She knelt down to pick up the envelope which had dropped on to the doormat and, with trembling hands, ripped it open and unfolded a sheet of paper, smoothing it out on the coffee table she was surprised to see there was nothing written on it; it was just a blank piece of paper. She was about to throw it into the litter bin in disgust when
she was astounded to find copperplate handwriting beginning to appear, the date in the top right hand corner read 1899. Smiling she whispered ‘tis true after all’.



Siobhan O’Leary sat in front of the ancient bevelled dressing table mirror that had once belonged to her grandmother Sheana, dreaming her dreams as young girls do. Siobhan was the last of Tom and Mary O’Leary’s children to leave home. Her two older brothers, Diarmaid and Declan, were both living in Dublin with their wives and families in fine big houses. One was a solicitor and the other an architect. Siobhan had always dreamed of being a teacher and now her wish was coming true. She too was heading for Dublin the following day.
‘Sure I never thought I’d see the day when my baby would leave for to go to the university’ blubbed her mother.
‘Will ye be giving over now Mary or the child won’t be able to leave fast enough’ said Tom, himself with a lump in his throat.
Tom and Mary were proud of all their children but Siobhan had had to fight more battles than most. She’d been a somewhat sickly child; suffering jaundice as a baby, congestion of the lungs as a toddler and had become so thin it was thought at first that she had T.B. but thankfully she hadn’t. Then, she’d had an infection in her ears which had left her partially deaf but, throughout this entire period, she still smiled and giggled her way through life. Now she was going to train as a teacher for deaf children.
‘Come along Siobhan’ cried her mother up the staircase, ‘they’ll be here soon’.
‘Coming mammy’ she replied. Smoothing down the skirt of her brand new dress as she made her way downstairs.
‘Will ya look at her now’ said her granny, who was sitting in the rocking chair in front of the fire ‘sure she reminds me of meself at her age, you look a picture so ya do, come an’ give ya ol’ granny a hug’.
Smiling, Siobhan walked across the room and promptly kissed her granny on the top of her head. All the family, near and extended, with a few townsfolk thrown in for good measure, were getting together to give her a good send off. But truth be known, it was any excuse for a party in the O’Leary household and it wasn’t long before the party was in full swing. She was leaving for Dublin the next day with her brother Declan who had organised her flat for her. Being an architect, Declan had told her about an old lady he had been working for who lived alone in a big old house ‘Mrs Murphy’s a little eccentric’ he had told her,
‘I love eccentric’ she had replied ‘beats boring any day of the week’.
‘But’ he carried on, smiling affectionately at his little sister ‘she’s quite harmless. It was her suggestion that you rent one of her rooms when I told her you were coming up to Dublin, she said you’d be company for her’. After viewing the room Siobhan thought it perfect and now it was going to be her home for the next three years.



‘Oh for some peace and quiet’ said Siobhan as she threw her cases onto the bed, kicking off her shoes she continued. ‘Poor granny, she’s got a right head on her this morning’
‘I know’ said Declan laughing ‘serves her right, and did you see mammies face when she started singing, it was a picture. Anyway, don’t forget that Diarmaid and I are only on the other end of the phone’
‘I won’t’ she, said ‘you get off now, I’ll be fine’
‘Are you sure?
‘Sure I’m sure, besides, I’ve to report to Mrs Murphy for tea and scones at one o’clock, unless you want to come too’ she said mischievously.
‘I get the picture; if you’re ok then, I’ll get back to Niamh and the twins’.
‘Shoo, go on now, I’ll be at yours at the weekend anyway, give my love to Niamh and the boys won’t you’, go on, off you go’.
‘Bye then’ he said giving her a hug ‘don’t forget....’
‘I know’ she interrupted, ‘phone.... end of....’ Smiling Declan left her to her unpacking.



At one o’clock prompt Siobhan knocked on the old ladies parlour door.
‘Come in dear’ she called, Siobhan did as she was bid and was totally surprised; it was as though she had walked back in time. ‘Sit down dear’ said the elderly lady.
‘Thank you Mrs Murphy, can I say what a lovely parlour you have’ she said looking round in awe. ‘Call me Ailis, Mrs Murphy’s so stuffy don’t you think’, do you take sugar?
‘No thank you’ she replied and took the cup from the elderly lady’s shaking hand.
Ailis sat sipping her tea looking at Siobhan over the rim of her glasses. ‘I knew you were coming you know’ she said, ‘didn’t he tell me you would’?
Siobhan knew that she was eccentric, hadn’t Declan told her she was, surely she didn’t believe in the little people, did she? But this statement unnerved her somewhat.
‘Who told you what?’ she asked.
‘Patrick of course’, said the old lady, acting as though she should have known.
‘Patrick ...Who? I don’t understand....’ making to rise she was now regretting having agreed to taking the room. Feeling giddy Siobhan’s head began to swim. ‘What have you done, what did you put in the tea’? She said as she fell back onto the settee.
‘I haven’t put anything in your tea dear, just relax, it’s so much easier when you relax.
‘What i....’ Siobhan was unable to finish her question as she blacked out; I must have been out for ages she thought when she came round. It’s evening already. Peering through half opened eyes in the dimly lit room, she could just make out Ailis talking to some man. Patrick, it must be Patrick she thought her heart beating ten to the dozen. She had no intention of stopping now; as soon as she was able she was off. She would ring Declan to come and pick her up.

