Fireflies

by P. S. Bartlett

  “Liffey, get me five pounds of flour and five pounds of sugar. I’m going to pick out some more fabric and make you and your sister some new dresses for the summer fair,” Sarah said.

  “Oh Ma, can I please help you choose the fabric?”

  “Get the flour and sugar and meet me over at the fabric.”

  A handsome young man was tending the counter today whom Liffey had never noticed working there before, although he was familiar. She walked towards him and took her father’s advice and smiled.

  “Hello, may I please have five pounds of flour and...”

  “And five pounds of sugar. I heard your Ma telling you what to get so I already started bagging it up for you,” The young man said. “I’m David, well, my friends call me Davey. Davey Kennedy.”

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance Davey, Kennedy,” Liffey said with a curtsey. “I’ve seen you at church. You’re Thomas’ brother.”

  “Well yes ma’am. He’s the oldest. I’ve seen you at church too, lots of times,” he smiled shyly.

  “Well Davey, it’s been nice chatting with you. I need to go help my ma pick out the fabric for me and my sister’s dresses for the summer fair,” Liffey said as she started to turn away.

  “Pink is my favorite color,” Davey said, his face turning crimson.

  “I’m sorry?” Liffey asked turning back to him.

  “You’d look lovely in pink,” Davey said as he clumsily continued with his work.

  Liffey smiled and strolled over to her mother who was holding a beautiful bolt of navy blue fabric.

  “Is this too dark for you?” Sarah said as she held the material up to Liffey’s face.

  “Oh, Ma this is a summer affair. Navy blue is for winter dresses. That pink fabric is very nice and I think Teagan would look beautiful in the pale yellow,” Liffey said as she turned slightly and glanced back at Davey, catching him looking at her as she held the bolt of pink cotton in her hands.

  “I think you have an admirer,” Sarah said under her breath.

  “I know, Ma. Isn’t it grand?” Liffey replied. “Oh Ma, I promised Teagan we’d bring her some of that cherry licorice she likes.”

  “That’s fine dear. Have your admirer put a half pound of it in a bag. Ennis likes it too,” Sarah said as she lifted the bolts of fabric and carried them up to the counter.

  “Did you find everything you need, Mrs.Whelan?” asked the smiling young Davey.

  “Yes son, we did. May I inquire about Mr. Olsen this morning?”

  “Mr. Olsen is still not feeling well, Mrs. Whelan. I’m sure he’ll be back at the store by tomorrow.”

  “Liffey, I’m going to have lunch with your father. You and the boys may join us at the restaurant but please sit several tables away so your father and I may speak privately,” Sarah ordered as she handed the bolts of fabric to Liffey and called to Patrick and Brogan to come and carry the bags.

  “I can carry those for you, Mrs. Whelan,” said Davey, stepping out from behind the counter.

  “Why thank you Davey. Liffey, show Davey where to put the bags and the boys and I will meet you on the corner at the restaurant,” Sarah smiled. “Good to see you, Davey. Please give my best to your mother and father and we’ll see you Sunday at church.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Whelan. I will,” Davey said as he followed Liffey out to the wagon and loaded the bags and fabric into the flat bed.

  “Thank you again, Davey,” said Liffey and she offered her hand to him.

  Davey reached out and shook her hand and turned to walk back into the store and then stopped and turned back.

  “Miss Whelan, would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the fair?”

  “Well I have a better idea, Davey. We’ll be auctioning lunches at the fair. Why don’t you bid the highest and we can have lunch together and if we find each other’s company agreeable, you may escort me home,” Liffey said, clutching her purse strings.

  “Oh my, Miss Whelan, that is a much better idea. Thank you. Have a lovely lunch,” Davey said as he turned, tripping over the sidewalk and nearly stumbling, as Liffey struggled to contain a giggle.

  “Over here, Owen,” waved Sarah as she sat at the corner table of the restaurant. “Boys, sit at that table over there and wait for your sister. She’ll be along in a minute.”

  “Where is Liffey?” Owen asked.

  “Oh, Davey Kennedy is wooing her in front of the store I imagine,” Sarah laughed.

