In the spring of the seventh year, Callum was commissioned to design a building in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh man, the one who had written about the scar.
Not directly. Indirectly, through a chain of connections that revealed itself gradually as the commission developed, a cultural centre, a space for the specific kind of work that happened in the space between art and community.
Callum told us about the commission over the phone, and then I told Callum about the Edinburgh man, and there was a silence.
“The building is for people who read that letter,” Callum said.
“Not precisely,” I said. “But in the territory.”
Another silence.
“Isla,” he said.
“I know,” I said.
“This is the kind of story that,” he started and stopped.
“I know,” I said.
“You should write about it,” he said.
“I’
