Celtic Night

by Bridget O'Dwyer

  “Who wants tea?” Mary asked the entire room.

  “Do you want a slice of cake, Liam?” Biddy asked. Within minutes, Joe and Eimear came in from the sitting room, and Eugene and Pat came up from the shop. The kitchen was packed with people as we drank tea, ate cake, and my family drilled Liam. I stood back and watched him tell all about himself and his family and observed the way my Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins took to him. Biddy was soon deep into conversation with him.

  “So my class is going camping at the Devil’s Bit,” I said after the conversation stopped revolving around Liam.

  “Oh, really? That’s great!,” Eugene said.

  “What are you doing that for?” Eoghan asked.

  “We’re going to hike to the top, sleep outside, and tell stories around a fire,” I explained to everyone.

  “Watch out for the fairies up there,” Biddy began. “They will mix things up. They always do. Don’t go exploring alone either, Sarah. I’m warning you.”

  Mary helped Biddy out of her chair and brought her into the sitting room. “All right, let’s go,” Mary said. There was an awkward silence and soon everyone stood up from their seats and began to head back to their houses. Liam walked me most of the way home (so Jack wouldn’t see him) and went to the square to catch the six thirty bus home.

  I went in through the back door humming a merry tune and was stopped short by a disgruntled Jack.

  “I thought I told you to stay away from that boy,” he said angrily.

  “You can’t keep me from seeing him Jack!” I snapped back at him. I ran out of the room and up to my bed to sulk.

  “My house, my rules,” he shouted after me.

  The rest of the week went by slowly. I worked Wednesday through Sunday and then another week began, only differently from prior weeks. The classroom buzzed as we all became more and more excited about the camping trip on Saturday.

  Chapter 14

  “Let’s sing a song!” Kiara yelled to the rest of us in the bus.

  “How about I’ll tell Me Ma”?” suggested Kate.

  “I think I know this one!” I told them. “My father used to sing it to me.”

  “I’ll tell me ma, when I go home, the boys won’t leave the girls alone,” everyone sang, standing up from their seats:

  They pull my hair, they stole my comb, and that’s all right till I go home.

  She is handsome, she is pretty, she is the belle of Belfast city, she is courtin’ one, two, three, please won’t you tell me who is she?

  Albert Mooney says he loves her, all the boys are fighting for her. They knock at the door and they ring at the bell,

  Sayin’ ‘Oh my true-love, are you well?’

  I let the girls continue singing as I paused a moment to realize how much the song related to my life. I listened as they sustained the song.

  Out she comes as white as snow, rings on her fingers, bells on her toes, Old Johnny Murray says she’ll die, if she doesn’t get the fellow with the roving eye.

  I laughed at myself, because I in fact had a roving eye. It was strange how I had known this song my whole life and now it somewhat paralleled my situation.

  Let the wind and rain and the hail blow high, and the snow come tumblin’ from the sky. She’s as sweet as apple pie, and she’ll get her own lad by and by.

  When she gets a lad of her own, she won’t tell her ma when she gets home. Let them all come, as they will, for it’s Albert Mooney she loves still,” we sang breathlessly finishing the song.

  The end of the song reminded my of Jack and how although I’m going to be with Liam no matter what, I had to hid it from him.

  “Teach us an American song to sing this time!” Colleen cried from the front of the bus. I thought for a couple minutes and came up with a song that I knew they wouldn’t recognize.

  “Okay, here’s one,” I began to explain. “Whenever I say ‘When she comes’ you repeat it after me following the beat.”

  “Okay,” they responded, seeming very eager to hear the song.

  “She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes,” I sang.

  “When she comes,” they echoed back to me.

  “She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes.”

  “When she comes.”

  “She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ round the mountain, when she comes.”

  “When she comes.”

  I taught them all the verses and they were pleased to learn such an American sounding song.

  “Woo!” I shouted, applauding them hastily.

  “All right ladies. We’re here!” Miss Dwyer said. Everyone on the bus jumped up from her seat eagerly.

