This Town

Chapter Forty Two

I spent the remainder of 2013 on tour or promoting the release of our documentary "This Is Us". Most of December was spent doing that. I didn't make it back to Mullingar until just a few days before Christmas.

I hadn't heard much from my mother about how Siobhan was doing. I never heard anything about the money I was sending her or how things were already paid for. I hoped it eased her mind a little.

When I got home, it was late and when I drove by her house, it was dark. I was staying at my mum's house again, figuring that there would be slightly less awkwardness for me than if I were at my dad's.

"Mum, I'm home!" I shouted as I walked through the door and was greeted with the smell of her Sunday roast. "Mmmm, smells good."

"Hey, sweetie," I heard her as she walked in from the kitchen. "Thomas will be here shortly, hun." She gave me a tight hug and let me go freshen up.

When I got back downstairs I could hear the familiar sound of Thomas' voice telling some tall tale to my parents. He could hardly get the story out because he was laughing so hard. I walked in and greeted him with a brotherly hug.

"Hey, man, you're coming with us tonight, after dinner, okay." He said, looking at me.

"I am? I just got home. Kinda tired."

"You are! You haven't been inducted into our most recent spectacle."

I laughed, "And what would that be?"

"We like to call it 'The 12 Pubs of Christmas'!"

I laughed at the name of it, "And what does that consist of?"

"What does it sound like, we go to 12 pubs and get sloshed, duh!"

My mother called for us that dinner was ready. Afterward, I begrudgingly pulled on my coat. I didn't want to go because I was tired and knew jetlag would hit me even harder in the morning, but Thomas insisted I participate. I had no doubts it would be fun, was just wanting sleep a little more. By the end of the night, I wished I hadn't caved in and had just stayed home. Regret number six.