In My Blood // Alfie Solomons

Go Raise your chickens

Meanwhile in Birmingham...

'arthur,' finn called but Arthur was in the zone jumping rope, tuning out his troubles and boy did he have a lot of troubles in this moment. 'arthur!' fin called again. 'Tommy called a family meeting!'

'Hes just beat the shit out of an apprentice had to take half the kid away in buckets the boxing gym owner said noticing the boy as a Shelby.

'for fucks sake Arthur, move your ass.' Finn shouted.

'2000' Arthur said finally putting the rope down.

Once gathered around the shelbys waited for tommy to tell them what the fuck they were doing.

'sit down finn!' Arthur snapped finn had been pacing back and forth, the boy couldn't stand this life yet, the wars and games and lies of it all. At 13 he wasn't a man he was still a boy.

'where the bloody hell is tommy?' john said impatiently.

'he is on his way,' pol informed them.

'alright then while were waiting patiently,' Arthur began. 'whiskey left over from the explosion its still good stuff.'

'right before tommy gets were I think theres a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us.' John began as Arthur poured himself some whiskey.

'you think?' pol questioned watching the duo. 'I think we should wait,' Polly began but john didn't listen.

'yeah, yeah I do, I think we should talk.' John told them. 'I want to know when did we all take a vote on this expansion south?' john went on.

'if you have anything to say you wait for thomas!' Polly said pouring herself a drink.

'Polly is right john,' Arthur said.

'I see all the books,' john went on, ' legal and off track sort of stuff you lot don't see. And in the past year the Shelby company limited has been making 150 pounds a day so what I wanna know is why are we changing things up?'

'john,' Polly warned.

'we haven't even stepped foot in London and they've already blown up our fucking pub!' john spat.

'who said anything about cockneys?' Arthur questioned.

'who else?' esme johns wife questioned, Polly turned around she hadn't realized the bitch was here.

'do you know who did it, do you?' pol asked.

'no she doesn't know anything.' John said defending his wife.

'oh give it a rest john.' Athur said

'oh right love so enlighten me. why are we moving south?' john questioned her.

'bloody hell is I know! ' Arthur told them.

'just wait for tommy okay?' Polly pleaded with them. But john shook his head not being patient any longer.

'I'm told only family are allowed to speak ' esme said softly obviously speaking her mind whether the shelbys said yes or not.

'everyone is allowed to speak esme. On your feet. ' tommy said. 'lets hear what you have to say.'

'I speak for my household' john said.

'john this company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal rights for woman. On your feet esme.' Tommy repeated and john sank back slightly.

'I am not a blood member of this family but perhaps indeed because I'm not a member I can see things in a different light.' Esme began and Arthur refilled her drink. 'so I will get to the point.'

'please do.' Tommy said as sweet as venom.

'as my husband said the Shelby company limited is now a very successful but London I have kin in the sheperds bush and Portobello, its more like wars between armies down there and coppers fight side by side with them. And there are foreigners of every description and the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child blessed with the Shelby family good looks I want john to see him grow up I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and fresh trees and keep chickens or something.' Chickens. This is to the point Tommy thought but esme kept going. 'but london is just smoke and trouble Thomas.'

'thomas?' pol questioned,

'that was some speech you made esme. You might wanna have a drink to wash it down tom,' Arthur said handing over his glass.

'thank you,' tom downed the glass. 'esme... firstly the bang with the pub had nothing to do with london. Understood? And the bang is something I'm dealing with on my own.' Tom informed them coming up to the table. 'secondly, we've nothing to fear from the proposed expansion as long as we stick together.' Tommy went on 'after the first few weeks nine tenth of what we do in London will be legal. The other tenth is in good hands. isn't that right Arthur?' tommy said

'that's right,' Arthur agreed.

'now some of you in this room have expressed their reservations. Fair enough.' He looked at esme and john. 'any of you who want no part in the future of this company walk out the door... right now.' Tommy said calmly as he waited for his siblings to make a move. 'go raise your chickens.' Tommy mocked. 'for those of you with ambition,' he told them. 'the expansion process begins tomorrow.'