Buddha Da. Anne Donovan

ah felt different as well, gaun through there tae work. At first ah thought it’d be a drag travellin through but ah sterted tae really look forward tae it. Maistly ah was on ma ain. Just how it turnt oot. John and me and Boabby done the first coupla days thegether, gettin the big stuff done, ceilins and walls, but then we had tae juggle it wi another job that come up in Jordanhill – guy we’d worked for had a burst tank in his loft and the place was in a right tip. The others got on wi that while ah continued wi Barbara’s place. There was a lot of footery stuff – cornice she wanted picked oot in different colours – and ah really like daein them while it does John’s heid in. ‘You don’t mind gaun through tae Embra by yersel?’

      ‘Naw, a wee change.’

      ‘Aye but it’s the drivin.’

      ‘Ah can mibbe work a bit later a few nights and that’ll speed it up.’

      ‘Ah’m sure that Barbara wumman’d gie ye yer tea.’

      ‘Fish supper’ll dae me.’

      ‘Mibbe even gie ye mair than yer tea if you play yer cards right.’

      ‘She’s no ma type.’

      ‘She’s female, is she no? And yous two could dae a bit of meditatin thegether.’

      ‘That’ll be right.’

      It had crossed ma mind at the start that Barbara might of had a wee fancy for me. Efter all, it was a bit funny gettin a painter tae come aw the way fae Glesga tae Embra. But there was nae sign of any funny stuff, no even when ah turnt up on ma ain. She made me a cuppa tea when ah arrived and then left me to it. She always offered tae gie me lunch but ah like tae nip oot for a roll or a poke a chips or that when ah’m workin – just get oot the hoose fur a bit a fresh air. Hate bein stuck inside aw day. She spent nearly all day in her wee room at her computer or whatever she was daein. Sometimes ah’d hear her on the phone or she’d stick her heid round the door tae tell me she was gaun oot. Ah kind of got used tae havin her round in the background, there but no there.

      Like ah said, a lot of the work was quite footery, specially the cornice that she wanted done in different colours. Ah usually listen tae music when ah’m workin but ah didnae like tae have it on too much in case ah was disturbin her at her work so ah spent maisty the time quiet, just paintin. It was dead peaceful in the hoose and thon big statue of the Buddha; well, it was like she said, it had a calming presence. When she came in the room ah near fell aff the ladder, ah’d forgotten there was embdy else there.

      ‘Christ, ah goat a fright – ah was in another world there.’

      ‘Sorry – want a cup of tea? It’s about half three – I’m ready for a break.’

      ‘Aye, thanks.’ Ah climbed doon aff the ladder, stretched ma airms above ma heid. ‘Does yer back in, that stuff. You get that involved in it you don’t realise you’ve got yersel intae really awkward positions and then when you come doon it’s agony. Thon Michelangelo fella done his back in paintin the Sistine Chapel.’

      ‘You should do yoga.’

      ‘Yoga? Ah don’t think ah’d look too hot in a leotard.’

      ‘Lots of men do it. They wear shorts. I’m serious. It’s really good for your back. The stretching strengthens it, and if you do a few positions when you come down from the ladder it’ll help avoid any pain. I could show you a few basic ones – look.’

      She bent ower and put her haunds on the flair. Her arse was stickin up in the air; just as well Boabby wasnae there.

      ‘Ah can just imagine me and the boys daein a yoga routine afore we started work. Ah mean, they think the meditation’s weird enough – if ah start dain yoga they’ll be cartin me aff tae the funny farm.’

      Ah followed her intae the kitchen where she put on the kettle and ah started tae wash ma haunds at the sink. It was a beautiful kitchen; you could tell the units were they dead expensive wans, wi a dragged paint finish on them and carved bits round the edges. Ah wondered how she made her money – couldnae see that this research lark could pay that much.

      We sat doon at the kitchen table tae have wer tea.

      ‘You seem to enjoy your job, Jimmy.’

      ‘Aye, ah dae. Ah really love paintin that cornice of yours. It’s beautiful.’

      ‘Yes, it’s going to be lovely when it’s finished. So many people just paint them one colour but I think you owe it to the design to pick it out in different ones.’

      ‘A lot of folk want tae dae that but when you gie them the estimate and tell them how much time it’s gonnae take they change their minds. It is a lot dearer.’

      ‘How long d’you think it’s going to take you?’

      ‘Well, wi me bein on ma ain noo, a bit longer. Ah mean the mully’s aw done but there’s still the joe loss.’

      ‘Huh?’

      ‘Painter-speak. Mully’s emulsion, Joe Loss – gloss.’

      She laughed. ‘I like that. What other words do you use between yourselves?’

      ‘Ah don’t know if ah can tell you – ah mean, givin away state secrets and that …’

      ‘Go on, won’t tell a soul.’

      ‘Well, if you ever get a painter in for an estimate and he says tae his mate, “This is an elsie”, run a mile – means they’re just gonnae put wan coat of paint on it. Elsie Tanner – wanner – get it?’

      ‘My God.’ She was really laughin noo, her eyes shone. Ah’d never seen her like that.

      ‘That was how me and John set up in business for wersels. We used tae work for this guy years ago and he just cut corners aw the time. You’d put wan coat on a wall and it’d be near four o’clock and he’d come in and say, “That’ll dae boys, that’s an elsie, finish up.” See, it can look OK wi wan coat but when you look close there’s streaks and everythin in it – it’s no right. And you’d say, “Naw, it’s no an elsie,” but he was the boss. And we got jobs all right but you wouldnae get folk askin you back, no unless they were blind. So me and John decided tae set up on wer ain, dae things properly.’

      ‘I like that, it shows you’ve got integrity.’

      ‘Well who wants tae dae folk? Fair’s fair – you may as well dae it right. And the thing is, it pays in the long run. When we sterted oot we didnae know if it would work oot or no but that’s us gaun for nine year noo and we’re always workin and maisty oor work is word of mouth – folk recommend us and we get asked back. And we make good money.’

      ‘Right livelihood. Very Buddhist.’

      ‘Sorry?’

      ‘Most people think Buddhism’s about meditating, but it’s really about how you live your whole life. Part of it is the idea that you make your living in a good way, not a harmful or dishonest one.’

      ‘So all this time ah’ve been a Buddhist while ah’m paintin. Ah could of saved masel all that hassle meditatin.’

      ‘I think maybe that’s true – I don’t mean that you shouldn’t meditate, but … I don’t know how to put it; it’s as if we’re always trying to get there, reach something, and that isn’t it. It’s being fully aware in the day to day that’s important, being completely engaged in what we’re doing. And maybe for you, it’s the painting. When you’re doing your job, you’re fully present.’

      Ah sat for a moment, haudin the mug, cradlin it in ma haund. What was left of the tea was cauld noo but ah didnae want tae put it doon, didnae want tae stop this conversation. Barbara looked straight at me, serious, but wi a wee hauf smile; and it was the first time ah’d ever seen that look on anybody but the lama. Just for a moment, a split second, it was as though the room had disappeared and there was just the two of us, mugs in wer haunds, lookin. Ah wanted tae ask her mair, talk