Paper and Silk
Turning to look in the direction of Sean's gaze, she was forced to shield her eyes. The sun was a blaze of pure light. She could not understand how he could bear to look directly at its strong rays. Peering into the light she could see nothing else, just the intense beaming whiteness. She glanced at her mother and Ian; they too looked perplexed. Sean, on the other hand, seemed caught in a vision. He stood that way, transfixed, until a cloud passed through the shaft of light and he blinked rapidly. Then he shook his head, like a dog shaking off water after a bath. Smiling, he hugged his mom.
" You will never guess what I found, Ma," he said. Then he held out his hand and revealed a small yet intricately wrought broach. It was crusted over with salt and sand, but the parts that were not covered seemed lit from within, a beautiful silver piece. "I think it has been there for a long time," he said.
"It certainly was in a strange place," remarked his Nana. "Why don't we take it back to the cottage and see what it looks like with the grit cleaned off of it?"
They walked together then, alternately looking at the piece, back to the cottage. No one mentioned the strange look that had come over Sean's face, though Ian kept looking at him in a contemplative way. When they got back to the cottage, Nana boiled water. They used the piping hot water first for tea, then as it cooled, pored it slowly over the piece, watching in awe as the crust melted away revealing the finely crafted jewelry beneath. It was an amazing work of craftsmanship. Lin had never seen anything quite like it before, so delicate, yet somehow expressing pure strength at the same time. It was so unique. It depicted three swans' wings out-stretched and wrapped around each other, the necks all intertwined. It looked as if they were dancing in flight. Each swan bore a single jewel where its eye would be, a deep amber, a crimson stone and one that was close to jet black. No one was certain what the jewels were, but everyone thought they were real.
"We will have to see if anyone has reported missing something like this," said Lin. A collective grunt of agreement was made. Everyone knew it was the right thing to do. Though, of course, no one wanted to give up the lovely treasure. "But, until and unless it is claimed, Sean, I think you have found a bit of Irish treasure," she added with a smile, hugging her youngest. He beamed, picking up the pin and turned to her. "Love you, Ma," he said as he pinned it to her jacket. She felt herself starting to tear up, so gathered him close for a monster hug and rifled his hair. "Love you more," she said.
To break the somber mood, she suggested that they head into the village for dinner. The weather was fine and the walk easy. They had plenty of time to wander before it would be time to eat. She took them to meet a few of the merchants she had come to know. At the pub, they settled in over a cup of tea with a couple of locals and the proprietor. The boys grew restless, so she told them to meet back at the pub in half an hour for their meal and let them go out to wander the rest of the village. If she had thought about it, she would have kept them by her side. But, it was just so pleasant sharing the local banter with her mom, that it did not occur to her that the boys might run into Roary.
Ian locked onto the antique book shop as if he had radar. He had seen it earlier, but his mom had just walked past it. He thought that was unusual. She was always taking them into old book stores back home, so it was odd that she would skip a chance to drag them into one here in Ireland. He opened the door to the tinkle of chimes and the smell of old volumes. "Yes, this is the real thing," he thought. Sean burst in behind him, a bundle of energy. He loved these old places; there was always something to find in the stacks. He was off on another treasure hunt and hidden from view before the owner could come out from the back.
Roary emerged from the back, clutching a cup of tea. He had not had many customers that day and had been deeply immersed in a bit of research when he heard the bells ring. Irrationally, he had thought it would be Lin, and he was disappointed to see the strange young man standing in the door. Tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed, he seemed to be almost expectantly waiting for him to approach.
"Might I be of service?" asked Roary.
"I hope so," responded Ian, before he launched into a lengthy description of his current project. By the time he had described what he was working on and what he was looking for, Roary was fully engrossed. They began to wander the stacks. Every few feet Roary would pull out a volume and they would discuss it. Eventually Ian had so many in his arms that they had to go up to the counter and set a few down. It was there that Ian noticed the time. It was well past the half hour his mother had given him. He called to Sean, but got no answer. Hopefully his brother had already gone to the pub. At least only one of them would be in the dog house tonight. He asked Roary to ring up his purchases. As he did so, Ian noticed an amber colored scarf draped on the edge of the desk. He picked it up. It was a long silk piece, perfect for draping around a collar the way his mom often wore them. Perhaps he could get himself out of the hole after all.
"How much is this?" he asked.
Roary looked shocked. "That?"
"Yes, you see, I just got in to see my Mom today. We have had an odd day, with my brother trying to fall into the sea earlier. And now I am quite late for dinner at the pub. I think she might just like this enough to let me off the hook," Ian said with a lop-sided smile.
It dawned on Roary then that Ian was Lin's boy. His mind raced. What did it mean that his brother had almost fallen into the sea? Was he too late to warn her about keeping the boys away from the coast? Perhaps not. It did not seem like it, not if the boy was still okay.
"So, how much?" said Ian.
"Seeing as its your first night and you have made yourself late scrumming around with me, you can have the silk for your Ma," said Roary. He wrapped it in a bit of brown paper and tied it quickly. Ian handed over the price of his purchase.
"I hope we will get to spend more time together," said Ian. "It is not often I find people who really get what I do. And I like your shop."
"You are welcome anytime," said Roary as he saw Ian to the door.
Carrying his packages Ian pondered his visit to the shop. It was a great find. He put the packet with the silk into his pocket. Opening the door to the pub he whispered a quick little prayer that his Ma would like the silk enough to let his late arrival slide.
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