Dagmar's daughter by Kim Echlin

Author:Kim Echlin
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Canada, Women musicians, General, Romance, Fantasy, Sagas, Suspense, Mothers and daughters, Fiction
ISBN: 9780143170594
Publisher: Penguin Canada
Published: 2009-03-03T09:20:28.424000+00:00

Donal appeared in front of Colin’s old house, a set of bass notes playing in his head.

He smoked a cigarette in front of the half door and didn’t ring the bell. He loitered, tempted to turn and leave. Then the door opened and there was Colin, unshaven and just waking up.

Haven’t had tea yet, come in! he said without looking as he rubbed his hands through his hair.

Donal silently pulled out another cigarette, stuck it between his lips and lit it with one hand the way the two boys used to practise together. Colin looked through the smoke to finally see who was there. The eyes do not change when everything else is altered.

Donal?

He stepped back, took the cigarette out of his mouth and cupped it by his side.

Colin pulled the door open to embrace his old friend and Donal stepped backwards to avoid the threatening arms. Few had touched him all those years. Colin dropped his arms and stepped back too. Unabashed, he said, Got a smoke?

Donal tossed him a cigarette and damp Pacific matches.

Colin tried to light it with one hand but he was out of practice. Soothing, sharpening nicotine seeped through. Where did you go? he said.

Nowhere. Away.

Donal examined the feeling of being recognized. He watched Colin step back inside and wave him in.

Where’s Dagmar?

She doesn’t live here. We split up. A long time ago, a few years after you left.

You left?

She left.

Still on the island?

We raised our children together, more or less.

Children?

Two. A son and a daughter much younger.

Colin stared curiously at the scars on Donal’s hands. Donal followed him into the kitchen and nodded when he held up the whisky bottle.

What did you do?

Collect dead birds.

Colin handed him a glass.

Still play?

Donal didn’t answer.

Seen Madeleine?

Yes.

Why dead birds? asked Colin.

Snakes.

Snake-eating birds?

Bird-eating snakes. Anything-eating snakes. It’s all dying out there. They talk about half-lives. It is a place full of snakes. Back-fanged. He held out his hands.

Colin nodded. Here for a while?

Maybe. I built a place across the strait. Donal hummed out loud the tune that was in his head. What’s that called?

“Ships Are Sailing,” said Colin absently.

The name came back soft and sure as a fog-bird on the wing. Donal thought, Now I can leave again.

Bung your eye! said Colin lifting his glass. Feels like I’m waking from a dwall seeing you here. I’m going to Dagmar’s tonight for a bonfire. My little girl, Nyssa, fiddles like the wind. You should hear her. She can fiddle anyone into the ground. Still play?

Donal nodded.

Colin stood, his fingers loose on his glass, and studied the familiar stranger. Then he reached across the space between them into Donal’s shirt pocket and helped himself to a cigarette.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.