Seamus was a little surprised when he arrived back at the house and found Bono sitting in the living room with Antonia drinking coffee and chatting.
He hastily studied Antonia's expression in concern, but was happy and relieved to see she almost seem animated, and not in the least awkward or uncomfortable with Bono there.
Seamus then remembered that Bono had that certain knack of putting people at ease in his company no matter who they were.. he had seen him at work before, so he shouldn't be too surprised to see it had worked on Antonia despite her fragile state.
Antonia smiled up at him as he entered the room "Bono and I came across each other when I was taking a short walk while you were out" she explained "He has been keeping me entertained with stories and adventures he has had with the band on their last tour and we have been discussing his charity work"
"Well glad you are having fun" Seamus replied, "And I know Bono likes to tell a good tale.. I have heard a few" he grinned
"And everyone of them true, I swear" Bono replied solemnly but winking at Antonia making her laugh.
"But I have taken up enough of your day I have to get going" Bono then said putting down his cup on the nearby table and glancing at his watch
"I am expecting the others to arrive in a couple of days and still have things to sort out.. so if you will excuse me" he got up, and Antonia rose from her seat also.
"Thank you for your company"
"My pleasure" Bono smiled "we will have to do it again sometime... tel you what there will be probably a bit of a party gathering when the others arrive, you and Seamus are more than welcome to join us when it happens nothing big just a few friends, my way of repaying you for the hospitality and the coffee" he suggested.
"Perhaps" Antonia replied not wanting to commit herself to anything she wasn't sure she was ready for... talking to Bono had been one thing, sitting in a room of crowded people was another.
"Yeah we will see how it goes, but thanks for the offer we will keep it in mind" Seamus spoke up and shook hands breifly with Bono and seen him to the front door... and out of earshot from Antonia who had gathered up the cups to take them out to the kitchen he added "Thanks for keeping Toni company today, she needs it though she doesnt realise it yet.. I think its done her the world of good"
"I hope so, she seems like a real nice person once you get by that sadness" Bono remarked astutely
"Yeah well I am working on getting that sadness out of those eyes" Seamus assured him.
"And you seem to be doing a good job too," Bono replied, "And if you need my help anytime just call"
Don't worry I will" Seamus promised.
*************************************************************************
Adam and Edge where the first to arrive at Bono's place the following week, remembering that Adam seemed pretty familar with Antonia, Bono mentioned to him that she was staying with Seamus. Adam was as surprised as Bono had first been at the news
"So what is she doing staying with Seamus?" Adam asked in bewilderment
"Apparently he is an old friend of her mothers who orginally came from here" Bono replied, "I am not sure exactly what is going on with her, but something is not right.. its not like the same woman I met at the Charity ball a few years back" Bono frowned.
"How do you mean?" Adam asked
She looks so thin and pale and drawn," Bono explained, "And she has this haunted nervous look in her eyes, and from what little I can gather from Seamus and his sister Pat, it seems she has been through some sort of trauma. Even when I first encountered her she was a little edgy.. I don't know what has happened.. but I think she is here licking her wounds and hiding from the rest of the world"
"Hmm" Adam looked thoughtful, "Wouldn't surprise me if it had something to do with her husband," remember at that party the way he was behaving right under her nose and not caring... I believe his a bit of a womanising bastard from what I could gather"
"Yeah I remember that" Bono recalled "Guess it can't be easy for her having a husband flaunting his affairs in her face like that in public"
"Yeah and I heard he wasn't past smacking her around a bit too" Adam then remarked.
"Oh yeah?" Bono sat up, "How do you know all this?"
"Ex girlfriends gossip" Adam revealed grinning "Its amazing what you learn"
"Well aren't you two getting on like a couple of gossiping girls now" Edge chuckled coming in from Bono's kitchen with a tin of beer and catching the last of Adam and Bono's conversation. he threw himself down in the nearby chair and took a drink from the tin, then looked at them both
"Don't mind me, go on with your chit chat ladies" he drawled mockingly and was rewarded with getting hit on the side of the face with the cushion Bono which threw at him.
