Chapter 34 - Parties and More Mom, where are you going for your honeymoon? A friend had asked Katie that question during the earlier part of the day and she was shocked when she couldn t answer it. With all the discussion of wedding plans it never occurred to Katie that she never discussed honeymoons with her mother. We are going to Lake Como for the first week. Then we are flying to Paris where we will stay at the President s house at the Sorbonne for a week. The President is a friend of Peadar and he prevailed on us to use his house. The President is coming to the wedding and will be travelling that entire week. He offered his house and chauffer driven car so that Peadar could show me Paris. It is his wedding gift to us. Where are you going? We are going to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for a week. I can t believe that we haven t talked about it. Katie, there has been so much happening since the shower in Leveegee last week. We were going to Lake Como and then travel to Venice and Florence in the second week but this opportunity only came up last week. I understand that Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, especially in the fall, so it was an opportunity that we couldn t pass up. This is the stuff that scares me, mom. We have been so absorbed in plans that we are forgetting that there is a life after the wedding. I never wanted that to happen. Shane and I spent six months planning a life long marriage and now we are starting to trip over the wedding, the very thing that is supposed to get us there. Fr. O Malley keeps warning us about that. He says that a marriage certificate is merely a learner s permit. I can easily buy into that. Being a wife was so different for me, I feel like I am starting over. I know mom, we are all in the same boat. I have never been a wife and I am almost afraid of what that means. I ll tell you one thing that it means. It means that we won t have to be alone anymore and the person with whom we share togetherness loves us at least as much as we love him. It means that we can take all of this nonsense, which I am learning to love, and keep it in perspective. It means that we can run into strong arms that wrap around us and lose ourselves in the love of another person until it all makes sense again. It means we no longer have to carry burdens by ourselves. We have someone to share them with. It means we can make mistakes and still be excused.
Katie hugged her mom. I always knew you were a wise woman. I just forgot how much I need that wisdom. I can continue like we are now, but I m not so sure I was such a great girlfriend. Well you couldn t have been that bad because the last Celtic god left in this world wants to spend the rest of his life with you. I just feel bad that I let myself get so distracted with me that I wasn t paying enough attention to you. Don t beat yourself up, Katie. Just get over this. Without your attention to me, I might be dead if those thugs came back when I was in the house alone. Without your attention to me I never would have regained the confidence to get on with my life. Without you taking me in as you did, this whole new world that I am discovering never would have happened. You opened a door for me and I walked straight into the arms of one of the most wonderful men alive. Because of you, I have what few people ever get in life, a second chance at happiness and being so close to you is a big part of that happiness. And the very opportunity to be with you, to share some of your life, to be even a small part of your great adventures, makes me so proud that you are my daughter. We just forgot to talk about something that is only relatively important. It used to be a joke and I deliberately played into it when I spoke of my daughter the professor, or my daughter the doctor. Part of my total happiness now is to be able to say, Kathryn O Bierne is my daughter. The important thing is that we are here for each other and we always will be even if we forget something along the way. Wow, I needed that mom. Thank you. One of the things that Fr. O Malley told us is that we have to master the art of forgiveness and he said it takes a lifetime, not to forgive someone else, but to learn to forgive yourself. I always asked Shane for a firm purpose of amendment. Now I feel I owe you one. Just as long as you don t drive yourself crazy over it. Oh, and Fr. O Malley says that a marriage certificate is a learner s permit? Count on it, he is right. But, he has prepared you to face every test. Just look at the tests you have already come through, and the recent ones together with Shane and me. Believe me, you are ready. Well, I hope that I don t have to wait to get my arse kicked again before we have another one of these mother/daughter talks. Angela laughed. You never needed a kick, Katie, just an occasional attitude adjustment. Just pay attention to how good you really are. Katie went across the room to hug her mom. I am so blessed to have you for my mother.
