Fireflies Page 26

  Owen took Connell’s arm and began to climb the steps. He felt weak and frail all of the sudden and nearly stumbled but Connell took hold of him firmly and nearly carried him into the house. Ennis was sitting on the sofa in Sarah’s lap, swaddled tightly in a blanket. All eyes in the room fell on Owen as he stood dripping in the foyer, with Connell still holding him up on his feet.

  “Connell, take yer da upstairs and help get him out of those wet clothes,” Sarah said calmly.

  Owen didn’t speak. His eyes were sad and empty and all he could do was follow her words and go with Connell to dry off. Once he was changed into new clothes, he told Connell he wanted to lie down for a bit and once he felt fit enough to rise again, he’d come downstairs. Connell hesitated leaving him but he’d never seen his father in such a state and figured it best to just leave him be and go change to dry clothes as well.

  “He’s resting,” Connell said when he arrived back in the parlor.

  “Thank you, Connell. Once I get Ennis squared away I’ll check in on him,” Sarah said.

  “Oh Ma, I can take care of Ennis if you like. That way you can tend to Da. Then, I’ll get started on dinner,” Liffey said, as she reached out to take Ennis from her mother’s arms.

  Sarah stroked Liffey’s face and thanked her, as she unwrapped Ennis from the blanket and slid him from her lap.

  “I’m fine, Ma. Still a bit damp but fine. Come on Lif. You can still help me get changed. I’m starving too!” Ennis said as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Sarah followed them up the stairs and stepped quietly into the room with Owen. She sat down on the bed next to him and gently stroked his auburn hair and admired the streaks of white which were now spread throughout his temples.

  “Rachel spoke to me. She spoke to me out there on the road about Ennis. I knew it was she who came to me bedside in the night and I’m not crazy if that’s what yer thinkin’ Sarah,” Owen said, startling her.

  “Well of course not.”

  “He said tomorrow at church, those spirits will all be sent back but he said he would have to help them pass through and he’ll have ta’ be born again. Sarah, do ya’ know what that means?” Owen asked as he looked up at her concerned expression.

  “Owen, what it means is we’ll have our son back. We’ll have him as God intended him ta’ be.”

  “What if it doesn’t work? What if somethin’ goes wrong?” Owen cried.

  “Owen, nothing will go wrong. I refuse to believe that. If that was in fact Rachel speakin’ to ya’ out there on the road, do you think she’d want to hurt yer son?” Sarah said, holding his hands in hers.

  “He told me it was Rachel that saved his life when he was born. He said he was dead and she pulled him back through inta’ this world but all of the others followed her. I don’t know who they are Sarah but she said they followed her because of me. I don’t know fer the life a me who they are or why they want me,” Owen said as he sat up on his elbow.

  “All will reveal itself soon dear. There’s no point in worryin’ yerself to death over it. Now get some rest and by tomorrow, this will all be nothing but a memory,” she said as she stood and leaned over to kiss him.

  “Sarah, I love ya’ more than you’ll ever know,” he said and then lay back down onto his pillow.

  “I know Owen. I know. I love you too,” she replied as she closed the bedroom door.

  Chapter Thirty

  Owen awoke to the sound of a full house. All of the children had returned safely after the storm and even Fagan had managed to find some shelter in an abandoned house, not far from the property line near where he and Mary’s house would be built. Teagan was in good spirits, as the storm kept them longer in town, under shelter of the shops which she thoroughly enjoyed browsing with Eli.

  “How long have I slept?” he asked as he entered the parlor to find Teagan and Liffey chatting away about Teagan’s afternoon.

  “Why Da, you’ve slept nearly three hours,” Liffey replied. “It’s fine Da. I’m so happy to see you feeling better.”

  “Were you ill Da?” Teagan asked, knowing full well she’d already been informed of the events of the afternoon.

  “Caught in the rain is all,” he answered. “Where’s yer Ma?”

  “She’s in the kitchen. Dinner is almost ready. We’ve just been waiting for you to rise,” Liffey answered.

