I got my food and headed over to the table where Eoin and Patrick were sitting. They had already gotten about halfway through their meals and clearly had no problem shoveling it down. I sat down and said a quick prayer in my head although I must admit: God and I were not on very good terms at the moment.
"Did ya get a nice compartment?" Eoin asked me.
"Yeah, I suppose it's not too bad. Haven't seen any rodents yet," I shuddered at the thought of those terrible creatures.
"Well, lucky you. I've found three already in my cabin." Eoin gave me a small grin and a wink.
"Good thing you're a professional at catching them," Patrick nudged Eoin and in response Eoin gave a rather disgruntled look. I got the feeling that there was a previous event that took place that caused him to respond that way.
"So Reagan, what's the reason you're headed for America?" Patrick dove right in.
"Looking for a new life. There's not much left for me in Ireland."
"Where're ya from?" Eoin asked me.
"Dublin" I responded.
"That's a fine city. Always wished I had spent more time there," Patrick told me.
"Got any family?" he asked.
"I had a Mama, Pa, and younger brother, but they've all passed on." I tried to avoid eye contact with either of them as I disclosed this information. One of the things I hated most was when the conversation stopped because everyone was too afraid to say anything that would hurt me. I was pleasantly surprised by Patrick's response.
"Sorry to hear that. What do ya plan to do once you reach New York?"
"Look for a job someplace. Maybe in a factory."
"I won't hear of it! Those places are a disgrace. I've read all about them in the papers. You ought ta join us. Eoin and I are planning on starting a bookstore in New York," Patrick seemed eager to explain their plans.
"It'll be great! We been planning for over a year now. We could always use extra help. Can't promise it'll pay too much at the start but eventually once we get going it'll be steady pay," Eoin said just as eager as his business partner.
I thought long and hard at the prospect of these new plans. It seemed perfect. I couldn't help but imagine myself in a place filled with books. It was perfect. I could see it stretches out in front of me. My whole future. I decided to take the leap.
"I'm in."
"
