How did it all start? In the kitchen of a dead uncle actually. Odd as that may sound, it’s completely true. Jack had always been my favourite uncle, one of those people who was way larger than life – in fact I can think of three people whose personalities combined would not have made one of him. Although I’m sure we all know a few of those! You know all that lark about “the look” across a crowded room? Well, that is truly what happened.
Let me give some context – Uncle Jack had died abroad. Texas to be exact. His soul home he reckoned. He had travelled to Dallas for a three week break in 1984 to visit his brother, came home four months later wearing cowboy boots he never took off & an accent that must have bewildered many of his passengers as he ferried them about Dublin in his trusty steed – aka taxi!
On the afternoon of his repatriation, many of the extended family and close friends gathered in the kitchen of his home before heading to the airport to accompany his remains to a nearby funeral home. Despite it being the most solemn of occasions, there was much talking and laughing – nervous expectations really. No-one wanted to let the side down by being the first to succumb to the sombre nature of this particular airport run. As I glanced around the room, I spotted a tall, dark-haired guy leaning against the wall beside the fridge, chatting to one of my cousins. There was brief eye contact across that crowded kitchen, no words exchanged but there was something. The crowd dispersed, most headed for the airport and that was that. I didn’t spot him again. He crossed my mind more than once, it must be said, but it was another eight months before the universe worked its magic – following strange twist of fate that Christmas Eve.
Given the time of year, I was meeting an old friend in town for traditional Christmas Eve drinks and a catch-up. Unexpectedly, he had brought along his housemate. Introductions were made, drinks ordered and the storytelling began. All was good in the world. There was undeniably something familiar about the friend, but it took a while for the penny to drop. It was “the look” across the crowded kitchen guy! How weird is that, I remember thinking. Then out of the blue, my buddy got a call, something about forgetting to give someone back the keys of a car he had borrowed earlier in the day, and off he went! Awkward.
However, as there was just over half an hour to the next bus home, his pal and I decided to stay on and finish our drinks. It was only then that we got to acknowledge that we did recognise each other from Uncle Jack’s kitchen earlier in the year. It transpired he knew Jack from a tyre workshop that he always brought the taxi to. The time flew, we had so much in common. Music, movies, world views… the bus came and went – as did a few buses after that – we were oblivious. When the bar finally closed, (as was all of Dublin at that stage!) he insisted on walking me home as, not only were the buses finished, taxis were too! As we made our way along the banks of the canal towards my apartment, quite unbelievably, snow began to fall. Despite being freezing, it really did feel like I was living in a movie.
He stayed for a nightcap whilst his shoes & socks dried out. It was now well into the early hours of the morning. Light, fluttery, gentle snow was continuing to fall and along with it, any possible chance of a taxi. Finally, after much debate, he saw sense and relented in his plan to walk the rest of the way to his home, another five kilometres, agreeing to the stay on the couch. Having only just met him, I was a bit hesitant to in offering but it seemed the right thing to do. Sure enough, there was no tiptoeing about in the dark with fake excuses about forgetting where the bathroom was!
In the morning I drove him home as the snow had thawed a good bit. He asked me in for coffee where I met his sisters and his mom, who insisted I stayed to share in their Christmas morning tradition of smoked bacon butties, but I declined offers to stay for dinner. Regular phone calls and texts ensued, a couple of dates and next thing we knew, he was moving in!
And from “the look” came some of the happiest days of my life, and his, as his family have always been kind enough to remind me. Little did we know how short our time together would be.