Dear Megan…

The following is a work of fiction based on recent events and experiences in Ireland.

Dear Megan,

Achill Island is truly lovely. I cannot wait for you to visit me next week and I hope the weather is grand so we can picnic at the cliffs. I have been working extra hours this week so that I can take the time off when you are here. I am wrecked from working the extra shifts at the local pub and from finishing moving into the cottage. This has been quite a lot more work than living in the dorms at Trinity. Since you have been on holiday and I have been working I think that you owe me a full Irish breakfast when you get here to help destress me.

I had a rather troubling night last night. It started at five in the evening when I left for work which started off just fine. I was greeted by the four friendly Jack Russells at the door that tend to roam around the pub. As I settled in, I tended to a man who seemed as if it had not been the first drink he ordered that day. Since it was a Sunday and Cork and Limerick were playing each other around dinner time, I knew going into the night that it was going to be a long one. I also was aware that he would not be the last drunk I would serve that night. I started the night rushing to immediately start serving hungry people that were anxiously watching the match. It is always difficult serving people during matches because they get frustrated with me when I walk in front of them. This is normally how the nights have been going here, stressful but manageable. Last night topped it off though. During the middle of the match, the man that seemed to have been at the pub all day started yelling at another man. I brushed it off my shoulder at first because people tend to get rambunctious during matches. But then they started physically fighting and before you know it others are trying to get them off of each other but it was not working. I then called the gardai and was hoping the yellow vehicle was somewhere near before the fight escalated even more. Unfortunately this was not the case. It took nearly 40 minutes for the gardai to show up. By then the owner of the pub had already settled things between the men but my job just started to get more difficult. Due to all of the commotion most of the kids in the room were in a fuss and had to be soothed. People were upset by the distraction which lead to me having to deal with even more unhappy customers. I am just happy that no one was injured by either of the men in the process.

Please pray for me that the next few days run smoothly and go quickly. I cannot wait to see you. Our time together is going to be craic. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Your loving twin,
Ava