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MAYNOOTH, IRELAND
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THE ROAD TO MAYNOOTH was bumpy, and the bus driver went way too fast over the skinny, one-lane road, but the countryside was breathtaking. What she could see of it through the fog, anyways. Teagan was sure if it wasn’t such an early hour, the lush rolling hills and fields would be dotted with brilliant flowers. The mist gave the land a wild, mysterious air that Teagan had already fallen in love with. This was her homeland, after all, and she actually felt at home even though she hadn’t been here since she was a very small child. The scent of fresh rain and grass breezed in through her open bus window and she inhaled deeply.
Sooner than she imagined, they were bumping their way through the small town’s cobbled streets and into the main courtyard. Some of the passengers remained on the bus, but others, along with Teagan, filed off the bus. Everyone retrieved their bags and seemed to know exactly where they were headed. After a few minutes, Teagan realized that none of the travelers were going to speak to her, so she approached the nearest one to ask directions.
“Excuse me ma’am,” Teagan said.
The woman turned with a giggle. “Ma’am be my mother, but I’ll reckon Molly will do just fine for me.”
Teagan cleared her throat. “Sorry, um Molly, I was wondering if you could lead me in the direction of this place?” Teagan pulled out the wrinkled paper and showed it to the woman.
She gave Teagan an odd look, pointed down the road, and hurried away.
“Thank you,” Teagan yelled after her, wondering what she’d said to make the woman so dismissive.
She looked down at the paper again, and the distorted taped figure of her father. “Please be here dad. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I need some help.”
Teagan started walking, assuming she wouldn’t be finding a cab in this tiny little town. She was so tired. All she wanted was an assigned 8x10, brick-walled, cubical of a room so she could crash on the lumpy mattress and sleep for the next few years. Left with no other choice, she followed the crumby directions and headed down the cobbled road, hopefully towards the inn.
The dense fog seemed to part for a moment, and Teagan thought for a second she might get to see Ireland in the sun. Teagan looked to the sky just as Ireland in all her glory seemed to get a kick out of dumping buckets of water on the newcomer. It didn’t take long until she was drenched. The icy fingers of rain hitting her exposed skin were numbing, and she shivered, wishing she’d thought to wear a jacket or bring one for that matter. She trudged on wearily feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders as the rain beat down on her.
A little yard enclosed in a picket fence with peeling, white paint came into view. The wild and rambling flowers and hedges spilled up and over the little the fence and decorated the road, giving the garden a rather unkept appearance. What she could see of the dwelling through the mess of nature held a kind of rustic charm. Teagan let herself inside through the groaning gate and walked along the overgrown stone-path. Suddenly, the dense foliage cleared, and in its place stood a small clearing with a charming, two-story house. White with black shutters and a dark-painted wraparound porch, the dwelling beckoned her closer. She could feel the corners of her mouth turn up in one of the rare smiles that graced her face at the sight of the pretty little house. On the porch, several intimate seating arrangements of white-wicker chairs and tables caught her attention. The porch swing and the potted flowers added to the charm.
The same sign, that she’d examined at least a dozen times in the well-used photo, swung noisily on rusted chains and hung lopsided from a peeling white post. Teagan sat down on the steps, overwhelmed by the state of her emotions. An invisible weight seemed to crush down on her chest, making it hard to breath. Her doubts flopped around in her stomach like day-old sushi, and she leaned over her knees, hoping to settle her nerves before she knocked on the door.
The question tugging at her emotions wasn’t what if her dad wasn’t here, but rather what if he was, and he still wanted nothing to do with? Let’s face it, after that day from her dreams he’d disappeared from her life and hadn’t returned. At first, her step-mom had held out hope that he’d return, but Teagan had always known he wouldn’t. She’d had significant perception as a child, but she’d never figured out why he’d left her in the first place. Now, she sat here in this strange place, the soft drizzle of rain encompassing her, wondering if she had the guts to confront him after all these years. He’d been her hero, her sun and moon, and he’d left without even saying goodbye, without even giving her a reason. After that, Teagan’s step-mom had grown to hate her, blaming her for his leaving. Things had gotten very bad for Teagan.
A squeak behind her made her turn as a screen door opened. Out of the house bustled a cheerful, matronly-looking woman. She wore a flowered dress and a long apron. Silver curls, stubbornly refusing her bun, framed her rounded cheeks, and her bright blue eyes crinkled with merriment.
“Well hello there. I’m Maggy O’Tool,” She introduced herself cheerfully, “And who might you be?”
