“It should not be long before Edge returns” Katrina informed Paul Hewson as she invited him to sit in the chair by the fire, “I take it he wasn’t expecting you to call?”
“No I doubt it, I have the habit of just dropping by when the notion takes me out this way” he replied with his easy smile, then glanced around him, “So how long have you and Edge been married?” he enquired casually
“A few months” Katrina replied, “It happened rather suddenly”
“Really?” she found Paul Hewson’s blue eyes scrutinising into her questioningly.
“Yes, but it’s a long story, maybe better left to Edge to explain” Katrina replied. It was her turn to inspect him up and down, he was smaller built than Edge dressed in black breeches a white shirt and a rather worn brown leather jacket, he had an easy going manner about him, her curiosity got the better of her now as she sat across from him
“So you have known Edge from his days in the army, where you in the same regiment”
“Yeah we were mates the minute we met, both being Irish men in a strange country, we have been through thick and thin together” he replied.
“I see” Katrina smiled, then after a moment’s hesitation found herself asking the burning question.
“Did you know his first wife well?”
“You mean Juanita?” Paul enquired, “Yes I guess I did, I was best man at their wedding sort of”
“What was she like?” Katrina couldn’t help asking, and noticed he looked uncertain as how to reply.
“Its just that Edge never really speaks of her, and I understand, I think he finds the subject too painful, and no one else around here took the trouble to get to know her… I was just curious about her” Katrina explained
“She was a good woman, could have a fiery Spanish temper though, but Edge always knew how to sweet talk her into calming down” Paul grinned.
“Yes I can well imagine that” Katrina smiled, “How did they meet and fall in love?”
“Juanita’s home village was sacked by the French, they killed her husband, and she was with child which she lost. Our regiment came upon the village, we had a bit of a skirmish with the French occupiers, we soon shifted them.
When we moved on Juanita along with several other Spanish women joined us, we would pay them favourable for taking care of certain amenities washing making food stuff like that” Paul explained, his mind going back to former times.
“Juanita and Edge took a liking to each other, he felt sorry for her after she lost her husband and child, but I guess the romance between them didn’t start until Edge got seriously injured in battle one time a bullet in the thigh, we thought he might lose a leg by the time the surgeons finished with him, but he was lucky.. Juanita nursed him back to health, the next thing she became his woman.. then later his wife when she fell pregnant with his child” he finished
“I see,” Katrina replied, “She must have been a very brave woman, to travel around with you like that during wartime, then to leave her homeland to live here with Edge, I know it was not easy for her”
“No it wasn’t” Paul’s expression was more sober, “But they were happy enough just being together from what I could see”
“He loved her very much, didn’t he?” Katrina then asked her voice a little strained, wondering why she was doing this to herself, when it was causing her pain.
“Yes I guess he did” Paul replied quietly, his blue eyes watching her perceptively
“But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t moved on from her death, or else he would not have married you” he pointed out
“Edge didn’t marry me because we were in love” Katrina replied hoping her voice sounded lighter than she felt, “He was just being noble, rescuing a damsel in distress and offering her his protection”
“Aye, that sounds like Edge alright” Paul nodded with a grin
At that moment the door opened and Edge entered, catching sight of Paul Hewson he looked surprised then grinned with pleasure.
“Hewson, you old dog! what brings you to these parts?” he demanded in delight as his old army mate rose from the chair to greet him.
“You of course thought I would drop by and see how things were” Paul Hewson replied cheerfully, then the two friends hugged each other, thumping each other backs in happy greeting.
“I see you have been busy from the last time I was here” Paul then remarked with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes, “Become a married man again”
“Yeah” Edge looked sheepish, “I was going to write and tell you, just haven’t had the time”
“Well I guess a new bride will keep you busy” Paul chuckled meaningfully, and Katrina felt her face heat up at his insinuation, and she felt Edge’s eyes on her, even though she was looking down at the floor in front of her
“She certainly does” he replied, then sensing Katrina’s discomfort changed the subject
“And what about you, what have you been getting up to in Dublin?” he demanded, “How’s the family faring?”
