Shelby Madness

Chapter 15, 'They think I'm stupid,'

2nd may, Small Heath, Birmingham.

The Garrison was buzzing with excitement for two reasons. The first being the win they had gotten at S.T. Andrews football ground and the second reason there was a new barmaid. She was pretty and was from Galway. "So you're the new barmaid everyone is going on about?" Libby asked from the window of the private snug.

"Yeah, I must be. I'm Grace by the way."

"Libby," Libs said, sticking her hand out for Grace to shake. "Can I have lemonade please?"

"Yeah, no problem," Grace replied, turning around to make her a lemonade.

"Grace it's on the house for her," Harry said not looking at the young Shelby.

"Here you go, Libby. Harry said it's on the house."

"Give him this, please, Grace.' Libby said, handing a penny over to Grace.

"No problem," Grace replied with a kind smile.

Libby had been at the Garrison for about ten minutes before a frantic Tommy entered the snug and swung the hatch open.

"Hello," Tommy's voice boomed trying to catch the attention of the new barmaid. Grace started to walk towards Tommy who was hanging through the window in the snug. "Can I get a bottle of rum?" Tommy asked impatiently.

"Grace, whatever it is, it's on the house." Harry, the owner of the bar, whispered into Grace's ear.

"A whole bottle?" Grace asked.

"Yeah."

"White or dark?"

"I don't really care." Tommy snapped, just wanting a bottle of rum. Grace turned around to retrieve the bottle of rum. Pulling it down gently, Grace set it down next to Tommy and said, "Harry said it on the house."

"Are you a whore?" Tommy asked Graces, causing Libby who was sitting next to him to burst out laughing. Grace's face turned into one of horror and she was stumped. How did she answer that? "Cos if you're not, you're in the wrong place." Tommy finished saying. "Come on Libs, Arthur needs us."

"Right I'm coming," Libby turned to Grace at the window and placed her glass down, "Thanks for the drink, Grace."

"Dad, seriously, what is your problem? Like can't you just be a normal person when you meet new people?" Libby asked while laughing as she and Tommy walked up Watery lane.

"I am normal, you cheeky sod," Tommy answered with a half-smile.

"Right, let me see him," Tommy demanded as he walked into the kitchen of 13 Watery Lane. Tommy looked over Arthur's face, sighed, Made him drink the rum from the Garrison, then he wrung a wet cloth out and smothered it in the rum to clean his face. Libby decided that watching her dad clean Arthur's face-up was boring so went over to John to torment him, while they waited. She would have tormented James but he wasn't here. Libby had not seen her brother since they came in drunk the night before and James got caught by Tommy sneaking through the bathroom window, Libby had the common sense to just use the back door and didn't get caught. She thought that Tommy probably had him on babysitting Finn duty as a punishment.

Libby began to poke John in the sides and pull his Blinders cap over his head. "Will you pack it in?" John shouted at the girl causing her to laugh and Tommy to roll his eyes at the pair.

"He said Mr Churchhill sent him to Birmingham, a national interest he said. Something about a robbery." Arthur gritted out. Tommy took a step back and Polly sent daggered glares to him. "Said he wanted us to help him." Arthur finished.

"We don't help coppers." John interrupted.

"He knew all about our war records, said we are patriots like him. Wants us to be his eyes and ears." Arthur slumped back in his chair. "I said.." Arthur stopped hissed in pain then continued, "I said we would have a family meeting, take a vote." Arthurs breathing was heavy and Tommy wouldn't meet his eyes, showing he disagreed with the idea of helping the copper. "Well why not, we have no truck with femians or communistes." Tommy again wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes, "What's wrong with you?" Arthur asked, getting frustrated. "What the fuck is wrong with him lately?" Arthur asked Polly.

"If I knew, I'd buy the cure from Compton's chemist," Polly answered, looking at Tommy, trying to gain eye contact.

Later on, Libby, James and the rest of their family, minus Aunt Pol, Finn and Ada, were walking to the Garrison. Libby and James were not staying long; they were going to meet some friends. There was a bonfire at the cut. It was when once a month the younger population of Small Heath would gather at the same spot along the side of the cut in some woods and have a bonfire and get drunk. Libby had heard about it from a boy called Lewis. He was friends with James but had quite a big crush on the girl. Libby was oblivious to the fact but everyone around them could see it, even James who was a little on the thick side.

The plan was Libby would say she was meeting Charlotte, Florence, Emily, Denise, Alices, Mary and Dorathy and they were staying at Charlotte's house for the night. While, James would say he was meeting William, Lewis, Edward, Frank, Robert and Isaiah and they were going to the pictures then going to Franks and staying there. This was the group they would normally go out with so the twins hoped Tommy or their uncles wouldn't suspect anything and let them go.

Walking into the Garrison, the boys remove their Blinders caps and Tommy glared at the new barmaid. She was on top of a table singing while everybody joined in. Libby liked the idea of everyone singing it made the Garrison feel more friendly and homely. Tommy, however, was not impressed. He leant against the gold beam in the middle of the Garrison. Grace finished her song and the whole pub was silent. "We haven't had singing in here since the war," Harry told Tommy. He was nervous, that much was clear.

Libby didn't understand how anyone could be afraid of her dad and uncles. They were like big, cuddly teddy bears. Libby and James had only been here a couple of weeks but they had never left so much love in their life as they did in the past two weeks.

"And why do you think that is, Harry?" Tommy questioned, walking in the snug.

"Right, we better leave now if we don't want to be late, James," Libby said letting him know it was time to leave.

"Yeah, you're right. Come on then." James said, getting up, ready to leave.

"Where are you going, John asked, suspicious of what they were up to.

"I'm going to stay at Charlottes with the girls and James is going to the pictures with the boys then staying at Franks," Libby answered walking to the door.

"Did I say you could go?" Tommy asked, knowing fine that hadn't asked.

"Well no, but we thought you wouldn't mind," Libby said, looking down at her feet.

"Alright you two can go but James walks Libby to meet the girls then I want you to come back by 11 tomorrow morning, okay?" Tommy said, looking between his two children.

"Yeah, ll walk her there and can I please have some money to go out?" James asked with a small smile looking at Tommy.

"Alright, here you go," Tommy said, handing James five bobs.

"Thanks, da," James said, pushing Libby out of the snug.

"They are totally up to something," John said, laughing a bit.

"They are coming back hungover tomorrow, Tom." Arthur laughed.

"Yeah, I know. They are going to the bonfire, it's the first Friday of the month." Tommy replied, "They think I'm stupid them two."

A/N:

this is episode 1 finished but there is a little something extra coming before episode two.