You'll Find Me There

Chapter 7


Connor drove Andy to Cork by way of the Kilkenny Castle, and a few other interesting tourist attractions, then he left him at the bed and breakfast he had booked in Cork. A farm style house of red brick. He had a one bedroom suite to himself. It was painted a pale yellow with blue and yellow accents. It was a nice peaceful room. Connor put the suitcase he was carrying on the stand and turned to Andy. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked gruffly. He had noticed that Andy had pulled into himself since their dinner at Christine's the night before.

Andy was standing by the French doors looking out at the beautiful view. There were miles of green grass and animals of all sorts grazing on it. He started to relax as he viewed the bucolic scenery. He'd been mostly quiet during the trip to Cork, rubbing his head occasionally, when they'd hit a pothole in the road and his head would ache. He wasn't sure where the headache came from, but it had been with him, varying in intensity since he had dinner at Christine's and she had shown him those pictures. He hadn't fallen and hit his head that he remembered but it sure did feel like it.

Hearing Connor's question, he turned to answer him, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just going to take it easy and soak up some Irish farm atmosphere. Are you sure you can't stay and be my driver all the way through Ireland? Andy asked, wanting to spend more time with his new friend. He reminded him so much of Louie Provenza. "I'd of course pay for your room." He added, curious to see if the idea of free room and board would entice him like it would Provenza.

But Connor shook his head no. He was a homebody and didn't like to sleep away from his own bed. He had a cat named Ellie, with whom he lived or at least it felt like he lived with her instead of the other way around. As far as she was concerned she was the center of the universe and he was there for her benefit. Ellie was a Himalayan Persian cat that would miss him or perhaps it was the fresh catfish dinner, he would provide, he wasn't exactly sure. If he were gone overnight, Delia would feed her but only dry kibble she wouldn't put a catfish in a blender and give it to her like he would. "No, sorry. I'm needed back at Drury Court. Usually, I don't drive this far but Delia asked as a special favor. Can't say no to that woman. Don't know why" Connor said, rubbing his chin. "Come back and see us on your way back home. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Andy said, a little disappointed. It seemed Connor wasn't as much like Louie in personality as he looked. At least when it came to a free meal or anything free for that matter.

"Listen... I'm sorry, I'm old and set in my ways. Never liked sleeping away from home but you can ask about hiring a car so you can drive yourself or you can hire another driver. See you on your way back."

Andy nodded. "Thanks, Connor. "I'll probably hire someone. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the idea of the steering wheel on the right side driving situation. So, I'll hire someone that is familiar with it. That way I can pay attention to the scenery. After all, I am a tourist. That's what I'm here for, to enjoy the scenery."

"Okay, see ya." Connor left after shaking Andy's hand.

Andy watched the man leave then wandered to the dining area. There was a cup of tea and some scones waiting. He took a plate with a scone, a cup of clotted cream to dip it in, and a cup of decaffeinated orange spiced tea. He placed his snack on the table next to a comfortable patio chair and sat down. Once he was seated he drank his tea and ate his scone and then was joined by one of the cats that lived at the bed and breakfast. It was a longhaired Manx cat with tortoise shell coloring and very green eyes. The cat kneaded his leg and purred like a freight train. He petted her and she settled into his lap. He scratched her behind the ears. Occasionally she would close her eyes and purr louder when he hit a particularly good spot. "She likes you," said a voice near the garden.

Andy looked up and saw a woman pushing seventy, with brown eyes and an Irish complexion. She wore her silver-streaked hair in a pageboy bob, which was becoming on her. Her face was free of makeup and had very few wrinkles. She wore olive green cargo Capri pants and a yellow t-shirt with the slogan that said 'friends are flowers in the garden of life' with a picture of tulips and other flowers in a garden. She wore flip-flops on her feet. It was March, the temperature was at 65 degrees. Not quite warm enough for flip-flops in Andy's opinion, being from California and use to a much warmer climate. He figured it was like summer weather to her. "I like her too. She's a sweet cat. What is her name?"

"Her formal name is, The Rose of Sharon." Andy looked at her with a startled expression on his face. "What," she asked.

"Um... n… nothing," Andy said not really able to explain at that moment.

She gave him a speculative smile and finished what she was saying. "I call her Rosie. She is six-years-old and she's a Manx. See," she said pointing to the little bump at the base of the cat's spine. "She has no tail. She's friendly but she usually doesn't get on people's laps unless she feels comfortable with them. That usually takes at least a day but she took to you right away. Oh, by the way, my name is Mimi Callahan."

He looked from the cat to the lady standing before him and asked, "Hello, Mimi. Do you run this place alone?"

"Well, during the offseason I do but during the regular tourist season, I have a cook for the bed and breakfast and someone to help with the housekeeping. With the farm, I have help from family members. My sons Randy and Devlin help most consistently. My husband died five years ago of a massive heart attack . He had something called Cardiomyopathy . It was supposed to be something he could manage with medicine and reducing his workload . His doctors told him he needed to slow down , but He loved the farm and he wouldn't listen . You see the farm was always his passion . He ate slept and breathed it . She smiled sadly and blinked back tears of grief. It had been five years since Cormac's death ,but sometimes her grief was so strong it seemed like it was just yesterday.

