The Irish House

hometown glory

These aches are killing me. I could barely focus on what Ms. Ital was teaching me in class. "If you mess up the choreography one more time Noreen, I'm going to make sure your place at this school is done for. Again!". What a sick, entitled woman. Everyone works to the bone at this school, and I had to work ten times harder than everyone. I was the second youngest dancer to join the Vere Tas Institute. The teachers always want to talk down on me and say "Vere Tas is the most prestigious ballet school in Canada". That I should be kissing their feet. That's crap! There is no basic care for our dancers, it's all for show. This honorable 'prestige' thing they claim, is my own suffering!

I yell into the grey pillow and slam my hands on the couch cushions. Everybody's always telling me I'm not good enough.

My eye stings as tears start to pour.

What am I doing here? What am I doing here?

Maybe she's right to yell at me. I can't do anything right. I'm a failing dancer, and I'm a nuisance to this place.

I slowly remove my body from the frayed couch and saunter into the bathroom. I stand there, contemplating.

The medicine cupboard above the towel rack is left open, and I grab an orange prescription bottle.

'Kelsey Scott. Xanax'

What a grotesque thing. But heaven sounds like a much nicer place.

_______________________________________

"Excuse me? Sorry, we have arrived at your destination. Had quite a nap back there. I'll help you carry the bags out of the boot." Kelly says, unbuckling her seatbelt.

I stretch my arms, and get my blurry eyes to focus on the outside surroundings. The grass sways towards the sandy beach hidden underneath the descending hill, kissing the blue emerald sea. And facing it, is the house.

Why am I at Adora's house?

I climb out of the car and follow behind Kelly.

"I don't think this is the right place, I thought you were taking me to... some place in Dublin?"

"Oh, the lady on your phone gave me a Cork address. It's two hours away from the city. Did I make a mistake?"

Cork. How could I forget Adora said Cork on the phone. I must have assumed she was saying my parents address in Dublin. I mean, she literally said 'the old bedroom my cousins, and friends from Dublin used to come have sleepovers in'.

Twenty minutes into the drive from the airport, I recognized the city center I had visited with my family on numerous occasions, the bakery where my aunty flirted with the owner, the library, and the Samuel Beckett Bridge.

My hometown glory.

Then it became pitch black, I must have fell asleep. I haven't had sufficient sleep in a long time.

Adora said she would help me come back home to Ireland. She's wasn't sending me to my parents in Dublin, she's letting me stay with her. She knows why I called her, she knows I need her help.

I brush off my confusion to Kelly and lift my bags out, onto the dry grass.

I generously give her 20 euros as a tip, and she's thankful.

Before I turn my back, she says, "you should smile more, you're very beautiful."

I don't return her smile, but I respond coldly, "uh, yeah. Thanks. You should sleep more, you look tired."