YouTube source for Sixteen-hand Reel dance video: Mountaintag. (2015). Sixteen-hand reel. Riverdance crew. Web Search 23 January 2020. Website: https://youtu.be/Dz7AZZ8Uz8E.
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Walker

On my hands and knees, I'm checking out the ground for possible posts. We need some kind of makeshift perimeter around our camp. A little protection from local insurgents who want to get too close to our camp. We've only been in this area for a little over 2 days. With reports from up North that unlogged movements are taking place, the gang's on edge. If we can do anything to settle their nerves, it'll be helpful.

Surprises from the enemy are never good. We already have a look out situation in place. We have some of our team strategically placed around the area armed and at ready. If someone threatening gets too close, we should be able to head them off before they can do any real damage to the people taking refuge in our camp. Still, you can never be too prepared.

I glance back in the direction of our camp and can see a few of the women and their children milling around. Some of them are wounded pretty badly. The hardest part about this assignment is seeing the kids suffer.

A friend of mine had once been on duty protecting a village from the Taliban, when the men there began insisting on medical treatment for themselves first. The women and children were supposed to wait and hope they could be seen, despite their injuries. It was made clear that the health of the village men was to be prioritized. This is a mentality I'll never comprehend. How can you look at an injured child and turn away medical help for them? To put yourself before a dying child? I'll never understand. Then again, I think to myself, I will never understand selling children either, something we're here to prevent and put a stop to as well.

Out of the corner of my eye and from where I'm kneeling I can see Candace. She's part of our Female Engagement Team, or FET, as it's nicknamed. The women in this area are not allowed to speak with my male counterparts and I. The FET, though, have made a huge difference in our ability to gather intel and to find ways to improve living conditions for the people of this area.

Candace is bending over to pick up a fallen blanket. There's a small woman in the chow line who Candace is helping. The woman's holding an infant on one of her hips. He looks to be about eight? ten? months old. I'm not sure. He could be older, what with the malnutrition I've seen, but there's no way to tell for sure.

The woman is having difficulty managing both the food and the baby. As Candace stands up to hand the woman back her blanket, she adjusts her rifle and asks to take the woman's plate from her. Candace catches my eye and smiles. I nod my chin to acknowledge her.

Candace turns back to the woman and they move forward together in the line. The woman picks out what she wants from the trays for her and her child. I can tell that most of what she chooses is for herself; the baby is still pretty young. Since the woman is most likely breastfeeding, I hope she gets her fill. She'll need it to take care of her child. As she nears the end of the chow line, I'm glad to see the woman take some powdered mashed potatoes and corn hash. Hopefully, some of that will make it into the baby's mouth as well.

Even in this dismal setting, and with the cuts and bruises that adorn their faces, most of the people in our camp seem happy to be here. Once we get this place more stable, we'll head out. We have some serious matters to manage a little further North. For the next day or so, however, we'll be setting this place up and keeping it secure until our relief arrives. I'm glad to help. It feels good to do something like this.

While I'm digging with my trowel, a light tune carries across the yard. Not much, just a light instrumental ditty someone is playing on an old radio. It's obvious that the children like listening to it. They're smiling as they eat. Some even seem to relax a little, while they wait to be tended to by the medic in the corner. As I work, and let the music accompany me in my task, I think back to the last ceili my mom organized over at the Irish-Scottish club. Jenny was there of course. The whole neighborhood came. Well, most of them, anyway.

Mom knows how to throw a party; pot lucks are her specialty. How she organized it all, I'll never know, but I didn't care. All I cared about then was whether or not Jenny would show up and what time she would get there.

The ceili had taken place the weekend before Jenny's accident. There was food galore, kids running everywhere and drunk adults relaxing the night away. Music had been piping through the speakers, and everyone was having a good time. Suddenly, the music came to a halt. The lights dimmed and I heard a flute start up somewhere behind me. Mr. Edwards must be here tonight, I thought to myself.