Andy could sense her pain , he was feeling it too. In spite of how hard he knew it would be , he decided to share the details of Sharon's death with Mimi, since Mimis husband's and Sharon's deaths were so similar . Not the details but the overall cause .

First , he offered his heartfelt condolences, "I'm sorry, I know how that feels… losing a spouse, I mean. My wife ...died from the same thing , Cardiomyopathy . The doctors tried to get her to cut back and she was going to , but she ended up dying in the middle of an impromptu interragation , on the night she told her boss she was going on medical leave as of the very next day . She died doing what... she loved" he said and bowed his head to try to get control of his emotions . As he did so he realized he'd forgotten to formally introduce himself . He remembered talking to Mimi briefly when he checked in but his head hurt real bad , he guessed because he was so exhausted when he and Connor arrived . He barely remembered anything that was said . He was still exhausted but the snack and a chance to sit down to relax and unwind , was helping with the fatigue .

" By the way, my name is…" Andy started to say .

, "Andy Flynn, " she finished for him . I remember from checking you in. We're still in the off season and right now you're my only guest,so it's easy to remember one name . " Anyway , my Cormac died helping a cow give birth . He too died doing what he loved .I try to take comfort from that . " she swallowed her grief and tried to change the subject back to cats to help them both get their footing .

" As I was saying, I'm glad my Rosie has taken to you. She's been a great comfort to me , I'm glad that she can be that for you as well."

" Thanks . I love cats ,and I've always wanted one . We had one briefly when I was a kid , but it got run over by a car . I mourned for a quite a while and my mother decided not to let us get another one ..Then I grew up and got married and my first. wife was allergic to cats . So...that was that "

. "So you don't have any pets at home then? Mimi asked curiously.

"No, our… um… my… schedule didn't allow for it," Andy said regretfully. "I was a homicide cop and I never knew when I'd get home during a case. It's not a 9 to 5 job. I didn't want to put an animal through that. Now that I'm thinking about semi-retirement and doing some consulting for my friend's security firm, which is something I can do from home, I'm thinking seriously of getting a cat or a dog or both."

"There's nothing like the love of a pet. It's unconditional," Mimi said. Andy nodded in agreement , and went on petting the cat . Mimi watched him for a moment and then went about her gardening business. After a while, she gave him a sideways glance. "You said your wife died of a heart attack,did it happen very recently? "

"Two… and a… half... months ago . We'd only ...been married ... three weeks . " " Andy said haltingly, not really wanting to talk about it anymore , for fear of losing control, yet again . His emotions were still very close to the surface. The full brunt of his grief coming and going in waves. One minute he could talk about the details and not fall apart , the next minute a simple question would cause him to fall right back into the chasm of grief .

"Yes, I'd say that was very recent. I'm sorry for your loss, especially since it happened so soon after you were married . " she said sincerely.

"Thank you, I'm sorry for yours as well . " " Andy said in a gravelly voice and exhausted sigh .

Recognizing the depth of his grief , his profound fatigue , and how close he was to breaking down, Mimi left him alone for awhile. When she came back from gardening on the other side of the house she saw that he had fallen asleep.

As Andy slept he became aware of a persistent beep beep beep sound and the smell of hospital disinfectant. He felt something heavy on his thigh. He touched it and felt soft hair, which he rubbed between his fingers. He thought he heard the sound of his wife's voice as she said his name. "Andy?" He felt her hands on his face smelled a faint whiff of her perfume .

He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. "Wake up, Andy, please Darling." He heard Sharon say in a tremulous voice. Andy tried again to open his eyes but couldn't. A few moments later though, after the hospital sounds had receded he did open his eyes and to his disappointment found himself back on the patio with the pastoral landscape before him. He was sure it was a regressive memory from his or Sharon's time in the hospita"You were really asleep there for awhile," said Mimi who was kneeling on a cushion, on the other side of the patio from where she had started.

Andy ran his fingers through his hair and over his face and sighed, "Yeah, I guess I was." He continued with, "I was tired from traipsing through castles, I suppose." With a splitting headache, he thought to himself. Not wanting to elaborate further, he turned towards the table next to his chair, intending to clean up from his earlier snack and realized it had already been done. "Um, thanks," for cleaning up . " he mumbled.

"You're welcome, But Its part of the job " she said softly.

He asked still trying to clear the haze out of his head, "How long did I sleep?"

"Oh, about forty-five minutes or so." She stood and took off the dirty gardening gloves she was wearing as she asked, "Are you hungry? Supper is ready."

"Yeah, I could eat I guess. What's for supper?" Andy asked curiously.

Coming up to him on the porch Mimi said, "A vegetarian version of Shepherd's pie."

"Sounds good. Um… I'm not a strict vegetarian, by the way. I eat fish, turkey, eggs, and milk products," he said wanting to clarify his food choices. "You don't have to cater to my choices. I can find something to eat, whatever you serve."

