The heart of the Emerald

Chapter Six: The Past

Cal was sat on her bed, in her room, which was her private space, and she was unusually calm about it. It dawned on her for a moment that she had never had a boy in her room before, well apart from Patrick and Michael, but they didn’t count, they were family. Cal was a different breed of boy as well, he was handsome, cheeky and he had a hint of danger she had only glimpsed for a short time. She felt safe with him though which shocked her momentarily.

'Ok, are you going to start or are you waiting for my permission?’ she said
sarcastically, she was full of surprises lately, she wouldn’t have spoken to anyone like that a week ago. There was something about being here in Ennis that raised the person she used to be back to the forefront, and she had to admit she was happy about having a piece of her old self back again, she only hoped it wouldn’t disappear.

Cal chuckled at her and sat up in her bed, ‘someone has popped their sassy pants back on, haven’t they?’ She eyed him, ‘don’t make me hit you as well,’ she digged him in the shin. He laughed again and said, ‘alright, alright don’t hurt me.’ waving his hands out in defence,
Enna chuckled back at this and sat up straighter herself, her feet hanging over the side of the bed, she didn’t feel right sitting comfortably with him on her bed, it felt intimate somehow.

Suddenly there was a loud bang coming from Shannon’s room and what sounded like a fight for a split second before Fran’s voice sounded from what must have been her bedroom door, ‘It’s ok, it's all under control.’ They had both jumped off the bed and Cal was on the landing in no time, he had ripped her door open in seconds, until he heard Fran’s voice, which stopped him in his tracks. He looked back at Enna, who was stood stock still in shock, before walking back towards the bed looking a lot more serious than before. Enna placed her hand on her chest to calm her beating heart and went to stand near the window. Not wanting to be on the bed with Cal anymore. She decided she just wanted answers now, it was all getting too much. She looked to Cal and stated in a more confident voice than she felt inside, 'tell me what you know, now!'

Cal sighed in defeat, 'ok, what do you know about the troubles in Ireland?’ he said as he positioned himself at the top of the bed. Enna was taken aback, this wasn’t what she expected at all, how this had anything to do with her or her family she didn’t know. 'Ermm, I know that Ireland has been ruled by the English since pretty much forever, at least until sometime in the early 20th century when it became a Republic, but that Northern Ireland remained under British rule.’ Cal was nodding, ‘what else?’ he asked. ‘I don’t think that there is much else to know other than most Catholics want Ireland to be one again and that most protestants want it to stay under British rule.’

Cal took a deep breath, ‘is that
everything you know, think Enna, did your nanna never tell you anything else?’ She thought hard but couldn’t think of anything else, she knew that her version was a very watered down version of the history of Ireland, but she couldn’t think of anything else to add that would be that important, especially to her. Not that she understood why any of it was relevant to her anyways. ‘I don’t know what you want me to say Cal, why does this have anything to do with me other than the fact that I am from England and now living in the Republic of Ireland in a 99% Catholic town this doesn’t make any sense.’ she raised her hands in confusion and ran them through her hair. Tucking some fly away strands behind her ear she looked at him and said, 'I really don't understand.'

Cal stood and walked to the window, ‘No, I don’t suppose you would,’ he said leaning against the windowsill.
‘Alright,’ he turned around, ‘what about the stories your nanna told you when you were little,’ he gestured for her to sit down on the side of the bed, ignoring him she replied, 'What? Why are those relevant, they are just fairy stories.’
‘Exactly, fairy stories,’ tell me some of the things she told you, tell me about the
monastery.’ ‘This makes no sense Cal, why do you want to know, what does any of this have to do with the troubles or me for that matter?’ he stood up and walked over to her, dipping his head and making her look into his eyes. He seemed to be searching for something that he couldn’t see.