I looked around the now empty kitchen and leaned in toward Jaime. “A castle, huh?”
“You didn’t want to go to church, did you?”
I shook my head. “Not today.”
Jaime grinned. “Let’s explore a castle. I saw it on your list.”
My heart warmed, realizing that he noticed things about me.
About twenty minutes later, we walked behind the house. In the distance, I saw a pale-yellow Volkswagen Beetle, half immersed in bushes.
“Is that what we’re driving?” I asked.
“Yeah, this was my da’s car when he got his first job before I was born. He loved that car and wouldn’t let my ma get rid of it. We don’t use it much. Here, let me clear these branches.”
I pulled at branches growing against the car door and rolled some rocks out of the way that may have caused a bumpy departure.
“Get in,” he ordered, holding open the passenger side door.
Sitting against the ripped upholstery, I scanned the metal floor to avoid the small holes and flowers growing up into the car. Against my better judgment, I secured my seatbelt. This was Ireland, and I was on an adventure.
“Wow! I’ve always loved these cars.” I balled my hand into a fist, and punched him on the arm with force.
“Ow. What’d you do that for?” He rubbed his arm and scrunched his eyebrows.
“Punch-buggy yellow. No punch-backs.” I laughed at my joke. “I haven’t done that in years.”
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. It’s an American thing, I guess.” I pulled the seatbelt across my lap. “I’m buckled.” I gripped the handrest on the door and straightened my back.
“Prepare for take-off,” he said, shifting the car into reverse.
We chugged out of the driveway, and my body jerked forward with every gear change until we cruised over thirty miles per hour.
“Do you drive this often?”
“Nah, it’s not even registered, but no one cares. We use it when we need it. Like today.”
I widened my eyes, shocked that he and his family would drive a car without proper paperwork. My parents would kill me. Good thing they don’t know. I reminded myself that I was in Ireland and this was an opportunity I would never forget, so I swallowed down my hesitation and opened my mind to whatever Jaime wanted to show me.
Ten minutes down the twisty, narrow road, I saw a castle on a hill in the distance with the rugged Atlantic behind it.
“Wow,” I muttered.
The remains of the green and gray Gothic-Revival castle shot up to the sky with dignity and grace. There wasn’t another building nearby, and the ruined castle took center stage. Green vines grew up the length of the castle like the country had born ownership.
Jaime drove the car to a stone archway and parked outside the towering granite monstrosity.
“This is beautiful!” My hand rested over my eyebrows as I leaned back to scan the height of the tallest tower.
“Come with me,” Jaime said, grabbing my hand.
A shot of electricity coursed into my heart, and I dropped his hand and raced in front of him. “Is it okay if we’re here?” Without waiting for a response, I kept exploring.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, I spun in a slow circle, taking in the jagged walls and windows. The sunlight shot through a crucifix cut out on the side near the bay, and a rectangle of light immersed me.
“Eh, not really,” Jaime said.
