Forward:
Brian Michael O’Bourke, a fiction short story (this is NOT a humorous story, but somber, serious, sad, but with good ending) by Michael V. Schwing, thought of 12/4/2017 as some parts were in my dream this morning and my daydreaming before getting up from sleep: parents divorced, remarried, have no time for him, he is becoming obstinate and difficult to handle and is a constant reminder of their biggest mistake–marrying each other, though conceived and born in love for his first years in life. He is sent to a boarding school where he forms a special but non-sexual bond with one of his teachers, Allan Murphy. Knowing the non-existent home life of Brian he asks his parents to become guardian of Brian, let Brian live with him and let him love, discipline and punish Brian as needed. They agree. Later, the teacher asks to adopt him. This the parents do more reluctantly, but do allow it and for him to take any name he pleases. He keeps O’Bourke because of its 800 year history and takes second name of Allan from the teacher, his new dad. He keeps Michael as 3rd and uses hyphenated surname reflecting both families: O’Bourke-Murphy. Wants to study more genealogy of both families and get Jesus in him to fill the void which only God can do.
The Story of Brian O’Bourke-Murphy
My name is Brian Michael O’Bourke, descendant of those famous Burkes who had ruled parts of Ireland since the Norman Invasion of Ireland under Strongbow (Richard de Clare), Maurice FitzGerald and his half-brothers the FitzStephens, and also the Cogans, de Burgos (later Burke), de Lacys, and other now famous families. I was born into a younger, not so-well-off, but comfortable branch of the family. But at the age of ten, the worst thing to ever happen to me happened: my parents who it seems never loved each other divorced and remarried again and started having new families. I became a burden. An outcast among my own kin. A memory and reminder of the worst thing my parents ever did to each other: marry. I grew to believe I was as unloved by each of them as they were by each other. I became withdrawn, hateful, and delinquent. I was shuffled around by parents, uncles, cousins, anyone who would take me in till I hurt them so much by words, actions, and beliefs, they had no recourse but to send me on to the next to care for me. It stayed like this till my parents decided to send me to boarding school at 16 years old. Then, slowly but surely, my life turned around. Love had entered it again–fatherly love from my teacher Mr. Allan Murphy, brotherly love from a couple of my classmates, matronly love from a couple of the nuns, and love of animals for the dogs kept by the school. Mr. Murphy taught me I could have a future, become what I wanted, be a new me better than from where I had come, be more than a poor son of Ireland treated as a delinquent orphan, though I had parents. I could become Tanist (Prime Minister) of Ireland!
This story is how that happened.
After having arrived at the boarding school, knowing his parents had used this pretence to just throw him away, Brian decided he would refuse to co-operate. He would get thrown out of here as quickly and easily as he got thrown out of every other “home”. But it did not turn out as he had planned. Someone was interfering with his throwing this chance for a new life away. He had run into something he could not bulldoze nor bend to his will nor ignore: the teacher Mr. Murphy.
Mr. Murphy taught history but had side interests in genealogy, flags, and coats-of-arms. He also knew the social graces like Brian had never learned. He could also outdance most anyone else in jig or reel. Brian had never seen his parents dance, except a little clumsily at each of their weddings. And sports. Mr. Murphy liked to watch some sports, but more importantly play them, even if he was not good at them. He also tried to get Brian involved in just trying new things like dancing and sports. Mr. Murphy could be quite persuasive at times, but not in the demanding threatening with punishment way of his father, but the chiding playful way of a big brother.
Yes waif Brian became over time gentleman Brian. He learned the skills of conversation, and the skill of getting people to talk about themselves. He already had some knowledge of sociology and psychology, that practical, learned in the dugouts kind, of a child learning to survive. Now he studied these subjects in school, and surprisingly, became quite interested in them.
He, however, never took to higher mathematics like calculus, nor to physics, nor to some forms of chemistry, though he liked predicting reactions, balancing equations, and learning the tests that tell one which elements and anions and cations are in a solution or salt. And languages. One year of Latin was required by all students at the school. He chose to take more. He relished reading Julius Caesar in the original Latin instead of the watered down English versions and the badly translated Irish versions. But he did want to read about the adventures of Finn mac Cool and Cu Chulain, and Eithne, Deirdre, Grainne, Mebhdh, and the Morrigan in the original Irish. Mathematics and most sciences, not cool. Languages, yes, very cool.
