ROBERTO A SAMSON learns to see Ireland in a new light as he entertains his brother’s family.
Hello Kuya*, I hope you’re well. Surprise! This is your brother Ruben calling you from LA. I’ve decided with my wife Malou and your niece Melissa to visit you in Ireland. I think Christina, my eldest daughter, would be seeing you there by the end of next month. We hope to see you soon then, and I’ll keep you posted on the time of our arrival!” I sat with my mouth agape after listening to the voicemail my brother had left on my mobile.
In the 28 years that I’ve been stationed mostly in Europe, this would be the first time that he’s visited me, let alone with his family in tow. I remember how I would invite him to come and visit me so many times, and every time he promised me that he’ll drop by, but this never materialised – until now. For many people in Ireland, August is a month to spend one’s holidays, or just to take time off to visit friends and family and anything else one wants to do.
For me, however, it’s just another working month, spent finishing some of the summer projects entrusted to me in this period of the year.Thankfully I have some flexibility in my work, allowing me to manage the surprises and improvisations that come my way – my brother’s visit being one of them. Only one day in my schedule seemed to be irrevocable, but a colleague was available to fill in for me so I would be free to entertain my guests after all. My brother and his family had a simple itinerary.
First they went to London to visit their eldest daughter, my niece Christina, who is currently studying at Cambridge, and they then decided to swing by Ireland to visit me too. As they decided to take the ferry, due to the sheer volume of luggage they were carrying, I went to meet them at the port in Dun Laoghaire. Although the sky was grey and pouring when they arrived, their first impressions of Ireland were very positive. Conveniently for me, they were staying only five minutes from my home in a big country house with an open field.
The place charmed them, as did my good friend Helen, who owns the house. For the next few days I was in full tour-guide mode, taking my brother and his family wherever they wanted to go, from Blessington Lakes, Sally Gap and Glendalough in Wicklow to my office at the Catholic Youth Care on Arran Quay, The Book of Kells at Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, Rembrandt’s sketches and other excellent stuff at the Chester Beatty Library, Collins Barracks and the National Gallery, and even further afield – to the Kilkenny castle of Sir James Butler, the National Stud and Japanese Gardens in Kildare, the silverware factory in Newbridge, and Larry’s pub in Prosperous, introducing them to friends and acquaintances along the way. As we travelled I felt as if a spell had been cast on me, because even though I’ve spent four years in Ireland, I’d never really had a good chance to appreciate all these wonderful places all over again.
Even my work with the youth at risk in north inner-city Dublin seemed to have captivated my relations, yet their best compliments were reserved for my prowess in cooking, which I’d never previously considered as I always thought of myself more of a ‘chemist’ mixing ingredients than a chef. But knowing how meticulous my brother’s taste in food is, I had to rekindle my beliefs in my culinary talent.
One of the best nights we had was at Larry’s pub. The old musicians there surprised me when they asked me to join them to play some tunes. I hadn’t played the guitar or the spoons for a long time but I gave it a go, with the help of the Guinness stout in my blood. After our little concert, the whole gang at Larry’s gave me a standing ovation! DURING THEIR VISIT, the most special times with my family were the chats I had with each one of them.
The most interesting one was with my niece, Melissa. She’s 17 and has lots of plans in her life. But what surprised me was that all of her goals seemed to be concrete and reachable. My pride of being her uncle swelled with every chat we had. I found her a very sweet person. With my brother Ruben, bonding was never really a problem. We both felt that our relationships have matured a lot and have made us much closer to each other, despite what differences we may have.
The same goes with Malou, my sister- in-law who was already a close friend of mine at the time my brother fell in love with her. My way of seeing Ireland has changed, now that I’ve seen it through the eyes of my brother and his family. Yes, it’s true that things that you often see around you and get used to may lose their meaning sometimes, but when others show them in a different light, you realise that there’s still so much to appreciate. Indeed, this visit made me fall in love with Ireland all over again.
