ALL NOVEL 81. Consulting with Elders (Amy)
"Thanks for doing this with me Hailey," I said as I gave my sister a grateful smile. "I really appreciate it."
She smiled back, "Any time sis. It's the least I could do."
After a sip of her beer she added, "I take it you still haven't told Tess about this stuff yet?"
"Not yet," I grimaced. "I figured there was no point bothering her with it as long as it was still just speculation? And with her working full time it made more sense to do this on a weekday."
My sister agreed, "True enough. With her and Alex both working, it means the two of us have some free time to spend together. Anyways, so what are you going to do next?"
It was mid-afternoon on Monday, and the two of us were enjoying a late lunch and the afternoon sun on the patio of a little bar in downtown Kingston. It was practically on the waterfront, we had a view of the harbour and Lake Ontario, although the breeze coming off the lake was just cool enough that we both had to keep our jackets on.
Prior to that we'd spent most of the morning visiting our nana in a local nursing home. Like Hailey figured, she was thrilled to have us come and see her. And I was just as happy to have my sister there too, since it meant she could do the introductions and stuff.
The first half of our visit nana listened with rapt attention as my sister and I described our recent vacation. We kind of glossed over the bit where Tess and I were investigating the Cleary family history, since that would definitely side-track the conversation. Instead we talked about touring Dublin and Wexford, then we told her about travelling through south Wales and all the stuff we'd seen there.
Then things got a bit awkward as I had to come up with an explanation for how I turned into a girl. I didn't want to tell her about magic and goddess stuff, considering how poorly that went with our mom and dad. So I did my best to gloss over most of the details, and tried to focus on the fact that I was trans and that I'd been a girl inside all my life, it just took a while for me to figure that out.
To her credit, nana didn't freak out and she didn't seem bothered by any of it. I wasn't entirely convinced she understood everything I told her, but the unquestioning acceptance was a welcome relief after the way mom acted. Nana even complimented my eyes and hair, and she made some jokes about how she and I shared a similar hair colour.
After that I figured it was time to bring the conversation around to the real reason for our visit. "So nana, like we were saying earlier our trip took us through County Wexford. Isn't that where you're originally from?"
She smiled, "I suppose so Amy, but that was a very long time ago indeed! I hope you're not going to ask me what it was like back then, I was just a wee toddler when my mother and I moved to Montreal."
Despite that disclaimer she actually did remember a few details, which she went on to describe. Not so much about being in Wexford, but she remembered being on a ship for the Atlantic crossing. Apparently that was in nineteen forty, and while it was potentially dangerous being at sea during the war that was also the reason for their move.
Ireland was officially neutral during the second world war, but according to nana her mother was worried that if the Germans invaded the UK it wouldn't take them long to come for Ireland as well. Our nana was only three years old at the time, but her mother booked them both passage on a ship that took them over to Canada. And apparently they chose Montreal because nana's mom thought it was far enough away from the sea to be safe from German u-boats, plus there was an Irish community there already.
Hailey and I listened closely to all our nana's stories, and for the most part we only spoke up to ask questions or to try and steer the conversation towards the stuff we were specifically interested in. In the meantime she told us stories of growing up in Montreal during the war years, and a rather detailed account of how she met our papa and what that he was like.
Then she told us about when our mom was born, and finally she told us about how she and papa and our mom all had to move to Kingston when papa's job forced him to relocate. Her mother stayed behind in Montreal though, until she finally passed away the year after I was born. So I never actually met her, but apparently Hailey did. It was just once, and my sister didn't remember since she was only two or three years old at the time.
At that point my sister nudged the conversation in the other direction, "We were wondering nana if you could tell us more about your own parents? After finding out where our dad's side of the family was from and visiting those places in Wales, me and Amy are both curious about our heritage on your side of the family."
"I'm sure at the time it was one of those scandalous things we never talked about," nana replied with a grimace, "But my mother never married and I never knew my father."
I was both relieved and disappointed to hear that. In a way I'd almost been hoping that Hailey's hunch was right, since it would have answered some important questions I had. On the other hand, not being related to my girlfriend was probably for the best. It was certainly less complicated anyways.
Meanwhile nana continued, "As for my mother, she was a strong woman, very brave and outspoken. That's what it took to be a single mother in those days. Not to mention the strength of will to up and move across the ocean all on her own, with a three year old in tow. I think that's why she never married, to be honest? She tended to scare away the menfolk. Mind you she never seemed to regret that, and she had a circle of close friends she made, among the ladies of the community there."
The next little while she told us about all the odd jobs her mom took and the harsh conditions they had at first, before finally getting established.
"So O'Niell was the family name then, back in Ireland?" Hailey asked. "Do you know what part they're from, was it County Wexford? I was thinking maybe me and Amy could do some research and learn more about the history there."
Nana gave us both a sly smile and shook her head, "Actually no. My mother only told me this story the once, but apparently she had a falling-out with her own mother, and her brothers. Mind you I never met my grandmother or my uncles, so I've only mother's word to go on. But when we made the crossing and settled in Canada, apparently that's when mother changed our last name to O'Niell."
"I think that may have been my father's surname?" she added. "Or I suppose it could just as well be something she made up. Either way, she wanted a clean break, away from whatever troubles led her to turn her back on her family."
I tried not to sound too nervous or eager as I asked, "Do you know what her last name was originally? Or do you remember if your mother mentioned any other names, like your grandmother's or your uncles' names? And do you know where her family was from? Like Hailey said, we're both really curious and want to learn more about our family history."
