Sunbeam

1) Friends?

"Ada, who are these people?" Kezia asks, coming home from the blacksmiths where she worked, only to find her younger sister had invited a dozen women over.

"Kez, you're home!" Ada smiles, handing her a drink, "everyone say hello to my sister, Kezia."

Kezia downs the drink in one, "doesn't answer my question, who are these people and why are they here?"

"We're celebrating, and they're here because we got kicked out of the pub," Ada responds, "we've got the phonograph playing."

"I never would have guessed," Kezia says, "which pub did you get kicked out of?"

"The Chain," Ada answers, and Kezia looks at her confused, "what the fuck were you doing at the chain?"

"Celebrating," Ada says.

Kez pinches the bridge of her nose, "you're infuriating... what are you celebrating?"

"Two things," Ada replies.

"It's my birthday," Bea exclaims, taking a swig from a bottle of rum, "you going to wish me a happy birthday, Kez?"

Kezia glances down at Beatrice, the newly 22 year old smiling up at her, "I'll let you have a taste."

Beatrice had been Ada's best friend since the two were kids, she lived just down the road, they had met when Ada had stormed out of the house exclaiming that she was running away, turns out Bea was doing the exact same thing, six houses down. They looked at each other and laughed, and have been pretty much inseparable ever since.

"I'm more of a whiskey drinker," Kezia responds, reaching around Bea to grab the bottle off a shelf, uncorking it with her teeth, "happy birthday."

"You're not leaving so soon, are you?" Ada frowns.

"I'm going to find Polly," Kezia shrugs.

"You don't have to look very far, she's over there," Ada says, pointing across the room where their aunt was sat with some of Ada's friends, smiling and drinking a glass of port.

"I've had a long day, Chakano," Kez sighs, removing a cigarette from her case and putting it between her lips, "I'm exhausted, I've been infront of the burner all day."

"Too long, and tiring a day to celebrate the war being over?" Ada remarks.

"The fuck are you on about?" Kez replies, hesitating in lighting the cigarette.

"The Germans have signed an armistice, the fighting stopped this morning," Ada states, "soldiers will be being shipped home as we speak. The boys will definitely be home for Christmas."

"Great, more people to buy gifts for," Kez responds dryly.

"Don't be such a bore, come on, have a drink, loosen up, celebrate with us," Ada pleads, "they've survived, surely you'll drink to that."

"I'll drink to anything, doesn't mean it has to be with people though," Kez shrugs, finally lighting the cigarette and taking a drag.

"You're spending time with us, end of," Ada states firmly, taking her older sister by the hand so she could properly introduce her to some of the women.

"So what do you do?" Helen queries, as Kezia leans against one of the counters, "I'm a blacksmith."

"Good with your hands, aren't you, Kez?" Bea inputs, discretely winking at the eldest sister.

"Are you good at fixing things? Because I have this broken chair just laying around, it's my son's favourite, and he'll be coming home soon," Helen says.