Kieran, a neighbor from the I-S club, had her fiddle in her hand and she joined in with Mr. Edwards. Colm echoed the sentiment on his bodhrán. I looked over at my mom. I knew it was her doing. Anything to remind her of home; her first one.

My mom was only 18 when she immigrated to America from Ireland. Her and Aunt Maebh flew over together to meet up with family already here. Barely a year had pasted before Mom met my Dad. One thing led to another, and Caleb and I were born. Suffice to say, whenever Mom gets the chance, she finds a way to weave her Irish roots into our lives, that night's ceili being no different.

As the music picked up, I noticed that my mom was talking to Jenny and Siofra and all three of them look very excited. Before long, a sixteen-hand reel spilled from the instruments around us as Caoilainn started the dance. Having had no intentions of joining in, I hung back near the bar. When her tiny fingers found mine, however, I let Jenny drag me to the floor by the hand. As we spun on the floor, our palms meeting throughout the dance, my heart skipped. I could feel excitement and happiness radiating from Jenny. Her hair escaped its tie and I smiled.

Having lost her mom so young, Jenny missed out on learning a lot of the 'old ways' of our heritage. My mom has wasted no time in teaching them to her, though. The two of them get along very well. My mom and her are always swapping recipes, doing crafts, learning dances, you name it. If it's Irish, Jenny's absorbing it.

When the song ended, we were out of breath, laughing together. "I didn't know you had it in you, Walker," she joked as she slowed her breathing on the bench next to me.

"Yeah, who knew?" I answered with a smile.

"Hey, I have something for you," she said, taking my wrist in hers. "Here. I made it the other day when your mom and I were hanging out." She took my arm and held in in her lap. From her pocket she pulled out a black, tri-braided, leather cord bracelet.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's an infinity knot bracelet. I'm sure you've seen them." Jenny replied. I noticed her hands were shaking slightly as she tied the clasp on the back of my wrist.

Was she nervous?

"Your mom was teaching me how to make them. I thought you might like one." The bracelet Jenny wrapped around my wrist was pretty simple; just two braided leather strips on each side, with a Celtic knot in the middle. The only adornments it had were two silver pieces of metal, flanking the sides of the knot.

I looked at Jenny. Did she know the meaning behind these knots, I wondered. Does she know what they symbolize, well at least in my family? Surely, if my mom taught her how to make them, she also explained their history. I realized that I needed to wake up to what was going on between us. I had suspected, but up until that point, I wasn't sure. That bracelet, though... Jenny had to realize what she was telling me by giving me that bracelet, and if so, then I had the green light to move us forward beyond just friendship.

"Um, yeah so, your mom was telling me about them," Jenny explained while blushing "...who they are shared with, and why. That they symbolize friendship, and you know, some other things. And, well, how the knots mean the two people who share them are, uh. I just think, um, yeah...anyway. What do you think? Do you like it?" Jenny was rambling horribly. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to keep from smiling. I was looking at Jenny, her eyes waiting in eager anticipation for my response. "Yeah, it's awesome. Thank you." Overwhelmed by the energy around us, I ducked my head. Dammit, Walker don't you dare blush, too! I thought to myself.

"You do?" she asked, surprised. "Oh! Oh, that's good. Um. 'Cause I was going to ask you something tonight. I feel like maybe we should..." Where was Jenny taking this conversation? Was she going to...

Just then I heard Jenny's grandmother call out to her. I had to stifle a groan. Not that I didn't love Mrs. O'Lennachain. I did. But, geez, could she have worse timing?

"Jenny?" she called, walking over to us and grabbing Jenny's hand. "Oh, there you two are. I was wondering where you had gotten off to." Mrs. O'Lennachain looked up at me and smiled. "Some nice dancing there, young man."

"Tha," I choked. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Lennachain. It's been a while since I've done that reel."

"Well," she complimented. "You'd never know it. You did great."

