The Luck of the Irish [ON HOLD]

Chapter 1

"Colleen!" I dropped the garden hoe as I was startled to hear my father calling me. " Come say goody bye to Seamus sweetie!" Seamus was quite a character. I never liked him, apart from the fact that we do not know his last name, he's a total creep. He's a 40 year old man who has red hair and is about 5'9. He was in the process of buying my father, mother and I tickets to catch a boat to America. Oh how I love to day dream of the riches and wonders that await us there.

"Goodbye Mr. Seamus." He gave me a wide smile exposing his pearly white teeth. " Why thank you, and Brian, I will pass by two days from now to pick up the money." With that, he left, but not before letting his eyes roam over me...creep. Brian was my father. My family, the McCarthy's own a potato farm here in Carlingford. There is an air born fungus that is affecting our potatoes.

My father and mother say that we should consider ourselves lucky that not all of our potatoes are infected. Atleast we generate some money from our good crops to pay for this trip over sea.

Night came and I was in charge of making my mother, Alanah, soup. She recently got awfully sick so I have been tending to her ever since. Her side of the family, the O' Brien's all have the same body build. I inherited almost everything from her, my small nose, my blond hair and my slender body with the slightest of curves, and my height from my father. I stand at a towering 5'8 and I'm only 16 years old. Some would say we are exact replicas. My father on the other hand has a strong build, red hair, has pale skin and stands at 6'1

I was lighting candles in the bathroom to prepare a bath when I heard my parents mumbling about something. "-I don't know Alanah people 'round here telling me that what Seamus has me paying is absurd. They say that they paid about 300 less than what I have to pay, and he's coming on Monday to pick 200 more up. The mathematics doesn't add up Alanah."

"Brian honey, I told you to hire somebody you know and trust for the matter. We do not even know his last name! You tend to act on impulse-" My mother was cut off my a coughing spell. I cracked the door open to see what was going on, and I saw my father setting her down on the couch. He held the kerosene lamp to her face. My mother, once an attractive woman, looks like a washed out sack of flour. My father though, never stopped telling her how beautiful she was.

"Now now, settle down Alanah, no need to get worked up about this, especially not in your condition."

"Brian I'm fine. Colleen nor I ever liked Seamus. If you would just listen-"

My mother tried to stand but her knees buckled. My father went over to catch her but she shooed his helping hand away.

"Brian! I'm fine I can handle this on my own!" "Sweetie who are ya foolin'? You do not need to act like the strong woman you are at this state of health. Let me help you, will ya? I'll get Colleen to make you potato soup.."

I took that as my cue to begin my bath and finish as quick as possible. One hour later, the soup was done. I handed it over to my mother, while my father was deep in thought, calculating the money once more instead of eating soup. I did not eat any either since I was not fond of soup. My mother began eating and 5 bites later, she choked and collapsed. I and my father were shocked of this sudden action. She had a paled look on her once beautiful face. Not one doctor in Carlingford knew what she had.

My father checked her pulse to see if she was breathing, when he looked up at me, I knew it wasn't good.