Killarney, Ireland, 1847
The potatoes were nothing but black mush. He’d spent hours tilling the ground, removing the rocks, tending the soil, planting the seeds, and now, all he had to show for it was a handful of black death. While he’d had the forethought to plant a few other crops as well, the potatoes were the only way they had to make any money, and with the little home the villagers had helped them build at the end of last year when he and Aislyn had tied the knot, needing a bit of repair already, he could have used the money. Now, it would be nearly impossible to even buy seed for next year’s planting.
“What you got, lad?” Kian called, stepping through his acreage to Aaron’s. “All rot?’
“Yes,” Aaron assured him. “Nothing but stink and filth. You?”
“The same,” Kian nodded, his hands resting on his hips. “Shannon will have a conniption when she hears.”
“Shannon will understand,” Aaron assured his friend, though he wasn’t quite sure if that was the case. It seemed Kian’s wife should’ve been the one with the fiery red hair to match her temperament now that they were married.
Kian only shook his head and ran a hand through his blond hair. “Tomorrow, we should walk into town, see what the word is. Maybe someone has a solution.”
“While I find that highly unlikely, I will accompany you on your journey. I need to check on my mother and granddad anyway. Besides, it beats digging up dead potatoes.”
“All right,” Kian nodded. “I’m off to tell the wife. Wish me luck.”
“It’ll be fine,” Aaron assured him, but he wasn’t certain he spoke the truth. Shannon could be quite harsh when she wanted to be.
e his way back across the five acres he worked towards his own home, hoping to find Aislyn
of the small things in life he still found pleasure in, and he stayed quiet, lovingly stroking the red curls that cascaded down her back and across the sheets, the c
sked, propping her head up on one
replied, with a smile, “and how lucky I am to be
my love.” Aislyn bent to place a soft kiss on his lips. “While I feel very fort
day to find her. Aaron shook his head and ran his hand down her spine. Even though they’d been married for several months, he was
abruptly. “It’s
worry about me. I’ll be just fine. It’s the only wa
now. Just because it has now reached us in Killarney does not mean things will be any different. I
he knew his own words were not true. If they were, the p
he reminded him, her green eyes quite serious. “You cannot travel now, my love
d, tipping her head down to kiss her. “I will be safe, an
ftly stroked his cheek, “but there are some things in this world that are beyond our control, my love
led her down and kissed her. Gently flipping her over onto her back, he slipped on top of her. Gazing into
oad that led into town. He was already there waiting, and the bags beneath his eyes showed that he ha
g to place his disheveled hair back where it belonge
e was to his best friend whose marriage was not all that he had hoped, but in t
tered, and Aaron assumed he truly
wer, and so they started out in silence, only the sounds of the call