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A Slave's Diary

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Maugre oor unusual lifestyle, much of oor waddin day wis influenced by auld landwart tradeetions.
Afore Hannah put on ma dress, she had me sit, and she washed ma feet. It’s an auld local tradeetion for good luck. Another taiken of luck is that Hannah hidit a ryss of white heather in ma bouquet.
It wisna far from Hannah’s hoose tae the kirk, so we went the auld farrant wey – walking. A was carefu to put ma richt foot forward when A stepped out – again for guid luck. In the richt shoe was a shiny siller saxpence frae Master for luck.

At the end of the front gairden, Master and Leaf were onwaitin frae us, dressed braw and bonnie in primp claes. We formed up ahint a hired piper for the Waddin Walk tae the kirk. Master as the bridegruim went before leading Hannah as matron of honour and A follaed wi Leaf as best man tae lead the bride.
Oor wee baund made a grand paraud as we walked alang, serenaded by the pipe ports aw the way tae the kirk. As a feenal taiken o luck, we crosst a wee burnie by a footbriggie.
I buid say ma hert happit a couple o beats as we went in the door o the kirk to be mairied.


Landwart – country, rural opposed to urban
Ryss – sprig
Auld farrant - old fashioned
Primp claes – formal wear
Paraud – procession
Ports – bagpipe tunes
Happit - skipped
 
While more Irish than Scot, "Marie's Wedding" by Van Morrison and the Chieftains captures the Celtic feel of Master and Dina's Wedding Walk:
Introduced with a not unwelcome bit of Scott Joplin

Lyrics from the original recording, "Irish Heartbeat"

Step we gaily on we go
Heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Over hillways, up and down
Myrtle green and bracken brown
Past the sheilings through the town
All for the sake of Marie

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Red her cheeks as Rowan's are
Bright her eyes as any star
Fairest of them all by far
Is our darlin' Marie

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Plenty herring, plenty meal
Plenty peat to fill her kreel
Plenty bonnie bairns as well
That's the toast for Marie
Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe by toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go
Heel and heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row and row
All for Marie's wedding
 
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I got the latest word from Dina. I was, as I’m sure you were, expecting another bit of her charming wedding story. But instead, it was this short little note.

“It’s aboot time tae tell ye. Master and A bes expectin a wee babbie in February. It’s a lassie! Wish us luck”
 
The ithers went in, and Leaf and A waitit at the door. Tho he wis the best man, he wis the one who'd walk me down the aisle. As we stuid there, I looked at ma bridder, gey and strappin, and I breuk doun sabbin. He teuk me in his airms.
“Kurrie, Leaf, I wiss so bad that Da war here tae see me happy!"
"He be, Ivy," Leaf said gently, dautin ma cheek. "He be!" I saw a tear form in his ee, and suddent A pullt mysel thegither.
"C’mon then," A said. "Let's mak Da prood." I slipped my airm in his, and we stertit in.

Weel, I dinna need tae tell ye that the inside of the Kirk was beautifu. Hannah had done a wunnerfu job o decoring. A Iooked to the front and saw Master onwaitin wi the Meenister Ms. Thomas. Master looked bonnie with the sweetest smile on his face when he saw me, that A almost lost it again. Somehou, A sucked in my breath and made it down the aisle.

Kurrie - dear
 
The ceremony wis beautifu, but maistly what ye ken. It was whan we said our hechts that we conflummixt some in the croud. The Meenister had us face each ither and haud haunds. When she turned to me to say mine, A caumly sank tae ma knees on the floor, leukin up tae the liefu face o’ ma Master. You could ‘a haurd mony a gouch as the ithers saw my submission. A ignored them and said ma wirds. Syne Master, said his leukin doun tae me. Neist, he pullit me to ma feet, and we conteenaed wi the haund-festin.
[A Scot wedding ceremony often includes “handfasting,” the symbolic act of tying a couple’s hands together to represent their union. It’s usually done with cords or ribbons and can be the main focus of their wedding ceremony.]
Leaf stappit up to perform the festenin but, to the surprise of maist, he had naither reebin nor cord but a lenth of siller cheen with siller clesps for the baund. He wand it ticht roond ma wristies, and clespit it. Master tauk ma chained hands in his, and Leaf loosely wrapped the lave around his wrists. Ma bridder then spoke the words we'd given him, "Evie and Geoff, wear these cheens sae a seembol o’ commaundin and obeying in luve.”
There binna muckle mair to tell. As we left, the guests threw flouer petals ower us. At the gate, Master turned and took handfuls of coins and threw them in the air. The bairns tae haund leapit to grab them. This is knawn as the "Weddin Scrammie," or “Warsel."

Hechts – vows
Conflummixt – shocked
Liefu – kindhearted
Gouch – gasp
Baund – band or cord, especially a marriage bond
Lave – rest, part left over

Tae haund – at hand, present

Warsel - wrestle
 
For our return walk, Master and A led the way with Leaf and Hannah richt ahint. The wey was asure to crosst the burnie for to feenish the guid luck. All the wey tae the community hall, A dinna think ma feet iver titchit the ground.
Efter enterin the hall, we went tae the cloakroom for a final adjustment. Master tied silken baunds on ma wristies and heukit thaim by a twa-fit siller cheen. We'd greed that would allou me tae exerce normally yet enjoy ma slavery to ma new guidman.
Tae get the festivities fairlins underway, A teuk the Quaich (a two-handled siller bowl), that Master topped up wi whisky and A passt it roond tae the weddin party and family. Ma, whan she saw ma cuffs, took a parteecular lairge gulp.