Ailis turned to her, ‘Oh, you’re with us again’ she said, ‘this is Patrick, but a clever girl like you would have guessed that’
‘Look, I don’t know what you’re game is, and I don’t want to know but whatever it is you can leave me out of it, I’m leaving’
‘Oh but you can’t’ replied the old lady.
‘Oh yes I can, you just try and stop me’ she said defensively.
‘I think we need to explain’ said Patrick in a gentle voice, ‘you see tis like this’,



Siobhan couldn’t believe what she was hearing, they expected her to believe that the year was 1899 and they needed her help. ‘I don’t know if you expect me to believe that’ she said going to the door, not waiting for further explanations. Opening it she was surprised to see that the hall looked completely different. Running to her room to get her case she found her room
had changed too. Stunned, she couldn’t take everything in. Ailis followed her
upstairs, entered the room and sat on the bed next to her.
‘I know it’s hard to believe’ she said patting her hand, ‘I couldn’t when it happened to me, but your help really is needed or an injustice will happen, and we don’t want that do we?’ she said.
‘But, what can I do, and why me?’ she said mystified.
‘You’ve a family connection. You see, Patrick’s your great great grandfather. Come downstairs dear and listen to what he’s got to say’.


Siobhan now listened spellbound to what Patrick was saying. ‘You descend from a river boat family. My son, who’s your great granda,
has been accused of theft, and sure he’s as honest as the day’s long’ he said with a tremor in his voice. ‘Tisn’t true, I know my son’
‘What can I do?’
‘I don’t know, but we’ve to do something’.

Siobhan now believed the old man and agreed to help. Later that
evening, wrapped in a warm shawl to keep out the cold, Siobhan could be seen walking down a towpath with Patrick, heading towards the family’s houseboat. Before long she knew as much as they did.

‘You say he was charged because a florin was found on board?’ She said incredulously.
‘T’was Billy Maguire who framed him, I’m sure of it’ said Maureen, the youngest of the Maguire children who had been sitting quietly ‘he doesn’t like our Michael, and besides he’s a bad lot.’
‘You can’t accuse someone because he doesn’t like your brother’ said Siobhan sympathetically, ‘we’re going to need proof’.
‘I don’t need proof’ she said as she stormed out ‘I know it was him’.
Rising Patrick went to go after her, ‘leave her be,’ said Maura, Patricks wife. ‘She needs to run it off; she’ll be back when she’s ready’. Looking at her guest she said, ‘sure her tempers quick to rise, but it’s just as quick to fall again’.

Siobhan pondered on Maureen’s outburst, the child knows something she thought, even if she doesn’t know it herself yet. She vowed she would talk to the girl to see what was troubling her.


The next day found the two of them sitting on the riverbank. ‘What made you think it’s Billy’, asked Siobhan
‘Didn’t I see him with something stuffed inside his jacket’
‘Could he have caught a Rabbit’?
‘I suppose so... But why hide it under his jacket’? She’d no need to
ponder this question further because just then Maureen nudged her saying ‘will you look at them, they’re at it again’.
‘Who’s, what?’ she asked curiously.
‘Billy and Maeve look, they’re arguing.’ Following Maureen’s
gaze she thought him quite menacing, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could read their lips.

‘Let go, you’re hurting me,’ said the girl ‘I’ll not be a part of it’
‘I did it for you’ he growled.
‘You did it for yourself Billy Maguire, and that young clerk has died and now it’s a case of murder and I’ll have none of it’. She said trying to free herself.
‘You’ll do as you’re told’ he said as he hit her across the mouth making it bleed. ‘Go to Ma Murphy and tell her to give you the parcel and meet me back here in an hour, or you know what will happen don’tcha’. Leaving her where she fell he walked off.

With some urgency Siobhan gave Maureen instructions to tell her pa to contact the authorities, and why. That done she went to the aid of the injured young woman.



‘You’re my great granddaughter?’ said Michael shaking his head ‘tis hard to believe’.
I know said Siobhan, I think I’ll wake up and find it’s all been a dream’ she said laughing.
‘I’ll write to you’ said Patrick reading her thoughts as he handed her a glass ‘here drink this’.
‘Oh, I shouldn’t have drunk that Poteen ‘she said closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning.
‘Are you alright dear?’ said a familiar voice, ‘you look quite pale’.
Opening her eyes she saw that the voice belonged to Ailis. Rising she went into the hall; it was the same as before. Taking in her surroundings she spotted the postman’s figure through the front door posting a letter through the letterbox, ‘she knelt down to pick up the envelope.’....

Good story Adele, I was enthralled by it and all your interesting characters too. I really like the idea of being able to go back and change the past - if only we could! Good luck in the competition, a great interpretation of the theme.

Ann

WOW Addy, what a fabby story!!!!

It's so difficult to think of a theme that hasn't been done before and this is one of them!!! Excellent!!

LOTS OF LOVE SUE

Hi Adele and this is a great story, and enjoyed it very much. I too love the way it goes back in time and the twist and turns. Wonderful and good luck in the competition.

Gypsy

A great tale indeed!

Got hooked on this Adele...

very very readable.

Well done!

Thomas.

Marvellously entertaining ! Sent little shivery things tingling down the spine! And not touched a drop of poteen either! Ioloa

My friend you are sure some story writer you certainly had me transfixed from the start to the finish. Love to read your wonderful stories and I love history its my favourite subject. To go back in time would be wonderful. But where would I go so much interest in all centuries. Perhaps should get a tardis my friend. Keep writing its brillient reading my friend and good luck in the comp. your friend always freedom xxxxx

A treat to read Adele,kept me enthralled throughout...A fantastic storyline,well done you,good luck in the comp.,
Lorraine xx

Another entertaining read from the pen of Adele!
Loved it and I especially like the way you use dialect for speech. It's very clever and not easy to do properly or consistently!
Good luck!

Hi Adele


Well done winning first place in this months short story competition. Thank you for your entry.

Maggie