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Kathleen Rose

Do you know at Yoga the other day when Carol asked us to imagine a pleasant place for our meditation and she suggested a beach scene well I couldn鈥檛 do it. I couldn鈥檛 do it. I just felt really anxious and I shook like mad.鈥�
鈥淎nd what about the girl? Didn鈥檛 you ever meet her since? 鈥淛ohn managed to suppress a burp. He鈥檇 really have to curb his appetite.
鈥淚 managed to get what I thought was a number for her last week. I rang it the other night when you were over in Seamus and Veronica鈥檚. It wasn鈥檛 her. The number belonged to her twin sister Maria. My girl was called Kathleen. She passed away several years ago. Oh. John, I could have died. I felt I had let her down so badly. I鈥檇 never thanked her. And, John, do you know what is even stranger? She was only 12 years old at the time that she risked her life to save us. Mammy had alwayssaid that she was only a slip of a girl.鈥�
鈥淎nd what brought all this on? You have been acting a bit strange lately. To tell the truth I have been a bit worried, 鈥淛ohn asked.
鈥淒o you remember I went in to Ardara last week?鈥漇hannon queried.
John nodded, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檝e been to see the doctor鈥�. John鈥檚 face turned ashen.鈥� You aren鈥檛 sick are you?鈥�. 鈥淣o, love, no. 听Oh my God, no. Well in a way I am sick if you call nausea an affliction. I haven鈥檛 had the heart to tell you before now. You have been so happy and relaxed lately. I鈥檓 pregnant! I hope it doesn鈥檛 come as too much of a shock to you but I just feel so right about this baby. And John if it is a girl I want to call her Kathleen Rose. Are you alright? I know your mother will be less than impressed. She isn鈥檛 too fond of me at the best of times鈥�.
鈥淢y mother? 听Actually, no,鈥� says John鈥︹��..鈥� Actually I鈥檓鈥︹�︹�︹��.I鈥檓 over the moon! To tell you the truth I was afraid you were having second thoughts about us. So in fact I鈥榤 very, very relieved. And as for the timing - sure we鈥檙e getting married in the Fall.

Besides did you know that in pre Christian times in Ireland, under Brehon Law there was no such a concept as illegitimacy and the needs of the child were considered more important than that of the man and woman.鈥�
Shannon stared at him incredulously, 鈥淕reat that will be a great comfort to your Ma when she hears the happy news.鈥�
鈥淵ikes!鈥� John yelled, just that wee bit too loudly. Shannon blushed and squirmed awkwardly. Why hadn鈥檛 she thought of asking for a more secluded table? She should have told him back at home or over the phone.
鈥淥h waoh I am in shock鈥�, continued the prospective parent.鈥滲ut if it is a boy?鈥�
鈥淚t is a girl. I can feel it in my bones. 听Mammy said that one of the men was called Mickey. So, Michael would be his name if I am wrong. Maybe we could try and find out who the other man was. We have just over 7 months to do it. I鈥檓 quite shocked myself by all this to tell you the truth. It will mean a lot of changes, you know? The baby will need her own room eventually鈥�
鈥淏aby. She鈥檒l need brothers and sisters too, you know. Kathleen Rose, a fine name.鈥� Yes I鈥檝e thought about it a lot. I鈥檓 certain, that鈥檚 the name. Rose died trying to save a friend and I really believe that she was there to see that the sea didn鈥檛 claim me and Maeve. 听听Kathleen went without me thanking her. 听I think our wee one will be very proud of her namesakes. I just want to say thank you to them both and to let them know that, in the scheme of things, they mattered. I feel at ease because of their presence. Do you think I am nuts, John? It isn鈥檛 just the hormones talking. I鈥檝e never felt surer of anything in my life.鈥�
听鈥淣ot at all, my little soon- to- be- rotund, cherub. Why, only the other day at work we were talking about how many of the world鈥檚 diverse cultures believe in the positive influence of those who have gone before us. Some even say that our ancestors are embodied in nature and in Filipino mythology they are called 鈥榓nitos鈥�. They are present in nature and in the earth all around us.

The very wind that swirls in and around our houses is said to be the spirit of our loved ones staying around to see if we are alright. So, if that is true then what you are feeling makes perfect sense and even if it is the wanderings of two romantic fools it鈥檒l be such a wonderful story to tell to our grandchildren.鈥� 鈥淵es, and heroes and heroines deserve to be remembered鈥�. 鈥淛ust one thing, Shannon 鈥�, 鈥淵es鈥�, she queried, feeling wonderfully warm and content. Nothing could rock her world now. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l have to go back to Geraldine and ask her to alter the dress. 鈥淛ohn suggested cheekily.
Shannon lifted a sugar sachet and threw it at him laughingly.

Much, much later as they lay blissfully entwined in front of a blazing turf fire back at the cottage Shannon managed to get the last word in, 鈥淗ow were them Brehons or whatever on eloping?鈥�

By Shell Stephany

Michelle's story page

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