  As we filed off the bus Miss Dwyer told us that our bags would be taken up to the campsite, and we would be walking to the top. We looked upward in horror, using our hands to shield our eyes from the brightness of the sun. All the way at the top I saw a white cross, which from the bottom was the size of my pinky finger.

  The first part of the hike seemed easy enough as we began to maneuver the Bit by walking through a field. After some time we stopped at a flat area. I scanned the rest of the way to the top. My mouth dropped. The beginning had been rather deceiving. The rest of the way we would be tackling steep hills and rocky cliffs. As everyone continued to walk I whispered something in Kate’s ear.

  “I have to take a piss. What do I do?”

  “I have to go as well!” she said. I scanned the area. The forest started a few yards from where we were standing. While Miss Dwyer was at the head of the group explaining about some type of plant, Kate and I snuck off. We each chose an appropriate size tree to hide behind, about one hundred yards away from the group, quickly did our business, and slipped back into the bunch of girls as we continued upward.

  Finally, once we reached the top, I took in a deep breath of fresh air and looked out at the view. It was nothing spectacular, but it gave you a sense of accomplishment. The pain of the hike was finally over. There were houses and farms in the distance, and it seemed as though the sky went on for miles. I stood in front of the cross taking in everything that I could. The cross appeared to be much larger than I had expected from my miniscule view from the bottom. It was covered in signatures and notes left behind by people who had also reached the top in the past. The wind blew strong as the entire class stood in a line at the edge of the cliff, our hair blowing in every direction, and we were silent for some time. Up there, there was time to think. There was peace. Miss Dwyer directed us to begin our descent down the hill a little ways toward the camp site. We arrived at a clearing in the forest where our bags had been piled into a big heap. There was a large grassy area where I assumed we would be sleeping, a small wooden hut, two picnic tables, and a large tree with a tire swing hanging from its branch. I immediately ran to it and hopped on. Deirdre followed and began to push me, as Miss Dwyer made sure we were all there. As I swung I noticed a little dirt pathway leading a bit deeper into the woods. While Miss Dwyer was counting, and re-counting us, Deirdre and I moved away and followed the path. It led to a small pond; one definitely big enough for twenty five girls to jump in. Deirdre and I looked at each other with exactly the same thought in our minds and ran back toward the group. Soon after we had persuaded Miss Dwyer, we were all suited up in swimwear and ready to cool off from our hike. Even Miss Dwyer dipped her feet in. After an hour of splashing, laughing, playing and cool-off time we dried and prepared to eat dinner. We had salad and sandwiches for dinner because there was no place to cook any food. After dinner, we thoroughly cleaned up hoping to avoid any hungry animals during the night. By this time it was nearly eight o’clock. We played two rounds of hide-and-go-seek and were finally tired and ready to settle down. We walked down another dirt path, one I hadn’t noticed earlier. There was a dust pit and benches to sit on. Miss Dwyer ordered us to pair up and search for firewood.

  “Make sure the wood is dry, and get pieces of all sizes!” Mi
ss Dwyer called after the pairs of girls walking off in different directions.

  “Ooo! Jackpot!” I said, catching Deidre’s attention. I had found a perfect pile of wood for the fire.

  “It looks like a little hut or something,” I said, noticing the strange way the wood was already arranged. I picked up a piece to confirm that it was dry. Instantly I discovered a glowing light that was flying about frantically. It began to pester me, flying circles around my head. I looked closer at the insect like figure which was quite peculiar.

  “Deidre, do you know what this is?” I said sounding shocked.

  “I think it’s a lightning bug,” she said.

  “I don’t think so, Deirdre,” I replied, keeping my eyes on the weird light.

  Miss Dwyer called us back to the fire pit and Deirdre ran off, leaving me standing there still marveling over the creature.

  “You are definitely not a lightning bug,” I said while I examined its sparkling wings and the magical glow that formed a halo around it. I put the piece of wood back down and ran toward the rest of the girls.