“Everyone is fine, the missus is with child again though” Paul replied
“How many will that be?” Edge frowned thoughtfully trying to remember “your fourth?”
“Yes indeed” Paul replied proudly
“Well we will break out the ale, and celebrate our good fortune” Edge then said patting Paul on the shoulder, “It’s really good to see you again” he beamed.
***********************************
Katrina could not help noticing the difference in Edge when he was with Paul Hewson. He seemed more animated and happy as the two of them sat drinking ale catching up on each other lives and recalling people and memories of their days in the army.
They spoke of their escapades, some of which made Katrina laugh others unsettled her made her realise how easy Paul or Edge could have lost their lives during the war, but she found it all fascinating.
But at the same time she felt like the outsider, she had very little to offer in the way of joining in on the conversation, it made her suddenly aware of how different their backgrounds had been.
As the night wore on into the early hours of the morning and the two men were still up talking Katrina’s head was drooping with tiredness she had not gotten much sleep the night before.
It was Bono noticed her almost nodding off as she leaned on Edge’s shoulder.
“Look at me keeping you up to all hours and the poor wife of yours is exhausted, why didn’t you tell me to shut my gob, and let you get to bed” he chastised Edge
“It’s alright” Katrina’s eyes fluttered open, “I like listening to you both talking” she replied
“Maybe so” Edge then spoke up “But Paul is right, you are done out, you should be in bed” he then turned to his friend
“You will stay the night of course, there is a makeshift bed you can have already set up no one is using” as he finished speaking Katrina felt the pressure of his arm squeezing her to him, the reference to the makeshift bed being no longer used made her giggle
Paul eyed then speculatively, sensing they were sharing some private joke, but decided now was not the time to ask
“That will do me fine” he replied cheerfully and yawned, “I am feeling tired myself now, so why don’t you both get of to your bed”
“Yeah we will” Edge replied
“ Goodnight Mr Hewson, its nice to have met you” Katrina spoke as she rose to her feet.
“Please call me Paul” he insisted, “I like to think I am your friend now, as much as I
Edge’s”
“I would like that” Katrina smiled.
“No I doubt it, I have the habit of just dropping by when the notion takes me out this way” he replied with his easy smile, then glanced around him, “So how long have you and Edge been married?” he enquired casually
“A few months” Katrina replied, “It happened rather suddenly”
“Really?” she found Paul Hewson’s blue eyes scrutinising into her questioningly.
“Yes, but it’s a long story, maybe better left to Edge to explain” Katrina replied. It was her turn to inspect him up and down, he was smaller built than Edge dressed in black breeches a white shirt and a rather worn brown leather jacket, he had an easy going manner about him, her curiosity got the better of her now as she sat across from him
“So you have known Edge from his days in the army, where you in the same regiment”
“Yeah we were mates the minute we met, both being Irish men in a strange country, we have been through thick and thin together” he replied.
“I see” Katrina smiled, then after a moment’s hesitation found herself asking the burning question.
“Did you know his first wife well?”
“You mean Juanita?” Paul enquired, “Yes I guess I did, I was best man at their wedding sort of”
“What was she like?” Katrina couldn’t help asking, and noticed he looked uncertain as how to reply.
“Its just that Edge never really speaks of her, and I understand, I think he finds the subject too painful, and no one else around here took the trouble to get to know her… I was just curious about her” Katrina explained
“She was a good woman, could have a fiery Spanish temper though, but Edge always knew how to sweet talk her into calming down” Paul grinned.
“Yes I can well imagine that” Katrina smiled, “How did they meet and fall in love?”
“Juanita’s home village was sacked by the French, they killed her husband, and she was with child which she lost. Our regiment came upon the village, we had a bit of a skirmish with the French occupiers, we soon shifted them.
When we moved on Juanita along with several other Spanish women joined us, we would pay them favourable for taking care of certain amenities washing making food stuff like that” Paul explained, his mind going back to former times.