  “Oh, saints preserve us. I can’t take another romance, Sarah,” Owen said, wiping his brow with handkerchief.

  “Why dear, whatever do you mean?” Sarah asked slyly.

  “Sarah, what did you want to discuss?” Owen asked shaking out his napkin and placing it in his lap.

  “Well isn’t it obvious? Fagan’s outrageous behavior at breakfast. What on earth has gotten into him? And don’t pretend you don’t know because I saw you talking to him last night as you were coming from the barn,” Sarah said leaning forward.

  “Sarah, there are some things said between a father and a son which a mother should be no party to,” said Owen leaning forward as well.

  “Well don’t I have a right to be concerned about my own son?”

  “Of course ya’ do, Sarah, but the boy confided in me,” Owen was squirming under Sarah’s glare and he knew this battle was lost. “All right, all right, he wants to get married as soon as possible. That’s why he’s given the Wilburs his notice and he wants to get his house built immediately. He’s head over heels in love with Mary and that’s all,” he said, conceding to her prying gaze as much as he could.

  “Well what’s the rush?” Sarah asked looking at him over her menu.

  “The rush is they’re in love, dear,” Owen replied never looking up from his.

  “Well young people fall in love every day Owen but they don’t rush down the aisle unless…” Sarah’s eyes shot up from the menu and met Owen’s pensive expression.

  “When? How?” Sarah asked in a whisper, leaning forward as far as she could over the table towards him.

  “Sarah, this is neither the time nor the place or the subject I wish to discuss. Please, may we have our lunch and we can talk about this tonight at home?” Owen insistently asked as the waitress approached them.

  “I’ll have the chicken,” was all she said.

  Fagan was by this time at the lumber company and was requesting a list of available men to assist with his build. The clerk gave him several names; however, the man suggested he post a notice of hire on the church bulletin board as he knew of a few young men who were skilled carpenters who were looking for work. He had chosen the Victorian style as his father had. He decided this choice would allow him to begin with the simple log style, square balloon structure design and over time, they could add additional rooms and embellishments as needed. There were so many aspects of this decision which made perfect sense since he could eventually purchase factory-made portions of the house and wouldn’t need to start from scratch. The modern world had afforded him the opportunity to nearly purchase his house in parts and just hire the labor to put it together.

  He was also in need of a good mason and a blacksmith of which he knew several. It began to sink in for him that this project would still take a good deal of time and energy; more than he had hoped. He estimated at least five or six weeks before it would be habitable but by the grace of God, it was still late spring and the perfect time for such an undertaking. The house would be basic and warm but he had plenty of time to make it a home. He decided to pay a visit to Eli’s father’s shop and request an estimate for the work he’d need completed, as well as a timeline and from there, to the masons.

  Sarah and Owen were finishing up their lunch and gathering the children together for their journey back home. Owen reassured Sarah that Fagan was indeed a levelheaded young man who knew his obligations and would endeavor to meet them and succeed. Sarah of course knew her eldest was every bit a good man who’d never caused her any trouble except for
his moody temperament; however, her worries were well founded and she felt a woman’s opinion on these matters wouldn’t do any harm.

  Owen agreed that Sarah was right but insisted she not divulge their conversation as he’d felt it was in confidence and suspected Fagan may feel betrayed by him if he knew his father had exposed he and Mary’s premature consummation of their love. Owen and Sarah had not been as bold or as passionate at first as they had known each other very briefly and times were much different then. Courtships were well-chaperoned and rarely would an unwed young lady of seventeen ever be allowed alone in the company of a man. However, this was the new America and the world had changed drastically due to the railways and industrialization. Time moved much more quickly and people had settled in places which they’d made their homes now for many years, allowing them to become very well-acquainted with their neighbors and establishing lifelong relationships between families. A whole new generation was forging a nation and producing another at a rapid rate to continue this evolution toward the future.

