Richard Welsh thought he could squeeze in a quick drink with his mates after work, but one thing led to another, and he was conscripted into the English army to fight in a global war. His wife, not thrilled, dropped the kids off with a babysitter and set out to bring Richard home. Thus began Christian Welsh's epic, decades-long quest through the battlefields of Europe to find her husband, and herself. And a pet pig, which was a bonus. Read a full transcript of this episode on the Something True website. Follow Something True on Twitter @atruepodcast. (Or just follow Duncan and Alex.) Music on this week’s episode: Kai Engel – Summer Days* David Szesztay – Crime Story Jason Shaw – Back to the Woods* Gillicuddy – Adventure Darling* Gablé – humm ok* Gablé – mont* Alan Singley – Tulum* Kevin MacLeod – Reaching Out Jon Watts – Don't Give Up* Jahzzar – Last Dance* Chris Zabriskie – The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan* *modified for the podcast.
It was the 1680s, a busy decade for colonization and legally having sex with ones cousin.
But Christian Kavanaugh of Ireland was only a teenager when she tried the latter and didnt like it at all.
She decided to make a life change and went to live with her aunt, who ran a pub in Dublin.
The aunt died young, and in her will she left the business to Christianity.
And there a new man entered the picture, a man who wasnt her cousin.
Richard Welsh had worked for her aunt as a waiter, and when Christian took over, he became smitten with his new boss.
Christian thought it was a bad look to marry her employee, but in time she found that nobody made her feel happy and safe in the ways that Richard did.
Then, when Christian was pregnant with their third child, Richard disappeared.
She'd sent him out one night to collect beer from the local alderman, alderman Forest, but he never returned.
Over time, Christian had to accept that Richard was dead, most likely murdered for the beer money.
It wasn't easy.
Richard had been the love of her life, a wonderful husband and dishwasher.
But then, more than a year after Richard's disappearance, she received a shocking letter.
Dear Christian, you remember that night when I went out to the alderman?
Yeah.
Well, I was on my way there when I happened to just run into this old schoolfellow, and he said, you look like a man who's on his way to an alderman, so why don't we just squeeze in a few pre alderman drinks?
Well, we had some wine at a pub and went on from there to a boat where I just drank so much I passed out.
And when I awoke, dearest wife, I was enlisted as a foot soldier in the english army.
I'm now in a global war.
This is Richard, by the way.