17 August 2024 @ 08:22 pm
LJ Idol Mini Season, The path is made by walking.  
Assumpta Duncannon sat on the edge of her bed, in her trembling hand she held the last letter from her brother, Fergal, who had recently passed away. He had left a number of keepsakes to her from their childhood which brought back tears and also some chuckles as she looked through them.

Some old photographs of the three of them, Fergal, herself and the third wheel, their little sister, Orla, arms around each other, huge grins on their faces after some escapade that Fergal was always the ringleader of.

Tears welled up as she looked at the three of them, they had been so close, defending each other at school, always having so much fun together they hardly needed any friends, though they had had many back then.

''Oh, where did it all go wrong?'' she whispered sadly, stroking the faces on the sepia photo.

//
''Orla! Where are ye at woman, I'm waiting for ye, it's late we'll be!''

Orla gazed down at the three little faces on the photo and clutched at the letter in her hand.

''Me darlin' Orla, me little sister, there are no words to tell ye how much you have meant to me and how you have filled me life with such joy over the years. Now it's time to bid ye farewell until we meet again, I hope later rather than sooner eh?''

Orla chuckled despite herself-Fergal's Irish banter was legendary.

''Anyway darlin' girl, there is only one stain upon that joy, and you know what that is, your feud with Assumpta, I always wished for us three muskateers to be together again, alas 'twas not to be in my lifetime. I hope that one day you two will come together again. My last wish is that you go sit on our favourite bench overlooking the sea, you know the one and just think on what I have said, don't wait until it is too late. Now I have to leave ye, but I'm always around, keeping me eye on ye, so don't get pinching the neighbours apples again ok? Love you forever little Orla , goodnight for now''

Though heartbroken, Orla laughed at the memory of her scaling next door's apple tree and stealing every single apple for her Mammy to make apple pies, her favourite.

Sighing, she went downstairs to where her husband Declan was waiting, dressed sombrely as befitting the occasion.

''Do we have time for a short detour Dec'', she asked .

''We do if we leave now '' he took her hand and led her to the car.

//

Michael Duncannon sounded the horn again, he was a patient man, but where was she?
Just then he saw her coming down the path, his heart went out to her, her brother had meant the world to her, he knew, though she could be a fusspot, he knew she felt things deeply.

''Michael, I have to make a short stop on the way to the church, Fergal's wishes'', her eyes welled up again and Michael kindly said , ''Ok me darlin' we can do that for Fergal, grand lad so he was''.

He squeezed her hand and drove away.

Orla sat looking at the sea, this was a favourite spot where she and Fergal used to put the world to rights over a flask of tea and home-made cake. It was still and peaceful as always, she could hear Fergal talking as if he were next to her, she could feel him next to her, feel his hand in hers. She opened her eyes to leave and nearly fell off the bench, someone was sitting next to her holding her hand, but not Fergal- Assumpta!

Tears in their eyes, they didn't speak, both holding their treasured letters, identically worded, then as they walked arm in arm back to where their shocked husbands were waiting, they looked back at the bench and the inscription on it, ''The path is made by walking'' as they took their first steps.
 
 
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erulissedances[personal profile] erulissedances on August 17th, 2024 08:31 pm (UTC)
This one left me in tears. Very well done!

- Erulisse (one L)
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bleodswean[personal profile] bleodswean on August 17th, 2024 08:59 pm (UTC)
I like this twist. He's bringing them back together again!
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static_abyss[personal profile] static_abyss on August 18th, 2024 12:04 am (UTC)
Ugh, siblings relationships always get me right in my heart. I'm so glad that the sisters got together at the end.
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tonithegreat[personal profile] tonithegreat on August 18th, 2024 01:03 am (UTC)
Sibling drama, heartwarming brought in for a landing! I wouldn’t have thought to take the prompt this way, but it totally works!
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Dan[personal profile] muchtooarrogant on August 18th, 2024 02:38 am (UTC)
A very thoughtful gesture from their brother, reuniting them again.

Dan
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roina_arwen[personal profile] roina_arwen on August 18th, 2024 05:01 am (UTC)
It's sweet that Fergal reunited them as his last wish.
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fausts_dream[personal profile] fausts_dream on August 18th, 2024 12:20 pm (UTC)
Very impactful at this length. Degree of difficulty 9 of 10, Power is right up there too. Dialect can overwhelm an entry, but is deployed just right here.

Congrats.
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autumn_wind[personal profile] autumn_wind on August 20th, 2024 10:34 am (UTC)
Thank you kindly, I so appreciate your taking the time to read and comment on my writing, it means very much to me.I am glad you enjoyed the dialect LOL, HAVE A GREAT DAY XX
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swirlsofpurple[personal profile] swirlsofpurple on August 18th, 2024 01:57 pm (UTC)
Sorrowful and yet infused with joy. Beautiful.
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murielle[personal profile] murielle on August 18th, 2024 04:42 pm (UTC)
Oh. This is lovely. But you made me cry. 😊
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mollywheezy[personal profile] mollywheezy on August 18th, 2024 08:38 pm (UTC)
This moved me to tears! Beautifully done!
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adoptedwriter[personal profile] adoptedwriter on August 18th, 2024 11:33 pm (UTC)
Oh my! Bittersweet and beautiful! I love the dialect in this.
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inkstainedfingertips[personal profile] inkstainedfingertips on August 19th, 2024 04:03 pm (UTC)
This is beautiful. You managed to convey a ton of emotion and develop the relationship so clearly in such a short piece. Beautiful.
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halfshellvenus[personal profile] halfshellvenus on August 19th, 2024 11:04 pm (UTC)
Lovely sense of place in this.

I'm glad the two sisters mended their feud. That was a final kindness their brother did for them.
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rayaso[personal profile] rayaso on August 21st, 2024 01:32 pm (UTC)
I loved that in the end, this was a story about reunion as well as loss. Their brother did a wonderful thing.
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