Love You Forever Pt. 01

The knock came at near half-eleven o'clock and the children began to sing the song of the beggar and the faerie. I opened the door to let the Connolys in. It was Eoin himself, Humphry, Aideen, and little Owen. Baby Úna stayed home with her mother to greet any other travelers tonight.

"Children, welcome! Eoin, you look like a new man yerself! And after all the drink last night!"

"''Tis good to be young," he smiled.

"You said it my boy. 'Tis a good thing to be young."

"And were you losing any sleep last night?"

"No. No, I did not lose a wink, in fact I had a visitor over the whole night long."

"You dirty old man! Who was it?" codded Eoin. "Was it Nance across the river, Denny? Ye had better confess because there are interested parties in yer house tonight!"

"Ah no, an old friend ye might know yerself." And the children shyly withheld their giggles and squirmed under their soot covered skins.

"By the name of who?" said Eoin?

"By the name of Shep the dog," and Aideen and Owen and Humphry burst into laughter.

Eoin turned excitedly to his family. "Did you rascals tie the dog and turn him on Denny? Ye did, didn't ye!" And Eoin joined them. "They really are a bunch of rascals."

"You didn't have any say in that I suppose, Eoin?"

"Oh, no of course not." Then he grinned. "Truth be told Denny, that's an old trick my sister who lives away from here told me they do to old bachelors like yerself. A terrible trick, in fairness."

"Ah but in good fun." I did not dare tell them of my hallucinations the night before. Tonight was about having the craic, as we say.

"Denny, you didn't light the bonfire yet." said Aideen.

"Can we jump for apples now?" said Owen.

"Yes of course children, but first I've another game I'd like to play," and I took out the saucers and the items. I placed on one saucer a bit of water, on another a piece of bread, on another a prayer book, another my mother's wedding band.

We blindfolded the children. First, young Owen reached for a saucer and got his fingers wet with the water. Then Humphry, a man I would not be surprised to find in the priesthood, took the prayer book. We blindfolded Eoin, who, like father, like son, took the water. Then we changed the blindfold and shuffled the saucers for what was to be the last time. I tied the knot tight around Aideen's head, pulling a fold down over her rosy cheeks to block out all sight. She was not to choose her fate; it was to choose her. Her father walked her over to the table. She put out her darling hands. One hovered over the prayer book, one over the bread. She reached down with her left hand, and as if the shine of the ring warmed her, it drew her hand to it.

"That's it Aideen!" belted out Eoin. "That's the one." And all the children beamed and laughed.

I was so curiously smitten with the child Aideen that I was ready to go set the bonfire ablaze and spend the whole night dancing around it.

"Now, so. It's your turn isn't it, Denny?" chided Eoin.

"Oh, no. I'm just your humble host tonight."

"No no now," said Eoin, as he tied the blindfold behind my head and pushed me toward the table. "A man can't avoid his fate, but he can know it."

It was all happening so fast I put my hands out to the left where I thought I, too, would find the wedding ring, but I did not know if I was here or there or in the middle of the room or by the table, and like an old buffoon, I stumbled on to lean on the table and grabbed, instead of one of the three items in saucers, my clay pipe. I was stunned and stupefied. I backed away to try to take another prize, but Eoin had already removed my blindfold, put my pipe in my mouth with some tobacco in, and lit it with a coal from the fire.

"A fine prize for an old bachelor, wouldn't you think?" bellowed Eoin between roars of laughter, putting the tongs back by the fire. I gathered my wits and puffed on my pipe, pondering the events of the night.

"A fine prize indeed," said I, "Well, let's us all go to the bonfire and jump for apples."

We went outside and Eoin deftly lit the wet bonfire to full blaze like a seasoned farmer could. The children jumped for the apples hanging from the tree and danced at the bonfire. I stood and puffed my pipe, letting the heat of the fire dry my withering skin, letting the light of the blaze blur my vision, mulling over the new omens that had found us. Aideen chose the ring; our paths were destined to cross, but it seemed destiny would come too late for this old bachelor. This pipe would be my warm companion for the rest of my life. And the omen of the clay it is made from, well, the horror chilled my longing heart. My friend Eoin's horseplay may have cost me dearly, and he had not an idea in the world. Tricks and treats, All Hallow's Eve, 1908.