The Voice
Written by Theresa V.
Part
One
Part
Two
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Part One
"Listen my child, you say to me
I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call and I'll set you
free..."
Howie Dorough exhaled slowly as the plane touched down.
Since AJ was in rehab for 30 days, Howie had decided to go to Ireland
and visit his cousin.
He walked into the terminal proper and scanned the crowd.
*Where is she?* he thought.
"Howie! Over here!" a woman's voice called. He
hurried over and saw Meav standing there with another girl her
age. The two cousins hugged.
"Howie, this is my friend, Aislin Fitzgerald," she said,
gesturing to the red-haired girl with her.
"Aislin, my cousin Howie Dorough."
Aislin smiled warmly at him. "Dia duit, Howie."
"Dia is Muire duit," he said, just as warmly.
Meav smiled at her cousin. "Your da taught you well," she
chuckled.
"I am pretty functional in Gaelic," he told her as they got his
luggage and left the airport. "But, truth be told, I understand
more than speak. Our grandmother came down to Florida to visit
Dad right before I joined BSB and all she knew was Gaelic, so I thought
it was better to learn it."
As they drove into Dublin, Meav and Howie caught up on each
other's lives. She'd been shocked to hear about AJ's problems and
his time in rehab, but she was happy to hear he was getting the help he
needed. She had first met her cousin when Backstreet Boys came to
Ireland for some concert dates during the summer of 1997. She
spent that summer traveling with the guys and even became good friends
with Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. She thought of Nick
Carter as the little brother she'd never had and when the AJ thing came
out, she saw him crying during the interviews and had been concerned
for him. So, she called him via Howie's cellphone.
"So, how's AJ doing?" she asked.
"He's actually doing really well. Treatments are great,
but the doctors want him to take another couple of weeks for aftercare,
which is for the best."
"Anything to make sure he's better. How's Nick? Last time
he and I talked, he was shaky." Meav was concerned.
Howie smiled. Meav treated Nick like the baby brother
she'd never had. "He's doing much better. He's doing some concert
dates with his little brother, Aaron."
She chuckled. "Those two lads are gonna break some hearts."
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Part Two
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two Weeks Later
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meav was taking an afternoon nap when the phone rang. She
reached for the cordless on her nightstand and turned it on.
"Hello, John. I'm up," she said drowsily.
"John? Who's John?" Kevin Richardson's deep voice asked.
"Jaysus! I'm sorry Kev." Meav was a little
embarassed. She'd been expecting John McGlynn to give her a wake
up call so she could get ready for the Anuna concert that night.
"I was expecting a phone call, but that can wait. I take it you
need to talk to Howie."
"Yeah, I do."
"By the way, how's AJ?"
"Better, he's doing better."
"Ah, good." As she and Kevin talked, she took the phone to
Howie's room. Passing the call to her cousin, she went back to
get ready for the concert while the two Backstreet Boys talked.
The concert was at Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin.
"When the war is over, I shall take my lute a-down to it and
sing again..."
Howie sat in the huge cathedral, a lump building in his
throat. Anuna's sound was beautiful. Aislin
passed him a kleenex, so he could dry his tears. Meav had a solo
that night. She began to sing.
"Then in the lull of midnight
Then in the lull of midnight
Gentle arms lifted him slowly
down the slopes of death..."
That did it. His tears spilled over again. Aislin handed
him a new tissue. She understood; she'd been moved to tears at
these gigs herself.
The concert ended 20 minutes later. Howie and Aislin walked
out together and went to the back to wait for Meav. They didn't
have to wait long as Meav came out with some of the other ladies.
She quickly introduced him to Monica Donlon, Miriam Blennerhassett and
Lucy Champion. Lucy and Meav had sung a duet that night and she'd
also done a trio with Monica and Miriam, along with her own solos.
"They want to hit the pub tonight," Meav told Howie and
Aislin. "We could go for a little while, 30 minutes tops."
"That's cool," Howie told her.
Thirty minutes later, Howie, Meav and Aislin were sitting in the
pub, listening to the band and they had no desire to leave just yet.
The uilleann piper called out, "Meav, are we goin'to get a song
from ye?"
She grinned and got up, making her way to the stage.
"Yeah. You know which one, right?"
He nodded and she took the stage. Gazing at Howie, she
began to sing.
"I hear your voice on the wind
And I hear you call out my name
Listen my child, you say to me
I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid-come follow me
Answer my call and I'll set
you free.
I am the voice in the wind and
the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger
and pain,
I am the voice that always is
calling you
I am the voice and I will
remain.
I am the voice in the fields
when the summer's gone,
The dance of the leaves when
the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout
all the cold winter long
I am the force that in
Springtime will grow.
I am the voice of the past
that will always be
Filled with my sorrows
and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future
Bring me your peace, bring me
your peace
And my wounds they will heal.
I am the voice in the wind and
the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger
and pain
I am the voice of that always
is calling you
I am the voice
I am the voice of the past
that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger
and pain,
I am the voice of the future
I am the voice, I am the voice
I am the voice, I am the
voice."
When she was done, Howie sat completely still. Somehow, he knew,
that song was about him in a way. His Irish heritage had always
been calling him. It just wasn't until now that he decided to
heed the call. He was glad he did, very glad.
~~~~~~~~~
A week later
~~~~~~~~~
Howie, Meav and Aislin packed their bags. Howie had to
return to the States to resume the B&B tour with the group.
He'd invited the girls to come with him on tour and they'd eagerly
accepted. Meav really looked forward to seeing Brian, Nick and
Kevin again. Aislin really looked forward to going Stateside for
the first time, since her time in Riverdance. *This trip is going
to be interesting* Meav thought.
Little did she know how right she was.
~~~~~~
The End
~~~~~~
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