THE INHERITANCE - part eleven

THE INHERITANCE – part eleven ………

Welcome home

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Kate Sullivan inherited the house that once belonged to her great-grandmother. The old stone house sat on the edge of a ten-acre plat of land in Aughacasla, Ireland. Many weeks ago, she’d never heard of the small town and now, she owned a piece of it.

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Kate awoke at six the following morning, sat in her comfortable bed, and stretched with satisfaction. “Oh, grandmother, I never felt so refreshed and rested. Having you here, and in our home has done wonders for me. I don’t know how I can ever thank you; I just hope I can make you proud.”

She made the bed, then headed for the bathroom and again was filled with awe. “Huh! You’d think after almost an entire week in this glorious cottage, I’d be used to some of its magic!”

“Shower on, eighty-eight degrees.” The water spurted on.

Showered and dressed, Kate decided to try the electricity and plugged in her hair blower. Nothing happened. “Okay, not a problem. I’m sure Grandmother never had one of these so this can wait.” She ruffled her fingers through her auburn hair and walked down to the kitchen.

She added wood to the stove and made some tea. As she sat at the table, she read some more of her grandmother’s journal. “Wow, this is interesting. Grandmother? Two questions, please. Every time I ask you something and you seem to answer in the positive, the cross you left for me with Shevy vibrates. Is this your way of saying yes?” The cross vibrated. “Second question. Your journal says I have the capability of spelling. Can I also spell the house? Wait, let me rephrase that. I don’t want all magic. I want to be able to do things on my own but if I’m desperate, can I spell something?” She felt a slight vibration in her cross. “I’ll take that as a possibility only. If I’m truly desperate and can’t find another way, I can spell. Is that right?” The cross vibrated once again.

She considered spelling some electricity so she could dry her hair then thought again. “Nah, not worth it. I can wait.” Her cross vibrated as if in satisfaction.

Since Kate had awoken early and didn’t need to be at the banker’s office until ten, she thought about seeking out the power company to turn on the electric, then find a plumber to run pipes to the kitchen. Then, she thought again and smiled. “Not yet! Bridget first.”

She thought about reading more of her grandmother’s journal but decided, for the next few days, to put it back in the trunk where she found it. “For safe keeping, right Grandmother?”

Deciding she was hungry but too anxious to cook for herself, she opted to drive to town and visit the pub her friend, Terry, told her about.

“Whoa! Friend? When did that happen?” She smiled again and realized that Terry was more than just her banker. Yes, he and his wife Annie had quickly become friends. “Oh, Grandmother, how I do love this little town. Thank you for bringing me here.” Her little cross vibrated.

She found a parking spot a few doors down from the pub and parked. To her mind, it was too early for this much activity in such a small town but, here she was, like so many others, heading to Paddy’s Pub for breakfast. She had just taken two steps inside when she heard a familiar voice and her name being called.

“Kate! Kate! Over here!” She followed the voice and saw Mo’s hand frantically waving to catch her attention.

As Kate approached the table, Mo said, “I’ve escaped for a few hours. Decided to give myself a break and enjoy a quiet breakfast at Paddy’s. Please join me.”

Kate laughed, looked around and almost had to shout, “You call this quiet? Mo! It’s like a Saturday night in New York. Okay, so New York might be much wilder, but still, I never would have imagined such a crowd for breakfast in the middle of the week. Are you sure you’re really escaping?”

It was Mo’s turn to laugh. “Escaping feeding the hoard of men in my family is always an escape and Paddy’s has the best food, so people flock here. Normally, I’d recommend the full Irish breakfast but I’ve a feeling you don’t eat that much. I know I can’t, so in that case, ham, eggs, toast, your choice of tea or coffee. How does that sound?”

“Lovely and delicious. I’ve an appointment with Terry at ten so eating light and quick, for me is the way to go.”

A sixty-something, man with a stained, once-white apron approached. “Hi, Mo! More tea and who’s your friend?”

“Paddy, this is Kate Sullivan. She’s Kathleen’s great granddaughter and has moved into the cottage.”

“Well now, I should have known. My mam had pictures of Kathleen and you’re the spittin’ image. Welcome to Aughacasla.”

Kate smiled as she realized this wasn’t just another town in Ireland. This was indeed her home. She placed her order, looked at Mo and said, “Mo, you’ll never guess who visited me yesterday.”

She relayed the events, leaving nothing out. Mo’s eyes widened in shock. “She didn’t! Well, of course she did, or you wouldn’t be saying she did. She’s got some nerve! But don’t you worry. Kathleen would never allow her in your home. Not after, well, not after she left.”

“Mo, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Kate, have you read Kathleen’s journal?”

“I started it but didn’t delve into it too much yet. From what I’ve read, it’s about spelling and potions.”

“Oh, I see, then you only found that one. You haven’t found her actual journal yet. Keep searching for it. It’ll explain much more about your grandmother than any one of us can.”

After they’d finished their meal, Mo drove back to her house and Kate decided to walk the two blocks to the banker’s office where she would once again confront her cousin.

Terry had suggested that she arrive a bit later than ten. “Come about fifteen minutes later. It will not only aggravate her, but it might make her think she’s won the war without the battle. We’ll be ready and we will win!”

Without thinking, she reached for her little gold cross. “Grandmother, I’m turning into a basket of nerves. I think I might need your help.”

Her cross felt as though it was trying to pound itself into her skin.