  Owen and Sarah said their goodbyes at the wagon and she and the children headed off out of town. She was very concerned for Fagan and Mary and had somehow gotten the idea in her head to steal Mary away for a bit when she arrived for dinner that evening. She certainly couldn’t do any harm just attempting a relationship with her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. She had barely spoken to Mary except for her natural instinct to comfort her the day before. Yet due to Mary’s consent to lay with her son before marriage, she was deeply curious as to her motivation for such a decision, even though no matter the reason, Fagan loved her and his intentions were pure. She would give her blessing if for no other reason than the love of her son.

  “Ma, Davey said he wants to bid for my lunch at the fair,” beamed Liffey with a smile.

  “That’s lovely, dear. Have ya’ decided yet what you’ll be fixin’ for the lunch?” Sarah asked.

  “Well not yet, it’s still a few weeks away and I was hoping you could help me choose.”

  “What’s going on with this family?” asked Brogan. “You’re all turning crazy.”

  “What do ya’ mean Brogan?” Sarah asked.

  “Love, love, and more love. If you ask me, all of these romances are just ridiculous,” he grumbled.

  “Tell me that in a couple of years Brogan,” Sarah laughed.

  “Yes Ma. There are some mighty pretty girls his age at church and you know Brogan, girls tend to mature quite a bit over the summer. It must be the sunshine and the warm air,” Liffey said laughing.

  “Oh you girls are all the same,” Brogan pouted, folding his arms and lying back in the wagon with a frown.

  “I’m going to find me a wife someday!” Patrick said. “Brogan, as much as you like to eat, you’d better find you a wife too or you’ll be eating at Ma’s forever!”

  “Oh he’ll find one someday and his stories will be of a much different subject,” Liffey teased.

  “Hmph!” Brogan huffed, pulling his hat down over his eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “We’ll be having three guests at supper this evening, so I’ll expect yer hands to be busy with me in the kitchen,” Sarah said to Teagan and Liffey as she began organizing her purchases from town and stowing things away.

  “Oh my! What is this?” asked Teagan as she unwrapped the bolts of fabric.

  “Mine is the pink and yours, the yellow. Aren’t they beautiful?” Liffey said as she wrapped the pink fabric around her shoulders. “These are for our dresses for the summer fair.”

  “Oh, Lif, they’re wonderful. Did you choose them?”

  “Well Ma was looking at a dark blue but with a little encouragement, I managed to convince her that these were better suited for the event. Oh and by the way, have you ever met Davey Kennedy?” Liffey inquired with a smile.

  “I don’t believe I have, but I have seen all of the Kennedys almost every Sunday for my whole life. Davey is the second oldest?” Teagan asked curiously. “Why do you mention him?”

  “Well, when we were at the Olsens’ grocery, Davey was working at the counter and we struck up a conversation and apparently, he will be bidding on my lunch at the fair. He’d originally asked to escort me but I suggested the lunch instead,” Liffey said, as she pulled a large batch of carrots from the pantry and began washing them.

  “My goodness! This was a successful outing wasn’t it?” Teagan said. “You even remembered the licorice!”

  The three women worked together in harmony and by five o’clock, the evening’s feast was nearly finished. Fagan had returned earlier and cleaned himself up to go and retrieve Mary for supper and Owen and Connell had even arrived on time and were discussing a few of their more difficult cases in the parlor while they awaited Sarah’s call to the table. Patrick and Brogan had washed up and come downstairs but had not brought Ennis with them. He’d been in his room for several hours and Teagan had become worried when she didn’t hear his voice mingled with his brothers’ as they too joined Owen and Connell in the parlor.

  Teagan excused herself from the kitchen and headed up the stairs to his room.

  “Ennis? Ennis, are you in there?” Teagan asked as she turned the door knob and slowly opened the door.

  Ennis was sound asleep on his bed. Teagan walked over to him and sat down on the bed next to him and gently stroked his curls and ran her hand down the side of his cheek.

  “Ennis, it’s almost time for supper. You need to wake up now.”

  Ennis blinked open his eyes at her but still appeared a bit foggy and not quite aware.

  “Teagan?” Ennis said as she stood from the bed looking down at him.

  “Yes Ennis?”

  “I was so sleepy, Teagan. I was playing only a few minutes and then I was sleeping.”

