Friends in High Places

Word count: 1,763
There are many days where the sun is shining, and hope brings brightness and clarity. But there are other times when the light sems to be hidden behind the storm clouds of life and those clouds are thick and suffocating. There does not seem to be any hope; the world is passing by and hardly a soul seems to notice the hurt of another.
At least that was how the world seemed to work. An observant, quiet woman, there was very little Marie didn't notice and in her own way, she was affected by the trouble's others faced. Lately, one such observation she had made was the difference in the house next door. Always seeming to be out in the gardens, or chatting to a passer-by on the front lawn, hardly a shadow ever seemed to pass by her neighbour Sharon. But in the last few days, Marie noticed how little Sharon seemed to be outside and when she was, the woman's movements became quick, her expression subdued, and her voice silenced.
Something is wrong Marie thought as she poured her tea, looking out the kitchen window. The car next door had just turned into the driveway and Sharon walked out of the car briskly, gabbed a bag of groceries from the back seat and slammed the car door shut before quickly disappearing inside.
It wasn't that Sharon and Marie talked often, but they were friendly with one another, and Marie began wondering if she should be the one this time to pay a visit.
But what reason could she have? Going up to Sharon and saying "I've noticed you aren't yourself lately, I'm here to help" did not seem a very polite thing to do. For one, it would seem as if Marie was spying, for another, no person liked being told they weren't themselves and thirdly, she was not some 'high and mighty woman' who had all the answers.
There needed to be another reason.
Absently, Marie checked to see if she needed any sugar. In the past neighbours would ask for such things, although it was rarely done now with grocery stores so accessible. To her dismay, there was more than enough sugar in the cupboard-as well as flour, baking soda and salt.
Marie realized she was at a loss. She could ask for thread or wool, but she knew that Sharon didn't knit or sew.
There is no other way she thought, the only answer was to go over as a 'friendly neighbour'. Pulling her coat over her and taking a deep breath, Marie went out into the bright sunlight, streaming words through her mind as to what she would say.
It was three steps to the porch before Marie found herself staring at a freshly painted white door, with stained glass to keep prying eyes from looking inside. Marie could imagine the colours of blue, green and red, reflecting on the floor indoors whenever the sun shone through.
Preparing herself for what words may be spoken, or unspoken, Marie rang the doorbell and waited. A heartbeat passed before she turned around to go back home, but just as Marie took a step a click sounded, and she turned back to see Sharon open the door. A flicker of surprise registered across her face before wariness crept in.
Giving her best smile, Marie let her greeting spill out of her:
"Hello Sharon, how are you?"
"I-I'm okay" Sharon replied and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her.
"That's good. I haven't seen you in awhile and thought I'd come see if everything was well."
For the first time since Marie met her, Sharon opened her mouth to speak and then quickly closed it. Hesitation circled around her and, always letting the other speak first, Marie hardly knew what to say. She paused, gathering her words like stones and then broke the awkward silence that had fallen on them.
"I will be straightforward with you: I have sensed something is wrong and I hope you know that my door is always open, even if you just want to pass the time of day.
Your business is your own but whatever it is, I don't want you to go through it alone."
Another heartbeat passed, and then Sharon opened her door, "come in."
-
The inside of Sharon's home was exactly as Marie thought it would be: clean, spacious and bright. Bay windows looked out into the back garden that was coloured with a variety of flowers and a stone birdbath sat in the middle of a freshly cut yard. Setting the teapot between them, the two women sat at the kitchen table, overlooking the garden. Sunlight poured in, bathing the room in a warm glow, and yet as serene as everything looked, Marie could sense a darkness over the house.
