Charlie from Lewis

Just when life seem predictable again, something wonderful happens.
Conversations with my son on Wednesday and Thursday.

That boy we saw by the green van, he's my friend from Scotland.
Excuse me, did you just say that boy is from Scotland?
Ya.
And he's in school with you? And he's your friend?
Ya, he's been here for a couple of weeks. Is going back home soon on Saturday.
Are you kidding me?
No.
Why is he in Chico and why have you not mentioned this before?
His grandmother lives here and she is really sick. (pausing-warning) It's really sad Mom.
Oh dear. Go on.
She's dying. I don't know what it is but she wants to go home while she can. She might have Alzheimer's or something. She wants to go back while she can still remember. So they came to take her.
(sad)What a bittersweet story. (sad) We are all too familiar with grandmas dying. I feel for them.
I know. It's sad. (sigh) He's here with his parents.
Do they have other family here? (Thinking - community everything in Gaelic culture.)
Not sure but I think so.
Good. They have a lot of decisions to make, especially if she has Alzheimers. Where in Scotland is he from?
Well, I am not absoutely sure she has Alzheimers, but she is dying. He's from some island. Has to take a boat. I think they also have a house somewhere else.
Excuse me, an ISLAND! No way! Did he say which one? Skye, Lewis, Harris.....
I don't know. The one with the "funny rocks"
You mean the standing stones? They are sprinkled all over the islands.
He said people came to see them.
He has to mean Callanish. So, he is from the Isle of Lewis. Stornoway's the big town.
I guess Lewis. Didn't say. Had to take a boat.
Ok, yes the C McB ferry. The far north end of Lewis they call the Butt. Way north of them is Iceland.
The Butt???
Yes, kinda funny. Just like we live in Butte County and for fun we call it Butt. You have Butt in common. (smile)
He has a special paper to be allowed to stay here.
Probably some type of Visa. Pretty cool he's going to school.
Lives in a really old house that belonged to his grandmother's grandmother or something.
Did he say a croft house? Has to be.
Don't know. He also speaks a different language.
He speaks Gaelic son. Have I not taught you! What's his name?
He said to call him Charlie.
"Call him" sounds like he might have a Gaelic name he thinks you can't pronounce so just call him Charlie. (thinking: whom do you belong to) How many classes do you have together?
Just 1st period. PE. He's really good with poetry.
Interesting observation. Yes, poetry is much more a part of their culture than ours.
He said it is really crappy here.
(kids are so honest) I am not surprised - he is from a beautiful landscape. It's home here to us and we love it, but to someone from the islands, not so much so. I can show you pictures of Lewis. They have lots of wildlife like deer, sheep, highland cows, lots of birds, and at one time were over run by hedgehogs, and of course lots of fish.
He said we have too many cars and traffic. Where he is from there aren't a lot of people.
He is right about the traffic. Did not used to be this way though. (sigh)
He did say the girls here are very beautiful.
Aw, how sweet. Well, I am sure all the girls absolutely love his accent and have big crushes on him.
Maybe. He says we talk funny. We talk through our noses. Try it (pinches his nose and talks). See, he's right.
Where is he staying? With grandma?
No, they have an apartment over behind the Holiday Inn. He's leaving on Saturday.
This Saturday! Too bad. You could have invited him over. We could have offered help to his family. His parents must have been working very hard the short time they were here. I was so grateful for the neighbors and friends of my Mom's who looked in on her from time to time. And school has to be really different for him, to be mixed in with kids who also look different like the Hmong and Hispanic. Who does he have lunch with? Did everyone make him feel welcomed? Does he have siblings?
Oh yea, it's all good. No worries Mom. He's really nice and he hangs out in my group. His parents told him it would be really different here, but he says it's not so much so. He likes the fact there are a lot of kids here to make friends with. Their aren't a lot of kids where he is from. There was Hmong guy sitting with his eyes closed and Charlie thought it was a dummy.(smile) He doesn't have any brothers or sisters.
(what great kids we have) I am glad he met you as you can understand what he is going through with his sick grandmother. It is not an easy time for him. And he came a very long way.
It was 18 hours on the plane. We are all reading the same book and it's a really long book, so he'll be ok on the plane back.
Did you tell him you were of Scottish descent? From South Uist? Never mind John from Edinburgh side of the family. Just don't say we ARE Scottish, as he might take it literally and think you're crazy. It's frigging special to come from the Hebrides son. And your Mom knows a bunch about his place on this planet!
Ya, told him my Mom's kinda nutty about it and you have a bunch of books and stuff. I could not remember the name of the place. I did say we were MacDonalds. Charlie said "cool" and that his grandmother was a MacDonald.
Grandma's great grandma was from South Uist son. Lewis is at the top, then Harris, then....
I told him I went with my Mom to hear this Scottish guy Dougie something.
Dougie MacLean son. Hmmm, I think he has a house on Lewis too. (breaks into song ...the old man looks out to the island, he says this place is endless thin....) I am really jealous you know son. I would love to have a friend from Lewis.
Ya, ya, ya I know. It's not that big a deal Mom. I play WOW with people from all over the world.
Well it is to me. What an opportunity! Exchanging ideas and such with someone who lives on the other side of the world. How amazing is that! You could go visit someday and vice versa. He did not get a chance to see much of our country. (wistful)
Sure, I'll get his email address.

Charlie was here to witness the election of Obama as our historic next and great president. What a positive memory for him to share with his friends back on Lewis. And the kids at school included him naturally and without thought they were actually ambassadors of this country. Makes me so proud.