  Owen walked to kitchen and found Sarah putting the finishing touches on the table for supper. Ennis sat in his chair and Owen could tell he and Sarah had been speaking of what happened earlier in the afternoon, as they both fell silent upon his entry. Owen took a deep breath and gave a heavy sigh, as he mustered up the courage to approach Ennis and apologize for his actions. He walked to the table and took his chair next to Ennis and turned to him.

  “Ennis, I want to apologize for my actions today. I lost me head and I hope you can find it in yer’ heart to forgive me son.”

  “I understand, Da. Ma and I have talked about everything. You don’t have to say you’re sorry,” Ennis smiled.

  “Yer Ma, well, she’s about as good a Ma as anyone could ever ask for Ennis,” Owen replied, tossing Ennis’ curls as they reached up to greet his hand. “Now that’s something! That’s something indeed!” Owen laughed.

  The remainder of the evening was lighthearted and cheerful as Liffey played the piano and they all joined in song. They even pushed the coffee table out of the way and Owen showed them a few of the reel dances Rachel had taught him as a boy. There hadn’t been such a joyful evening in the house in quite some time and Owen wondered why they didn’t engage in such lively activities more often, until he realized perhaps it was his own fault. He thought he may have grown old and had been too busy to notice but since he could still kick up his heels and not need to take a seat any sooner than the children, he was pleased to know he hadn’t aged nearly as much as he thought.

  Eli, Mary, and Beatrice had joined them for the evening and they were quite taken with the gleeful noise and loud stomping on the parlor floor. In their hearts, they hoped this would be a part of their lives forever if they could make it so. As the sun made its descent, Fagan and Connell found their way off with their weary young ladies to see them home and Eli and Teagan wandered about the East Meadow hand in hand, discussing everything from time pieces he had admired to wedding gowns. Teagan had always imagined wearing her mother’s dress but she had seen some of the latest fashions in a shop on Main Street and found one of them was her ideal choice.

  Teagan was finally allowing the idea of her marriage to flourish within her mind and after seeing the gown and spending such a lovely day with Eli, she realized he was inevitably going to fulfill her dreams of a happy life. She already knew she and Eli loved each other enough to make room for her career in medicine as well as children someday. Realizing how far the world had evolved that a woman could become a physician and still have a husband and a family, was more than enough joy to cause her to throw her arms around Eli’s neck and kiss the breath out of him as always.

  “Will I see you at church in the morning Miss Whelan?” Eli asked as he leaned over Teagan’s face, holding her tightly in his arms.

  “Why yes you will, sir. I’ll be the one with the blue ribbon in my hair,” she sweetly replied.

  “Then I will bid you a goodnight and see you then,” he said and placed a much softer kiss on her lips, although it lasted twice as long.

  Eli had walked the East Meadow to Teagan’s that evening and now he was taking the long walk home, with all of the dreams of a young man in love. Teagan turned and began the much shorter trek, dreaming as well of the future and imagining their lives together once she finished her schooling. She grew sad at the thought of leaving him for what may be three years to attend college in Philadelphia but as much as she adored him, her plans were set long before they had made their declarations of love to each other.

  Sarah and Liffey were getting the youngest ready for bed and gathering up all of the damp clothes to be washed on
Monday as Owen sat in his old chair out on the front porch watching the sunset as always, lost in thought. He tried to imagine what the morning at church would bring and how Rachel would be able to keep Ennis safe and return him to them as whole as he was before. He knew Ennis was always a delicate child and although in the past week he had blossomed and changed, he was still that sweet, gentle soul he had handed to Sarah on the freezing New Year’s Day six years before. Owen had come to terms with his outburst and his anger which he had aimed at God and was now praying for forgiveness. After enjoying such a high-spirited and blissful evening, he was again shown where there is love, there is always faith and hope, no matter how dark the sky or how hard the rain.

