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Guddling For Trout.

by choille 

Posted: 01 December 2005
Word Count: 750
Summary: An old story I just re found.


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‘ Mr Angus MacIntyre will not be sending any Christmas cards this year and therefore takes this opportunity to wish all friends and neighbours the compliments of the season. ’

His notice sat below the small ads and above the lost and found column in the Ullapool News. A fortnight ago Angus had dutifully sent off his hand made cards to friends and relatives who lived faraway. He’d drawn a scene in which Santa was being detained under the Terrorism Act. It would probably cause offence to a few, but hey what did they expect he was a political cartoonist.

There’d be no decking the halls with boughs of holly nor stuffing the turkey this year for him.

Each Christmas his grown up children had come with their kids. Four little cousins who fought like they hated one another- hair pulling, tears, broken toys and screams played out in front of a blaring unwatched telly. The women chatted, his son and son-in-law snored on the settee. The aftermath of dirty dishes, ripped paper, dis-emboweled crackers and trifle stained carpets took him into Boxing day.

He’d phoned to say that he’d cancelled Christmas. They’d each expressed surprise and then a little indignation as they felt they were doing their ‘old man’ a favour by coming and letting him watch his grandchildren open their presents. He’d posted off cheques as he didn’t know a Power Ranger from a Play Station and never got a thank you for the presents he bought, so it would save a lot of hassle.

The twenty fifth arrived cold and clear with a smattering of frost. He switched the bedside radio on. Carols rent the air. He switched the radio off, shaved and had a shower.

He cooked a full breakfast and brewed a large pot of coffee, filled a flask, and made sandwiches. The dog at his heels he headed for the hills at the back of the cottage. The ground beneath his feet crunched and squelched as the wetness oozed from the peat and ice. Angus climbed until his legs ached and his breath came out in cloudy gasps. He rested against a boulder and watched a sea eagle riding the thermals. Flossie weaved ahead, tail and nose down following the zig zag trail of a previous traveller. Angus resumed his steep walk until he got to the bottom of the Benn, the landscape dotted with enormous boulders that had washed down after the ice age. These monolithic sculptures reminded him of Callanish where he’d met Sheila his late wife. He sat down on a cold flat rock and ate some sandwiches, drank his coffee. A ruinous settlement clustered together around the rocks, from which it had been built. To the west he looked down at his now tiny house, to the east he looked down into the cavernous hill loch, to the south he could see the Summer Isles and beyond to the curvature of the earth.

He felt like a speck of insignificance in the grand scheme of things, but it didn’t bother him. Marvelling at the unspoilt scenery, the massive landscape, Angus felt wonderfully free and privileged. It reminded him of school days when he and Fatty Patterson would skive off double maths on Friday afternoons and go guddling for trout in the loch.

Flossie barked at Marion and Bruin her Labrador as they came over the rise. He stood up and waved, glad that she’d come. As she neared a Jaguar jet screamed overhead drowning their greetings, causing Angus to curse and both dogs to bark. It was chased by another fighter etching twin white weals into the blue sky. He laid his jacket down on the rock, poured her a coffee, offered a sandwich and placed a small wrapped present in her hand.
‘ What is it?’ she asked.
‘ Open it.’
‘ I thought you weren’t doing Christmas.’
‘ I’m not. It’s a ‘Let’s meet on our rock’, sort of present.’
Marion opened it and took out a shell she’d found on Gruinard beach. She’d presented it to him for being champion sandcastle maker as they’d fooled around under the full moon on mid-summer. He’d set it with semi-precious stones and attached a pin so that it could be worn as a brooch.
‘Thank you. It’s so beautiful. Come to supper. Meet the children. We can’t go on meeting like this, it’s ridiculous.’
‘ Okay. But there’s one condition. First let me show you how to catch a trout.’













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Comments by other Members



Dreamer at 01:15 on 02 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Caroline,

This is very sweet. I really enjoyed this. I loved the sea shell turned into a brooch. The fact that he kept it and the fact that he turned it into something special. Very romantic… personal experience? It is especially interesting if this was a girl he messed around on the sand with before he met his wife and kept it all these years. But this brings me to my second point.

I also felt it was a bit unfinished as it left me wondering about a lot of things but I get the feeling it may be just me. One of the bad things about being the first to comment, can’t take a peak at other’s comments to see if someone explains what you don’t understand. In the beginning, with him being a political cartoonist and all, I thought he was canceling Xmas because of the terrorism act. I was waiting for this to be revealed. I thought maybe he was going to be imprisoned under the terrorist act for some cartoon or something. Then you talk about how he met his wife and realize he is alone. We start to feel sorry for him. Then we find out he is meeting a romantic interest and this leaves more unanswered questions. Is this an old flame he had met before his wife? While married to his wife? Or just this summer and this is why he has cancelled Xmas so he can see her. It still doesn’t explain why he stopped sending out Xmas cards.

