O'Deaghaidh Family/Anticipation of Arrival

                               Heroes of our Past:
                             Anticipation of Arrival

After dinner in the O’Deaghaidh Manor, Patrick O’Deaghaidh sat his children down for a tale of their ancestry. Malachy the oldest was 12 years old, Erin was 8, Seamus was 5, and Amish was 4. The other siblings were far too young to understand the tale or unborn. Patrick sat in his chair that was in front of the family crest. Erin loved when his father told tales of his adventures or tales of the family ancestors. Erin jumped up and spoke “Da, tell us about the time you killed the Dragon!” Before Patrick could say anything Seamus screamed “No Da! Tell us when you fought the Vikings of Norland!” Patrick shook his head and waved his hand in an attempt to silence the children. Amish yelled out “Oi Da! Give us a tale of monsters!” Malachy sat silent as always, he rarely spoke. Patrick finally had a moment to speak “I’m telling you a tale of your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather. My Great-Great-Grandfather. This is his tale……”

A ship, dark, cold, crowded, stench of disease and death. A man lay in a corner; his kilt was blue and orange. His skin was sickly pale, he was extremely bony. Many other people coming from the same land as him lay in the same condition. People all over the boat, itching, coughing, sneezing, vomiting and dying. They come from a land they were forced to leave, ruled by another nation. Their land taken, homes burned, swords taken along with their rights. Famine spread through the land like a plague of locust. The natives of this land had no choice but to leave or die. The man with the blue and orange kilt, he had lost everything. All he had was his kilt, the will to survive and the hope of a new land. The man’s name was Deaghaidh, simply Deaghaidh. He was young and alone in the world. Not a soul knew he existed. His hair was infested with lice, ticks and fleas. Rats crawled about the ship, on occasions Deaghaidh would be bitten by one. After while he stopped swatting at them. A bright light shined down below deck. “Core blimey this place stinks!” A deck hand yells plugging his nose and then walking into the room followed by 5 other deck hands. “Alright check fer the dead ones.” The deck hands walk around the room checking to see who is still alive. One by one they carry out the dead. Once carried out into the light, they’re never seen again. They are thrown over board; some say that so many bodies were thrown over that sharks followed the ship.

Once again light shined in, Deaghaidh felt as if the next trip would be for him. A voice yelled “Oi oi! We’ve arrived in Atamara! Get up here to top deck and get off my boat.” The passengers began to rise and walk up to the deck. Not all the passengers were well enough to walk or even move. Some were dead. Deaghaidh rose to his feet and walked up deck. He hadn’t seen the sky or breathed fresh air in 3 weeks. He began to sob. A deck hand pushed him off the boat onto the dock where a priest handed him fresh water and a loaf of bread. Deaghaidh bit into the bread, it was freshly baked. It was the best piece of bread he had ever eaten, in fact it was greatest meal he had ever had. “Come to our church, we’ll clean you up.” The priest said pointing to a church off in the distance.

Deaghaidh arrived in the church where another priest was waiting. “Come in my son, let us clean you up.” The priest guided him to the back room, hair was on the floor. A single chair sat in middle of the room. Deaghaidh sat in it and the priest began to cut his hair and shave his beard.

Deaghaidh came from the room completely hairless on his head and face. The lice were gone. A young boy with a monk like haircut walked up with a shirt, pants and shoes. They were clean. Deaghaidh grabbed the shirt and shoes. “Let me take your clothing, their tattered and torn.” The boy said. Deaghaidh stepped back “Yer not takin me kilt.” The boy shook his head “Fine, but take the shirt and shoes.” Deaghaidh put on the new shirt and shoes and stepped outside the church. Deaghaidh had a new life, a shirt, a kilt, and shoes that was it. Now it was time for him to start a new life.