“Hello,” Teagan said as she stood, charmed by the older woman’s inviting prattle, brushing her pants off as she stood. “My name is Teagan McKenna.”
Maggy stepped back as she wiped her hands on her apron, her eyes seeming to size up Teagan but without showing any signs of recognition of the name or her. At last the woman spoke.
“You, poor dearie. You look like you’ve been introduced to the isle’s lovely temperament. Ah, but if not for the rain there wouldn’t be so much beauty, ay?”
Teagan tried to shake some of the water from her hand before extending it to the older woman.
“The rain caught me off guard.” Teagan admitted. Now for the lie, she hoped the woman would buy it. “I’m an exchange student over at the University, but there was some confusion. They seem to have lost my rooming assignment and my schedule. The lady in town told me you boarded students? But also...” Teagan pulled out the worn piece of paper and tried to smooth it before she handed it to the woman. “I think my father might have stayed here before, and I was wondering if you remembered him. Is this you?”
“Oh,” Maggy stared at the photo, her face blank, “You know dear, I get so many travelers here. He seems familiar, but I can’t place him.”
“Well, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for your time,” Teagan said and offered the woman her hand.
Maggy ignored Teagan’s extended hand and crushed her into an unexpected but welcoming hug.
“Oh, you, poor dearie. You just come on in and let Maggy take care of you. You’ll catch your death of cold if you don’t get dry soon. There’s plenty of room for one more here.”
Teagan sighed as she ran a hand through her wet hair and followed Maggy inside. The innkeeper was a little too touchy feely for her, – she had a long history of not liking to be touched, it stemmed from her uncanny empathic ability – but the inside of the house was tidy and cozy, and Teagan couldn’t see a reason not to stay while she tried to find answers.
Maggy gave her a tour of the living room, sitting room, and a sunroom with several eating nooks. Teagan had to hold back her excitement when she saw an espresso machine was available for residents’ use. Then, Maggy took Teagan to the kitchen and informed her that breakfast and lunch were her responsibility, but every night dinner was served at six o’clock sharp. If Teagan couldn’t make the arranged time, she could prearrange for Maggy to fix a plate.
As the two of them climbed the stairs and moved down a narrow hall with several doors, Maggy prattled on excitedly about how she had recently remodeled. She said she was going to give Teagan one of the new rooms. Teagan could tell the innkeeper was pleased with her recent work, and she was looking forward to seeing the room. At the door, Maggy handed Teagan a key and told her she wouldn’t bother her anymore and bid Teagan goodnight.
Her footsteps echoed down the hall as Teagan opened the door to her room. A smile curved her lips, and she decided she was going to like it here very much. The room was way bigger than the half-way house’s bedroom. A shiver passed over her thinking about that 8x8 cell of doom. On one side of the room was a small nook with hand-carved bookshelves, a desk, and a stuffed armchair. She couldn’t wait to comb through the titles on the fully stocked bookshelves that reached from floor to ceiling, and her fingers tingled with excitement.
Across from the nook, sat a queen-sized, four-poster bed. An overabundance of white eyelet in the form of lacey pillows, ruffles, and an oversized fluffy comforter decorated the comfortable looking bed. She couldn’t wait to test the softness the bed promised, and her eyes drooped at the thought of sleep. Two bedside tables and a tall dresser with a mirror finished off the furnishings in the room. There was a door to the right which Teagan figured was a closet.
Teagan also noticed a set of French doors hidden under some pretty, white-laced curtains. Unable to resist the urge, she opened the doors and sighed in delight when she saw the balcony with a small table and a cushioned chair. It was the perfect setting for a cup of morning coffee and for undisturbed thinking. The fresh air from the field beyond breezed through the open doors, and Teagan inhaled deeply. A flowerpot on the table, the cause of the delightful scent, made her smile for the second time that day as a feeling of belonging settled over her.
Teagan squeezed her hands together.
“Don’t get too settled girl. You need to keep your guard up. Remember, the old woman lied to you.” She said this aloud, hoping the words would come off more stern that way.
After putting some of her clothes into the dresser, Teagan felt semi settled into the room and she decided to take a shower.
She finished and put her pajamas on, wrapping a towel around her head, too tired to look for a blow dryer. Curling up on the comfy bed, her last drowsy thoughts were of the handsome man on the plane, and what had made him seem so familiar to her, and the mysterious enigma, Colin. She wondered how she was going to find him. She couldn’t very well go looking for fields with big trees in them and hope he was standing by one of them waiting on her. Finally, Teagan drifted into a restless slumber filled with vivid dreams of rolling, flowered hills, and men too handsome to possibly exist in her world.