Nonetheless this doesn’t detract from the piece. The descriptions are lovely and you are left with a warm fuzzy feeling at the end. It is just I think you could easily turn this into something longer by answering some of the questions you have set up. Then again, sometimes it is fun to leave readers with unanswered questions which they fill in as is their want.


I did not get this: ‘A ruinous settlement clustered together around the rocks, from which it had been built. To the west he looked down at his now tiny house, to the east he looked down into the cavernous hill loch, to the south he could see the Summer Isles and beyond to the curvature of the earth.’ Was the ruinous settlement his house? I didn’t think so. Was it abandoned?

Guddling, didn’t know that one. Had to look it up. Here we use lines and hooks. :)

Glad you found this and shared it.

Brian.


old friend at 06:33 on 02 December 2005  Report this post
Caroline,

A very sweet offering, thank you. There were only two points that puzzled me. Is Angus a political cartoonist or did you mean that to be ironic... it doesn't read quite right.

The second is near the end with the reference to the dog barking. I had to read that a few times - at first I thought that Flossie barked at two people - Marion and Bruin - perhaps you can have a look at this... shifting a couple of words around or adding commas..?

I emphasised with Angus.

Len

choille at 19:37 on 02 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Brian,
I think on reflection and taking into consideration yours and Len's comments, the political cartoonist bit doesn't work. I based it on someone I know, which is naughty.

I think what I tried to convey is Angus's fed-upness with the sheer comercialisation of it and the hard, thankless work involved. He'd rather be free of the restraints of a cheerless housebound, noisey day and up the hill: maybe I am really writing auto-biography here!

The bit with santa being detained is a sad attempt at a joke. As the Terrorism Act is being deployed with a little too much enthusiasm it would not surprise me if santa ends up in some Syrian jail getting tortured this year.- that's really Angus speaking.

His wife died years ago and he meets the new woman in the summer past, he's a serial monogamist.

Brian I seriously think you are right and I leave too many gaps in my stories. I think I am not too hot on characterisation nor relationship stuff in my writing. It is something I need to work on.
Thanks for reading and your ever helpful comments. It's much appreciated.
Caroline.

choille at 19:49 on 02 December 2005  Report this post
Cheers Len for reading and comments.
As said above, I agree, the cartoonist bit sticks out all wrong.
And thanks for the dog bit. I'll give the labrador bit first. Bruin is Gaelic for bear and is a name given to big dogs, but that's me being too parochial.
Thanks for taking the time it's appreciated.
Caroline.

Dreamer at 05:00 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Caroline.

This is an old story apparently. I think you are much better at 'finishing' them now.

I think the Marion bit would be cleared up if you added 'they’d fooled around under the full moon on (this past) mid-summer.'

I did get the bit about the comercialism and thankless work but the terrorism act and cartoon added a dimension that confused me a little as to whether this had anything to do with the change this year. I think that is the only bit you need to rework. With that and the past summer cleared up it works perfectly.

By the way, you never answered my question as to where you got the brooch idea. It is really good.

Brian.

Sibelius at 11:13 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Caroline,

I like the way this moves from our perception of him as a bah humbug kind of character to someone with a romantic heart, I think you could build on that if you rewrite this.

Yes there are a few gaps which lead to confusion, but I actually like Dreamer's interpretation that this woman was possibly a young first love or important figure from his childhood.

To me that would give you the opportunity to push the Christmas theme again - that this fed-up and perhaps lonely man is making a link to a time when he was young and enjoyed Christmas rather than older and jaded by it.

One more thing, I think the Power Rangers reference dates it a bit!



choille at 11:22 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Thanks for reading and your comments. I should give it a work over. It's funny to see a story I'd forgotten about and posted it because of the seasonal thing.
Yes the power rangers does date it.
Cheers
Caroline.

darrenm at 12:50 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Caroline,
A really good piece of writing, very atmospheric, you give a good sense of the vastness and natural beauty of the landscape.

Loved the 'disemboweled crackers'!

I got the impression he had cancelled xmas because all he wanted was a quiet xmas day with a special someone, either his late wife, or Marion.

I'm sure you will make this an even better piece but hope you leave some of the unanswered questions mentioned above to the readers' imagination, I find a few loose ends good exercise for the mind!

Darren

Prospero at 16:25 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Well I'm certainly glad I found this. Lovely story, I would comment further but all the points I thought have already been covered.

I will look forward to reading the revised version.

