Superstars: Irish Courage

Irish Courage - Chapter 4

Alice pushed back her plate with a content sigh, that was by far the best breakfast

She had eaten since she left Ireland.  She gently placed her knife and fork down onto her plate and got up from her seat as she started to make her way to clean it up, she wanted to be polite and pull her weight so that she wasn’t rude in any way possible.

“Oh no you don’t. Stop right there missy, you’re a guest in this bed and breakfast so give that plate to me.” Annette said as she stood up hastily.

“But I want to pull my weight; I can’t just leave all the work to you.” Alice protested.

“Don’t worry about a thing sweetpea, I’ve been running this bed and breakfast since before you were born. It’s apart of my job to look after people.” She scolded and then she was gone.

Alice stood there and let her hands rest at her sides as she started at the door Annette had disappeared through and sighed with a shake of her head, she didn’t want all of the weight to be on Annette if she was going to be here awhile and besides Alice could take care of herself; she’d learnt that lesson the minute she left home.

She fidgeted with the hem of her crop top as silence fell on the remaining people in the room, Annette came back out a few minutes later as she was wiping her hands on her wranglers and then stood with her hands on her hips.

“Annette can I ask you for a favour?” Alice asked her.

“Sure thing, what can I do for you?” Annette asked.

“Could you maybe show me around town for an hour or two? It’s just that I don’t know where anything is and I’m going to try and get a job too.” She explained.

“It a be my honour to show you around, there’s so much to see and not enough hours in the day. I know just the place to get you a job too that you’ll love.” Annette said excitedly as she started moving towards the door.

“Really?! Dia beannaigh tú !” Alice exclaimed happily.

“Henry, Levi get up off your backsides and come with me to show Miss Alice around town. Sandra can look after herself because after all this isn’t the first time she’s been here.” Annette said in a very motherly tone.

Henry and Levi got up from where they sat at the table and obeyed their mother’s orders, they each walked past Alice and pulled matching Stetsons from the coat hook next to the door down then walked out the door to probably wait on the porch.

Annette just shook her head, reached up to pull her own Stetson down off the hook and led Alice out of the door as she placed her hat on her head. Alice regretted not bringing her sunglasses as the sun hit her face and she was blinded momentarily by the bright light of the morning sun.

She blinked and jogged to catch up with a quickly walking Annette and the pair of twins that were trailing behind her as they squared their shoulders and tipped their hats to any woman that crossed their path. Alice squeezed in between the two of them as she caught up to Annette and the men on either side of her bumped into her small form with their shoulders.

“What was that you said to our momma back there?” Levi asked curiously.

“Dia beannaigh tú?” Alice asked.

“Yeah that.” He said.

“Dia beannaigh tú is God bless you in Irish, I speak my native tongue fluently.” She explained.

Alice didn’t have a problem with explaining things that she did. She spoke fluently in her native tongue and used it a lot without even realising it so she got used to people asking and some even taking an interest in it and wanting to know more. Levi nodded and seemed to get lost in his thoughts as he went quiet.