Notes from a Spinning Planet—Ireland (12 page)

I blink. “Well, uh, thanks. Thanks a lot.”

“No problem.” He nods to a narrow wooden staircase that runs along one side of the bar. “You want me to tell Quin and Darby you’re here now?”

“We’re still waiting for my aunt,” I say.

“Just let me know, and I’ll give ’em a holler. By the way, I’m Darby’s brother, Tim.”

“Thanks,” I tell him. Then remembering my manners, I introduce both Ryan and myself to him.

“Welcome to Callaghan’s,” he tells us. “If you want something to eat, I’ll send my wife, Rhiannon, over with the menus.”

“Sounds good,” I say. “I’m actually starving.”

He grins. “You’ve come to the right place. My ma’s the cook, and we’ve not heard any complaints yet.” When he walks away, I wonder why I was such an eejit for being afraid.

“Nice guy,” says Ryan.

“Seems like it.” Okay, I don’t admit I was getting ready to run for my life just now. Or that this whole IRA thing has really got me spooked. I mean, can I help it if I’m a little on the wary side?

“Hey, there’s Sid,” says Ryan. He stands up and waves toward the door. “She must’ve gotten your message.”

“Sorry to be late,” she says as she comes to our table.

“How did it go?” I ask.

She looks pleased. “Okay, I think. Molly seems like a really sweet person. She has three school-aged children and is still very supportive of the peace camps. In fact, her children are all at the camp right now.”

“Cool.”

“So I think I’ll pop into the camp before we go home. Check it out and see how it’s changed.”

“Sounds good,” I say. Then Ryan gives me a look like,
Are you going to tell her now?
And I’m not really sure how to begin.

“This must be your aunt,” says Tim as he sets three menus on the table.

She smiles up at him and orders a pint.

“Do you want me to ring Quin and Darby now?” he asks me.

“No,” I say quickly. “Why don’t we order our dinner first?”

He nods. “Sure. I’ll send Rhiannon over in a bit.”

“Wow,” says my aunt after he leaves. “Looks like you guys know everyone in Malin by now. Fast work, kids.”

Ryan nods to me. “It’s Maddie who’s making all the friends.”

I kind of laugh. “Actually, I just met Tim. He’s Darby’s brother. And Darby is Quin’s wife.”

“And how did you meet Darby and Quin?”

I briefly tell her of the bike tour around Malin Head.

“That sounds wonderful, Maddie. What a lovely way to spend the day!” She turns to Ryan now. “And how did the fishing go?”

He glances at me. “Uh, fine, Sid.”

“So did you catch—”

“Look, Sid,” he says, “Maddie has something really
urgent
to tell you.”

Sid turns and looks at me now. “Really? This sounds important. Don’t tell me that some charming Irishman has swept you off your feet, proposed to you, and now you’ve decided to stay on in Ireland and—”

“No.” I sit up straight and look her in the eyes. “What I have to say is even more startling than that. You might want to brace yourself, Aunt Sid.”

Her smile fades. “Not bad news, I hope?”

“Depends.” And so I blunder through my story, but when I reach the part where I tell her that Ian McMahan is alive, her face gets pale. “Are you okay?” I ask.

Just then Tim sets her pint on the table. And I can tell by the way he’s looking at my aunt that he’s heard the whole story by now.
I’m guessing everyone in Darby’s and Quin’s families have heard the story by now. Maybe the entire town of Malin knows.

Sid takes a swig of stout and then stares at me with intense eyes. “Could you please repeat that last part again, Maddie?”

“Quin McMahan is Ian McMahan’s nephew,” I say slowly. “He told me it was Blair McMahan, Ian’s older brother, who was killed with Ryan’s dad that day. It was a temporary case of mistaken identity.”

She turns and looks at Ryan almost as if she expects him to dispute this information. But with his lips pressed tightly together, he slowly nods.

Now she looks back at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my aunt appear so confused and helpless. It’s like she’s trying to decide whether to run or scream or maybe even pass out.

I push her stout toward her. “Have another drink.”

She frowns at me but does as I say. And I’m relieved to see a woman, who must be Rhiannon, coming toward us. We haven’t even looked at our menus, but I suddenly remember a line my aunt uses at times like this.

“What would you recommend?” I ask her.

“Well, we’re famous for our fish and chips,” she begins.