Best

John

choille at 19:21 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Many thanks John that's kind.
Cheers for reading.
All the best
Caroline.

choille at 19:26 on 03 December 2005  Report this post
Thanks Darren,
I also like some loose ends although I think I often leave too many. Cheers for reading & your kind comments.
Caroline.

Ian Smith 100 at 11:10 on 05 December 2005  Report this post
Oh yes, fantastic story. You've really got it here. The three stages are brilliant. Good structure. His setting out, starting with, "He cooked a full breakfast..." sent an ominous chill round my neck. Where was he going? What was he going to do? The planes, curvature of the earth, the approaching person, the clear location, are excellent. I even think the out-of-date Power Rangers, and his David Austin-type of politico-lampoonist perfect, perfect, perfect. I don't for a moment think Angus is a cool dude! I mean, he runs on full cholestrol after all.

However, it's the narrator who has the prob. Who is telling the story? "He’d phoned to say that he’d cancelled Christmas." Sounds like a first person receiving the call, the same person who's reading the notice in the local paper. So, "He cooked a full breakfast" throws the reader because it switched location.

It could work in first person with a linear timeline. He posts the 'Xmas is cancelled' message, cooks full breakfast, and heads into the hills. The third person narrator really stopped working when Marion appeared because there are too many dogs and people as well as a third person at that point.

There are no problems about who she is. The less we know about this incredible mystery woman, and his tryst, the better for the sake of a great surprise ending. Very, very, good.

Ian



choille at 12:45 on 05 December 2005  Report this post
Eeerrrr thanks, I think.
Caroline.

Ian Smith 100 at 16:31 on 05 December 2005  Report this post
Well, I just meant to ask if you've tried it in first person. It is very good.
Ian

Account Closed at 16:45 on 15 December 2005  Report this post
I love the character here and he should definitely stay as a political cartoonist! - but I do think it's the start of a novel or a longer story, rather than the complete work. There's a goldmine of ideas in this!! Would love to know more about him.

LoL

A
xxx

choille at 18:43 on 15 December 2005  Report this post
Thanks Holly for reading.
I don't seem to be able to write short stories do I?
It would appear that I leave too many questions?
Thanks for your time and comments.
All the best
Caroline.

Account Closed at 20:47 on 15 December 2005  Report this post
Actually, Caroline - it just means you do characters with great depth really easily and I'm greedy for more!!

:))

A
xxx

Dreamer at 01:40 on 16 December 2005  Report this post
Hear! Hear!

Brian.

shinykate at 23:31 on 20 December 2005  Report this post
Hi,

I just read this and really enjoyed it. I'll post more text specific comments later (after Christmas now) because it's late now, but I wanted to join in this chat while I had the urge.

I see short stories as a snapshot in someone's life, where not everything can be, or needs to be explained. Gaps can be telling and useful. Keeping it tight is good and a bit of mystery is often useful and atmospheric.

One of the reasons I haven't posted so much of my own work recently (which is separate from the practical reasons for my inactivity in discussions here ) is because the novel I am working on for my MA course has moved up a gear, and all my creative brainspace is taking up with thinking about that.

So I've been thinking a lot about the differences between novels and short stories. Novels can't and shouldn't explain 'everything' either - what is everything? - but a short story can follow a narrative without reaching back into deeper territory. Characters can be full with being explained. Histories can be implied... A short story's a photograph, a moment in the life, nothing more, nothing less.

Bit of a sermon, but that's what I think... Anyway, I'll be back with a proper critique of Caroline's story some time next week...

SK

choille at 21:57 on 23 December 2005  Report this post
Hi Shinykate,

Thanks for that.
Hope the MA is enjoyable. That's a great thing to do.
The short story debate is interesting and everyone has an opinion on it.
Have a jolly festivity.
All the best
Caroline.

shinykate at 00:02 on 28 January 2006  Report this post
Hi, Caroline.

I never did get round to commenting on this, did I? So here I am, belatedly.

I thought it was a lovely snapshot. I was very surprised by the human interest when it came - I had him down as a misanthrope. That's what makes it so sweet, I think, that it's so unexpected.

Actually, I was more surprised that he accepted the invitation to dinner - I didn't think he was the sort of person who would. Maybe that's why the ending feels a little abrupt. I need another paragraph maybe, where they walk off into the sunset. Or perhaps, and I know this is sacriledge (?sp) because we lose the shell, but perhaps what I need is for it to end when he is 'glad that she has come'.

It would be a shame to lose the shell, but it could still be there. Perhaps he could wrap it up and put it in his pocket at the same time as he's making sandwiches.

That's just a thought. I really like the story, the ending just needs ironing out a bit, though perhaps not the way I suggest!

Hope all's well.

SK


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