Saoghal Eile (Another World)

By Màiri E Nicleòid

Bha Eilidh daonnan a' gabhail iongnadh dè seòrsa beatha a bh' aig a seanair is a seanmhair anns a' Bhaile Dearg, a chaidh a bhàthadh le sgeama Hydro bho chionn bhliadhnaichean. Tha rudeigin annasach ag èirigh dhi ri taobh an locha agus anns a' mhionaid tha i air ais anns a' bhaile mar a bha e, air chall san àm a dh'fhalbh gun dòigh a bhith tilleadh. Ciamar a tha i a' dol a lorg slighe air ais dhan latha an-diugh? The Lasag Gaelic readers series offers young adults a range of engaging, easy-to-read fiction, with English chapter summaries and glossaries to assist Gaelic learners.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandstone Press
• Release date: Aug 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781910985984

Book preview

Màiri E. NicLeòid is a Gaelic teacher from Skye, currently working and living in Glasgow. She is the author of A’ Ghlainne agus Sgeulachdan Eile. She has written a number of short stories and plays and has also written for radio and television. Màiri is married with a young son.

By the same author

A’ Ghlainne agus Sgeulachdan Eile (Clàr, 2010)

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First published in 2017 in Great Britain by

Sandstone Press Ltd

Dochcarty Road

Dingwall

IV15 9UG

Ross-shire

www.sandstonepress.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored or transmitted in any form without the express

written permission of the publisher.

Lasag’s series of Gaelic readers offers young adults

a range of engaging, easy-to-read fiction, with English chapter

summaries and glossaries to assist Gaelic learners.

Copyright, © 2017 Màiri E. NicLeòid

Editor: Alison Lang

The moral right of Màiri E. NicLeòid to be recognised as the

author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The publisher acknowledges support from the

Gaelic Books Council towards publication of this volume.

ISBN: 978-1-910985-97-7

ISBNe: 978-1-910985-98-4

Cover design by Rose Cooper

Ebook compilation by Iolaire Typesetting, Newtonmore

Bu toil leam an seo taing mhòr a thoirt seachad dha Alison Lang airson na thug i dhomh de chuideachadh. Feumaidh mi cuideachd taing a thoirt seachad dha mo theaghlach airson am foighidinn nuair a bha mi an sàs ann an sgrìobhadh. Cha bhiodh an leabhar ann às aonais na taice a fhuair mi bho Sandstone Press agus Comhairle nan Leabhraichean. Mu dheireadh, a’ cuimhneachadh, an-còmhnaidh, air m’ athair, Tormod ’Dol, nach maireann, oir tha an leabhar seo sgrìobhte sa chànan aige fhèin.

1

Eilidh is out walking with her boyfriend Dòmhnall near the loch where she and her grandmother once had a strange encounter with a man who seemed to appear from nowhere. She has always known about Baile Dearg, the village flooded by the Hydro Board when they built the dam years ago, but today the water level is so low that the roofs of the drowned houses are actually visible. After an argument with Dòmhnall she sets off on her own in the direction of the village, and notices that part of the old bridge is showing above the water.

‘Tha cuimhn’ agamsa nuair a bha abhainn an seo, seach loch! Seall, fon uisge, dìreach an sin, b’ àbhaist an drochaid a bhith ann, a bha a’ toirt dhaoine a-null dhan Bhaile Dhearg.’

‘An robh e diofraichte an uair sin, a Ghranaidh?’

‘Ò, bha, m’ eudail, gu tur eadar-dhealaichte. Ò, na sgeulachdan a th’ agamsa mu na h-amannan sin, Seanair ’s mi fhin!’ Rinn granaidh Eilidh gàire.

‘Nach biodh e math a dhol air ais ann an ùine, airson faicinn cò ris a bha e coltach?’ dh’fhaighnich Eilidh.

