It’s 1960. My maternal grandfather, my Aunt Madge, my brother, and I had been summoned to “the Kremlin.”
Madge consistently referred to her brother’s Glasgow home as “the Kremlin.” This reflected her disconnect with her brother, Malcolm. He was clearly keeping his distance from the rest of the family, possibly for good reasons.
The backstory
Malcolm had hit the big time. He was the only person in the family who owned a house or a car. He had an important position with Glasgow City Council as Deputy Director of Education.
This uneven power balance, insecurities, and Malcolm’s wife, Donnie, probably all contributed to the disconnect between Malcolm and his siblings.
Malcolm and Donnie never had children, which was probably a good thing. To be fair, Malcolm’s first wife died in childbirth, along with who would have been my only cousin.
Malcolm met his future wife, Donnie McNeil, in a fancy Glasgow restaurant where she worked as a greeter.
Can I show you to your table?
There was a stiff formality about Donnie. When it was time to serve dinner, we were led to the table as though she was still working her previous job.
The story of Donnie’s brother and the homosexual Soviet spy
My mother and Madge believed Malcolm had been hijacked and absorbed by Donnie’s family who apparently had more status than our family.
Donnie’s brother, Hector McNeil, had been Member of Parliament for Greenock, Scotland. He served as Britain’s Minister of State at the Foreign Office and vice-president of the United Nations General Assembly. He befriended Thomas J. Watson, chairman and CEO of IBM, and persuaded him to open a huge IBM factory in impoverished Greenock. Hector died of a heart-attack in 1955.
But there was the drama that my mother globbed onto: the notorious Soviet agent, Guy Burgess, worked for Hector.
Hector trusted Guy so much that he asked him “to report on anyone who might be suspicious on the staff.” Guy also happened to be gay, and my mother was convinced there were things going on between Hector and Guy. She read every book about Guy Burgess and his co-conspirators, and was more than open to speculation. I’m not sure which was worse for my mother: being a traitor or being a homosexual.
A walk in the park
I was probably relieved when Malcolm asked my brother and me to help him walk their dog, Coquette.