  Owen decided to turn in early. His eyes were heavy but his spirit was once again renewed. He thought of sweeter days and warm passionate nights with Sarah. So many years of cold now passed and again he felt in the spring of his life and his love for her. As he made his ascent of the stairs, he could hear her speaking to the boys. His heart grew to capacity and a heavy sigh escaped him, which left him feeling completely content. Just the sound of her voice could do that for him and it always had.

  “Sarah, I’m turnin’ in. Goodnight boys,” was all he said as he passed Ennis and Patrick’s door, glancing in for a moment with a smile and then moving on.

  “All right, dear. I’ll be along in a bit. I have some things left to do downstairs.”

  It seemed everyone was making their way to bed early this night. Fagan and Connell had returned and were already climbing the stairs. Teagan was in as well and sliding into her bed clothes as Liffey awaited her, seated in the vanity chair with the comb. Brogan was writing at Connell’s desk by the lamplight, which Fagan firmly requested he extinguish as it was keeping him awake.

  Sarah went room to room looking in on the children and made her way downstairs. Patrick and Ennis were still awake lying in bed. The room was lit only by the faint starlight coming through the window but within minutes, that was just enough for them to see each other.

  “Ennis, what had Da so riled today?”

  “He’s frightened is all, Patrick.”

  “I’ve never seen Da frightened of anything. I thought he was angry at the rain,” Patrick said with a giggle.

  “Nope. I think when grown men can’t fix something, they get angry.”

  “What can’t he fix?”

  “Me,” Ennis said as he turned to his side, facing out the widow.

  “You’re not broken, Ennis. Even if you were, you can fix yourself,” Patrick joked.

  “Not this time, Patrick,” Ennis said, falling off to sleep.

  Teagan was combing out Liffey’s long red curls and humming a tune she’d heard a group of men playing on the street that day.

  “What’s that tune your humming Teagan?”

  “Not that your playing wasn’t wonderful tonight, Lif, but I heard this lively music while I was out with Eli today. It’s burlesque music but shhhh! Ma would never let me out of the house again if she knew I’d heard such things,” Teagan laughed.

  The girls giggled together as Teagan sang “Lardy - Dah” over and over from what she could remember but soon, even they were sleeping like the dead. The house stood completely still until morning and it seemed as if the sun had set and risen again within only minutes. Doo raised quite a ruckus that morning and once again the house was alive. Before long, everyone was loaded into the wagon and they were on their way to church.

  Owen had barely spoken a word since they’d left home. Sarah had taken his hand less than a minute after they pulled into the road and had held it ever since. The children however seemed as normal as ever. Patrick was making everyone laugh with his impressions of animals and Fagan and Connell discussed the house building and their courtships of Mary and Beatrice. They decided to go their separate ways this evening, as Connell had barely had more than a few moments alone with Beatrice as of yet.

  Sarah glanced at Owen occasionally but her thoughts were only of Ennis and what may happen once they all sat down to worship. Even Ennis wasn’t certain of how Rachel would release the others but he trusted in her and believed wholeheartedly that everything would turn out fine. His only concern was for his father and his ability to live with the truth and allow Rachel to do whatever was necessary to bring all of this to a close. Ennis’ spirits were high and he felt the constant comfort of being encircled in love by not only the living but the dead as well.

  He’d always known they were around him but not until the day one of them had taken that leap and reached out to him, had they all pushed forward at once to feel the light within him and give him their own. For days now they had encircled him, even passed through him and done no harm. Their energy had lifted him to a new consciousness and emotional plane. As much as he believed he was taking something from those he had touched or healed, he was only passing energy through himself and back to them and left not only some of himself with those he’d touched but some of the spirits as well. Ennis had been a conductor for them and not a victim as his father feared. After all, they wanted only to be near Owen, not to hurt Ennis.

  There were more wagons and carriages than ever before at church this Sunday morning and Owen feared of course that word had spread of what happened with Thomas Kennedy. He cared not for what anyone assumed or believed and thought only of keeping Ennis out of harm’s way and making sure the spirits would not be returning home with them after the services. He took Ennis by the hand as they walked from the wagon and Fagan as always pulled it around to the side of the chapel with the others. He turned and looked back at the wagon as Fagan pulled away with second thoughts but continued on.