Katie had to do some food shopping and as she walked out of the building she thought, when did my mother get to be so smart. Dummy, I always knew she was a lot smarter than I am. On Saturday, Shane drove Angela and Katie over to Salt Hill. He had planned to rescue Peadar from the hen party by bringing him back with him to Rosseville to hang out in the Lantern for the duration. As they pulled up, Shane parked the Lantern van just opposite the front door. He sprung up the stairs and opened the door and led Peadar into the dining room. Shane held the door for Peadar and the house rocked with the tumultuous shout of Surprise. Peadar stopped dead in his tracks not knowing what happened. Standing there with big grins on their faces were all of his friends and colleagues on the faculty. He immediately picked out Sean, Dr, Nolan, McIlroy and the sixty of so others that were in the room. Shane said to him, welcome to a surprise bachelor party for Dr. Peador McDermott from the many who value your friendship. The guys stepped forward and shook his hand and hugged him, all laughing at the silly look of wonder still on his face. He was caught totally by surprise and he needed a moment to grasp it all. His friends were throwing a party for him. That is not the way it works. Back in the day he threw all the parties for them. His world was suddenly upside down. Somebody put a pint in his hand and suddenly the party started. Seamus O Byrne led the singing, I ve been a wild rover for many a year, and I spent all my money on whiskey and beer All sipped at their pints, singing with gusto. Moving right into the next song, I m a rambler, I m a gambler, I m a long way from home And if you don t like me, just leave me alone I ll eat when I hungry and drink when I m dry And if moonshine don t kill me, I ll drink to I die. We are on the one road Sharing the one load We re on the road to God knows where. We re together now, who cares
After several more songs and choruses the group was really warmed up. Sean signaled over to Seamus and brought the group to order. He started a little speech. Peadar, we your friends from the University have been with you in the good times and the hard times. It is truly wonderful that the good times are coming back again and we want to be with you again to celebrate these great new times. Right back to singing And moving right into God save Ireland said the heroes God save Ireland said they all Either from the scaffold high Or on the battlefield we die. Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen to glen and down the mountainside Every man in the room put their heart and soul into it and Peadar was surrounded by the sixty greatest Irish tenors one of whom was himself. More than an hour went by and Seamus took a well deserved break. Waiters rolled in tables laden with food, soda bread, brown bread, rye bread, cold cuts, roast beef, ham, turkey, and different kinds of Irish cheeses. There were a variety of salads, cold shrimp and chilled lobster, potato salad and pasta salad. The men filled their plates and went back to the tables that had been set up for them. The sound of conversation rose to a deafening pitch, punctuated by rollicking laughter. After everyone had eaten their fill, the waiters came and took the leftover food away. Sean introduced a comedian who started to tell a string of marriage jokes.. Did you hear the story of Paddy Murphy. Well poor Paddy after a little too much drink taken began to abuse his horse. The horse did what any self respecting horse would do, He kicked Paddy in the head and killed him dead. At the wake, there were a lot of women lining up to enter the house where poor Paddy was laid out. Fr. O Brien mentioned to the grieving widow Murphy that he didn t know Paddy knew so many women. The widow shot back, They re not here for the wake, Father. They re signing up to rent the horse. A good story well told. Everybody laughed heartily. The same Fr. O Brien noticed Mary McLaughlin teary eyed at Mass on Sunday. After Mass he asks her if everything is alright. She tells him that her dear husband died
suddenly during the night. Fr. lamented the poor woman s sorrow and asked if he had any last words. Indeed he did, Father. Ah, and what were they. Mary, put down that damn gun. The man was entertaining and funny and the jokes went on for a half hour. After the comedian, waiters wheeled in a large sheet cake labeled, Congratulations Peadar and Angela. Together with urns of coffee. Peadar cut the cake to the applause of the group. They talked and mingled. Finally, Peadar tapped an empty class with his fork and asked for attention. I would have wanted to be eloquent but you have taken the wind out of my sails. I can say, from the bottom of my heart that I hope I have been as good a friend to each of you as you have been to me over these many years of both sadness and gladness. I know I was quite self absorbed for some years after Siobhan s death. For me, there is a new life ahead of me, and one that each of you will continue to share with me. Angela is a new light in my life and because of her I have come back in touch with reality. I am the most fortunate of men. I have another chance at happiness. If I could have a wish for each one of you is that it is that you experience the joy that I have as I approach marriage. Thank you for this afternoon. I will treasure the memory of it for the rest of my life just as I treasure your friendship for the rest of my life. Everyone applauded and came up and hugged him, patted his back, shook his hand, anything to let him know of the good wishes and affection they had for him. Seamus sang And if I ve hurt for want of wit To memory now I can t recall Oh lift with me the parting glass Good night and joy be with you all As they were walking out to the outside bar, Peadar nabbed Sean. You magnificent bastard, you did something that I never expected and I am so thankful. I wish I could express my appreciation. Peadar, it was my duty as groomsman but you should know if I didn t do this, these guys would have hung me from that rafter up there. These guys really love you. You are a lucky man. I know, I never thought I would ever deserve such good fortune.
Peadar, you ve earned the love. Fortune comes with that. They had to move out because the wait staff was preparing the dining room. For the evening rush of diners. Shane sipped iced tea throughout the party, knowing that he had a precious cargo that he had to bring back to Angela. Neither Angela nor Katie was aware of this alternate party. Sean did not want to take a chance on spoiling the surprise. Shane pulled the van into Peadar s circular driveway. They walked into the party just as it was starting to break up. This was the crowd of Katie s friends that wanted to do something for Angela. Except for the Fitzgerald s group, Angela did not know any of them. Peadar provided a great table served by the cook and housekeeper, elegant wines served by his butler. Angela was absolutely charming and took advantage of being the center of attention. Katie admired her confidence. Katie s friends just loved Angela and enthusiastically welcomed her into their group of wonderful, irreverent, raunchy, sweet, affectionate and loving women. They were a great group and they had a great time and their leader was Maeve, the druid witch. Katie was wondering how they spent the afternoon. We just hung out with about sixty of Peadar s closest friends and had a helluva a party at the Lantern. Sean and I planned and pulled off a total surprise. It was a wonderful afternoon. There was plenty of drink taken, Seamus played the piano and we sang our heads off. We had a delicious Lantern spread and a cake. We had a funny comedian who told jokes that I would never repeat. Everyone made a big fuss over Peadar and he loved it. He gave a very heartfelt speech of thanks. Meanwhile, all of Katie s friends had surrounded Peadar and made a big fuss over him just like the ladies did at Leveegee. Angela drifted into the crowd to rescue him but with the good craic of the afternoon, an abundance of wine, and the dark brown brew taken, Peadar was as much in his element as he was on a speaker s rostrum. Peadar didn t need nor did he want to be rescued. To be continued