"That'll be Audrey,
I'll get it," May says
as she heads
for the front door.
Bill and I stand
to greet Audrey
and her friend
as they enter.
Audrey hugs Bill and May
then reaches out
to shake my hand.
"Hi, it's nice
to finally meet you
in person," I say
as I take her hand.
I am immediately
captivated by her smile,
which is framed by
long, blonde hair.
"The pleasure is mine."
Her friend stands aloof
as she is introduced.
"This is my friend Karen."
"Hello," she says
with a wave to us all.
"Shall we be off, then?"
Audrey asks
in her melodic accent.
"Sure, I'm ready."
"Here's the key
to the front door,"
May says as she places
it in my hand.
"We'll be asleep,
so just come on in.
I'll have the bed
in the guest room
ready for you
with a heating blanket."
"Thanks so much.
I guess I'll see you both
in the morning then."
I hug May,
shake Bill's hand,
then follow my guides
out onto the sidewalk.
"Aren't Bill and May
just lovely?"
Audrey asks.
"Yeah, they are really nice.
I was going to continue on
with my travels
this afternoon,
but May wouldn't hear of it.
She insisted
that I stay with them
at least one night.
I've had a really nice time
with the two of them.
Bill has plenty
of interesting stories
to share."
"Yes, they really are wonderful.
They are almost
like grandparents to me.
Oh, by the way, Todd,
we are going to stop
by my house
for a moment
so I can phone
a few people."
"Okay, that's fine."
“So, Karen, are you
coming along
or will you be off
to Castlebar?"
"I think I'll be going
to Castlebar,
but I'll stop
by the house with you
for a moment."
"Okay."
We round a slight curve
in the sidewalk
where it follows
the roundabout,
then come to the front
of Audrey's house.
It is a two-story house
sandwiched between
the many other buildings
along the street.
"I'll be just a moment
if you'll wait here,"
Audrey says
as we enter the foyer
just inside the front door.
"No problem."
-------
Five minutes later,
we walk back out
onto the sidewalk
to greet Aoife
who has just rung
the doorbell.
"Aoife, this is Todd,"
Audrey introduces us.
"Hello Todd,
it's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine."
I can't help but stare
and admire the beauty
of her short, black hair
and crystal-blue eyes.
"From the States,
are you?"
"Yeah, I'm from Alabama,
which is in the Southeast."
"Oh yes, near Florida
is it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, shall we be off?"
Audrey asks
with her charming smile.
"Sure. Ready when you are,"
I respond.
"Where're we going?"
Aoife asks.
"Shall we try
the pub across the way first?"
"Sounds good."
As we walk
down the sidewalk,
I find myself lost
in enchantment
at the harmony
of these two lovely accents
carrying on a conversation
that sounds nearly musical.
There are bound to be
more than a few
jealous men
at the sight of me
with the likes of these two.
I'm not sure whether
that's a good thing
or a bad thing.
-------
After spending
about thirty minutes
discussing the tortures
of commuting to college,
the music of
the Cranberries,
and why Irish young adults
are so enamored of
the lead singer of Oasis,
we decide to look
for another pub
with more life
and less television.
-------
A short journey
brings us to another pub
just down the street.
We walk in to find
a small gathering
of other people our age
and the girls
nod in agreement
over the loud music.
I scan the scene
to find that the music
is coming from
a lone guitar player
on a stage.
There are several groups
of what must be families
at the booths
around the pub area.
Towards my right,
I see a bar that stretches
into another room
which is apparently
designated solely
for drinking.
I suppose that room
is for those who
want their beers
in relative quiet,
without all the noise
of the lively
pub area.
My observations
are interrupted
as Audrey shouts
a litany of introductions
over the music.
By the time she's done
I remember
none of the names.
Oh well, I'm not likely
to meet any of them again, anyway.
Before I can even strike up
a conversation with anyone,
Aoife appears
and hands me a pint of beer.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"So, where in the States
are you from?"
the guy next to Aoife asks.
Two others now join us
and I become the center
of attention for a while.
At first, this makes me feel
a bit awkward,
but as my second beer
of the night
begins to take effect,
I start to warm up to my role.
By the time
I finish my beer,
I notice that
Audrey and Aoife
are both empty-handed.
Since they each
bought a round,
I guess it's only fair
that I buy one as well.
I'm already feeling
rather tipsy, though.
After all,
these are pints of Irish beer
that I'm drinking
and it has been over a year
since I've even had
so much as a sip.
