Wise Woman Homage Read online

  Copyright © Elaine Gugin Maddex 2017

  ISBN 978-1-987982-26-8

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system – except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper – without permission in writing from the author.

  For permission, please email the author at [email protected] Website: elaineguginmaddex.com

  Bookstores and wholesale orders

  can be placed with the author at [email protected]

  Cover art design: Magdalene Carson

  Maddex, Elaine Gugin, author

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-987982-26-8 (paperback).

  ISBN 978-1-987982-27-5 (epub)

  DISCLAIMER

  This is a work of fiction. Any names and characters are used fictitiously or are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Places and events are a combination of fictitious and real.

  Team Published with Artistic Warrior Publishing ~ www.artisticwarrior.com

  For all those who believe

  (and have a wee mite of Tessy in their soul)

  Table of Contents

  Irish Blessing

  1 - Jiggity-Jig!

  2 - Dublin in Style

  3 -The Mystery of History

  4 -Time to Move On

  5 -A Grand Affair

  6 -Meanwhile

  7 -Prophetic Dreams

  8 -Crystal, Chronicles and Questions

  9 -Sharing Old Haunts

  10 -Time Spent with Mam and Da

  11 -Answers Leading to More Questions

  12 – Catching Up

  13 -An Irish Handfasting with a Scottish Twist

  14 -A Breath of Fresh Air

  15 -Falling into Place

  16 -The Gift of Gab and the Perfect Pun

  17 -Sage’s Unexpected Encounters

  18 -Honeymoon Continued

  19 -Tours and Tales of a Haunted Fortress

  20 - Beaches, Caves, and Ghosts

  21 -Cliffs in the West – Suburbs in the East

  22 -The Cry of the Banshee

  23 -Journey’s End

  24 -Resolutions and Revelations

  25 -Truly Home

  26 -Surprise!

  27 -Clarity

  28 -Turning of Future Tides

  29 -A Cleansing and a Fright!

  30 -The Wise Woman’s Knowing

  Map of Ireland

  Cockles and Mussels a.k.a. Molly Malone

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Irish Blessing

  May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun.

  And find your shoulder to light on.

  To bring you luck, happiness and riches.

  Today, tomorrow and beyond.

  Author Unknown

  1

  Jiggity-Jig!

  It had been a total of sixteen hours since the newlyweds, Tessy McGuigan and Marshall Tayse, departed from Ladyslipper, Saskatchewan. They were on their honeymoon bound for Dublin, Ireland. So far, they’d had one short delay and then a lengthy layover in Toronto.

  Tessy awoke from as deep a sleep one can have on a Boeing 747. She huffed and took off her sleeping mask. Marshall lowered the magazine he’d been reading and peered over his glasses at his Irish lass. He sympathetically smiled and reached for her hand. Tessy managed to return the smile and quip, “Astral travel is much less complicated.”

  Marshall chuckled, lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Tessy sighed. She was so lucky to have found love twice in one lifetime, especially in her later years. She slowly pulled her hand away and threw off her blanket.

  “Well, since I’m not getting any sleep, I might as well go stand in line for the washroom,” she unbuckled her seat belt. Marshall unbuckled his and stood to let her pass. A good while later, he witnessed his disgruntled wife trekking back down the aisle. From the look on her face, Marshall could tell her Irish dander was up. He was afraid to ask what had happened!

  Tessy settled back into her seat and buckled up. “I had to practically put on me wellies and mop up the bathroom before I could even sit down! Why is it that it’s usually a woman that’s got to clean up after a man has peed on, up, around and behind the toilet? You’d think we were askin’ ye to aim into a bloody tea cup!” With that, she pushed her seat back, pulled up her blanket and yanked her sleeping mask down over her eyes. There were a few smirks and giggles from their neighbouring travel companions. Poor Marshall. He just grinned, and shrugged his shoulders. He had come to understand, and was at times, even amused by his bride’s quick Irish temper. When her large green eyes grew wider and her alabaster complexion flushed, he knew to stand clear. He silently chuckled. That beautiful woman with a full head of curly auburn hair was a force to be reckoned with.

  About an hour later, Tessy woke in much better humour to find Marshall had nodded off. His glasses were half way down his nose and the magazine lay on his lap. She checked her watch. They should be landing in about an hour. She reached down to her carry on and pulled out her travel journal and a pen. She opened the ornate notebook and gazed off into the distance and paused before putting pen to paper. She began where her last entry ended.

  In a very short while I will be stepping on to my beloved homeland. It’s the place where my roots began and, at times, where my heart aches for. I am so very grateful for this blessing and for the man beside me who made it possible. Yet, what am I to think of the mysterious amulet and note written in Gaelic my Mam hid away four decades ago. And, why is it now that I am just seeing them?

  She put her pen down and rummaged around in her bag. She retrieved a velvet pouch, which housed the amulet, opened it and let the ornate trinket drop into her hand. She gently stroked it then turned it over and over again. Deep in thought, she picked up her pen and resumed her script.

