how Willie met his wife

Deamar a thachair sibh air do bhean?

Air a’ bhean? O, fhuair mi greim oirre sin ann am pairc (gaire) Uell, ‘s e naidheachd mhór tha sin. Tha, ‘s e naidheachd mhór tha sin. O, a’ chiad triop a chunna mi riamh i, thuirt mi rium fhìn, shin agad a’ bhean dol a bhith agamas. Thuirt mi rium fhìn!Chaidh mi staigh dha ‘n taigh, 's chur ‘ad fàilt' orm. Bha sinn a’ bruidhinn anull 's anall, agus cha do rinn mi date no sìon an nuair sin. Ach thachair mi oirre, dh’fhaoidht’, aig danns’ an àit’ air choireigin. Agus dh’fholbh sinn còmhla ‘s dh’fhuirich sinn còmhla ‘s stig sinn còmhla riamh ‘s thog sinn dà dheug do theaghlach. Fhuair sinn air n-adhart alright. Tha sinn toilichte gus an là an diugh. Tha. Fhuair mise boireannach math.

Fhuair.

Fhuair Boireannach math, ‘s e gu dearrra. Tha e duilich té mhath fhaighinn. Tha e duilich boireannach math fhaighinn, nighean mhath. Feumaidh tu ‘siubhal ‘s cladhach ‘s coimhead. (gaire)

Agus, dé cho fad bha a'dol sibh ri chéile mus an phòs sibh i?

Dé cho fad ‘s a bha sinn ‘fuireach mar chéile?
(No, no, no) Dé cho fada a bha sibh còmhla?

Dé cho fads a bha sinn a’ folbh le chéile? (‘S e) O, bliadhn' na dhà, bliadhn’ na dhà, ‘s e. Bliadhn' na dhà agus... Bha mise fuireach shios am Broad Cove. Broad Cove, amach air a’ bheinn. Thàinig mi far na beinneadh ‘s cheannaich mi 'n t- àite seo. Cha robh ann ach pìos beag do dh’fhearann, ach cheannaich mi tri fichead acaire nuair a chaochail a’ seann duine, an seann fhear a bha seo - Giollasach bh’ann, cheannaich mi ‘n t-àit’ aige, trì fichead acaire. Agus bhiodh beòthaichean agam ‘s dheanmaid curachd ‘s bhiodh garradh againn, ‘s bhiodh a leithid sin. ‘S bhithinn ag iasgach trosg 's ag iasgach runnach 's a leithid sin. Cha d’ rinn sìon riunn? Bha mi 'g obair fad na h-ùine. Bha mi 'g obair fad na h-ùine. Cha robh mi riamh... cha robh mi riamh gann do dh'obair. Cha robh. Bha mi (willing ?) air sìon sam bith bhi agam.

Agus cia meud clann a th'agaibh?

Cia meud do chlann? Dà dheug. (Dà dheug) Naoinear ghillean, 's trì nigheannan, dà dheug. ‘S e crowd mór tha sin. (‘S e, ‘s e gu dearbh) Feumaidh tu pot mhór do bhuntàta a bhith agad deiseil feasgar nuair a thig ‘ad ás a’ sgoil. Mara bith sin deas agad, cluinnidhe tu e.

How did you meet your wife?

Met the wife? Oh, I got a hold on her in a field (laughter.) Well, that’s a big story. Yes, that’s a big story. Oh, the first time I ever say her, I said to myself, that’s the wife I’m going to have. I said that to myself! I went into the house and they welcomed me. We were talking about this and that, and I didn’t make a date or anything just then. But I met her, maybe, at a dance someplace. And we went out together, and stayed together and stuck together: twelve of a family. We got along just fine. We’re happy to this very day. Yes, I got a good woman. I did! A good woman indeed! It’s hard to get a good one. It’s hard to get a good woman, a good lass. You have to search and dig and look. (laughter)

How long were you going out together before you married?

How long were we living togther? (No, no, no. How long were you together?) How long were we going out with each other? (Yes.) Oh, A year or two, a year or two and... I was living down in Broad Cove, Broad Cove, out on the mountain. I came out the mountain and bought this place here. It was only a small piece of land, but I bought sixty acres when the old man died, this old fellow. He was a Gillis. I bought his place, sixty acres. And we had animals and we planted and had a garden, and that kind of thing. And I would be fishing cod and mackerel and the like of that. ???? I worked all the time. I worked all the time. I was never... I was never scarce of work.

And how many children do you have?

Cia meud do chlann? Twelve. (Twelve) Nine boys and three girls, twelve. That’s a big crowd. (It sure is.) You’ll have to have a big pot of potatoes ready when they come home from school. If you won’t have that prepared, you’ll hear about it!

Transcribed and translated by Jim Watson.