The Rockin' Rodents

Garda O Reilly (O Really?)

They got off at the train station, which only existed because of the quarry. Trains laden with minerals could be seen coming and going from miles around.

"I hope it doesn't rain," said Ari lugging her bass onto her back and helping Johnny to carry an amp between them. They had a two-kilometer walk back to Ballycraicsdown.

They walked down a bad narrow tarmacadam road with potholes big enough to swallow a newborn lamb. All around them hedges and stone walls broke the green fields into an emerald quilt. The clouds darkened above them; threatening to burst. The smell of wet grass and clean air surrounded them and greeted them like an old friend.

They moved up the hill that marked where the Mckeogh family farm started, and as they went over the top, in the distance four figures could be seen walking towards them.

Ari nodded at the four vaguely male figures, as they slowly came closer and more into focus.

"Keogh lads, ten o'clock," she said.

"I hope they're not looking for a scuffle," said Johnny.

"I'll give 'em one, but I'm not in the mood."

The Keogh lads, as the small gang was know all over, consisted of three brothers. The first pair, a pair by nature, were the twins Kieran and Kiernín. Discussing whether the names of the brothers were different, and why their parents had christened them with such similar ones, especially since they were twins, was often the topic of philosophical discussion. Many had whiled away the hours, debating it over a pint on a Saturday night, at Ballycraicsdown's local Pub the Nag's Head.

The eldest third brother was Sean, a black-haired giant of a lad, with a mouth full of cruel comments, and a sharp smirk to follow. He was the ring leader. The smallest at fourteen was Eileen, the brother's tomboy cousin who hung around with them out of sheer boredom.

As the two groups got closer, Ari, Ger, and Johnny put down their gear and walked a couple of steps further in case it did come to a scuffle. Johnny chose to keep his backpack on.

"Well, if it isn't the Queen of Sheba and her pair of eunuchs" Sean opened with his usual hostility, which was normally aimed at Ariana.

He followed his comment as always with a little nervous giggle and a smile that only turned the right-hand side of his lips up.

"What's this? An incest party?" Ger fired back.

"Careful with that mouth on ye, I'll knock it off when Johnny isn't around, and ye can't hide behind him," said Kieran, or maybe it was Kiernín.

Johnny got straight to the point.

"You lads looking for a scuffle then? How's the tooth, Sean?"

Sean bunched his eyebrows like a gorilla at the mention of the chipped tooth that Johnny had given him, which was the reason for his strange smile.

"I'm going to knock out every single one of yours," Sean replied, sliding a metal bar out of his jacket sleeve, the twins likewise produced improvised weapons.

Johnny dropped his rucksack on the ground, unzipped it, and pulled out a Hurley* stick.

"I was wondering when your pig shit for brains would think of fighting dirty," Johnny said tapping the broad flat head of the stick against the flat of his hand.

Suddenly a police car emerged over the hill and stopped behind Ger and the band. A blue-uniformed Garda Siochana* got out and calmly, like a man paid by the hour, approached the two groups to investigate,

"What's all this then, a measuring contest?"

The deep voice of the local Garda Siochana, officer O'Reilly rang out over the peaceful fields as he got closer.

"Garda O'Reilly! We were just welcoming Johnny and his friends back from Dublin," said Eileen with a voice as sweet as pie.

"Is that all?" spoke the Guard eyeing the assortment of vicious weapons Johnny and the Lads carried.

"Just a chat with the lads; Sargent. Are ye off back to the town?" Johnny quickly reassured the Sargent.

"I am Johnny"

"O really?" said Johnny.

"No, it's O'Reilly" replied the police officer, this was a little joke Johnny and he had. Sean rolled his eyes. The big Garda had a strange relationship with Johnny. He was aware that Johnny was probably the source of the weed that flowed in and out of the village along the quarry's logistic routes. He also knew Johnny acted as a buffer to the Keogh lads, whose family had IRA* connections, which in turn made his life a little easier.

"Any chance you could give us a lift back to town? We've got all this gear and it looks like it's going to rain," Ariana

asked.

The bullish police Sargent in his dark blue uniform looked at the potential gang war and decided that although an inappropriate use of Garda resources, maybe just this once it couldn't hurt.

"All right, load your stuff into the car."

He didn't need to say it twice and the band put their stuff into the car. As they were about to leave Johnny blew a kiss to the Keogh lads as Sean stewed in his anger.

"I didn't know you played Hurley, Johnny," said the Sargent as he drove off.

"I don't Sargent."

"O Really?"

"I thought your name was O'Reilly."

The band laughed as they went back home safe, from the Keogh lads for the moment.

Author's notes:

*Hurley is an Irish sport played with a stick that looks like a broad hockey stick.

*In Ireland the police are called Garda Siochana, which is Irish for "Guardians of the peace."

*IRA – Irish Republican Army an Irish paramilitary group.