Timothy cares only abou’ how good he looks when passin’ by Maire and all her friends down in Portree. I wonder why pa keeps lettin’ him borrow the car … “

“I guess we’re on our own.”

“We’re always on our own – jus’ remember that. If we don’ have each other – we don’ have anyone.”

“What abou’ Gilian…”

“She’s not gaun ta stand up for ye if things ever got hard!”

“No, I guess nae… but she’s kind of okay. Sometimes…”

“We jus’ have each other, Siné. That’s the way it is.”

“Aye… “

“Aye. And they’re not gaun ta tear us from each other, no matter what they do.”

“Even if they drop an atom bomb?”

“If they’d be droppin’ that bomb we’d be dead, stupid!”

“Well, we could survive…. “

“I don’ think I’d want ta be around if they’d dropped atom bombs everywhere. I once saw this show on the telly abou’ a war…. “

“I don’ think I’d want ta be around either.”

“No, that’d be worse than anything.”

“Then let’s hope they don’ drop that bomb… “

*