“That’s what I’ll have,” I say quickly.

“Me too,” says Ryan.

“Make that three,” says my aunt, although I suspect her food may go untouched again tonight.

After Rhiannon leaves, I reach over and put my hand on my aunt’s. Hers is quite cool. “Are you okay?” I ask again.

Her eyes are slightly glassy as she stares across the table, just looking out into space. “I’m in shock,” she finally says.

I’m not sure how much I should tell her. But then I figure if she’s already in shock, maybe it’s best to get this over with as quickly as possible. Kind of like being at the dentist. Quicker is usually better. So I tell the rest of the story—how Ian was married, but it didn’t work out, and now he runs a nice restaurant in Derry, and both Darby and Quin think he’s a really great guy. “I even have his phone number.” I dig in my purse for the slip of paper Quin gave me and hand it to her.

Without speaking, she just stares blankly at the numerals.

“And you might as well know,” I finally say, “I asked them if Ian was still involved in the IRA.”

Her blue eyes flash with something now. I’m not sure if it’s anger or fear or what. “You didn’t,” she says in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, I did.” I make a face. “I know it was really, really dumb. What can I say, Sid, except that I’m a great big eejit?”

My admission almost makes her smile. “Well, I’m sure they didn’t reveal anything to you one way or the other.”

“No, of course not.”

It’s not long before our fish and chips arrive, and although I was starving earlier, I’m not feeling too hungry just now. But Ryan generously sprinkles malt vinegar over his and immediately digs in. “Hey, these are really good, you guys. You might want to eat them while they’re hot.”

I decide to take a bite. “No wonder they’re famous for this,” I say.

Just as we’re finishing up, Tim comes back again. “Do you want me to ring Quin and Darby yet?”

I glance at my aunt, and she just nods.

“Sure,” I tell Tim. “Thanks.”

He tips his head slightly, as if to show he understands that this isn’t easy for any of us. And after a few minutes, Quin and Darby show up. I make more introductions, including an explanation about Ryan’s connection to Ian, and Tim brings an extra chair for them to join us.

“Can I get you some dessert?” he asks. “Ma’s got a blueberry cobbler fresh from the oven.”

We all decide to have some, and Tim tells Rhiannon to get it for us, along with some coffee Sid requested.

“This is all so shocking,” my aunt says to Darby and Quin. “The news that Ian is alive. It’s almost unbelievable.”

“It’s true,” says Quin. “Ian is alive and well. And I hope you don’t mind, but I rang him up after we got home tonight.”

“It was my idea,” Darby says quickly. “I thought he deserved to know that you’re here.”

Sid blinks and sits up straighten “And how did he react?”

“He’d like to see you,” says Quin.

“Well, I…”

“But only if you want,” adds Darby. “He doesn’t want to force it.”

“That’s right,” says Quin. “I think he feels bad for, uh, for how it went with you two all those years ago.”

Sid gives him what is obviously a forced smile. “Oh, that was
long ago,” she says just a little too casually. “Water under the bridge, really.”

Quin tips his head toward Ryan. “He’d like to meet Ryan too.”

“Why’s that?” she asks, her eyes suspicious.

“As you know, Ian and Michael were close friends. Ian would like to see Michael’s only son.”

“Oh yes.” Sid gives a stiff nod. “Of course.”

“He’s willing to come here if that’s better for you.”

Sid seems to consider this, but I can tell she’s already made up her mind. “That won’t work. We’ll be leaving Malin tomorrow. I have some business to attend to.”

“Maybe you could stop and see him in Derry,” suggests Darby hopefully. “It’s on the way.”

“Perhaps.” Sid looks away, and I have a feeling she’s just trying to placate them, like she wants to end this conversation and the sooner the better.

“Ian would really appreciate that,” says Darby a little eagerly. I suspect by the look in her eyes that she’s still expecting a storybook ending to this romantic little tale. But I think it’s highly unlikely. I can tell by how Sid’s acting that she’s not looking forward to this meeting at all, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she figures out a way to avoid it altogether.

We eat our dessert and visit with Quin and Darby about lots of other things—like how Malin won a tidy-town award, and how it’s the sunniest spot in all of Ireland, and how Quin has developed a thriving bicycle business over recent years.

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you,” my aunt says as she reaches
for her purse. “But I’ve had a very long day and I’m afraid I’m starting to fade. Do you mind if I excuse myself?”