  I know I repeat myself, but I truly feel this pilgrimage is one of great importance and will lead me to resolve a large portion of my family’s journey. As I ask the Divine for protection and to guide me to where I may accomplish the best for all, I recite this old Irish quote:

  May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.

  And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

  Tessy tucked her journal, pen and the amulet neatly into her carry on and settled back in her seat. Her mind wandered to the past year and the events that landed her in this exact place in time. One year ago, she had been doing just fine. It had been three years since she’d lost her beloved husband, Dermot, and life was beginning to feel normal again. Then, the widower, Dr. Marshal Tayse literally stumbled into her life. He had come to Ladyslipper last summer to visit his daughter, Penny, and her family. And now she was married to this handsome man with his sparkling blue eyes full of mischief. Oh, how she loved him. Now she had the family she’d always dreamed of. Marshall’s five adult children and five wonderful grandchildren made Tessy’s heart overflow with joy. She and Dermot had never been blessed with children, therefore the gift of grandchildren was beyond belief. Her mind stopped at that thought for a moment and her lips twitched upward with delight. Then, there was Sage! Another gift the past year had surprised her with. A Haggerty! A distant cousin on her mother’s side and a dear, kindred soul. She could not imagine living without her. Tessy let out a soft, contented sigh. Aye, she had so much to be thankful for. She chuckled and whispered, “I even ended up with a job I wasn’t really looking for.” Marshall’s son-in-law, Jim, owned the pharmacy in Ladyslipper and had asked Tess
y if she would sell her natural remedies in his store.

  So much had changed in one short year. Looking back, it was almost overwhelming. And she was on her way to Ireland! She let out another sigh and smiled up at her sleeping husband.

  The plane eventually started its slow descent and the atmosphere in the cabin came alive. Passengers began to shuffle their belongings about. Some stretched and yawned while others got up for one more trip to the washroom before the seat belt light flashed on. Tessy had no desire to face the airplane washroom again. She would gladly wait!

  Marshall awoke, removed his glasses and slipped them into his shirt pocket. He took Tessy’s hand and kissed it again. The seat belt sign flashed on with a loud ding as the captain announced their descent, arrival time and the local weather conditions.

  “Well, Sweetheart, this is it. Are you excited?”

  “Oh, Marshall, aye! Beyond words.” Tessy forced a smile.

  Take-offs and landings were two of Tessy’s least favourite experiences. The plane encountered some turbulence on its descent so she wrapped herself and the plane in layers of protective white light. She said a prayer to the Divine and popped some chewing gum in her mouth. She handed Marshall the pack of gum, then pulled out a hankie from her purse, and held it under her nose. She’d dabbed it with Frankincense before she’d left home and now the scent calmed her.

  Tessy had no use for fear. All it did was paralyze you and hold you prisoner. However, even after all her trips over the ocean, she still had to fight this particular demon. She was sure it had to do with her past life DNA. She assumed she must have fallen, from a great height, in one of her former lives and had not, yet, been able to work past it.

  They heard the landing gear whir into place and the engines back off. Tessy’s heart pounded. She closed her eyes and held tight to Marshall’s forearm. He gently placed his hand over hers. He felt helpless about calming her fears and wished he could whisk them away.

  It seemed to take forever, but then there was the familiar bump as the plane touched down followed by a lurch as the brakes were applied. Tessy swallowed hard and let out a long breath. Made it! She opened her eyes to see Marshall’s sympathetic smile.

  “Well, there, I guess that wasn’t so bad, then,” Tessy said as she reached for her bag. Marshall just chuckled, shaking his head, at his lovely, unpredictable companion.

  They slowly shuffled off the plane and into the terminal. The long zig-zag line-up of people waiting to be cleared by Irish Customs looked endless. However, it wasn’t long before they were standing at the wicket. Marshall and Tessy handed the officer their passports and answered all the questions fired at them. The officer wished them a happy holiday as he stamped their passports and sent them on their way.

  Now, Tessy truly felt she was home. As they collected their luggage and headed to the car rental station they saw a stylish woman being ushered off to the side. She seemed very difficult to manage and quite indignant.

  “How dare you detain me! Do you know who we are? My husband is Stanley Hainsworth the Third of Boston!” As the unimpressed security staff proceeded to herd her off to a secured area she continued to loudly protest, “I demand to speak to your supervisor. Now!”

  While Tessy and Marshall filled out the paperwork and picked up their car rental keys they could still hear the woman hollering in the distance. She certainly was causing an uproar!

  It was agreed that Tessy would drive first. This would give Marshall time to get accustomed to the road signs, not to mention driving on the “wrong” side of the road while sitting in the “wrong” side of the car. They had pre-booked a mid-size vehicle to accommodate Marshall’s rather tall frame. When they found it in the parkade it looked more like, what Canadians would call, a compact, at best! Tessy giggled as she watched Marshall and his long legs manoeuvre his way into the front seat. He adjusted the seat back as far as it would go. His knees were bent at a 45-degree angle and rested on the dashboard.

  “Well, now I know how a canned sardine feels,” he grumbled and shook his head.

  Tessy chuckled and leaned over for a kiss, which turned out to be rather awkward considering Marshall’s position. She familiarized herself with the vehicle, placed a white light of protection around it and they were off.

