Short chapter, but there will be a longer one in the next day or two. I had hoped to have this story done by Friday, but that was not to be. Thanks for those of you who are reading!
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"Graffiti on the wall, just as the sun was going down, I saw graffiti on the wall, For the Celts, For the Celts" Wolfe Tones - Celtic Symphony
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As Shana walked through the streets towards where her grandmother lived, she noted many more differences between Belfast and any city in the United States; the bullet holes visible in the sides of buildings, the establishments that had been bombed and never rebuilt and all over, graffitti proclaiming the certainty and moral correctness of either side. It was still a war zone here. A flame of anger rose in her chest, the terrorists ruled here. No one paid much attention it seemed outside of the island, but this place was a hotbed for terrorists too. Even if they didn't bear the name Cobra, that didn't make it any better! She made a mental note to speak to Hawk about this, maybe the Joe team could do something to shut the terrorists down here too.
She arrived at the number that was her grandmother's and she knocked tentatively. There was a pause, then a white haired, well preserved woman opened the door. She drew in a deep breath and put a hand to her chest, tears immediately springing to her eyes. Shana looked concerned and reached a hand out to her and the older woman immediately grasped it, speaking in a throaty, emotional voice, "Shana. You...You look so much like your mother! Come in, come in!"
Now Shana felt tears springing to her eyes as she followed her into a parlor, sitting on a loveseat with the woman. "Grandma." Not a question, just an acknowledgement of the truth of the matter, more overcome with emotion than she was expecting.
"Oh Shana, you are so lovely, it takes my breath away, you are just like her. Oh dear, it is so wonderful to finally meet you at last." Cathleen had tears running down her cheeks and she touched Shana's hair and face gently, getting to better know her granddaughter.
"I'm sorry, I wish this wasn't our first meeting, I really do." Shana took the woman's hands and held them tightly, "I'd always dreamed of meeting the rest of our family and you. I always wanted grandparents."
"You've always had them dear, even when you didn't know." They squeezed each other's hands and began the process of getting to know each other.
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After two pots of tea and rivers of tears, it seemed like they had known each other much longer. Shana no longer felt this woman was a stranger, but truly her grandmother. She looked through albums of photos and heard amusing stories of her mother as a child. Finally though, she decided to delve into the deeper subjects. "Gramma, do you know why? Why they left and never let us know you? What happened?"
A strong sadness filled Cathleen's eyes, "It's not easy to explain Shana. And an old woman like me isn't the best choice to even try."
She nodded, not bothering to hide her confusion. She spoke, her voice gentle, "Was my mother pregnant?"
Cathleen squeezed her hand and smiled gently, "No, nothing like that. We didn't want your Ma and Da to leave. But it was the best thing for her. She had no choice." Now thoroughly intrigued, Shana waited for her grandmother to continue. "You can speak with Rourke. I'll ring him and you can meet him at the pub outside your hotel tonight, alright?" Shana nodded in reply, impatient to find out what the big secret was. "So, go on, you've told me so much about when you were younger, but not much of you as a woman!"
She smiled, "Well, there's not much I can tell you. I work for the military and much of my work is classified," She saw the other woman purse her lips slightly at that, "but I'm very happy in my work, it feels good to be making a positive change in the world. No husband or children, but I don't have time for that. I'm on the road a lot."
"Are you going to do that for the rest of your life then? What will you do when you leave the military?" Her eyes held motherly concern.
"I'll teach or consult or just enjoy my retirement. I'm not afraid of being alone. Someday maybe I'll be more interested in a quiet life, but for now, I love the excitement." Shana's eyes sparkled with happiness.
Cathleen just watched her for a long moment, then with a sad smile, "You really are just like your mother."
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Shana had stayed for another pot of tea, then begged off for a while to take a nap before her meeting with Rourke. She wasn't sure who he was really, or what answers he would hold for her. Gramma wouldn't tell her anything more than the name Rourke, and she wasn't sure if it was a surname or a first name.
As she drifted off to sleep, still wearing her clothes, she couldn't help but smile, she was like her mother, and her own grandmother had seen it. The familiar pain of loss of a mother she never truly had struck again deeply, and like so many times before, there were tears in her eyes as unconsciousness took her.