Teacher Allan Murphy found out what the home life of Brian had been like after it was described to him after a punishment Mr. Murphy had to give to Brian one day, and Brian had stayed behind instead of running out the door, and answered Mr. Murphy’s questions for the first time without lies, without fakery. Mr. Murphy decided to ask to become Brian’s guardian and move Brian into his house instead of the dorm for more constant supervision and control.
Brian’s parents agreed to this, with some relief, for they had always felt his delinquency would come back to them in a very negative way. That they would be responsible for the boy’s actions, even though they could no longer control the boy. Mr. Murphy was pleased; Brian was not so pleased at first. But they both came to see this was in the best interest of the boy.
Under the teaching, love, and guardianship of Allan Murphy, Brian begins to feel loved again. He learns again what it is like to feel loved, wanted and needed. Even when Allan must punish Brian, he does not view that as hate, but for some strange reason unknown to him, views the occasional necessary punishment as an extension of the love he is feeling for the first time in years. And with full knowledge of what the paddle (used only when it is something he must never do or say again, otherwise the hand-spanking, soaped mouth, writing punishment lines or cornertime is used) will do to his more-tender-than-he-realized buttcheeks, he has become much more corrigible and less beligerant and less likely to commit crimes and other delinquent acts. In fact, his buttcheeks are telling him his juvenile delinquency days need to come to an end. So also is Mr. Murphy telling him that. Mr. Murphy also gives hugs, a kind word, says and shows he loves Brian as if he were his own son, a precious gift from God, not something to be shunned and ignored as with his biological parents. He is laying down his burden and embracing life like never before under Mr. Murphy’s guardianship. He even wants to go to University when he gets older, now, not to escape his parents, but to be able to do more in life–maybe even become a teacher like Mr. Murphy.
Brian’s parents were not sure how to react when teacher Allan Murphy asked to adopt their son, the only child they had had together. Though since the divorce they both had married and were raising new families, and had new jobs, and new lives in different towns, they still were not sure how to handle the situation of their mentally and spiritually distant delinquent son, with whom they know they had failed as parents. But discussing it with Allan Murphy and seeing their son blossoming under his guardianship, they came to the hard decision that since they could no longer reach the boy, nor do anything more for him as they now have new separate lives, they consented to let Allan Murphy adopt him. However, they wanted to say goodbye and be called mom and dad one last time, and to be the ones to tell Brian about the adoption. Teacher Allan Murphy consented to these terms. All came to understand the adoption was in the best interests of the child.
“Brian,” his dad Bernard started to say, “it has come to our attention that your guardian, teacher Allan Murphy, would like to adopt you. We are somwhat hurt by this, son, but certainly understand. Your mother and I agree that this would be in your best interest. We had actually already considered putting you up for adoption before choosing instead to send you to boarding-school. We want you to know, understand, and truly believe that despite it seems we do not care about you nor love you, we truly do in our own way. But you are a constant reminder of the worst decision your mother and I ever made: to marry one another because our families, not us, wanted it. You were conceived in love and born into it, but not raised in it. For that we apologize to you for we know we have failed you as parents. We know we did not try hard enough to love you and cherish you. It is not your fault we did not cherish you and appreciate you as we should, it will always be our fault and ours alone. However, we hope that in allowing Mr. Murphy to adopt you that he will give you the love and upbringing you deserve which we cannot give to you. That by this act we can try to set right the wrong we did. Your mother and I would appreciate it if you would give us each a hug and call us mom and dad once more before we sign the adoption papers Mr. Murphy has had prepared. We also both would like you to get to know your half-brothers and half-sisters when you are older and more settled in life. We know we will never be your parents again, but hope someday we can be some sort of friends.” By now Brian and his parents were all crying. Brian realized his parents did care some about him and did love him after a fashion. And now he knew the fault in the lack of a proper relationship was not his, it was theirs and they admitted that and were sorry. It was as if some very heavy emotional baggage had been lifted from him. For the first time in years he genuinely felt some love for his parents and almost regretted the adoption. But he knew the adoption would be the best thing for him. He hugged each of his parents in turn and called them mom and dad, and told them he too would like at some time to know all his half-siblings.
