Two Friends have recently arrived back in Birmingham, both trying to create a new life for themselves in style and riches. Jazz clubs and nightlife are typical scenes to them until one night they bump into the Shelby's.
Both the girls wish for a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Later that day Ada, Polly, and myself were all in the kitchen, preparing for the family's weekly Sunday roast. Ada peeled the potatoes, Polly stuffed the chicken, and I was at the table chopping up carrots. The Sunday dinner was a once in a few months occasion when all the family was together and nobody had recently fallen ill or been shot. Although I was not a Shelby, Polly had almost taken me under the wing as her own. And after a while, the rest of the family all saw me as a distant cousin or sister.
Ada chopped potatoes in silence, focused on peeling them to perfection. Polly also worked in silence, although would occasionally curse over the chicken not being able to fit all the stuffing inside it. Chopping up carrots was already painfully boring, let alone in the silent conditions.
My heart left my soul as the kitchen door slammed open. A soaked, smelly, dripping-wet Bonnie trudged into the kitchen. Her once-white coat was now a murky grey, becoming matted from water and bits of hay sticking out of it. Her usually neat hair now had hay looking out of it and began to frizz on top. Looked like a bird had nested within it.
"What on earth," I dropped my chopping knife instantly, rushing over to her until I caught a whiff of horse muck off her, so I dodged back a bit, "Bonnie-"
"I need a drink," She barged past me, dripping along the kitchen floor from her wet coat. She dumped herself into a wet sludge on the table, Polly looked up at her from the chicken as her face turned to pure disgust.
"It's not a drink you need-" Polly replied harshly, "It's a bath."
"Oh leave her alone Pol-" Ada replied, standing up from peeling the potatoes and wandering over to the drink cabinet, "Although you do smell of horses...so a bath would be a good idea."
Bonnies whole body flopped onto the table, like a doll. "You have to take that wet coat off...you will freeze to death," I said while hurrying over to her to pull her coat off, "There's no saving the coat," Grimacing as I held the wet smelly coat up to the light.
"It's only a coat." Ada strolled back over to the dining table where Bonnie slumped, with four glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Pouring four equal shots, Ada handed one to each of the ladies in the kitchen.
"Let's do a toast," Polly smiled, raising her glass in the air. Each of us did the same, even Bonnie who was still slumped over the table half-heartedly raised her glass. "To being a woman," Polly shouted, "And every piece of shit that comes with it," In one sharp sip each of us downed the whiskey, and the warm feeling slid down my throat. Warming up the cold winter day.
"Whatever happened to you?" Ada asked Bonnie.
"A man," Bonnie replied hastily.
"Well fuck him." Polly snapped, "What bastard would chuck a pale of water over a woman?"
"Dunno." Bonnie sighed, already pouring herself another whiskey, "Didn't see their face."
"Don't drink too much," Ada snatched the drink from Bonnie before she could pour herself another drink, "It's your first family dinner with us!"
Bonnie's eyes lit up as she heard this, "You mean I can have dinner with you...?"
"Of course, you can," Polly laughed, "As long as you have a bath first,"
"C'mon Bonnie," I smiled, reaching my hand out to lift her, "Let's get you cleaned up." Bonnie grabbed my hand as I lifted her from her chair.
"Thanks, Freya," Bonnie sniffled, "You are a good friend."
Polly clapped her hands together, starting to hurry us out of the kitchen, "Hurry up girls!" She snapped, "Dinner will be ready in an hour!"
***
Laying on my bed, I flicked through my weekly fashion magazine. Reading about the latest trends in America, top jazz clubs in New York, and dance troupes. It was overwhelming how America had gone so far, and yet Britain was still a post-war country.
Bonnie had been in the bath for over twenty minutes, guessing scrubbing the horse muck from under her nails. When she finally got out of the bath, she walked back into my room wrapped only in a towel.
"Bloody hell Bonnie, get some clothes on." I buried my face more into my magazine.
"Alright, stop moaning at me!" She snapped, kneeling next to her suitcase while clenching the towel around her could hear her aggressively huffing and throwing clothes around. "Freya!" She moaned as I peeked my head over my magazine, "I have nothing to wear!"
The thing is she did have stuff to wear, a whole suitcase full of clothes, and yet somehow she had nothing to wear. "Do you want to borrow some of my clothes?" I sighed, placing my magazine next to me as I sat up on my bed, "It's not much but-"
"Yes please," Bonnie began to place her clothes in her suitcase again, "I will take you shopping tomorrow, promise,"
The shopping trip was for her, not me. Standing up, I opened my wardrobe, taking out a long black skirt and white button-up shirt. "How's this?" I asked Bonnie.
"Yes...That will do I suppose." She stood up, snatching the outfit from me," Thanks Freya." Bonnie muttered before leaving to get changed.
Rolling my eyes I returned to my magazine for another twenty minutes, until Bonnie returned into my bedroom, wearing my outfit with her hair tied into a neat bun. She looked less glamorous but for some reason more pretty and innocent.
"You look stunning," Standing up I linked my arm back through hers, "Haven't seen you like this in years."
"Like what-?" She smiled looking at me.
"Like yourself and not some fake glamour girl,"
A giggle escaped Bonnie's lips, "Thank You, Freya."
My bedroom door suddenly slammed open as Arthur stuck his head in, "Pol said dinner is ready, " His voice slurred, so I imagined he and John were probably downing the whiskey that Ada opened only an hour ago. Arthur stumbled back down the stairs, intoxicated from the cheap whiskey.
"Shall we go downstairs?" I smiled at Bonnie,
"I think we should," She replied, smiling back too as I lead the way downstairs to the family meal.