"Domestic violence is not a joke.. actually the statistics are-" Bono started to reprimand him, But before he could start giving him a lecture Edge quickly intervened.
"Hey I wasn't joking about that... I was referring to you and Adam sitting there discussing this persons life, like two old biddies" he paused his expression growing a little darker and serious now as he went back to the subject they had been discussing "If I got my hands on that shite I know what I would like to do with him" he growled.
"Yeah me to" Adam replied
Bono just sighed "Well if he is responsible for whatever is going on with her.. it looks like he has screwed her up really good. but at least she has Seamus, he is taking very good care of her"
"Just as well" Adam replied "From what I heard her father doesn't really care too much"
"I take it you know that from ex girlfriends gossip too?" Edge grinned dryly
"How else?" Adam drawled in retort, pulling a face at him.
"Well I have been getting the same vibes too, from what I can gather here" Bono put in
"What? who's gossip have you been listening to?" Edge demanded
"Pat's, and it wasn't gossip she was explaining to me about how the relationship between Seamus and Antonia came about" Bono informed him defensively
"And if you must know its a kind of a sad story"
He found himself relating what Pat had told him about Seamus and Antonia's mother. By the time he finished Adam and Edge both wore sober expressions.
"That is a a bitter sweet tale" Edge remarked
"Yeah, I never realised Seamus had went through all that, I mean I have to admire the man y'know" Bono replied "He must have loved Antonia's mother very much, that he could not think of having another woman near him and lived the rest of his life a bachelor, you don't get that kind of devotion these days... I feel inspired to write a song about it... we could put it in our next album..."
He stopped there looking a little wistful "It must be something else having someone love you that strong.. or to even love somone that strong.. wonder what it would be like?"
"You might find out one day, you never know" Adam replied philisophically
He hastily studied Antonia's expression in concern, but was happy and relieved to see she almost seem animated, and not in the least awkward or uncomfortable with Bono there.
Seamus then remembered that Bono had that certain knack of putting people at ease in his company no matter who they were.. he had seen him at work before, so he shouldn't be too surprised to see it had worked on Antonia despite her fragile state.
Antonia smiled up at him as he entered the room "Bono and I came across each other when I was taking a short walk while you were out" she explained "He has been keeping me entertained with stories and adventures he has had with the band on their last tour and we have been discussing his charity work"
"Well glad you are having fun" Seamus replied, "And I know Bono likes to tell a good tale.. I have heard a few" he grinned
"And everyone of them true, I swear" Bono replied solemnly but winking at Antonia making her laugh.
"But I have taken up enough of your day I have to get going" Bono then said putting down his cup on the nearby table and glancing at his watch
"I am expecting the others to arrive in a couple of days and still have things to sort out.. so if you will excuse me" he got up, and Antonia rose from her seat also.
"Thank you for your company"
"My pleasure" Bono smiled "we will have to do it again sometime... tel you what there will be probably a bit of a party gathering when the others arrive, you and Seamus are more than welcome to join us when it happens nothing big just a few friends, my way of repaying you for the hospitality and the coffee" he suggested.
"Perhaps" Antonia replied not wanting to commit herself to anything she wasn't sure she was ready for... talking to Bono had been one thing, sitting in a room of crowded people was another.
"Yeah we will see how it goes, but thanks for the offer we will keep it in mind" Seamus spoke up and shook hands breifly with Bono and seen him to the front door... and out of earshot from Antonia who had gathered up the cups to take them out to the kitchen he added "Thanks for keeping Toni company today, she needs it though she doesnt realise it yet.. I think its done her the world of good"
"I hope so, she seems like a real nice person once you get by that sadness" Bono remarked astutely
"Yeah well I am working on getting that sadness out of those eyes" Seamus assured him.