Syne, Leaf, as best man, gied us each a red rose to exchange. As we did, he receetit Robbie Burn's "A Red, Red Rose"
O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.

With the food, music, and punch flowing (and a fair amount of whiskey), the cèilidh was soon gaein grand. We led the Traditional Grand March and danced mony a dance (though neither Master, no A am any great shakes as dancers) and enjoyed it all so hantle.
When twilight came, we said our goodbyes to all and made our hame-comin the short distance to our house (ours now, not his). At the threshold, A knelt down in submission tae my Lord and Master. He reached tae his pocket and brought oot the prettiest luckenbuith pendant made of siller and engraved with two hearts combined. After placin it roond my neck, he pullt me up tae his arms and kisst me hard on ma lips. It nearby teuk ma breath awa. Then, though Master constantly complains of how auld and feeble he is, he sweepit pluffie Dina up into his arms and carried me as his prize into the house.

{That is aw A’ll say aboot that nicht. Tho A’v skared ither preevat details, this ane is verra personal and preevat. - Dina}
 
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I would like to adapt the Wedding to an archive/ebook. Do any of my visual readers have ideas for a cover image?

Here are a few I've found, but more suggestions are most welcome.
(m=eaAaGwObaaaa)(mh=zJpod8FSm-DXtR8g)11.jpgbound-bride-maria-heyens.jpgdcq57d9-b6ec53b3-b9d4-4b81-a30b-c83c58f2d274.jpg
 
I like that one also. however, the model is slimmer than I picture my Evie/Dina. Still, I might go with it.
 
Loinclothslave said:
I don’t recall Dina mentioning her exposed nipple either but it’s still a lovely image…
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Someone examined that very closely! I'm not sure it's exposed, only tantalizingly close to exposure.

My all-time favorite vision of Dina is the cover image of A Slave's Diary:
Time for reflection 4 by theexplainer.jpg
 
Sad news

Praefectus Praetorio communicated with both of us frequently, and told us a good deal about his 'real life' self. Becoming seriously concerned when he hadn't returned a couple of weeks after he'd said he'd be away from the Forums for a few days, Barb did some searching and found an obituary for a gentleman who died unexpectedly on 5th December, the day after we last heard from Pr Pr. Sadly, the information in that obituary was sufficient to leave us in no doubt whatever that it was our friend who has passed away.

He was a good man, highly intelligent and widely read, sincere and quietly passionate in his beliefs and principles, a lively, witty contributor to the life of Crux Forums, and his superbly written stories will be a treasured memorial to him here.

Barb and Eul
 
Eulalia said:
Sad news

Praefectus Praetorio communicated with both of us frequently, and told us a good deal about his 'real life' self. Becoming seriously concerned when he hadn't returned a couple of weeks after he'd said he'd be away from the Forums for a few days, Barb did some searching and found an obituary for a gentleman who died unexpectedly on 5th December, the day after we last heard from Pr Pr. Sadly, the information in that obituary was sufficient to leave us in no doubt whatever that it was our friend who has passed away.

He was a good man, highly intelligent and widely read, sincere and quietly passionate in his beliefs and principles, a lively, witty contributor to the life of Crux Forums, and his superbly written stories will be a treasured memorial to him here.

Barb and Eul
Click to expand...
That’s very bad news.. the forum will not be the same without him.. I am very saddened to hear this.
 
Eulalia said:
Sad news

Praefectus Praetorio communicated with both of us frequently, and told us a good deal about his 'real life' self. Becoming seriously concerned when he hadn't returned a couple of weeks after he'd said he'd be away from the Forums for a few days, Barb did some searching and found an obituary for a gentleman who died unexpectedly on 5th December, the day after we last heard from Pr Pr. Sadly, the information in that obituary was sufficient to leave us in no doubt whatever that it was our friend who has passed away.

He was a good man, highly intelligent and widely read, sincere and quietly passionate in his beliefs and principles, a lively, witty contributor to the life of Crux Forums, and his superbly written stories will be a treasured memorial to him here.

Barb and Eul
Click to expand...
I'll miss him terribly. He was such a huge presence on CF with his profound wisom and learning and humour.
 
Eulalia said:
Sad news

Praefectus Praetorio communicated with both of us frequently, and told us a good deal about his 'real life' self. Becoming seriously concerned when he hadn't returned a couple of weeks after he'd said he'd be away from the Forums for a few days, Barb did some searching and found an obituary for a gentleman who died unexpectedly on 5th December, the day after we last heard from Pr Pr. Sadly, the information in that obituary was sufficient to leave us in no doubt whatever that it was our friend who has passed away.

He was a good man, highly intelligent and widely read, sincere and quietly passionate in his beliefs and principles, a lively, witty contributor to the life of Crux Forums, and his superbly written stories will be a treasured memorial to him here.

Barb and Eul
Click to expand...
Thank you Eulalia and Barb. I am deeply touched by the fact that on the day he passed away he 'loved' a poem by John Donne - Nocturnall upon St Lucy's Day - that I posted on his Bleak Midwinter thread.
 
Vale my dear friend and mentor. As a fresh newbie you reached out to me and I will be forever grateful. You helped me grow, but more importantly, you offered friendship. Friendship seems harder to come by as I age, and yet your wonderful kindness opened me up to many new wonderful people and budding friendships here in Cruxforums.

Vale, dear friend, we never met but perhaps we will in the next life?

My heart breaks :crybaby2:
 
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