  “Ma always says that means you’re growing,” Teagan said heading for the door. “Come on now. Wake up, you’ve done enough growing for one day.”

  “Teagan, I had a strange dream. I don’t think I was growing,” Ennis said, sitting up in his bed.

  “Strange? How?”

  “It was her, the angel. She said I should sleep as much as I can because I may be called upon to help people.”

  Teagan rushed to his bed and sat down next to him again. “I told you Ennis. I knew this angel or whatever it is that is happening to you was going to somehow hurt you. Please, Ennis, please, we have to find a way to make this stop.”

  “I’m not hurt, Teagan…”

  “Not hurt yet, but I think this angel is preparing you for something and that’s why she’s telling you to sleep and rest. It’s because you’ll need all of your strength in order to help whomever it is who needs it and I’m going to talk to Da about it,” Teagan said sternly.

  “Teagan, don’t you understand? I have to. I have to do what she says. I don’t know why but I was chosen for this. I was chosen. Me, Teagan,” Ennis said in earnest.

  “Well, she can find some other boy, Ennis. I’m afraid for you,” Teagan said pulling her brother to her and holding him tightly.

  “Don’t be afraid. She won’t hurt me. She’d never hurt me. I’m not afraid at all.” Ennis said, pulling back gently and smiling up at her.

  “I will promise you this Ennis, come Sunday for church, if I feel at all you are in any danger, I’m taking you away from there and bringing you straight home,” Teagan said as she pulled him back into her embrace.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be just fine.”

  Teagan waited for Ennis to climb out of his bed and she took his hand and led him downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Look who I found sleeping away the afternoon while we are slaving in the kitchen,” said Teagan.

  “Well hello, Ennis,” Sarah smiled, placing a light kiss upon his curls.

  “Has anyone arrived yet?” asked Teagan, of course hoping Eli had.

  “I’m not sure, Teagan, but why don’t you go and see?” Sarah replied.

  Teagan walked to the parlor to find only her father and Connell;
she heard the voices of Patrick and Brogan coming from the front porch. Eli hadn’t arrived yet and she looked at the clock and it was nearly five-thirty. She was sure she had told Mrs. Morgan five o’clock but she chose not to worry herself and believed perhaps his work had kept him later than usual.

  She heard a carriage arriving and rushed out onto the porch but to her disappointment, it was Fagan, Mary, and Beatrice. She flopped down in her father’s old chair and folded her hands in her lap. Patrick and Brogan were sitting at the far end of the porch on the swing and she could make out part of their conversation but it was insignificant to her at the moment and her thoughts turned back to Ennis and his dream.

  “Hello, Teagan.” said Mary as she stepped onto the porch.

  “Hello, Mary. You’re looking very well this evening,” Teagan said nearly smiling.

  “Thank you, and you also. Fagan told me Eli would be joining us as well tonight.”

  “He was invited yes but we haven’t yet seen him. I’m thinking he may have been kept late at work,” Teagan replied. “Hello, Beatrice. It’s very good to see you again,” Teagan said half heartedly as underneath her pleasantries, she was still disappointed.

  “I’m sure he’ll be along any minute.” Mary reassured her.

  “Yes, I’m sure he wouldn’t keep you waiting for no good reason,” Beatrice added.

  Fagan held the door for Mary and Beatrice to enter the house and they made their way into the parlor. Connell nearly leapt to his feet at the sight of Beatrice’s entrance and offered her his seat immediately which she gratefully accepted.

  Fagan took Mary’s hand and led her to the kitchen. She politely greeted Sarah and Liffey before Fagan whisked her out the back door and onto the porch.

  “Fagan? Dinner is in just few minutes, son. Please don’t wander off,” Sarah called out through the screen door.

  “We won’t, Ma,” Fagan replied as he led Mary out into the yard as he hadn’t had a moment alone with her since he’d said goodnight to her the night before.

  “Mary, how are you feeling today?” Fagan asked almost shyly.

  “Why I’m feeling quite fit, Mr. Whelan,” She said and then whispered, “A wee bit tender but I’m sure it will pass.”