Participles and Portents (81)

All's Quiet, Whether You Like it or Not

They had taken their time with the packing and scrubbing.  Fiona had even managed to recruit the boys to help clean up the grounds a bit.  It wasn't precisely necessary, but she felt like having her hands in the soil and they seemed more comfortably with the outside tasks.  Ian had managed to get his I-pod attached to some speakers and, with this musical accompaniment, they spent the better part of the afternoon making the cottage grounds a far sight better than they had been when Lin had arrived.  It had occurred to Lin to mention this, but she did not have the heart to once she saw them all working together.  The boys might not be much in the way of conversation, but they were communicating in their own way and it seemed to be getting better bit by bit. 

Lin contented herself with scrubbing down the interior.  If her mind started to drift too close to the events of the prior evening or her hand strayed to her pocket where the offending scrap of paper lay in the folds, she just scrubbed harder.  The end result was a far cleaner interior than the landlord was likely to have ever seen on a turnover before.  She studied the results with a tired eye and sore hands as she gripped her tea cup.  It was definitely ready.  She ran through the mental list of things they needed to do.  There was not much.  They would need to say good bye to a few people in the village.  Ian needed to find something for Emma.  Lin had never taken any of the poor girl's calls and was in fact still putting them off, either by turning off the ringer or sending her vague texts.  Still, she expected Emma would meet them at the airport and it would not do for Ian to show up empty handed, particularly after all the silence during the vacation.  She supposed there were gifts that Sean needed to take back.  She had no idea what Fiona might need to bring back, though there were a few people she would like to bring items to herself.  She had just thought she would have more time.  Oh well, if worst came, they could pick items up at the airport.  It was not really the same experience, but the receivers would not know the difference.  All they would know for sure was that they had indeed been remembered, and that was a large part of the point.  She rinsed out her cup and put it on the sideboard.

It was just about time for everyone to clean up if they were going to make it in to the pub for dinner.  She waved to Fiona.  Wiping her brow, Fiona waved back, then began collecting the tools.  She supervised the completion of a few minor tasks and then worked with the boys to arrange the tools properly.  They came in, where she announced them proper messes and set them to cleaning up.

"Did they speak much to you?" Lin asked

"Sean seems to be finding his voice.  But, Ian, no. He gestures quite a bit.  I can't say that I recall him speaking a word as yet.  Though truth be told, I am not sure he really has had to.  Sean always seems to have the words ready for him.  It is kind of uncanny in a way."

"I guess we just wait.  Perhaps Ian just needs more time.  But I am really starting to worry.  I got a good look at the gash on his hand this morning.  I know it was deep and it should have had stitches, yet it was healing well enough to just need a new dressing this morning."

Fiona put her arms around Lin.  "If we have learned anything at all in the last few weeks, it's that there are many things we simply can't explain.  When something is, sometimes it is better to just let it be.  Why don't we just take the healing for a good thing and leave it at that?"

"I guess you're right.  If we pick at it, it might fester - that is what you are saying, right?"

Fiona smiled a bit, "In a less medically colorful way, yes.  I'm glad we have a bit of time before dinner.  I wouldn't want to eat with that visual at the plate."

By the time the two women had cleaned up and dressed, the boys had scrubbed, dressed and relaxed on their beds, looking as if they would be content to stay right there.  They were rousted out with dire threats of moonlight gardening and the foursome set off in a light mood.

The walk to the village was almost fun.  Ian and Sean spent much of it rough-housing.  It felt almost normal and that in itself was a huge relief.  The pub had just started to get busy when they arrived.  Lin was a bit surprised to see the auburn-haired girl behind the bar.  She had never seen anyone but Padraig back there before.  She shrugged. Perhaps she worked a shift now and then.  Still, she had always thought the barkeep rather possessive of the space. 

Padraig came around himself to seat them.  He seemed genuinely pleased to see them and insisted on purchasing their first round on the house.  He brought out a glass of a mellow red wine for Fiona. a pint of Guiness for both Lin and Ian, and a dark soda mixed with cherry juice for Sean.  He beamed at them all, holding his own pint up for a toast to start their dinner.  He was certainly in a fine mood, that much was clear, thought Lin.   She didn't even question his choice of beverages for Ian.  She watched as her elder son spun the glass in his hands as if he were deciding if he should drink it.  Finally he put it to his lips and took a long draft.  He face took on a pleased expression at first but ended in a bit of a grimace as the bite of the stout finished its flavor on the back of his palate.  It seemed the beer had a fifty-fifty chance of being accepted depending on whether the opening flavor was worth the end note. 

