Thinking that I might like to visit my old friends in Dublin, and have one more look at the street where I’d spent most of my earthly life, I considered taking passage on the same boat as Eric, his bride and in-laws, but sometimes even a ghost feels embarrassed to intrude. Consequently, I took my own ghostly short cut and before the ship had even left the pier, I was standing outside my favourite pub, just a stone’s throw from where I had once lived. Entering, I looked around for familiar faces but counted only two, even the bartender was new, the rest were young men, some of whom looked familiar only because of a resemblance to their parents. I decided to set at the table with the two men I did recognize and catch up on the happenings on the street. The two were well inebriated and I soon found myself wondering how I could possibly have ever enjoyed such meaningless chatter? For a moment I felt like appearing and saying good day, just to change the conversation, but felt the confusion would not be worth it. I chuckled softly as I though of the news travelling up and down the street that “old Paddy Riley’s ghost was seen at Flannigan’s pub”!

Leaving the pub, I walked up the street to my old residence and was pleased to find a young family living there. Once inside I was even more delighted to discover a baby girl just six weeks old. Although she had never met me before, she was happy to have someone to talk with besides her guardian angels. She was concerned because her mom and dad were not happy together and sometimes when he came home drunk, her dad would beat her mom. She had pleaded with her angels to do something but they were assigned only to her and had no power to intervene. I was sorry to see her so unhappy but wondered what, if anything, I could do. The little girl’s name was Susie and she was grateful when I promised to stay around for awhile. I now intended to continue in this non-life at least until I could see how my sons’ business plans would fare, and of course, there was still the matter of saving Patrick John from drowning. This would give me something to do until I returned to Newfoundland with my sons. Soon the baby’s father could be seen coming up the street, and I was shocked to see that it was none other than young Jimmy McCarty, a young man just a year or two older than Eric and whose parents I had known for most of my earthly life.

I watched in horror as the drama played itself out once more just as the little girl had said, until Sadie, Susie’s mom, battered and bruised retreated to the bedroom in tears. I could only imagine the effect this was having on Susie, and knew that I had to do something quickly. Although I’d never tried it, I remembered from my days as Patrick John’s student, that ghosts could appear in whatever form they chose, that is I didn’t have to be the ghost of Paddy Riley, I could just as easily be a giraffe or Susie’s late grandmother. I was however, smart enough to realize that there was more to this than meets the eye. I would have to hang around and learn more.