“Juanita and Edge took a liking to each other, he felt sorry for her after she lost her husband and child, but I guess the romance between them didn’t start until Edge got seriously injured in battle one time a bullet in the thigh, we thought he might lose a leg by the time the surgeons finished with him, but he was lucky.. Juanita nursed him back to health, the next thing she became his woman.. then later his wife when she fell pregnant with his child” he finished
“I see,” Katrina replied, “She must have been a very brave woman, to travel around with you like that during wartime, then to leave her homeland to live here with Edge, I know it was not easy for her”
“No it wasn’t” Paul’s expression was more sober, “But they were happy enough just being together from what I could see”
“He loved her very much, didn’t he?” Katrina then asked her voice a little strained, wondering why she was doing this to herself, when it was causing her pain.
“Yes I guess he did” Paul replied quietly, his blue eyes watching her perceptively
“But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t moved on from her death, or else he would not have married you” he pointed out
“Edge didn’t marry me because we were in love” Katrina replied hoping her voice sounded lighter than she felt, “He was just being noble, rescuing a damsel in distress and offering her his protection”
“Aye, that sounds like Edge alright” Paul nodded with a grin
At that moment the door opened and Edge entered, catching sight of Paul Hewson he looked surprised then grinned with pleasure.
“Hewson, you old dog! what brings you to these parts?” he demanded in delight as his old army mate rose from the chair to greet him.
“You of course thought I would drop by and see how things were” Paul Hewson replied cheerfully, then the two friends hugged each other, thumping each other backs in happy greeting.
“I see you have been busy from the last time I was here” Paul then remarked with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes, “Become a married man again”
“Yeah” Edge looked sheepish, “I was going to write and tell you, just haven’t had the time”
“Well I guess a new bride will keep you busy” Paul chuckled meaningfully, and Katrina felt her face heat up at his insinuation, and she felt Edge’s eyes on her, even though she was looking down at the floor in front of her
“She certainly does” he replied, then sensing Katrina’s discomfort changed the subject
“And what about you, what have you been getting up to in Dublin?” he demanded, “How’s the family faring?”
“Everyone is fine, the missus is with child again though” Paul replied
“How many will that be?” Edge frowned thoughtfully trying to remember “your fourth?”
“Yes indeed” Paul replied proudly
“Well we will break out the ale, and celebrate our good fortune” Edge then said patting Paul on the shoulder, “It’s really good to see you again” he beamed.
***********************************
Katrina could not help noticing the difference in Edge when he was with Paul Hewson. He seemed more animated and happy as the two of them sat drinking ale catching up on each other lives and recalling people and memories of their days in the army.
They spoke of their escapades, some of which made Katrina laugh others unsettled her made her realise how easy Paul or Edge could have lost their lives during the war, but she found it all fascinating.
But at the same time she felt like the outsider, she had very little to offer in the way of joining in on the conversation, it made her suddenly aware of how different their backgrounds had been.
As the night wore on into the early hours of the morning and the two men were still up talking Katrina’s head was drooping with tiredness she had not gotten much sleep the night before.
It was Bono noticed her almost nodding off as she leaned on Edge’s shoulder.
“Look at me keeping you up to all hours and the poor wife of yours is exhausted, why didn’t you tell me to shut my gob, and let you get to bed” he chastised Edge
“It’s alright” Katrina’s eyes fluttered open, “I like listening to you both talking” she replied
“Maybe so” Edge then spoke up “But Paul is right, you are done out, you should be in bed” he then turned to his friend
“You will stay the night of course, there is a makeshift bed you can have already set up no one is using” as he finished speaking Katrina felt the pressure of his arm squeezing her to him, the reference to the makeshift bed being no longer used made her giggle
Paul eyed then speculatively, sensing they were sharing some private joke, but decided now was not the time to ask
“That will do me fine” he replied cheerfully and yawned, “I am feeling tired myself now, so why don’t you both get of to your bed”
“Yeah we will” Edge replied
“ Goodnight Mr Hewson, its nice to have met you” Katrina spoke as she rose to her feet.
“Please call me Paul” he insisted, “I like to think I am your friend now, as much as I
Edge’s”
“I would like that” Katrina smiled.
Edge and Bono sharing the good ole days. They both have such an interesting past.