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"Graffiti on the wall, just as the sun was going down, I saw graffiti on the wall, For the Celts, For the Celts" Wolfe Tones - Celtic Symphony
-----------------------------------------
As Shana walked through the streets towards where her grandmother lived, she noted many more differences between Belfast and any city in the United States; the bullet holes visible in the sides of buildings, the establishments that had been bombed and never rebuilt and all over, graffitti proclaiming the certainty and moral correctness of either side. It was still a war zone here. A flame of anger rose in her chest, the terrorists ruled here. No one paid much attention it seemed outside of the island, but this place was a hotbed for terrorists too. Even if they didn't bear the name Cobra, that didn't make it any better! She made a mental note to speak to Hawk about this, maybe the Joe team could do something to shut the terrorists down here too.
She arrived at the number that was her grandmother's and she knocked tentatively. There was a pause, then a white haired, well preserved woman opened the door. She drew in a deep breath and put a hand to her chest, tears immediately springing to her eyes. Shana looked concerned and reached a hand out to her and the older woman immediately grasped it, speaking in a throaty, emotional voice, "Shana. You...You look so much like your mother! Come in, come in!"
Now Shana felt tears springing to her eyes as she followed her into a parlor, sitting on a loveseat with the woman. "Grandma." Not a question, just an acknowledgement of the truth of the matter, more overcome with emotion than she was expecting.
"Oh Shana, you are so lovely, it takes my breath away, you are just like her. Oh dear, it is so wonderful to finally meet you at last." Cathleen had tears running down her cheeks and she touched Shana's hair and face gently, getting to better know her granddaughter.
"I'm sorry, I wish this wasn't our first meeting, I really do." Shana took the woman's hands and held them tightly, "I'd always dreamed of meeting the rest of our family and you. I always wanted grandparents."
"You've always had them dear, even when you didn't know." They squeezed each other's hands and began the process of getting to know each other.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After two pots of tea and rivers of tears, it seemed like they had known each other much longer. Shana no longer felt this woman was a stranger, but truly her grandmother. She looked through albums of photos and heard amusing stories of her mother as a child. Finally though, she decided to delve into the deeper subjects. "Gramma, do you know why? Why they left and never let us know you? What happened?"
A strong sadness filled Cathleen's eyes, "It's not easy to explain Shana. And an old woman like me isn't the best choice to even try."
She nodded, not bothering to hide her confusion. She spoke, her voice gentle, "Was my mother pregnant?"
Cathleen squeezed her hand and smiled gently, "No, nothing like that. We didn't want your Ma and Da to leave. But it was the best thing for her. She had no choice." Now thoroughly intrigued, Shana waited for her grandmother to continue. "You can speak with Rourke. I'll ring him and you can meet him at the pub outside your hotel tonight, alright?" Shana nodded in reply, impatient to find out what the big secret was. "So, go on, you've told me so much about when you were younger, but not much of you as a woman!"
She smiled, "Well, there's not much I can tell you. I work for the military and much of my work is classified," She saw the other woman purse her lips slightly at that, "but I'm very happy in my work, it feels good to be making a positive change in the world. No husband or children, but I don't have time for that. I'm on the road a lot."
"Are you going to do that for the rest of your life then? What will you do when you leave the military?" Her eyes held motherly concern.
"I'll teach or consult or just enjoy my retirement. I'm not afraid of being alone. Someday maybe I'll be more interested in a quiet life, but for now, I love the excitement." Shana's eyes sparkled with happiness.
Cathleen just watched her for a long moment, then with a sad smile, "You really are just like your mother."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Shana had stayed for another pot of tea, then begged off for a while to take a nap before her meeting with Rourke. She wasn't sure who he was really, or what answers he would hold for her. Gramma wouldn't tell her anything more than the name Rourke, and she wasn't sure if it was a surname or a first name.
As she drifted off to sleep, still wearing her clothes, she couldn't help but smile, she was like her mother, and her own grandmother had seen it. The familiar pain of loss of a mother she never truly had struck again deeply, and like so many times before, there were tears in her eyes as unconsciousness took her.