Chapter 3: Moira and the Wearin' O' the Green
If Moira were a man, she would be described as being "As Irish as Paddy's pig". Since she is a beautiful young woman, people don't say that about her, but her favorite design motif is shamrocks and her favorite color, by far, is green. She always wears at least one green outer garment and on special days, especially, Saint Patrick's Day, she wears nothing but green, from her eye-shadow to her lipstick to her shoes and all points in between. I do mean all points, every one, but I am one of the few persons, maybe the only one, who actually knows that about all the points.
Moira's grandparents immigrated to the United States during World War Two and brought their sons and daughters. Both sets of grandparents were from Dublin and had frightening memories of the 1916 Easter rebellion and its bloody suppression and aftermath. These memories resulted in a hatred of all things British and the hatred was passed along to their children and grandchildren, including Moira. By the time I met her, the hatred had declined to the point of being dislike and distrust but Moira and her family still did whatever they thought would somehow injure or at least discomfit the British, in particular the wearin' o' the green.
"The green" dates back to the late eighteenth century when the British put down an Irish rebellion in which the rebels fought under a green banner with the emblem of a harp. Since then, green has been a symbol of Irish unity, and struggle for independence. In the nineteenth century, the wearing of green was actually outlawed as sedition against the British crown. However, most of the Emerald Isle has been independent since 1922 and the inhabitants of the rest of the island want to continue to be a part of the United Kingdom. In other words, the battle has been won, at least to the degree it is winnable.
When I asked Moira about this, she just responded, "And now, how else would we be after showin' our solidarity with our martyrs and heroes and a-bringin' bad cess to the bloody British if not by the wearin' o' the green? How else would we be after keepin' good fortune on our side? I thought ye were Irish, and would be a-knowin' about that."
I am part Irish, but probably more English. I thought it would be wise to keep that latter fact from Moira. I assured her that I was of Irish descent and that I also wore green in solidarity with the heroes and martyrs of Ireland. Fortunately, I know quite a bit about the histories of Ireland and England from some research I had been doing on a story I was writing and I was wearing a green shirt that day so my claims were believable. Since that time, I have always made it a point to wear green when I was with Moira.
I also usually wear green on Saint Patrick's Day also and I was doing so this most recent one when Moira came around ringing my doorbell. I was by myself and I let her in. She was wearing a green ribbon in her red hair; her blue eyes were shadowed by green and it looked peculiar to see her pretty, freckled face wearing green lipstick. Moira had on a light green blouse decorated with dark green shamrocks and a skirt and shoes that matched the shamrocks. It was later that I found out about the points in between.
"Sure and Begorrah," she started out by saying. The bloody Sassenach are at it agin. Moira doesn't usually talk that way but it was, after all, Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Paddy, to us good Irishmen.
"And what would the bloody Sassenach be after doin' now?" I asked her. I can lay it on as thickly as she can, even matching her brogue.
"Ah, now, and ye wouldn't be believin' it, but my landlord, that son of Cromwell, says he has to raise me rent, starting in a month. May all his ancestors rot in Hell.
"The Divil, ye say? And what would ye be after doin' about it?"
"Do? What will I do? Pay the bloodsucker, of course. Begorrah, it's still the cheapest decent apartment I can find even if it is run by the bloody Sassenach. Just hopin' I could be after a-gettin' some comfort from you is what I am."
Moira and I are very fond of each other and we had kissed affectionately when she entered, and we were still embracing when she told me what she wanted. I kissed her again and, and this time we both had our mouths open,
"Of course, me lovely Mavourneen," I told her. A fine Irish lassie like ye are can always be after a-gettin' comfort here." While I assured Moira by word, I hugged her tightly and kissed her again, assuring her by deed, and started steering her in the direction of my bedroom. I was pretty sure I knew what she meant and I really liked the idea also.
I hadn't expected anybody to be coming over to the house and I hadn't made the bed that morning. The sheets were still clean enough but the bed was rumpled and when Moira saw it she scolded me. "Sure now, and it's after needin' a good woman around here that ye are."