  The fire was crackling as we all sat comfortably around it, warming our hands and feet in the chill of the night. When we were all settled we began to share stories. Miss Dwyer scared us with the stories of the Banshee and intrigued us with the mysterious adventures of the Dullahan. The fire, still burning bright, left a daunting glare on her face as she spoke to us in a deep and chilling voice. Afterward we decided to lighten the mood by singing a few songs, including Rocky Road To Dublin, Danny Boy, and a song sang in Gaelic. I daringly sang for entire group The Star Spangled Banner, and This Land is your Land. They were all impressed by my singing ability but by the end I was red with embarrassment. By now it was dark and surely they couldn’t see my face. By nine thirty, after another two stories, I noticed all the girls were either yawning or half asleep.

  When we all climbed into our sleeping bags it was inevitable that we would group off. I lay down next to Maread and was surrounded by Kate, Kiara, Amy, Sinead, and Deirdre. We rested our chins in the palms of our hands and talked for a while.

  “How are things with Liam, Sarah?” Amy asked.

  “Things are fine. I guess. I think I’m really falling for him but I know deep down I shouldn’t. I have to leave here in a month. It’s so weird. Five months ago I left my family, my friends, my entire culture and now I’m going back. I don’t even feel that I’ve had enough time with my Irish relations. I guess I never realized how much change I would go through here, and soon I’m going to have to go back to my old life. Not to mention leaving all of you. You befriended me when I came and I’ll never forget that. You’ve listened to me during the good and the ba-.”

  Suddenly I noticed a strange silence. I looked around, only to realize that everyone else was sound asleep. I had been talking to myself for who knows how long. I laughed at my ability to ramble on.

  It felt like it had been an hour but in fact it had been only three minutes. I couldn’t fall asleep. I lay there with my eyes wide open staring at the sky. I tried counting sheep but, lost count. I tried counting stars but there were too many, and I tried singing myself to sleep but I only ended up waking a few grumpy and sleepy campers. The stars were amazing. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They glistened like diamonds in the sky. I tossed and turned in my sleeping bag. I didn’t know whether it was the hard ground and unfamiliar place or whether I was simply restless and keyed up. I slowly unzipped my sleeping bag, put my jeans and sweatshirt back on, grabbed my flashlight, and headed toward the forest. When I was finally a fair distance from my classmates I turned the flashlight back on and began to sing to myself again, as I walked along.

  “You got time and streets making saints and sinners, because she’s making losers from winners. It’s not what your dreams will be…”

  It appeared to be much darker now because the trees’ long thick branches kept the light of the moon from shining through their leaves. The trees swaying in the wind, animals scurrying about, and the consistent “woo” of an owl sent chills through my body. I was beginning to think walking off on my own was a bad idea. I turned around to head back toward the group and saw a light glowing up in a tree. I inched closer in hopes of getting a better look but it flew around, from tree to tree, making it difficult for my eyes to follow it. I tried to keep focused on the light as it soared through the air, spinning around my head. It blurred my vision and suddenly it disappeared again, only this time for good. I turned to go back and realized that following the light had brought me some place I didn’t recognize. I circled around looking for something familiar but knew nothing. My lip began to quiver as my knees became weak and I fell to the ground. I heard the voice of one of the girls from the campsite. I recognized the voice to be Kate’s and figured she would see that I had gone, and would come looking for me.

  I saw a faint beam of light, and assumed that Kate had turned her flashlight on and would follow my footsteps into the woods.

  Suddenly the sparkle of light from before appeared and began to swerve around my head, going faster each second. I began feeling dizzy as my head hit the hard ground and I instantly feel asleep. I desperately tried to stay awake so I could shout for Kate to come find me, but this small and unusual speck of light gave me no choice.

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  I had no recollection of time of place when I awoke from my unconscious state. As I gained balance and stood up from the cold, dry pile of leaves that I had been sleeping on top of, I tried to find my way back toward the campsite; the only safe, comfortable place nearby.

