Ireland Stories

[lala_Irish]

The sky was grey and the weather dull as Henry glared out of his thatch roofed home. A tear rolled down his cheek with the realisation that the potato crop would be black by morning. For two years his crops were ruined, no matter how he planted them. His family was starving and would soon be on the streets. The landlord had not been payed his rent and would be there to burn the house if they did not leave. That morning the family gathered what they could and found shelter in a ditch outside of town. They made a roof of mud and twigs to stay dry. For two days they could not eat and the baby died in Mothers' arms. Full of grief, hunger, and desperation Henry and the eldest son, JR, left to find food or work. They stumbled upom a farmer who needed men to work his wheat fields. They started immediatly working fifteen or more hours a day for little pay. A month passed and harvesting season was over. On that last day Henry and JR practically crawled home full of exhaustion. When Henry enterd the ditch home he found his loving wife dead from disease and the last remaining daughter curled up on the dirt, sick. He knew she too would soon die. Henry was tired, weak, and unable to cope with his grief any longer. He soon packed what clothing and food he could find and handed the bundle to JR. With this he also gave him every penny he had saved and told him to sail to America. "Go, find work, make a family, and don't forget where your roots are. I love you son." With much hesitation JR embraced his father and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye Father, I will make you proud." Although Henry knew he would never see his only son again, he felt relief knowing that Irelands' people may be in distress but for JR there was hope.[/b]