Past Life: Laeves fae Beenie’s diary (extract)

From Shetland Life, May 1984, No.43

FRIDAY:

I lay an hanvaigit for a peerie start dastreen wi da nyirlin i me airm, bit I dwaamd ower aboot wan a’clock an hardly wis awaar o im be da time at I rase idda moarneen. Hit shörly wis a mercy, for he’s been datn a fine day an dir been dat muckle ta dö. I shöld da byre whin I göd in ta da coo idda moarneen, dan efter I wis gotten her yooder wyshn an tane da mylk atto her I brushed her doon an took aa da taats oot o her hide sae at shö wis sheenan an sleekit laek a selkie. I canna bide ta see dirty ill-keepit kye, aa hingin wi sharny bells, bit dir some at’s turned oot idda moarneen at’s kinda hard yatleen. Hoosumever efter I lowsed her an da calf dan Bertie cleared da runnik an hurled oot da byre ta me, dan whin I saa im makkin up ower ta da hennihoose I coulda kissed im, for muckin oota dere is wan job at I dönna care for.

I got wir heavy coonterpeen wi da trums wyshin da-day, an aa da coorteens fae up-da-stair, sae yun’ll be a lok a ironin for me ta dö an I canna say at I enjoy döin dat edder. Bit need maks a man a craft, an A’ll mebbe jöst faald da coonterpeen an sit apun im da-moarn. I med nae denner da-day, for dey wir anyoch soup left fae yisterday, an I tink at hit wis fully better da-day for I hed ta watter it doon, an da beef wis med it braaly saat.

I kirned efter danner-time, an dan took me fit i me haand and göd ta Kirsty’s wi buttermylk for her ta bake wi. Her an Tammy wis sittin at da end a da table haein a fly cup, sae shö rekkit me doon a cup tö, an klined me a gret sheeve a curny huffsi wi rhubarb jam. Tammy wis apun a göd lay da-day an full a news, an he wis tellin me at dir someen fun da he-cat a Da Brakes smored attil a tattie crisp bag. Da animal wis shörly shot in his head efter da bruks at wis left, an da plastic bag wis sookit on apun im an he couldna git his head oot again. Dis plastic bags is a danger tae baith man an baest, an a lok a dis new-fangled croftin wyes needs a bit a waatchin tö, for Kirsty wis sayin at dir een a Dodie’s best yowes been med a ston cripple whin a bit a yun nylon towe at dey wup aboot da bales a hey göd atween her klivs.

Bertie hed ta geng ta da hall da-night til a committee meetin aboot da Hamefarin, an efter I cleared awa da tae lem dan I took a pell i me haand an göd doon ower ta da banks for saand ta da hens. Dey wir a lok a dunters sweemin aff at da points a da kletts an I salisted for a meenit ta listen ta dem layin aff; an minded whin I wis a peerie ting an foo I ösed ta staand klined up alang da aest gavel idda moarneen sun hearin dem da sam wye. Hit’s fine ta tink at dir some things at niver shenges.