‘Aidh, a nighean, ach sin dìreach ann am prògraman mar Dr Who . . . Nise . . .’ Cha robh comas aice crìoch a chur air an t-seantans sin oir, an ath mhionaid, cha mhòr nach do landaig duine air granaidh Eilidh. Thuit an dithis aca chun na talmhainn agus, às dèidh dha cuideachadh a thoirt do dh’Eilidh a granaidh a thogail, rinn an duine seòrsa de bhrunndail gun robh e duilich, choimhead e timcheall air agus dh’fhalbh e mar mhèirleach tron oidhche. Cò às a thàinig e? Is càit an deach e? Thachair a h-uile rud cho luath. Ach bha a granaidh ceart gu leòr; b’ e sin an rud bu chudromaiche.

Is ann air an t-slighe dhachaigh a mhothaich granaidh Eilidh gun robh a’ bhràiste aice, a thug seanair Eilidh dhi, air chall. Chosg Eilidh làithean a’ tighinn sìos gu oir an locha a choimhead air a son, ach cha robh sgeul oirre, dìreach mar an duine a bhris a-steach orra an latha a bha siud.

*

Thachair sin o chionn fichead bliadhna, nuair a bha Eilidh na nighinn, ach bhiodh i fhathast a’ tilleadh chun an locha, san aon spot. An toiseach, thill i gus coimhead airson na bràiste agus, nuair a bha i cinnteach nach gabhadh a lorg, dìreach airson suidhe nuair a bha i feumach air uaigneas.

Chan e ‘loch’ ceart a bh’ ann. Mar a dh’inns a granaidh dhi, cha robh loch ann anns na seann làithean. Thàinig an loch gu bith ann an 1964 nuair a thog na ‘Hydro Boys’ balla-casg a’ dol tarsainn na h-aibhne a bha an sin.

Ron loch, bha baile beag ann, ‘Am Baile Dearg’. Nuair a thàinig na planaichean airson an dealain, ged-tà, cheannaich a’ Hydro na taighean anns a’ bhaile agus, nuair a bha na daoine air gluasad a-mach, chaidh na taighean a bhogadh fon uisge.

Bha granaidh Eilidh air tòrr innse dhi mun bhaile oir b’ àbhaist dhi a bhith a’ fuireach an sin. Uaireigineach, nuair a bha an t-sìde gu math tioram, mar a bha i an-diugh, dh’fhaodadh tu mullaichean cuid de na taighean fhaicinn fhathast, a’ priobadh a-mach às an uisge mar chorgaisean.

’S e mìorbhail a bh’ ann, a rèir Eilidh, a bhith a’ faicinn phàirtean dhen t-seann bhaile agus bhiodh i tric a’ smaoin-eachadh cò ris a bhiodh e coltach, a’ gabhail ceum air ais ann an eachdraidh.

Rinn Eilidh osna an uair sin. B’ fhèarr leatha a bhith air ais anns na 60an seach 2016; cha bhiodh aice ri cur suas ris an amadan ud, Dòmhnall!

B’ e Dòmhnall a bràmair, is bha an dithis aca air a bhith còmhla bhon a bha iad sa bhun-sgoil.

‘Chan eil thu idir a’ tuigsinn ciamar a tha mi a’ faireachd-ainn. Nan robh, cha bhiodh tu ga dhèanamh sa chiad àite!’ Thàinig na faclan a-mach à beul Eilidh mar pheilearan a-mach à gunna, fuar agus cruaidh. ‘Bha mise a’ smaoin-eachadh gum biomaid a’ cleachdadh an airgid sin mar deposit airson taigh, chan ann airson do bhràthar!’

‘Tha fios a’m ach dè a b’ urrainn dhomh a dhèanamh? Bhiodh e air an taigh a chall. Cha robh taghadh eile agam!’

‘Tha an-còmhnaidh taghadh ann. ’S e cheist a th’ ann, dè an taobh a ghabhas tu, taobh do theaghlaich no taobh na tè a tha thu an dùil a phòsadh!’

Sin an argamaid a bha air toirt air Eilidh a bhith na suidhe ri taobh an locha, san aon àite anns an do thuit an duine annasach ud air a granaidh