  The airport is on the outskirts of Dublin so they turned onto the main motorway and headed toward the city. Their first few nights were booked in a bed and breakfast on the north side of Dublin about 10 km from the airport. By the time Marshall had adjusted himself to a more comfortable seating position, they’d arrived at their destination. Tessy shut off the engine, popped open the car door, and stepped out onto the cobblestone driveway. She tossed her head back, took in a deep breath of salty air, raised her arms and quipped a saying her Granny used often.

  “Blessed Be! Blessed Big! Home again, home again jiggity-jig,” she sighed. She turned in time to see Marshall awkwardly climbing out of the vehicle with as much finesse as possible. She laughed and went to help him.

  “My, dear, sweet man. I fear we may need to upgrade to something ye can, at least, get in and out of without havin’ to crawl on to the ground!” Marshall dusted off his pant legs, straightened his jacket and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  “Yes, I think we should do that tomorrow.” He retrieved their luggage and they made their way to the front entry. Before they could knock, the door was flung open and the host welcomed them with an exuberance usually reserved for excited dogs when their guardians return home.

  “Welcome, welcome! You must be Tessy and Marshall Tayse? I’m JD and this lovely lady, coming down the hall, is my sweet wife, Marilyn.”

  “Hello.” Marshall grinned and stretched out his hand. “Yes, I’m Marshall Tayse and this is my wife, Tessy McGuigan.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. Ms. McGuigan.” JD nodded in her direction.

  “Oh, no harm done. Please, call me Tessy,” and she, too, reached for his hand and then his wife’s. “What a lovely spot ye have, here.”

  “Thank ye. We rather like it. Come on in. Please.”

  Before long all the check-in formalities were finalized and they were directed to their room. Marshall closed the door as Tessy flung herself on the bed. She smiled up at her adoring husband and reached for his hand pulling him to her. She kissed him earnestly and sighed, “Thank ye, my dear, sweet husband.”

  2

  Dublin in Style

  Tessy and Marshall were too excited to rest as they were both looking forward to having a bite and a home-grown Guinness. They unpacked a few things, freshened up and ventured out. JD had given high praise to the little pub down the street, so that would be their first stop. Tessy chatted on, as they walked the well treed route.

  “Tomorrow is Litha or the Summer Soltice as you may know it,” Tessy said smiling up at Marshall.

  “I know dear, you’ve been telling me for a month now.” Marshall chuckled at his wife’s excitement.

  “I’m just thrilled to bits to be spending the longest day of the year here. I can hardly wait to begin our day in nature at the National Botanic Gardens. Did ye know that Litha is a celebration of nature, the elemental kingdom, faeries. and light.”

  Marshall nodded, took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

  Tessy continued. “Now be sure to keep up in the afternoon. “I’ll not want to lose you on the Hop-on-Hop-off bus as we tour the famous sights of Dublin. “

  They rounded a corner and there was the little neighbourhood pub. They stepped inside and were seated at a comfortable table. Marshall glanced around. “This looks like the perfect neighbourly pub I had always imagined Ireland to have!”

  Tessy chuckled, “Aye. ‘Tis. The stained-glass windows, heavy dark wood and the fireplace make it so rich and cozy.”

  “And, look at that incredible wood and brass bar! It must be at least twenty-five feet long!” Marshall marvelled.

  “Aye, I’d be bettin’ it has witnessed the birth of many a hangover in its day,” Tessy grinned.


  A waiter placed their drinks on the table. Marshall raised his mug, “Slainte, Here’s to the start of our honeymoon in Ireland!”

  “Slainte,” Tessy repeated.

  They chatted on about their plans for tomorrow while they enjoyed an evening of authentic Irish pub fare and a couple of pints of Guinness. Tessy could not have been happier, more content or felt more blessed. She was in Ireland and with the man she loved, what could be more perfect, she thought. Yet, something was off. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but ever since they landed she’d felt a dark energy following them. She decided to keep that thought out of the conversation for now until she’d figured out what she was dealing with.

  It was late when they returned to the B&B. They let themselves in and went straight to their room. Tessy pulled out her journal and wrote about her day, then crawled into bed beside a barely awake Marshall. Tessy felt the strange presence again and let out a troubled sigh. Marshall sensed her concern and rolled toward her.

  “What’s wrong, dear?”

  “Oh, sorry, love. I didn’t mean to disturb you. “Tis nothing. It’s been a long day, ‘tis all. Get some rest. Good night.” She kissed her husband and turn out the bedside lamp. She hoped the dark aura would lift by morning.

  ***

  Tessy woke the next morning with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Come on slow poke,” said Marshall as he held the door open. “Let’s start the longest day of the year.” Tessy pushed aside the feeling and the pair went downstairs.

  They were the first ones down for breakfast. The buffet table was set with juice, cold cereals, pastries, stewed grapefruit and fresh fruits. They had just pulled out their chairs to sit at one of the small tables when JD appeared carrying a carafe of fresh brewed coffee.

  “Good mornin’ to ye,” he greeted. “Coffee or perhaps a tea?”