The Irish Fire (2019)

Chapter 26

Alice Hughes' POV

Connor drove off from the restaurant before we were on the highway to get to the outskirt of Dublin. We took an exit as he made a stop at the local pharmacy to pick up the medicines that his grandmother needed. I waited in the car before he got in and we drove for a few minutes to reach his grandmother's house. "I hope you don't mind, my Mhamó will ask you questions that you will uncomfortable to answer. So, if you feel that way, just tell her I don't know," he said as he was holding my door as I got out of the car.

I nodded as I took his hand. "Right... Noted. Thank you for your warning," I said as I was walking side by side with him. His grandmother's house was... quaint, to say the least. There was a garden to the side with beautiful flowers that were blooming in the moonlight. I never knew there were species of flowers that did that.

"Mhamó, I'm home and I brought guest," Connor shouted as he opened the door and he ushered me in. He walked to the coat hanger and asked for my red cape. I smiled before I untied the strings as I took them off from my shoulders.

"Thank you," I said as I handed it over to him. He took the red cape before he put it on the hanger. He shrugged his coat off as well and hung it as well.

"Mhamó, where are you?" Connor asked again. The house was quiet before we heard some rustling in the nearest room with an ajar door.

"In here," a croaked voice replied to his question before there was coughing after that. Connor rushed to the room that I assumed Mhamó's bedroom.

"Mhamó," he said as he ran toward the room. I followed him but I kept my distance as he was with his grandmother. I don't want to be an intruder in her house. Her grandson was nice enough to bring me here. I was lurking in the hallway before I was looking at an elderly woman with her grey hair and angular face. Her eyes though... it was peculiar as they were twinkling like hard rubies.

"Who is your friend there, my garmhac?" the old, croaked voice asked Connor as she was looking at me. I was standing at the door, waiting for some instructions as I thought Connor would like some help from me. Connor turned to look at me as I was standing awkwardly in front of the door of his grandmother's bedroom.

"Ah, yes. Mhamó, this is Alice. She is my friend from Business 101," he said as I bowed my head at her. The old woman was staring at me. Perhaps it's the kirtle dress I'm wearing, I mused as she cannot seem to look away from me.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," I said as I curtsied at her. I felt like I was dressed to impress an icy queen and that was Mhamó. She was looking at me up and down as I just realized that I was wearing my costume.

Mhamó tilted her head a bit. "What a peculiar taste you have in your fashion, child," she said as she was smiling at me. I smiled nervously before she ushered me to get inside her bedroom. "Come in, child. Come sit beside me," she said as she told Connor to put a chair near her bed.

I bit my lower lips. "Are you sure? I don't want you to overwork yourself, ma'am," I said as I was trying not to make her exhaust herself. The old woman waved her hands at me.

"It's nothing. I just want to know you better, Alice. Besides, I never thought that I would finally meet one of my son's friends from the university that he went to. He's so secretive these days. And please, call me Mhamó," she said as I took a seat beside her. She took my hands into hers as she was looking at my palms. "May I?" Mhamó asked me as she was holding my hands. I looked at Connor before he just shrugged at me.

"Be my guest," I said as she was reading my palms. I don't believe in that fortune-telling so I just hear what she had to say about my palms then. And later, about my destiny. Pfft... I wished it was true.