Brian’s dad spoke again, “We know that in this adoption you can choose to keep your name, modify it, or totally replace it.” Mr. Murphy,”You should keep “Brian” because it means “strong” and that you definitely are mentally and psychologically. I was hoping you would add “Allan” as a middle name as it means “handsome, cheerful”, the first you are, the second you will be.” Brian spoke,”I will keep Brian, add Allan as my second name, keep Michael and add Murphy to my surname as O’Bourke-Murphy, representing the union of the Anglo-Irish and the original Irish, and respecting both families. Didn’t you say Mr. Murphy that there was a connection in your family to Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, and his ancestor Brian Boru, High King of Ireland and King of Munster?” Mr. Murphy said, “Yes. We Murphys of my line are descendants of the MacMurroughs.” Brian said,” I would like to learn more about my ancestry in both my blood and adoptive families.” Mr. Murphy answered, “That is certainly up my alley as a genealogist and historian.” Brian,”I would also like to know more about God, Christ, and the Catholic religion held by our ancestors. In trying to survive, I have fallen away from all religion and churches and have a hole in my soul it seems no one can fill.” Mr. Murphy and his old parents all said they were happy to hear this. Mr. Murphy said he would have the priest in charge of the school start instructions tomorrow. Then Brian turned and walked out the door and out of his parents’ lives for now.
Life with his new Dad, Mr. Murphy (and Brian did call him DAD!), had some ups, downs, and adjustments, especially on Brian’s part as it seemed Mr. Murphy had long wanted a son, and now that he had Brian as his son his prayers to God had been answered. So Mr. Murphy was quite pleased to make the adjustments necessary for co-habitating with a son instead of a guardian boarder. As they had been sharing a house for a year under the guardianship, the necessary transitions to being Dad and Son were not difficult to make.
Brian graduated the boarding school with flying colors. He did go to University majoring in teaching but minoring in politics. With his love of sociology and psychology, two of the few classes he got all A’s in, politics seemed to be a way to use that knowledge. He led some of his classmates in a student group and became class vice president. He graduated University cum laude. He got a job in the Mayor’s office. Three years later at age 25, he was elected Mayor of the little town. Four years later he was elected to Parliament from the same town. Ten years later, as a happily married man with four children and having gotten to know his half-siblings (but his parents having died in the meantime), he was elected by his Party as Tanist of Ireland. Tanist is an ancient title meaning the next person (heir) to the chief, who would become the next chief of the clan. It is a title used in the modern Irish Republic for the important government position elsewhere called prime minister or premier. The second post in all of Ireland after the President of the country.
Yes! That Irish waif no one seemed to love or want had become greater than from where he had come. He was more than the sum of his parts. Just like his marriage to his lovely wife Caitlin (properly pronounced in Irish as Kathleen, not that horrible English abomination of Kate-linn), and his family from that God-blessed marriage: his daughters Enya and Brigit, sons Brian (Jr.) and Niall, a family being greater than the sum of its parts. Thanks to his adopted Dad, Mr. Allan Murphy he learned he was worthy of being loved, wanted, and needed. Now the whole country knew his name! He was not loved by all, but many did know him, like him, and care enough to elect him Tanist! Could life be any better, could God bless him any more than being Tanist, his marriage, his family, his real Dad (Mr. Murphy)? Yes, possibly. An Irish waif no one loved and wanted, may even rise to be President of Ireland! No, he wasn’t that yet. And it may never happen. But some loved him so much that there is talk by the Party to put him forward as candidate for the office of President!
The Irish waif found love. He found he was wanted and needed. He found purpose in life. He had found God and a relationship with his Saviour and the Lord of All, who loved him and blessed him more than any earthly parents could. He found marriage, he had children, he had JOY. Life was good and he was better than from where he came. Mr. Murphy had been right all along; this was what was best for the boy, now a man!
Writings of Michael Vincent Schwing (Tyrrannis I Saurranno) of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 