  Now, amidst a sparkling night sky I wandered, trying to find my way, as Kate, who I suspected was somewhere within the forest, tried to make her way through the trees by the glistening moonlight.

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  Come fairies

  Take me out of this dull world,

  For I would ride with you

  Upon the wind and dance

  Upon the mountains like a flame.

  -W.B. Yeats

  Chapter 15

  I must have traveled in the complete opposite way of the campsite and all my sleeping classmates because I came to a clearing where I suddenly became very shocked and confused.

  Before my very eyes stood Declan, Liam and Kate. The flicker of light was spinning around them hastily. However surreal, it had entranced them with its vibrant colors and graceful movements and I stood in awe watching it engross them. It flipped, dove, and flew in every which direction forcing them to spin around. Sparks of light flew from the miraculous creature’s body as it landed upon their heads. After twenty or so minutes of hectic swirling, the beautiful winged creature became quieter, and Declan, Liam and Kate slowly fell to the ground.

  They lay there serenely as the creature looked over them with a look of accomplishment. I ran to them as the light swiftly flew out of sight, and shook them intensely, desperately trying to wake them. However, they just lay there, peacefully sleeping.

  I was bewildered and stunned to see them there. I had no idea where Liam and Declan had come from, when they had arrived, or how they had gotten here. I sat down under a tree across from where the three of them lay and waited for the time when they snapped out of their haze, as all of them would have an extreme amount of explaining to do. As I sat there watching them, my eyes grew heavy and my body weak. I was tired from walking and leaned against the tree and fell asleep.

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  Still, with no recollection of time or place, I woke to a noisy fit of discussion. I opened my eyes to see that Kate, Declan, and Liam had woken up.

  Kate looked extremely perplexed, and Declan and Liam still appeared to be in a trance. They barely noticed me there in their hysterical conversation and I listened closely to get a clue.

  “Am I dreaming?” Kate said loudly. She appeared to be very distressed.

  “Am I?” Declan and Liam said at the same time looking dreamily into Kate’s eyes.

  “I have never seen anything as b
eautiful as you,” Liam said, reaching out to hold her hand. He slowly lifted it to his lips but Kate quickly snatched it back. She turned to Declan.

  “I could gaze into your gorgeous eyes forever,” he said completely mesmerized by her features. Kate stood up and faced the two boys, both of them staring at her like they were lost puppies.

  “Liam! Kate! Declan!” I said in utter excitement. The three of them immediately stopped talking and faced me. “What is going on?” I asked, after seeing this ridiculous dialogue going on before me.

  “I love Kate,” Declan said, bluntly.

  “I love Kate,” Liam said, staring at Declan with cruel eyes.

  I looked at Kate, but she was just as confused as I was. I searched Liam’s eyes for laughter, hoping that this was just a joke, but I only found seriousness.

  He turned to me. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” he said, staring at the ground and looking ashamed. He then looked up and took Kate’s hands in his. “I love you, Kate.”

  Declan rapidly butted in. “I saw her first.” He snatched Kate’s hands and softly caressed them. “I love you Kate.”

  “What is going on? This isn’t funny!” Kate cried in astonishment.

  “I agree!” I shouted.

  I stood there in shock, watching the boy I loved tell me he loved my friend. Tears rolled down my face and hit the ground callously.

  “This isn’t a joke, my dearest,” Liam said, looking at Kate with wistful eyes. He was practically drooling over her. I didn’t understand. What had happened here? Had I done something wrong? Kate turned to walk away but stopped short. She turned back toward the three of us who were still standing there to say one last thing.

  “This is a cruel and horrible joke to play on me!” she cried. Declan and Liam hurried after her as she ran off into the distance. I stood there alone watching Liam run out of my life. I was mystified. My lingering confusion told me that something just wasn’t right. I knew something had happened and I was determined to find out. I ran off in the direction of Kate, Declan, and Liam in the hope of catching up with them.