Cataindar

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

 Luisa’s thoughts about the strange stone were interrupted with the crunch of car tyres on gravel. She brushed the dirt from her hands, took hold of Max’s hand and walked back to the front of the house. Getting out of a maroon Ford transit van was her uncle Hugh. 

Hugh was a burly man, with a sun-creased face, messy brown hair, a slightly bulbous nose and a disarming smile.  His twinkling brown eyes were full of easy Welsh charm. He was wearing battered light denim jeans and a rough blue knit jumper, tight round his beer-endowed belly and pulled up at the sleeves exposing two inky tattoos on each forearm. Whereas his mother and sister had no Welsh twang, Hugh possessed a strong Welsh accent.

As sometimes happens in families, he was the total opposite of both his mum and sister. With Hugh the extent was such that if there were not irrefutable photographic and biological evidence, one would make the case that he must belong to a different family altogether. Like many Welsh people he would say bach often, pronounced with the ‘-ch’ at the back of the throat like the Scottish word ‘loch’.  It meant little one in Welsh. He waved at Luisa,

 “Ooh iyaah bach! My! Ain’t you gettin’ all big!”

“Hello” Luisa smiled, and her uncle Hugh gave her a big hug.

He saw Max and, crouching down he cried,

“Ohhh my goodness! Look who it is there! If it isn’t Max ultimate super-boy hero come to visit us!”

Max giggled happily, “Haha I’m not a super hero!”

“Oh your not?” said Hugh, “you wouldn’t happen to be ‘Max, the slayer of evil dragons’ would you?” 

Max nodded, rubbed his tummy and giggled at the stranger in the free and happy way of children of his age.

“I’m Hugh,” said Hugh standing up saluting, “I’m your mum’s brother, your nana’s son and your uncle! Do you know how to do high-fives?”  Max beamed.  This was a man he could get on with.

Luisa’s mum and grandmother came out while Max was repeatedly smashing high-fives into his uncle’s rough palm.

“Maximus!” her grandmother snapped, “Are you planning to assault every member of your family you come in contact with?”

 The family turned in to the house.  With Hugh's presence it was like a great weight was lifted. They sat in the lounge and he played with Max, winked at Luisa and teased his mother and sister good naturedly.  Even Luisa’s grandmother couldn’t maintain her seriousness, and snorted a chuckle at Hugh's antics before composing herself and chiding his stupidity.

 Luisa’s mother and grandmother left the lounge to go and prepare dinner.  Hugh was sat down on the sofa, arms stretched back behind his head, with his blue jumper riding up and showing some of his belly.  Max was sorting through his box of toys with quiet dedication. 

“Hugh.” Luisa said seriously. She had decided her uncle would be a good person to confide in about her discovery in the abbey.

“I found this weird stone under the grass in the abbey, and it was like... warm.” 

“Well it is a warm day bach.” Hugh said, scratching his head and picking up a newspaper from the side. 

“No Hugh... it was really weird, it was like it was heated up, do you know what I mean? The stone was warmer than outside.” 

Hugh looked at her over the paper,

“Tell you what, you help me wash up after dinner an’ I’ll give you the guided tour of the abbey.   Then you can show me this stone thingy ok?  But we are not spending too long out there!” he pointed at her in mock sternness. “That place gives me the creeps!”