AN: Written because I always wondered what the Irish woman told her two kids...
Eternal Youth and Beauty:
Aileen stood there, hands grasped tightly around her son and daughters. They had boarded the ship of dreams to come out to America and see her husband who had been sending money back to Ireland for them to live off of for some time. Now it seemed like they were never going to make it to America.
Standing there she watched as everyone else in third class was making a panic, wanting to get to the lifeboats before the entire ship flooded and went down. Aileen knew that there was no hope for them. Looking down at her children she gave the two of them a hopeful smile. "It'll be very soon dears." She spoke as she turned around. "For now it's getting late, let's go to bed and they'll come and get us when they have our lifeboats ready."
The two children didn't say anything, following their mother back to their room. The water was getting up to their ankles now and Aileen knew it was only a matter of time before the entire third class floor was flooded with water. She was afraid, afraid of death. However, she knew she had to be strong for her children, let them know there was nothing to worry about.
Reaching the room, Aileen pushed open the door and let the two children go inside first. "Myrna, Seamus, get ready for bed and I'll tell ya a bedtime story dears."
The little girl and boy nodded, getting ready for bed and laying down all in a matter of minutes. Aileen sat on the end of the bed, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of her daughters face. "Now," she spoke softly in her most soothing voice to get them off to sleep as quickly as possible. "How bout I tell ya about the land of eternal youth and beauty? How does that sound?"
There was a nod and she began. "Long ago, on an isle of emerald green, surrounded by a sea of azure blue, there lived a young man named Oisin…." Her voice carried on softly throughout the entire story. She never faltered and even smiled a little bit as she came near the end of her story. "And so they lived, happily together for three-hundred years. In the land of Tír na nÓg, of eternal youth and beauty…."
The eyes of her children grew heavy and she leaned down to give them a kiss on the forehead each. Her eyes filled up with water, watching her children sleep for one last time. They were never going to see America, her children were never going to see their father again, she was never going to see her husband again.
"Mummy?" Myrna began, opening her eyes looking at her mother's tears. "Are we going to die?"
Aileen shook her head, kissing Myrna on the forehead again. "Of course not dear…" She said her voice shaky. "We're going to be just fine. They'll come and get us soon. Just rest…."
The young girl said nothing more and settled herself under the covers, drifting off to sleep. Aileen looked down; the water was getting higher and higher by the moments. She sat there on the bed, looking at her two children, the water reaching the two of them first. "Mummy loves you…" She whispered; her tears flowed harder as her children drown before her eyes, nothing she could do about it.
The water soon reached her own height, drowning herself.
The three of them would travel safely to the land of eternal beauty and youth. Where they would wait for the man they called husband and father to join them.
Even if it took three-hundred years.