Curse of the 15th

A cold pint at O'Connell's

It was the 15th of August, 2015 and therefore the day on which Emlyn Carys MacKenna finally turned 18.

She has waited for this day to arrive in such an eager manner, even though there was nothing that special about it. For an unknown reason, it felt like she was coming home after being absent for a really, really long time.

There was one perk about turning 18 that Lyn could think of: going to the pub on her own and ordering an ice-cold pint.

She used to spend every friday night in the cozy O'Connell's Bar, located in the very heart of Dublin city along the banks of the river Liffey at Bachelors Walk. She used to spend those friday nights with her father, Pete.

He always let her nip from his Guinness once or twice and she'd take a third nip when he would pretend not to see. Then they'd listen to the fine irish music the live bands would play or even watch a game when it got broadcasted.

To complement a perfect night, they'd obviously order colcannon in honor of Lyn's deceased mother, Carys, who had always made that dish for them the way only a loving mother could have.

But her father wasn't here to celebrate the birthday of his only daughter. He had joined her mother, exactly one year ago, when he was on his way back from the airport to surprise Lyn with a visit.

The cab that was meant to bring him home had brought him into a momentous crash and directly into the morgue instead.

For Lyn's 17th birthday, she was meant to receive a new pair of flippers. Her father had picked them with thought, knowing how she loved swimming in the sea more than anything else. She'd always tell him about the underwater creatures she discovered and sometimes she'd proudly present beautiful seashells to him.

He had always admired the way Lyn fearlessly explored everything.

So she decided to do just that today, packed the pair of flippers and her swimsuit into a backpack and made her way into the heart of the city.

She needed to pay the traditional visit to O'Connell's Bar first.

After taking the reserved seat by the window, Cordelia - the waitress and former bestfriend of her mother - instantly passed by to ask: "the same as usual for you, Lyn?" and received a simple nod, as always. But today, she also ordered an extra.

She didn't have to wait long to get a delicious looking plate of colcannon. Cordelia also brought her a cold Guinness and gave her a warming smile.

"Happy Birthday, Lyn. This one is on the house."

Emlyn returned the smile, though it might haven't been as warm. She reached for the cold pint and rose it, as if to speak a toast.

"Cheers to you," she mumbled, glancing over to the framed picture of her parents which was hanging on the wall. They had met each other right here, so the bar chose to hang this picture next to their seats when they got married.

Cordelia was a bridesmaid at that very wedding. When Lyn's mother Carys had passed away six years ago, Cordelia made a promise to herself:

That picture would never get taken down.

After finishing her dish and pint, Emlyn stayed a little while longer and listened to the band that was playing, like she had programmed to do every time. Then she made her way down to the bus stop and re-counted the money her nana had given her for today's exploration target:

Dalkey Island.