"And you seem to be doing a good job too," Bono replied, "And if you need my help anytime just call"
Don't worry I will" Seamus promised.
*************************************************************************
Adam and Edge where the first to arrive at Bono's place the following week, remembering that Adam seemed pretty familar with Antonia, Bono mentioned to him that she was staying with Seamus. Adam was as surprised as Bono had first been at the news
"So what is she doing staying with Seamus?" Adam asked in bewilderment
"Apparently he is an old friend of her mothers who orginally came from here" Bono replied, "I am not sure exactly what is going on with her, but something is not right.. its not like the same woman I met at the Charity ball a few years back" Bono frowned.
"How do you mean?" Adam asked
She looks so thin and pale and drawn," Bono explained, "And she has this haunted nervous look in her eyes, and from what little I can gather from Seamus and his sister Pat, it seems she has been through some sort of trauma. Even when I first encountered her she was a little edgy.. I don't know what has happened.. but I think she is here licking her wounds and hiding from the rest of the world"
"Hmm" Adam looked thoughtful, "Wouldn't surprise me if it had something to do with her husband," remember at that party the way he was behaving right under her nose and not caring... I believe his a bit of a womanising bastard from what I could gather"
"Yeah I remember that" Bono recalled "Guess it can't be easy for her having a husband flaunting his affairs in her face like that in public"
"Yeah and I heard he wasn't past smacking her around a bit too" Adam then remarked.
"Oh yeah?" Bono sat up, "How do you know all this?"
"Ex girlfriends gossip" Adam revealed grinning "Its amazing what you learn"
"Well aren't you two getting on like a couple of gossiping girls now" Edge chuckled coming in from Bono's kitchen with a tin of beer and catching the last of Adam and Bono's conversation. he threw himself down in the nearby chair and took a drink from the tin, then looked at them both
"Don't mind me, go on with your chit chat ladies" he drawled mockingly and was rewarded with getting hit on the side of the face with the cushion Bono which threw at him.
"Domestic violence is not a joke.. actually the statistics are-" Bono started to reprimand him, But before he could start giving him a lecture Edge quickly intervened.
"Hey I wasn't joking about that... I was referring to you and Adam sitting there discussing this persons life, like two old biddies" he paused his expression growing a little darker and serious now as he went back to the subject they had been discussing "If I got my hands on that shite I know what I would like to do with him" he growled.
"Yeah me to" Adam replied
Bono just sighed "Well if he is responsible for whatever is going on with her.. it looks like he has screwed her up really good. but at least she has Seamus, he is taking very good care of her"
"Just as well" Adam replied "From what I heard her father doesn't really care too much"
"I take it you know that from ex girlfriends gossip too?" Edge grinned dryly
"How else?" Adam drawled in retort, pulling a face at him.
"Well I have been getting the same vibes too, from what I can gather here" Bono put in
"What? who's gossip have you been listening to?" Edge demanded
"Pat's, and it wasn't gossip she was explaining to me about how the relationship between Seamus and Antonia came about" Bono informed him defensively
"And if you must know its a kind of a sad story"
He found himself relating what Pat had told him about Seamus and Antonia's mother. By the time he finished Adam and Edge both wore sober expressions.
"That is a a bitter sweet tale" Edge remarked
"Yeah, I never realised Seamus had went through all that, I mean I have to admire the man y'know" Bono replied "He must have loved Antonia's mother very much, that he could not think of having another woman near him and lived the rest of his life a bachelor, you don't get that kind of devotion these days... I feel inspired to write a song about it... we could put it in our next album..."
He stopped there looking a little wistful "It must be something else having someone love you that strong.. or to even love somone that strong.. wonder what it would be like?"
"You might find out one day, you never know" Adam replied philisophically
sometimes I get so carried away writing and getting the story out of my head I forget of off and the different spelling between where and were... weird thing is it never happens when I write by hand always on the comp *lol* 
