ABE learner stories
2014
What’s Your Story, Pal?
Adult Basic Education
West Lothian Council
2014
Welcome to the What’s Your Story,
Pal? book of learner stories.
Here you will find some of the great
stories ABE learners have been writing
throughout the year.
In the summer we ran storytelling
short courses at Bathgate Partnership
Centre and at Cyrenians in Bathgate.
Some of the stories in this book were
written in these courses.
Others have been written in ABE
groups.
The stories are all the learners’ own
work. We have kept the original
spelling where possible. It’s the story
that matters, after all.
We hope you enjoy reading it!
The Young Soldier
It is 1896.
My name is Robbie Hughes, I’m with
the Royal Highland Regiment, i joined
up when i was 15 years of age, i lied
to get into the army, my grandfather
was in the regiment and gave up his
life for King and Country. As I hold my
gun and look over the trenches i can
see the enemy, and as i look thru the
smoke, I hear the screams of the men
that are dying all around me and my
find froze, i went back to the farm
where I grew up, my mother Mary
feeding the chickens, hanging out the
clothes, the wind blowing her long
dress and her pinnie, and i see my
father John hearding the cows to the
barn to get milked, as my sister Flora
helps in the kitchen making dinner for
them all, as my dogs bess and ben
running around helping my dad, my
mind goes back to the hills that i spent
my youth running thru the beautiful
purple heather and feeling so excited
and feeling safe with my family around
me and looking forward to my future
taking the farm over and working on
the land that i loved. But that wasn’t
to be, the war came and i signed up,
my family were so proud of me, but
were also heart broken that they were
loosing a son. But as i lie here the pain
is easing, I hear my mothers voice
softly calling my name, I see my dad,
Flora, and my dogs greeting me, as I
run thru the heather and fall into there
loving arms not long am i alone to die,
i am with my loving family once more.
Marie Cook
The final draft of Marie’s story
The Never Ending Story
By Jenny Perry
“Come on Joey! We are going to be late
for the fight to Scotland!” shouts Claire.
Joey slowly bends over to pick up his
suitcases from the airport floor.
Dragging his feet Joey trails to the check
in desk.
“Mum, tell Joey to hurry up!” Moans
Claire.
Mum quickly turns to face Joey who’s
standing in front of her. Joey smiles at
his Mum who beams back.
Mum turns back to face Claire “you
shouldn’t tell lies about your brother!” she
warns.
“You always believe Joey and not me”
moans Claire.
“What’s wrong now!” shouts Dad
“Just Claire, having a go at Joey,” Mum
said.
“Will you both behave for once” grumbles
Dad
Joey and Claire put their heads down in
shame.
“Come on lets gets on the plane and no
carrying on” said Dad with a thin smile.
A few hours later the MacDonald family
find themselves at the Old Bothy Hotel in
Scotland. An elderly lady called Heather
meets them and shows them around.
Neatening the throw on the kingsize bed
of room 22, she sighs. Limping over to the
bedroom door, she stands still for minute
waiting for the pain in her left leg to ease
“enjoy your stay, ignore the strange
noises you might hear from next door this
is a very old part of the building.”
Joey wanders into the hall and studies
the number 23 etched on the huge
wooden door. Putting his ear to the door
his heart stopped he could hear ...
What do you think happens next?
Jenny with her story
Pals
I have very nice pals. We all come to the
partneship centre every Wednesday moring
and the person who runs the class her name
is Ruth. We all went on a minibus to
Haymarket the name of the hotel was the
Hilton Grosvenor in Edinburgh. The names
of the pals were Naomi, Marie, Jayne, Ruth,
Scott, Alison, Khiara and when we got there
a load of other different people at the hotel.
We went into a big posh room and the
tables were set up nicely. We sat down at
the table two we started off with soup,
chicken, courgettes, carrots, potatoes and
for pudding we had biscuits, strawberries
with cream. And other people were sitting at
our table and we were talking to them. We
all went into a different room and we sat at
the front at table two and the other people
who sat with us were at the same table as
well. And when everyone was in the room a
man got up and talked on the microphone
telling us all about the ABE then we watched
a video. Then a famous person spoke on the
microphone his name was Grant Stott. After
he was finish he sat back down then we got
a nice surprises Naomi came then it was
time for our names to get called out and we
had to go and stand against a broad and we
got presenter with a certificate and we got
our photo taken with Grant Stott and I was
holding the certificate but Grant Stott was
tall and I was very wee. But we all had a
lovely time and when it was finish we stood
in a line to get Grant Stott to sign the
dictionary we got before we left we all got a
drink of bubbling.
Jayne Comerford
Naomi and Jayne
The Electric Brae
Rabbie Burns country or Ayrshire
as it is known when I was a
young boy my family on my
fathers side who are Irish went on
a day out to Rabbie Burns cottage
in Ayrshire u can imagine our joy
at finding the electric Brae well
yes we did put a match box under
my uncles car wheel as we
parked the car on the brae and
yes the car moved back up the
hill or did it to my joy 50 years
later I found out that it was an
optical illusion
John Hegarty
John’s story comes from a scrapbook
he made at ABE on the life of Robert
Burns
That “House”
as I walk to my house as slowly as possible
taking every chance to check my watch
savouring every second away from that
house dreading having to go back so early
and even worse alone. So I start to plan
what I'm going to do. “ok so go down the
hall. Up the stairs. First door on the right.