Patiently, Marie sipped at her tea while the two made small talk about the weather and work. Finally, Sharon made her way to the crux of the matter:
"There is much happening at home" she began and then suddenly swallowed hard, "my husband-" her words were choked and Sharon's eyes became wet. Quietly, Marie waited while skimming information in her mind. 'Home' for Sharon meant Ireland. Her and her husband Darragh had moved to Canada two years ago with a work transfer. The adjustment hadn't been easy as the rest of their family stayed in Ireland, and Marie knew all too well the hardship of moving to a new country as she was also an immigrant but from Spain.
By all appearance, the Irish couple had settled in fairly well. However, appearances can be deceiving.
After a moment, Sharon gathered her emotions, "-Darragh's brother, Tony is connected to the New IRA. Recently a group of them decided it would be good to stir the pot a bit, especially with elections coming up in Northern Ireland." Sharon paused again, and Marie almost bristled at what she was sure Sharon was going to say:
"A bomb was placed, at the border in Monaghan...somehow word had reached the police and they arrived in time before it could go off, but they caught the perpetrators-including Tony. They were beaten and then taken to prison...and we have yet to hear what will happen....
'Darragh is so torn about the entire situation. He wants to go and help his brother but that could mean-"
Here Sharon stopped and choked on her words as her emotions got the better of her. To give a sense of privacy, Marie looked down at her tea as if it held the answers. She wanted to comfort, but hardly knew where to begin. The situation was foreign to her and yet Marie could almost feel the anguish that Sharon had.
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." Unbidden, The quote suddenly came from Marie's lips, "Helen Keller said that and it is true. There is no need for you to go through this alone. It is when we are going through seasons of darkness that we need friends to support and guide us."
"Thank you" Sharon answered quietly, and Marie gave her a light smile. "Now, how can I help?"
A simple plan was formed: Sharon would talk things over with Darragh and try to reason with him, before attempting to find another answer to their concerns. Her husband was a man of action before reason, and sometimes those held more consequence. This was what concerned Sharon the most. She was terrified that he would book the next flight out to Ireland and do something even more dangerous just to try and get his brother released.
Meanwhile, Marie had a friend who worked for the embassy of Canada in Dublin, who may be able to help.
The rest of the day was spent in a flurry of communication, as Marie contacted one person after another, to find out the status of Tony McKinnon. Yes, he had been found with other members of the New IRA, it was true he had been involved in a bomb planting on the border of the Republic and Northern Ireland. But Marie discovered Tony had admitted his guilt and it was his confession that may have saved his life.
Was there anything that could be done?
-
The next evening Marie went to visit Sharon with her findings. The smell of a cooked dinner filtered through the air and there was the sound of crackling from the fireplace. Darragh was also home and the two were having a glass of wine after their meal. Marie accepted a glass before pulling out several pieces of paper.
"It's true that Tony has landed himself in prison for being part of a bomb scheme by the New IRA. He has admitted guilty which may have saved his life." I showed them a copy of his signed confession and felt the rise of emotions in the room.
"However," I began again after giving them a moment to read over the paper, "A friend of mine has connections an employee to the embassy of Ireland and he in turn is friends with a guard in Belfast prison. He has agreed to look in on Tony and, while he is currently in maximin security, because you are family the guard has promised that you will be given regular updates on Tony's situation.
I'm afraid given the circumstances it's the best I can do. You can send packages to this address" Marie showed them another piece of paper with contact info, "and be assured the package will get to your brother."
A heartbeat passed as they swallowed the information Marie gave them, and then both gave her a look of gratitude.
"Thank you, Marie. This is more than we could have hoped for" Sharon told her.
Marie smiled, "my former job as a Investigations Assistant does have advantages. There is one other thing" she added, remembering the stern words of her friend at the embassy. "You must promise to not meddle. The situation is delicate. Don't contact anyone else in the prison, nor try to reach your brother in any other way. You must bend to the authorities on this or you could lose contact altogether."
Tony nodded his acquiescence, and Marie could tell how hard it would be for him to take a step back in this matter. In response, Sharon took his hand and Marie could tell she had done all she could for her friends.
At least light could be seen at the end of the tunnel.