Our Nana sat back in her chair with a thoughtful look on her face. It took her a minute or two before she finally spoke up again. "I'm certain one of my uncles was named Liam. I think he was the one mother was most upset with? I don't think she ever told me the name of my grandmother, and she never spoke of her own father at all. The last name was... Cleary. That's it. Liam and the rest of the Clearys, she said."
Hailey and I exchanged a glance as my heart skipped a beat.
"I don't know where the family lived exactly," nana continued. "County Wexford for sure, but not the town. Somewhere north, between Wexford and Gorey. There's a hundred little villages in that area though, it could be any one of them."
I smiled, "Thanks Nana. You've already been a big help."
We let that subject drop at that point, and things segued from one awkward conversation to the next as our nana asked when me and Hailey would find some strapping young men to marry.
I figured if she didn't care that I turned into a girl she probably wouldn't mind that I was gay, so I let her know I was engaged to my girlfriend. Sure enough she didn't care I was going to marry a girl, she was just happy I'd found someone. Then she made me show her some pictures of Tess, and she gushed over how me and my girlfriend were such a cute couple.
Hailey told her about Alex as well, and the only stumbling block there was explaining how Alex wasn't a girl or a boy. Nana didn't have a problem with that either, apart from non-binary being a concept she didn't entirely understand. She did her best though, which made both of us happy.
It also left me wondering why our mom had so much trouble with this stuff. Hailey even mentioned that, and our nana sighed. "Blame that on Tracey's father I'm afraid. Your papa Henry was a good man, but he was a stickler about certain things and I think your mother got some of that from him."
"It's not so much that she's transmisic," Hailey told me, "At least I don't think she is? I think for mom it's more about how it seemed so sudden to her? She seems to need to feel like she's in control of things, if you know what I mean? And when you strayed from her preconceived notions of what her youngest child should be, that's what got her upset. The fact that it was kind of abrupt meant she didn't have any time to adjust, either."
Nana seemed to agree with that assessment, at least the part about our mom wanting or needing to be in control. She said her husband was the same way, so that was another thing mom probably got from him.
The visit finally came to an end when lunch was served for the nursing home residents, and nana seemed to be getting tired by that point anyways. She was really happy for the visit but it was probably more excitement than she'd had since Hailey was there with our parents back over the winter holidays. Me and my sister both promised to visit again soon, then the two of us headed out. And rather than porting straight back home we ended up finding a local place to grab lunch.
I had a sip of my coffee as I pondered my sister's question about what I was going to do with this new information.
"I don't know yet?" I finally responded. "I'm not going to tell Tess right away, she's probably got a lot on her mind as it is. I'll let her get settled in with her work and stuff. Maybe I'll wait till the weekend?"
"I'll also mention your idea about the home DNA tests," I added. "We still can't say this is for sure, even if it seems very likely. It's possible our nana isn't the same Elaine Cleary as the one from Tess's family."
Hailey rolled her eyes, "A different Elaine Cleary, who was also born in the same year as Tess's relative? With a mother named Bridget Cleary, born the same year as Tess's relative? And our nana's uncle was Liam Cleary, just like Tess's family? And all of them were from a rural village in between Gorey and Wexford?"
"Yeah yeah," I sighed. "It's still possible this is a big coincidence though."
My sister just shook her head. Then she commented, "I'm surprised you don't have some magical way to find out for yourself right now. It feels like there should be some goddess-power or something, that'd let you figure out family relations or bloodlines or something?"
I grimaced, "There might be? I'm not omniscient though sis, and I'm not omnipotent either for that matter. I can do some amazing stuff, but I have to figure out how first."
She had a point though, and I made a mental not to talk with Raven about it later.
"Anyways I'm going to think about this stuff like I said," I added, "And probably bring it up with Tess on the weekend. I'm a little anxious about how that might go, but it's not the sort of thing I can keep secret. She deserves to know."
Hailey nodded, "I agree. Take a few days to sort out what you can by yourself, see if you can find any more answers on your own, then let your girlfriend know. Maybe she'll be happy, since you'll be filling in the last of her family tree?"
I smiled, "Right. That'll put a positive spin on it."
"So what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" I added, changing the subject. "I can take you home whenever you're ready."
She grimaced, "All I have planned for the rest of the week is looking for work. I just hope I can find something that fits my requirements and my education. The last thing I want is to take my degree in biochemistry then go work as a waitress or secretary or something."
"How about you?" she asked, before I had a chance to respond. "I know you're not working this summer, but what about next year, after you graduate? Are you really going to start looking for work as an EMT? I'm sure you'd look cute in the uniform, but I have a hard time picturing you actually doing that for a living."
I cringed slightly as I felt my cheeks warming up. Then I told her the truth, "Honestly neither can I? I'm taking that course because it sounded fun, and it's at the same college Tess was attending. But I have no idea what I'll do next year after graduation."
She frowned, "Realistically you don't really have to find work, do you? Couldn't you just do the goddess stuff full-time instead?"
"Maybe?" I replied with a shrug. "I suppose I'm not making any long-term plans, I'm just going to take it a day at a time. Or a month at a time anyways. Maybe ask me again this time next year?"
Hailey drank the last of her beer then set the glass down as she commented, "I'm glad you don't have to stress over that stuff Amy. The job and career stuff I mean. I can imagine the goddess stuff could get stressful at times."
I nodded, "Thanks sis. I'm sorry you have to stress over it. I'm here to help you out though, remember? As long as you keep doing the thing with the cookies and icewine, I've got you covered."
"Thanks Amy," she replied. "So what do you want to do next? Just head home, or should we do some more sightseeing while we're here?"
We ended up staying in Kingston until about four in the afternoon, then I teleported the two of us back to Hailey's place before heading home myself.
