Part 2 The Characters behind the storyline of Orphan And Strangers.
William, a farmer’s only son hates farming. He volunteers to do his bit for the war effort by helping on the trains carrying the soldiers and servicemen across Norther Ireland ensuring they don’t stray across the Border into Southern Ireland.
One day on the Belfast train he meets Margaret, a nurse in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Obsessive by nature, for William falls head-over-heels in love with her.
It’s love at first sight.
Margaret is from Co Kerry – a ‘foreigner’ in his mother’s eyes. And worse still, she’s a catholic.
William’s sister Lisa loves farming and would make a good caretaker for the farm that has been in the family for several generations.. She’s the one who goes to the annual fair days and farmer’s markets. The old hill farmers sup their stout and admire her. Her father notices when she is with him he gets a better price for his cattle.
But she’s a woman. Women get husbands and children – they don’t get farms passed down to them.
It’s a son’s place to carry on the farm. Sarah, William’s mother insists. She’s always known her son is different – not like other boys. She had a plan for him since he was born. She will marry him off to a good strong willed farmer’s daughter and in time the farms will be joined up and her son will get used to farming the land. This will keep the land and the farm safe from ‘outsiders’ getting their hands on it.
William and his sister Lisa couldn’t be more different. William is detached and withdrawn. Lisa loves life. And to her mother’s thinking she’s also too easy – especially with the America servicemen based in Fermanagh.
When the shocking news breaks that her daughter is pregnant and the GI has left her high and dry, Lisa must marry in a hurry. Then, Sarah’s son announces he is secretly in love and is adamant he will marry the woman he loves in any church or no church if she will have him, Sarah, despairing of the land falling into catholic hands marries her daughter off cuts William out of her will and contrives to have him cast out from his church…
Gemma Hill July 2025
Gemma Hill Writeyou Writeme 