Bold Fenian Men
Chapter Twelve
"Roisin!" Cillian burst into the pub two nights later.
"Cillian! Whatever's the matter?" Roisin looked up, worried at the sight of Cillian, who looked stressed out and terrified.
"Have you seen Padraig lately?"
"No, the last time I saw him he was in here. But that was two nights ago. Why?"
"We can't find him anywhere. I got home and he was away, and that was the night you must have see him. I rang his parents in Crossmaglen and he's not there, and none of the lads know where he's at.' Cillian leaned against the bar and buried his head in his hands. 'Oh, God, you don’t think that they've got him, do you?"
"The UVF?"
"Aye. He wasn't … what was he like when he left?"
"Not in good form." Roisin said gently. "He was really shaken up by Gearoid. And he was really drunk as well." Cillian groaned.
"Jesus, he could be anywhere!"
"The UVF won’t have him, Cillian. He may have been drunk but he still had his wits about him."
"I'm not sure. He's been acting really strange since Gearoid died. I think it's finally pushed him over the edge. God knows what he's been doing. I just hope that they haven't got him somewhere. I wouldn't want that for him. They get their hands on him and it won’t be the nicest way to go."
"He'll be fine. He's upset and he's probably away to cool off somewhere. You shouldn’t bother looking for him if there's been nothing on the news, no news of abduction or anything. You know how Padraig is. He's famed for not being seen when he doesn’t want to be seen. You'll never find him if he doesn’t want to be found."
"I suppose you're right." Cillian sighed. "I'm just worried about him, you know? He's had so much trouble in his life and he doesn’t need anymore."
"He was telling me about it. Sean and Tómás and Proinsias."
"Aye. Especially Proinsias. He knew him from his schooldays. He was from Crossmaglen as well. Grew up down the road from Padraig." Roisin put her hands to her mouth in shock.
"That's terrible!"
"I know. He really took that badly. Obviously Sean and Tomas were bad enough, but at least they were just shot and it was over and done with pretty quickly.' Cillian's voice took on a tone of confession. 'But they knew that Padraig was close to Proinsias and they used that to their advantage. They kept him for a whole week and they kept ringing Padraig up and telling him what they were doing to him. And Padraig wanted to go round there and hand himself in and it was Cearnaigh and me who had to keep pinning him to the floor whenever he tried to go."
"That's so awful … I never knew …" Roisin whispered.
"That's not the worst bit." Cillian didn’t want to lump this all of Roisin but he needed to tell someone. "They rang Padraig and they told him that they were going to shoot him. And they did. Padraig heard them shoot him, and he's never forgotten it since. He blamed himself. He still does. And now Gearoid as well. Gearoid's parents don’t even want to see him. I had to go round there and finalise things for the funeral because his parents are blaming him as well."
"Oh, Padraig," Roisin whispered softly.
"I shouldn't have told you all that." Cillian sounded apologetic suddenly, even slightly ashamed. "I'm sorry, Roisin. I just hope he's OK."
"He's streetwise." Roisin said firmly. "He'll be fine."
"Cillian! Whatever's the matter?" Roisin looked up, worried at the sight of Cillian, who looked stressed out and terrified.
"Have you seen Padraig lately?"
"No, the last time I saw him he was in here. But that was two nights ago. Why?"
"We can't find him anywhere. I got home and he was away, and that was the night you must have see him. I rang his parents in Crossmaglen and he's not there, and none of the lads know where he's at.' Cillian leaned against the bar and buried his head in his hands. 'Oh, God, you don’t think that they've got him, do you?"
"The UVF?"
"Aye. He wasn't … what was he like when he left?"
"Not in good form." Roisin said gently. "He was really shaken up by Gearoid. And he was really drunk as well." Cillian groaned.
"Jesus, he could be anywhere!"
"The UVF won’t have him, Cillian. He may have been drunk but he still had his wits about him."
"I'm not sure. He's been acting really strange since Gearoid died. I think it's finally pushed him over the edge. God knows what he's been doing. I just hope that they haven't got him somewhere. I wouldn't want that for him. They get their hands on him and it won’t be the nicest way to go."
"He'll be fine. He's upset and he's probably away to cool off somewhere. You shouldn’t bother looking for him if there's been nothing on the news, no news of abduction or anything. You know how Padraig is. He's famed for not being seen when he doesn’t want to be seen. You'll never find him if he doesn’t want to be found."
"I suppose you're right." Cillian sighed. "I'm just worried about him, you know? He's had so much trouble in his life and he doesn’t need anymore."
"He was telling me about it. Sean and Tómás and Proinsias."
"Aye. Especially Proinsias. He knew him from his schooldays. He was from Crossmaglen as well. Grew up down the road from Padraig." Roisin put her hands to her mouth in shock.
"That's terrible!"
"I know. He really took that badly. Obviously Sean and Tomas were bad enough, but at least they were just shot and it was over and done with pretty quickly.' Cillian's voice took on a tone of confession. 'But they knew that Padraig was close to Proinsias and they used that to their advantage. They kept him for a whole week and they kept ringing Padraig up and telling him what they were doing to him. And Padraig wanted to go round there and hand himself in and it was Cearnaigh and me who had to keep pinning him to the floor whenever he tried to go."
"That's so awful … I never knew …" Roisin whispered.
"That's not the worst bit." Cillian didn’t want to lump this all of Roisin but he needed to tell someone. "They rang Padraig and they told him that they were going to shoot him. And they did. Padraig heard them shoot him, and he's never forgotten it since. He blamed himself. He still does. And now Gearoid as well. Gearoid's parents don’t even want to see him. I had to go round there and finalise things for the funeral because his parents are blaming him as well."
"Oh, Padraig," Roisin whispered softly.
"I shouldn't have told you all that." Cillian sounded apologetic suddenly, even slightly ashamed. "I'm sorry, Roisin. I just hope he's OK."
"He's streetwise." Roisin said firmly. "He'll be fine."