  “Teagan!” shouted Eli as he raced to her side and offered her is arm on the way to the church steps.

  “Good morning, Eli. It’s wonderful to see you again so soon,” she said as they climbed the steps together.

  Fagan and Connell as well found the objects of their affections and headed into the chapel. Once everyone had taken their seats, Owen turned to look around the church; there were no empty seats this morning as he had surmised. He and Sarah sat Ennis between them and shielded him from prying eyes and whispered words – which were all too noticeable. Thankfully, Pastor Lincoln was already taking his place at pulpit and Mae had begun playing the organ which gave the indication to please be silent and bow your head in prayer.

  “Good morning!” Pastor Lincoln’s voice boomed over their heads. “Thank you all for joining us on this glorious morning the Lord has made. I’d like to welcome all of the new faces I see with us today and hope you find our flock welcoming and our words, comforting to your spirit.”

  Pastor Lincoln paused, looking down at the sermon before him on the pedestal and then turned and looked directly in the direction of the Whelan family as they sat patiently awaiting his next sentence. He took a deep cleansing breath and continued but removed his spectacles and sat them down on his Bible.

  “I’m not so foolish to believe you’ve all come so far only to hear me speak. I’m certain stories of a child in our flock have brought you here either seeking answers or some proof of faith but I must tell you, you’d be mistaken to believe as such,” Pastor Lincoln was no longer reading from his notes but speaking from his heart.

  “In God’s house, we do not seek proof or reasons or question why. We come only to thank Him for our many blessings and for His love. We come to share good will and pray for the sick and infirmed. We come to greet our neighbors and share our good news and welcome new families into our community, not to seek out an innocent child who only wants to hear the word of God and have some lemonade and maybe some cake with his playmates afterwards. I ask you to turn your eyes up to God and away from this child and find it in your hearts to pray for him and his family, not gape at him, expecting a miracle.”

  Owen looked down at Ennis and felt his hand begin to relax until it was no longer holding on. His head rolled a bit to one side and then fell back, hitting the pew with a slight bang which ag
ain turned all eyes to them. Owen could feel Ennis’ body begin to go limp and he wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close to his side as Sarah looked on in fear.

  “Owen, what’s happening?” Sarah whispered.

  “I don’t know but it’s as if the boy has fallen into a deep sleep.”

  Teagan and Eli were sitting directly in front of them and they turned simultaneously in their seats to see what was wrong. Teagan’s eyes opened wide and she looked over and past them, toward the back of the church.

  “Da, look,” was all she could speak.

  Owen turned in his seat, pulling Ennis in closer to him. Standing in the back of the church and wrapping around the entire congregation, were the saddest looking creatures he’d ever seen in his life or at least not in many a year.

  “Sarah are ya’ seein’ this?” Owen asked, never taking his eyes off of the growing mob which seemed to manifest from the air and silently stand about the room.

  “I’m seein’ it Owen, but I can’t believe me own eyes.”

  Owen began to stand as a true peace fell over the church unlike anything they’d ever known before. Not a cough nor a sniffle nor the cry of a new infant. It was as if all of the air had been pulled out of the room and left not one breath to carry a sound. Everyone seated, appeared to be asleep. Owen stood holding Ennis cradled in his arms, scanning the dozens of sallow faces. Their eyes were like darkness, hollow and cold but he could feel the light pouring out from them despite their appearance.

  The rest of the people in the church were compelled to silence by their slumber. Owen remained awake and alert, as did the rest of his family. They were the only living souls who were even acknowledged by those dark pitiful eyes and loving light and they all rose from their seats and pulled tightly together.

  “Da? Da? Ennis! Is Ennis all right?” asked Teagan as she slid in the pew next to her father and placed her hand on Ennis’ forehead. “Da, what’s happening?”

  “Who are ya’!” shouted Sarah. “What do ya’ want?”