They talked over the menu.  Or to be clear, Fiona, Lin and Sean with intermittent comments discussed the menu.  The special was a salmon with a cream-dill sauce over rice served with a side of seasonal vegetables.  There was, of course, Irish stew and seafood chowder (both served with brown bread), and Padraig had put shepherd's pie on the menu for the night as well.  There was steak, if one was willing to pay the price for it as well.  It did not seem that Ian had much interest in anything, so when the time came to order, Lin asked for one of the specials with the sauce on the side.  Ian was practically a chef in his own right, so it was usually best to get any sauces to the side, just in case they needed a bit of something to meet his taste test - or least they fail altogether.  Though she did not expect anything like that coming out of Padraig's kitchen.  As they ate their salads and waited for their meals, they passed the time alternating between broken conversation and watching the crowd grow.  Everytime Lin caught a glimpse of a tall curly-headed man slipping through the doors, she felt herself stiffen.  It was as if she was waiting for Roary to walk in. 

When the plates arrived, they looked and smelled fantastic.  Padraig had surely outdone himself.  There were three specials, for Lin, Ian and Fiona, and a shepherd's pie for Sean.  A fresh basket of warm brown bread and soft butter had been laid on the table and another round of drinks was brought out.  Padraig had resumed his place behind the bar and the lovely auburn-haired girl was now serving the tables.  She asked if they needed anything further and, when they did not, went on her way.  Lin started her meal. It only took a few moments though for her to realize that something was not right.    Ian had held the plate up to his nose and smelled it all the way round, then he had set it down.  Now all he was doing was taking the occasional small sip of his Guiness and playing with his silverware.

"Is everything all right?" Fiona asked.

Ian just looked at her, his big blue eyes signaling distress.  Then he pushed his plate toward her.

"I don't think he is going to eat this, Lin."

Sean pulled the plate out from under his pie dish and scooped some of the steaming potatoes, beef and vegetable concoction on to it.  The first cut into the dish made the dish well up with aromatic gravy. It smelled fabulous.  He passed the dish to Ian.  Ian took the dish and gave it an appraising sniff, then he passed it back to his brother.

"I don't think he likes my pie either."

As Roary stood in the window watching this odd little scene play out, it occurred to him that Ian might just need some very rare beef if  what he suspected was happening was the issue.    He started to go in and then froze.  He could see the look of distress on Lin's face.  His presence would only make it worse.  He worked his way round to the rear door, the one used for kitchen deliveries.  He knocked.  When Padraig answered he seemed geniunely confused, but he let Roary into the kitchen.

"I dinna believe ye have ever ventured here before.  What can I do for ye?"

"I'd like to ask ye to send a very rare steak out to young Ian, my compliments.  An' I'll take a special to go when ye have time," Roary added. 

"I just made young Ian one of me specials," countered Padraig.

"It's a jest between the boy and me, so just do it for me.  It's not like I'm asking ye to do it fer free, I'm willing to pay full price."

"Well, if a fool wants ta be parted with his money, I'm not going to stop him in me pub," smiled Padraig.

He put the meat on, and as he was searing it very rare, it was ready to go in moments.  He added just a few of the seasonal vegetables and a baked potato, then took it out.  "Compliments of a friend, young Ian."

Ian gave the dish a quick sniff and barely remembered to use fork and knife before be tucked in.  He didn't even look up again until the last bit of meat was gone from the plate and the potato had been tucked away.

Fiona and Lin had not even started to eat, they were too busy watching Ian devour his dinner. Lin had never seen him eat a steak that rare before or with that much visceral intent.  Clearly his tastes had changed.  She wondered just what else had changed as well.   She exchanged a long look with Fiona.  Fiona turned to Sean to urge him to finish.  But he was already done.  Apparently Ian's appetite had not fazed him at all.  Padraig stopped by to ask after their meals.  He wasn't quite sure what Lin mumbled, but the gist seemed to be something about getting the check and something to take the leavings with.  Surprised that the specials had not been touched, he waved Megan over to take care of the table and rushed back to the kitchen to check the salmon dish himself.  He didna want to be serving poor food to his customers.

He made it back out in time to make the change for Lin and thank her for coming in.  As she was assuring him that nothing was wrong with the meal, she lost track of her sentence.  She thought she had seen Roary through the window.  She pulled herself back to the conversation, thanking Padraig for his help with the swan and noting what a beautiful girl had been behind the bar earlier.  "Aye, I'd have to agree with ye there, Miss Lin," winked Padraig.  "And as for the wee bird, we got on fine after a bit.  I think I might even come to miss the bird after a bit, so perhaps 'tis I should be thankin' ye for the opportunity to make a new if a bit odd of a friend.  Ye and yer family travel well an try not to ferget us."

"We'll not forget any of you soon," smiled Fiona as she patted Padraig on the hand and ushered the boys out for the short walk home. 

They moved down the lane, passing the bookshop, where Lin's eyes lingered as they passed, her hand reflexively trailing over her pocket where the scrap of paper lay.  She scrunched it hard under her hand and steeled herself a bit harder, quickening her step.