the interviews
‘These stories were never made, they were never set to any pattern. They were just ‘something strange’ according to them that actually took place .. even at the age of thirteen I knew that these crofters and fishermen in their sixties, and older, were giving me something private and something special.
It is my deepest responsibility to tell the story again to you with the love and respect for their forebearers.’
Duncan Williamson, Tales of the Seal People
Most of us don’t believe in them. They’re just difficult people, people who think themselves different or wild or above us in some way. But they are real and solid in their horror, that’s the plain truth. That one horror you speak of destroyed our village and I’m glad she finally destroyed herself. I’m glad. Write that down if you must. Write down our story for once. The fishermen, the crofters, the hard workers who have to deal with these flights of fancy who promise the world and then crush it from the inside out. I saw what happened to my son first hand. He was never the same. Write that down.
🥛
There was one afternoon, I was home because of the weather. It was the kind of storm that would knock you off your bearings. So I stayed at home with her all day and night. She was really taken with it. I couldn’t get her to leave the window until dinner, she loved my cooking .. But the things she was saying as she watched the winds pick up. You’ll think I’m mad. She was mad. I just wanted to keep her safe, do what’s best. I put food on the table, a roof over our heads, gave her friends. I gave her every bit of me. My whole world and she ravaged it.
She asked me why each storm was given a name. She liked to ask questions, like a child. She couldn’t understand so many things, it started to irritate me and I stopped answering. Each question and each answer would just lead to more questions, she was insatiable.
When I stopped answering and when she lost her voice, she would ask in other ways. But that day when she first saw the storm out of my window, she asked what it would feel like to be a storm. I was annoyed by this point. I was cutting the veg up smaller and smaller and she was doing my head in with these questions. That was the last one. I couldn’t deal with her anymore. You know they’re supposed to be good cooks, good caretakers. They’re supposed to know when the next rainfall will be, when is best to fish. You know? That’s what they bring to the table. They bring good fortune out at sea and bring you more fish than you know what to do with. She brought me nothing but questions.
Interviewee pushes chair back
It was her decision. Let it be known I loved her, despite all that. It was her decision.
Interview closed
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“It’s okay, you can relax. We’ll start by asking you a series of questions, is that alright?”
Meri nodded.
“And you’re aware that we’ll be filming your answers today?”
Meri nodded.
The officer on the right flipped a switch on her front pocket and a small box camera burrowed a round cylinder of green light into Meri’s skull.
“Ready?”
Meri nodded.
It will be okay. It will be okay. It will be okay.
“Was your partner ever physically violent with you?”
Meri shakes her head.
“Was he ever violent with any of your friends or family, or anyone that you were witness to?”
Meri shakes her head.
“Okay. It is understood you had an operation on your voice box, correct?”
Meri nods.
“You wanted this operation, correct?”
Meri nods.
“I see. You claim the fisherman took your coat so that you could not return to the sea, correct?”
Nod.
“Are we right in thinking that you knew he had your coat the whole time?”
Nod.
“He locked it inside a box under the stairs, correct?”
Nod.
“And you knew where the key to that box was?” Nod. “So you could have gone back to the sea whenever you wanted, right?” She nods. “Okay then Meri. Do you have anything to add?”
Meri was searching for the words. She was so confused, there was a lot to say. Why did she feel so bad for so long? He did everything for her. Why was she here, complaining about this man who she had loved and who clearly loved her to the ends of the earth? Her mind washed over, as was so easy these days and she heard the air around her make that familiar ringing noise and her eyes filled with lots of grey squares and cubed lights.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”