She smiled graciously. "Good to know but being an owner of a B&B I have found that it's a good thing to have different choices available for my guests and to cater to their needs. Up to a point that is. You may be flexible either way, but not all my guests are as accommodating as you are."

"I can only imagine," Andy said chuckling. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his head for no apparent reason. He put his hand up to his temple and rubbed.

"Are you alright?" Mimi asked concerned.

He gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine, I've just been dealing with a persistent headache since last night. I'll be fine."

They made their way inside. "Well, go wash up and supper will be on the table when you get back. A good hearty meal will do your headache good."

Andy nodded his head carefully, so not to make the ache worse and went to his room to wash up. Once he was at the table, Mimi came over with a bottle of wine and asked if he wanted some. "Would you like some wine, Andy? I have…"

"No, thank you. I'm… in recovery. I'm an alcoholic," he said sitting back in the chair and looking Mimi in the eye.

"Really? So am I. I'm thirty-one years sober," Mimi said proudly, putting the bottle down and placing the cork back in it.

"Congratulations, I'm twenty-five years sober." He indicated with his hand that she should sit and visit. She put the bottle away and then sat across from him to finish her story.

"Thank you and congratulations to you as well. I… um was a social worker when I started drinking. I saw a lot of horrible things that people did to their families, throughout my career. I would drink a glass or two of whiskey after work, to unwind on particularly hard days. Before I knew it I was drinking before work and during my breaks. When my first husband left me and took my eight-year-old son, Randy because I was drinking too much, I went to my first AA meeting. I became sober and got my life back together. I quit my job as a social worker and became a manager at this very bed and breakfast. I finally got my son back when he was ten. It was ironic you know, I was a social worker taking other people's kids away from them because of their bad choices and the same thing ended up happening to me. I completely changed my career because, well… I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't face that darkness anymore but God was good to me. While working here, I met the sweetest man in the world. Cormac Callahan." She smiled fondly, as she spoke of her deceased husband."He was my friend Allison's brother. She and her husband owned this place and one other one in another town. He managed the farm and I managed the bed and breakfast part. After a couple of years of flirting and getting to know one another, he asked me to marry him. I said yes and all together we had thirty years, happily married, raising kids, his, mine, and ours. We bought this place from Allison and her husband ,right after we were married . We were so happy . When ...Cormac died… I… I almost fell off the wagon," she said, studying her hands.

"What stopped you?" Andy asked curiously.

Mimi visibly swallowed as she unconsciously rubbed her biceps with her forearms crossed, her elbows resting on the table. She looked out the window before she answered the question, sighing, "The thought of how disappointed Cormac would be if I drank. He'd feel as if it was all his fault and… I just couldn't do it, I couldn't drink. I know... I know you're supposed to stay sober for yourself but doing it for Cormac was easier for me," she shrugged a little.

That shrug reminded him of the way Sharon used to shrug and he swallowed before speaking. "That's the reason I stay sober now, as well. The thought of how disappointed my wife Sharon would be and how she would feel guilty. Her first husband was an alcoholic. He always blamed his drinking on her. He did a lot of damage to her self-esteem. She would feel sad and guilty too if I fell off the wagon because of grief over her death. Knowing that has kept me from drinking since she 's been ...gone ."

Hearing the name of Andy's wife gave Mimi a start like it had given Andy . She now understood his deer in headlights look when she had mentioned Rosie's fell name . She smiled apologetically even though she knew he'd probably forgotten the moment by now .

Hearing Mimi's story, so similar to his own made him realize he was not alone. Other people were in the same boat . It didn't lessen the pain of his loss but it did help his perspective and strengthened his resolve to stay sober. He gave her a brief rundown of his own sobriety story and then changed the subject. "You said your sons help with the farm, do they live here too?" Andy asked.

"No, but they live very close by, on the grounds but not here at the house. They are all married and have their own families. Cormac gave each of the children a tract of land and the means to build their own homes when they got engaged to their partners. My son Randy and Cormac's son, Devlin live over that hill," she pointed to a hill to their left. "Annie, our daughter and my grandchildren, Mandy and Ryan, live over that hill over there." She pointed to the right. "Mandy and Ryan help with the farm as well. Their school is just beyond here so, they leave home in their farm clothes, take care of their chores and then shower and change into their school clothes here, to go to school. We have a few sheep and one or two cows. Some geese and chickens, a few pigs, and a few horses. It's not as big a farm as some but it keeps us busy," she said in her husky Irish accent.

Andy nodded. "I bet it does," he said.

"Well, I'd better go clean up so I can get to bed at a decent hour or I'll be dragging my wagon in the morning," Mimi said nodding at him. "You enjoy the rest of your supper and I'll bring some pie out for you in a bit, which kind do you like?"

"What kind is available?" He asked with genuine interest.

Mimi smiled saying, "apple, cherry, and custard."

"They all sound good." He debated for a second before deciding, "I think I'll have the cherry, though. Thanks."

After eating his supper including the pie, Andy asked Mimi about a driver to take him to the tourist attractions available in Cork the next day. She gave him a single name, Stephen O'Flannery and his phone number. Andy thanked her and then went to his room to get ready for bed. After securing Stephen for the next day he went to bed and slept through the night.


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