Lord have mercy.
-------
About halfway through
my third beer of the night,
I realize that the musician
is playing only country music
and that I'm the only person
in the whole pub
who recognizes every song
that he plays.
My bravery now bolstered
by Smithwick's,
I decide to go request
an old Garth Brooks classic
at his next pause.
While I wait
for him to take a break,
I use the time to strike up
a conversation
with Aoife
about the music
and about my plan.
It seems that her three beers
have also had their effect
as she is much more chatty now.
I find myself lost
in the sound of her voice
and decide to delay
the song request
so that I can keep listening
to her plans to visit the States
with Audrey.
Finally, we are interrupted
by a friend of hers,
so I head up to the stage
at the end of
"Should've Been A Cowboy."
"Excuse me," I say
to the man as he tunes
his guitar strings.
"I've been enjoying your playing."
"Thanks.
You like country music?"
"Yeah. I listen
to it often enough."
"You're from the States, eh?"
"Yeah. Alabama."
"Oh, you probably know
most of these songs then,
do you?"
"Yeah. I wanted to ask
if you could play
a song for me?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"'I've Got Friends In Low Places'
by Garth Brooks."
"Sure, I know that one.
Why don't you stay up here
and sing it for me?
You could probably
sing it better than I could
with that Southern accent
of yours."
"No way. I'm a terrible singer.
If I sang, I'd scare everybody
out of here in no time."
"All right then. I still think
it would be better if you sang it,
but I'll let you off of the hook."
"Thanks," I say as I turn
and head back
to the gathering of friends.
Before the song is over,
Audrey hands me another beer.
Lord have mercy.
There's no way.
I hate to insult her
by refusing her generosity, though.
"Hey, don't let me have any more
after this one, okay?
I'm feeling a little floaty."
"Oh, okay, sure thing."
After finishing the song,
the man on the stage
announces the next song with,
"Here's one for the man
from Alabama."
He then begins a song
that I do not recognize.
I wait, listening intently
for the words
so that I will know
why he dedicated it to me.
"I want to go home...
I want to go home."
Embarassed,
I say to those around me,
"What's he talking about?
I don't want to go home."
I bet everyone in this place
thinks I'm a real jerk
after that one.
Thanks for nothing pal.
"Excuse me,"
a girl says to me
from my right side.
"Yes," I say,
turning to face her.
"You know,
you should really
take your hat off."
"How come?"
"Well, because it's
a bit of an insult
to the owner
for you to wear
your hat inside."
"Really?
Everyone wears
their hats indoors
at bars in America.
I didn't know not to."
"Yes, it's part of the customs
here in Ireland."
"Oh, okay,"
I respond
as I take off my hat
and hang it on the rack.
Boy, I really feel stupid now.
-------
By the time Audrey
summons Aoife and I
to go,
I am a bit plastered.
My feeble tolerance
for alcohol
has been far surpassed
by four pints
of Smithwick's.
In fact, it was passed
at one-and-a-half.
I step out
onto the sidewalk,
rather light-footed,
a victim of Irish hospitality.
I follow Audrey and Aoife,
oblivious to the direction.
The deep yellow hue
of the streetlights
washes out all color,
rendering all things
a yellow-tinted greyscale.
The moment is ethereal,
as though I'm moving
in a faded old portrait,
in this old city,
in this still older country.
The magic of the scene
registers heavily
on my numbed senses.
The girls' enchanting accents
echo softly
in the abandoned street.
The cool mist
brushes away the last
of the pub's warmth
as I listen to the music
of their conversation,
focusing more on the sound
than the actual words.
A long pause alerts me
that one of them
has addressed me.
Oh, we're there.
"Goodnight, Todd.
It was a lovely evening,"
Audrey says.
"Yes, thank you so much
for taking me out
and showing me the town.
I enjoyed it."
"It was nice to meet you,"
Aoife pipes in.
"I hope you enjoy
the rest of your trip."
"Thanks.
Have a safe trip home,
both of you,
and God bless."
"Goodbye,"
Audrey says
as she turns to go.
I stand outside the door
and watch them
fade softly away
into the colorless night.
I wonder if I will ever
see either of them again.
Oh well.
I fumble with the key
for a few moments,
then enter the silent house
and try my best
to climb the stairs
without making
too much noise
or knocking anything over.
I remove my boots,
set my glasses on the dresser,
and crawl right into bed
with my clothes still on.
By the time the covers
touch my chin,
I am already fading off
into a deep,
dreamless sleep.