“Of course not,” says Quin as he stands. “I’m glad we got acquainted. And I hope you’ll take the time to see my uncle.”

“Please let us know how it goes,” says Darby. Her eyes are on me now, like she thinks I’m the only one who can keep her posted on future developments. But I’m not sure I want to.

“Thank you for meeting with us,” says my aunt in a formal voice. “May I get the check now, please?”

“Oh no,” says Darby quickly. “It’s on the house tonight.”

“But I—”

“We insist,” says Quin.

“Well, thank you,” says Sid. She looks slightly off guard now. “That’s very generous of you.”

“Just Irish hospitality.” Darby grins at us. “After all, you’re almost like family.”

I can see Sid bristle at that comment, but the congenial smile remains plastered on her face, and she thanks them once again.

It’s dark as we walk toward the hotel. No one is saying anything. And I feel responsible for this whole nightmare. I’m the one who brought this unexpected pain to my aunt. And I feel really guilty.

“I’m so sorry, Sid,” I blurt out. “I shouldn’t have—”

“No,” she says, turning to face me. “This isn’t your fault, Maddie. Please, don’t apologize. And once I recover from the shock, well, I think I should be happy, at least for Ian’s sake…I mean, that he’s alive. That’s something, isn’t it?”

But I know what she’s thinking. If he’s alive, why did he never contact her again? Was it because the romance really was over and done with? And yet she spent all those years thinking he was dead. Would it have gone differently for her if she’d known he was alive? Or am I just imagining things, blowing this all out of proportion?

“I think this is a God thing,” Ryan says when we stop in front of the door of the hotel.

“Really?” My aunt turns and stares at him. I’m not sure if it’s the shadows from the streetlight or if she is really angry now. But I’m thinking the latter.

He nods with enthusiasm. “Yeah. I think so. I really think God planned for Maddie to take that bike tour just so she could meet Quin and find out about Ian. And I think God wants you to see Ian again and—”

“What if I do
not
want to see him?” she demands.

“Why wouldn’t you?” he asks innocently, and I’m glad it’s Ryan, not me, doing the asking, because Sid is seething now.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Her voice gets louder, and I’m glad no one’s around to overhear us. “After thirty years of believing he was dead, thirty years of not hearing a word from him, you’re asking me why I do not want to see him again? Why should I
want
to see him, Ryan?”

He just shrugs, but I can tell by his expression, he’s taking this personally.

“Whatever happened then is over with now!” she actually yells. “And I’d appreciate it if I never heard his name again! Thank you very much!” And then she turns and storms into the hotel. I’ve never seen my aunt lose her temper like this. Seriously, I always
thought she was the cool aunt, the one who never got ruffled. I’m a little shocked.

Ryan and I remain outside, just standing on the sidewalk in front of the closed door. And suddenly I feel really, really bad for him. He looks kind of crushed, and I know she hurt his feelings. And it makes me pretty mad. I mean, he didn’t deserve that. Ryan’s been such a good sport about everything on this trip. He’s been patient with me, helpful and supportive to Sid. For her to treat him that way was totally uncalled for.

I reach over and put my hand on his arm. “She’s just really upset,” I say, as if that’s not obvious. “She didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay.” He shoves his hands into his jeans pockets and looks away. “I understand…”

And we just stand there for a couple of minutes.

“Want to talk about it?” I ask in a slightly timid voice.

He doesn’t answer.

“Can I buy you a pint?” I offer, feeling kind of silly but desperate. I hate seeing him like this.

He looks at me, then kind of smiles. “Never expected to hear that from you, Maddie.”

“People change,” I say as I take his arm and lead him to the pub attached to our hotel.

Ryan stops short of the entrance. “Hey, do you think they have cocoa? I feel like something warm and chocolaty.”

I giggle and shrug. “Guess we could ask.” We get seated in a quiet corner, order our Irish cocoas, and I wait for him to say something else. Anything.

“I want to meet him,” he finally says.

“Who?” I glance around the room expecting to see someone of interest.

“Ian.”

“Oh yeah.”
Earth to Maddie
, I tell myself.
Keep up
.

“He and my dad were really good friends, Maddie.”

I nod.

“Yeah.”

“And I never knew my dad…”

“And meeting Ian could be a connection for you.”

“I really do think its a God thing.”