Top drawer in a desk as soon as you walk
in. grab the folder . then leave” I go over
and over and over the plan until I'm at my
door I reach for the handle and attempt to
open a door I know is locked. I then go in
to my pocket that I know my keys are in
but pretend not to feel them and check
every other pocket checking and
rechecking just trying to postpone the
inevitable I take the keys out and slowly
open the door I just stand there looking
into the dark house trying not to make a
noise as I try to start breathing again I
force out anther breath and start to move
I'm only half down the hall and I'm
starting to shake unable to breath just
telling my self that it will be over soon . I
reach the bottom of the the stairs unable
to stand I use the banister to get up the
first steps half falling up the next and
then I give up on standing and I crawl up
the reaming until I reach the landing I
crawl to the door and paw at the handle
until the door opens reaching in enough
just to pull the top drawer out the desk I
pick up the folder from the floor
knowing that all I have to do is leave
calms me enough to take a couple of
breaths. I crawl to the top step and use the
banister to stand my self up having to lean
on it just to stay sanding I fumble my way
down the stairs exited to see the front
door I push my self off one wall to the
next using all my remaining strength to
keep propped up against the wall I reach
the door folder in hand I reach out to
open the door and just as my hand
touches the handle as I feel it icy grip
tightened around me as it dragged me in
to the dark bowels of the house.
Ryan Fullerton
The cover Ryan made for his book of short
stories
An early draft of Ryan’s
story
Dave the H.G.V. Driver.
Dave was unemployed as he got paid
off from his last job. He had been an
H.G.V. Driver in the past and looking to
get another job, the same as before.
Dave's wife Anne was not happy with him
as she could not get as much house work
done with him there all day. Anne asked
Dave to do some jobs around the house
while he was off work. But she really
wanted him to go back to work as they
were getting short of money. He did some
of the jobs but not them all as he wanted
to get back to work. He thought that
doing the repairs around the house was
harder than working. Soon he had found
the right job that he was looking for and
went for the interview. It had taken Dave
three months to find that job and he got
a phone call asking him if he could start
within the next two days, Dave said “yes”!
His new job was as an H.G.V. driver so he
was so happy that he had got what he
wanted to do. Dave needed to update his
passport as his boss said there will be
jobs abroad coming up. Three days after
Dave started he was asked if he could do
a run to France, his new passport had
been done so he said “yes I will do it”. His
first run to France was like a double run it
was a drop off and a pick up, so it took
about a week to do. Dave thought that it
would be good as he would be away from
his wife for a week as she was doing a lot
of moaning at him. When Dave came back
his boss asked him if he would do more
overseas runs. As his driver for overseas
had left and it was his job that he was to
fill, Dave said “yes”. As he knew that it
did pay more money doing these runs.
Before Dave’s next run to France
Anne asked him when he would get his
first wage as their savings had went down
a lot. His reply was “a month after I
started” so it would not be too long. Anne
had to borrow money off her mum before
he came back from his third run. Dave
loved doing the overseas runs as he gets a
lot more money. Soon they got on their
feet again with Dave doing all the runs
that he could. Anne never saw much of
Dave but the money was rolling in. He did
get one day off a week but it might be a
different day every week. Dave had got
the hang of the overseas runs. All the
runs were always a double run a drop off
and pick up.
After six month Dave said to Anne
“would you and the kids (John and Julie)
like to go on holiday for a week or two?”
Anne said “ok”. They looked on the
internet for the best deal. The two of
them wanted different holidays so they
put them into a hat to choose one. They
had three month to save up money for
spending on holiday. The four of them had
a great time on holiday and got an even
suntan all over them. When they got back
the kids said “thanks dad for taken us on
holiday we enjoyed it so much”. Dave was
to go back to work after the weekend,
but his boss phoned him up the next day
and asked if he could do a rush order. His
boss said that he would make it worth it
for him as he would get time and a half
for it in his hand. Dave agreed to do it as
they were getting short of money with
paying for the holiday and all the spending
money. He was due his normal pay the
next week anyway so Dave said to Anne
“some of this money will do for putting
away for the next holiday or something
for the house that you might want Anne”.
When Dave came back from France his
boss asked him if he would like to go even
further than he was doing. His reply was
yes I would like to do that as I will see
more of the world.
A month after they came back
from holiday Anne thought about getting
a job so that they can save some money.
The extra money would go to a deposit
for a new house. It took three years for
them to get the deposit for the new
house. The new house was just in the next
street to Anne’s mum so it was good as
Anne could see more of her mum. Anne’s
mum was not keeping too well, so Anne
went to see her mum after work every
day. John and Julie liked going to see
their gran after school too, they would
stay there until their mum came back
from work. A month went by before
Anne’s mum got better as she was getting
old now and she was an insulin dependent
diabetic. The family all got on well
together and had a happy full life until
they were all old.
Jimmy Mason
Congratulations to Marie, Jenny,
Jayne, John, Ryan and Jimmy.
And thanks to everyone else who
took part in the What’s Your Story,
Pal? course. We’d love to see you
all in the next book.
Lastly, thanks to all learners at
ABE for sharing their stories with
us in their groups week in, week
out.
What’s
Your
Story,
Pal?