Divide

The end

John was shunned by all around him when word spread of his actions. It made me so angry. He was a child in this world. He hadn't known any better. I wanted so badly to be with him, to protect him somehow. But we were kept separate at all times. I felt as if my soul were ripped in two.

"At Boolavogue as the sun was setting,                                                                                                                     O'er the bright May meadows of Shelmalier"

I sat on my bunk and listened to the women sing of the rebels of old, those brave lads from Wexford in 1798. I had not the heart to join in. No one even acknowledged me anyway, except the children. But they were quickly swept up and away by their mothers. I remembered my father as I listened to the poems and tales of the Croppy boys. He was so proud of our resistance of the crown and the memory of his fiery spirit made me smile.

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"Remember Sin, always fight for what you believe, and dont let anyone stop you" I looked up into my father's weary face. Though he was pale and his face lined with all his worries, his eyes still sparkled like the sun on the water. I giggled. " Da, I'm nine. I don't have that many political views as of yet!" He laughed back, singing his silly song  "A stóir mo chroí, mo caillín beag, bíonn tú i do choladh i mo lámha, tá an gealach sa spéir, tá na muca sa teach, agus tá na lucha ag rince" ( "The love of my heart, my little girl, you sleep always in my arms, the moon is in the sky, the pigs are in the house, and the mice are dancing")                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

I loved my father more than anything in the world. I  trusted his judgement totally. He taught me everything I knew. I collapsed in a fit of laughter at his silly words as we wandered home after fishing on that muggy day. Gráine ran to us, her face full of alarm "Da, they're evicting the O'Neils!".

My father swayed a little, then dropping his rod, he tore off up the road, and Gráine and I ran after. There were men with torches at the O'Neil's house. They were smoking out the family trapped inside. Jessie O'Neil was in Aoife's class. I could see her peeping through a crack in the boards of the window. She was so thin. A shadow of her former self. A monstrous crowd had gathered, all of them screaming in protest. "They've given ya every penny they have! Lord have mercy on your souls!" "You're asking them for more food to export to England, when they have far less than enough for themselves?! Thieves! Traitors!" A tall and foreboding man came to adress the crowd. He had always been menacing, but now his very soul seemed to pulsate with distain and hatred. He was to me, even at only nine, pure evil at work. The devil walked among us, and his name was Duncan O'Leary.

"NOW LISTEN HERE YOU LOT! We have been ordered to evict this family, and we are not leaving until we do just that! So shove off home, if you know whats good for ya!" The crowd was still pushing, and so with a nod from O'Leary the guards began to beat them down. Gráine dragged me away, but not before I saw the house being set alight, still bodies lying on the ground, blood on the guard's clothes. Would this never end?

********************

I was soon snapped back to reality. I looked up to see two very official looking men standing in front of me, their hands full of files. "Miss O'Reily?" I nodded. The shorter, squat man addressed me in a gruff, but quiet voice "There seems to have been a misunderstanding regarding the terms under which you are being held." He paused, puffing slightly, looking at me as if to see if I could understand him. My eyes narrowed "Do go on, my good man".He continued, startled "Having spoken to the main tax office, it seems that your father had in fact bought your house, which as the surviving member of your family, you are owner of. You have been held here in violation of the law. We offer our sincerest apologies." My heart had leaped two miles in the air but I didn't show it "You should apologise. I've been telling you that this whole time" The taller man stepped forward "Is there anything we can do to compensate?. We are willing to negotiate a price" At that moment, I heard my father's voice inside my head, and I knew what I believed in. Or rather who I believed in. "No money. Just free John"

The sun was setting as I took my first steps back out into the world. There was a light breeze, and a sky of pink and gold. I sighed. Maybe now things would be okay.

"What brings you to this neck of the woods?" I whipped round. There was John, hair shining in the sunlight, eyes gleaming. He took my hand. "Walk?" I grinned at him " I thought you'd never ask"

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I really hope you enjoyed it!!! thats all folks!!! I know it's a bit of a sappy ending but whatever! That is the lovely Darcy Alden as a young Sinead :D Bye!!!