Turning to Jenny, Mrs. O'Lennachain said, "Jenny, I'm afraid my arthritis is acting up. Will you be a dear and get my purse out of our car? I brought some Aleve with me and I think it's best I take some. I'm going to sit down with your grandfather and Mrs. Graham while you're out there."

"Sure, Grams," Jenny replied. She frowned in my direction, a look of disappointment evident. I guess she wasn't happy with her grandmother's timing either. When Jenny turned back to her grandmother, though, she made sure to smile as she said, "I'll be right back."

"Be right back, Walker," she said to me as well squeezing my hand before running off. "Excuse me."

After Jenny left, my thoughts raced. If I wasn't mistaken, it sounded like Jenny was just about to ask me out. Was she? Yes? No? Maybe? Was she just going to say something nice? Thoughtful? Or, did she have something better in mind? I twirled the bracelet around on my wrist.

A few minutes later, Jenny came back inside with Mrs. O'Lennachain's bag. Once she dropped it off, Jenny met me half way across the room and took my hand in hers. "Come on, Walker," she said, pulling me towards the bartender. "Let's go get a drink. I'm dying of thirst after that dance." We never did get back to our previous conversation, though. Whatever Jenny way going to say, stayed unspoken.

Later, when I mentioned to my mom about the bracelet Jenny had given me, she smiled like a cheshire cat.

"Did she now?" she asked, eyes lighting up.

"She did," I replied. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Hmmm...seems to me that girl fancies you, Walker."

"Mom!" I hollered softly.

"Walker!" she said, mimicking my tone.

"Look, son. The other day, when we were at the table making jewelry, I told Jenny about the Celtic knots. She knows what they're all about, and who is the first person, the only person, she makes one for?" my mom asks pointedly.

"You!" she answers herself before I can reply, tapping me on the head with her finger.

"So, Jenny knows..." I start.

"That they're a symbol of loyalty and friendship?" she cuts in. "Yes."

"Oh..." I say, disappointed. I look out the window, away from my mom.

"AND," my mom says, breaking into my thoughts, "She also knows they mean faith and love as well. That they mean you're interconnected. And, now look! My son is wearing that bracelet. Oh, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaims kissing me on the cheek.

"Mom. Stop." I tease, wiping my cheek and laughing at her antics.

"Stop?" she asks, laughing. "Never!" She plants another on my other cheek.

Looking back at that whole situation, I realize what a fool I was. A coward really. Every possible sign was right in front of me. What an idiot I'd been, hesitating like that. I should've acted sooner. I sighed and looked around me. The place was pretty barren outside the perimeter tonight. Not much going at the moment, and for the sake of the people inside our camp, I hope it stays that way.

"You ok out here, Walker?"

I look up to see Coach's approach.

"Yeah, I'm good." I reply. "What's up?"

"Not much. The usual. You know," he sighs. "Just needed a moment to get a way and think. Find some quiet."

"I hear you."

"So, you're good. That's good" he says again. "Uh, so, I was thinking."

"Yeah?"

"The guys and I," he explains, "when we're done here. When we get back to base, we're gonna head over to Inkstick. Get some tat work done. You wanna join us?"

"What're you guys getting?"

"Thinking about getting the Marine emblem tattooed up here," he replies pointing to his chest. "About past time for me."

"You interested?" he asks, rolling a pebble between his palms. He tosses it across the yard and looks up.

I think about the infinity knot bracelet Jenny gave me that night at the Ceili. I still have it back at the base, wrapped in one of my sock rolls. Maybe while I am there getting the Eagle, Globe and Anchor with the guys, I can add a little something extra across from it, on my upper arm.

I decide to go and bring the bracelet with me; see what the artist can do with it.

"Yeah," I reply. "Yeah, I'm in."

"Yeah? Good. That's good" he says. "Ok, cool." He pats my back and turns to go back to the crew. I bend over to make some adjustments in the dirt and lose myself on something mindless.

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