麻豆约拍

Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an sgeulachd mu Mh脿iri agus a br脿thair, Calum. Chaidh na bliadhnaichean seachad. Cha do ph貌s M脿iri riamh. Bha aon dl霉th-charaid aice. Bha esan na mhinistear. 鈥橲 e Raibeart an t-ainm a bha air. Bha e deich bliadhna na b鈥� 貌ige na M脿iri. Cha robh e fh猫in p貌sta. Ach cha robh suirghe ann eatarra. Bha iad d矛reach nan deagh charaidean.聽

Chaochail p脿rantan M脿iri. R脿inig i aois seasgad. Bha Raibeart a鈥� c猫ilidh oirre gu tric. Chaidh e ann latha a bha seo, agus bha M脿iri anns an leabaidh. 鈥楾hig, a Raibeirt,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楧猫an suidhe ri mo thaobh.鈥�

鈥楧猫 tha ce脿rr?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥楥ha bhi mi be貌 fada,鈥� fhreagair i. 鈥楢n d猫an thu rudeigin dhomh?鈥�

鈥楴矛,鈥� thuirt Raibeart. 鈥楻ud sam bith.鈥�

鈥楥uir do l脿mh fo mo chluasaig鈥�. Rinn e sin, agus thug e a-mach leabhar beag dearg. 鈥楲eugh e,鈥� thuirt i. 鈥楴uair a gheibh mi b脿s, bidh mi a鈥� f脿gail a h-uile n矛 agam don Eaglais. Ach an cuir thu clach bheag aig ceann na h-uaghach agam. Clach ann an cumadh cridhe le ceithir faclan oirre 鈥� 鈥淕u Calum agus M脿iri鈥�.鈥�

Dh鈥檃ontaich Raibeart sin a dh猫anamh dhi. D脿 latha an d猫idh sin, chaochail M脿iri. Bha i air a c脿radh ann an uaigh faisg air uaigh a p脿rantan. Agus chuir Raibeart clach ann an cumadh cridhe aig ceann a h-uaghach. Sgr矛obhte oirre bha 鈥楪u Calum agus M脿iri鈥�.

Leugh Raibeart an leabhar beag dearg iomadach turas. Bha fios aige mun ch脿irdeas eadar M脿iri agus Calum. Ach cha tuirt e guth ri duine mu dheidhinn.

Thachair rud iongantach. An d猫idh l脿ithean de dhroch sh矛de, bha an talamh bog fliuch. Bha lorgan-coise annasach faisg air uaigh M脿iri. Bha t猫 de na h-貌rdagan a dh矛th air a鈥� chois dheis. Cha robh fios aig duine mar a dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith. Ach bha fios aig a鈥� mhinistear!

Goirid mus do chaochail Raibeart, dh鈥檌nns e mu Mh脿iri agus Calum do bhuidheann de mhuinntir an 脿ite. Nam measg, bha seanmhair Aonghais MhicN猫ill. Mus do chaochail ise, dh鈥檌nns i do dh鈥橝onghas carson a bha a鈥� chlach annasach sin, ann an cumadh cridhe, ann an cladh a鈥� bhaile.

I鈥檓 going to conclude the story about Mary and her brother, Malcolm. The years went by. Mary never married. She had one close friend. He was a minister. His name was Robert. He was ten years younger than Mary. He wasn鈥檛 married himself. But they did not have a romantic relationship. They were just good friends.

Mary鈥檚 parents died. She reached the age of sixty. Robert was often visiting her. He went there one day, and Mary was in bed. 鈥楥ome, Robert,鈥� she said. 鈥楽it by my side.鈥�

鈥榃hat is wrong?鈥� he asked

鈥業 won鈥檛 live long,鈥� she replied. 鈥榃ill you do something for me?鈥�

鈥榊es,鈥� said Robert. 鈥楢nything.鈥�

鈥楶ut your hand under my pillow鈥�. He did that and he pulled out a little red book. 鈥楻ead it,鈥� she said. 鈥榃hen I die, I鈥檒l leave everything to the Church. But will you put a small stone at the head of my grave. A stone in the shape of a heart with four words on it 鈥� 鈥淭o Malcolm and Mary鈥�.鈥�

Robert agreed to do that for her. Two dates later, Mary died. She was laid out in a grave near her parents鈥� grave. And Robert put a heart-shaped stone at the head of her grave. Written on it were 鈥楾o Malcolm and Mary鈥�.

Robert read the little red book many times. He knew about the relationship between Mary and Malcolm. But he never said a word to anyone about it.

A surprising thing happened. After days of bad weather, the ground was saturated. There were strange footprints near Mary鈥檚 grave. One of the toes was missing on the right foot. Nobody knew how that could be. But the minister knew!

Shortly before Robert died, he told a group of local people about Mary and Malcolm. Among them was Angus MacNeil鈥檚 grandmother. Before she died, she told Angus why that strange heart-shaped stone was in the village cemetery.