Little Roe's Trouble (Peaky Blinders)

Ash and Soot

(Tommy's P.O.V.)
The roof's aflame, the walls come down, the stables ablaze. Wood light up wood. Like a scorching desert it sucks the moisture from the eyes of nearby men. The split seconds are catching the sparks. The moment's like an ember-burnt hole and the time's burning. I was too late to the scene. I tried being the hero, running after Roelynn, but I am not a hero. Because now, I was kneeled helpless on the ground, watching the remainders of the barn fall to the ground. Helplessness is such a rotten feeling. There's nothing you can do about it. Being helpless is like being paralyzed. It's sickness. The cure calls for a monumental effort to stand up and start walking somewhere, anywhere, but that takes some doing. Instead, it was just that, feeling helpless - hopeless - to low now to even call out to her again - to weak to even think. Even hearing the sound of the fire-engine arriving was not able to lessen the feeling of helpless. From the market-place came the sound of bells ringing and the loud rumbling wheels. "Tis the fire-engine! the fire-engine!" shouted two or three voices, "stand back, make way!" and the thundering fire wagon dashed into the yard. The firemen leaped to the ground; there was no need to ask where the fire was—it was rolling up in a great blaze from the roof. I shook my head as I watched them try to get the fire under control. "You're to late" I mumbled and shook my head, "you're to late". Words began to flow my mind. Failure - Bad Father! - Blameworthy! Then I screamed out loudly as the negative words had consumed my mind
"I was to late!". The sinking feeling began to rise in my stomach. Impotent tears began to dribble down my face.

Leaving semi clean traces down my ash-stained face. The next moment Minny gave a loud, neigh. Sniffing I looked at the mare "they are not coming back, Minny" I softly cried shaking my head. Trying to explain to the in-distress mare. "They are not coming-" I hicked looking back to the orange flames. Yet the mare continued to neigh and had a furious need to break free from Ansel's grip on her lead rope. Pawing the ground, rearing, shaking her head and vocalizing loudly. I watched the little pony for a second, studying her behaviour. This wasn't behaviour that told me she was scared or frightened. It was like she was scolding us out for fools. As if she was saying "look! Look!". I turned my head to scan the grounds of the yard as my tears began to dry. What did Minny see, that we couldn't yet? One whinny was sounded from Minny and out from the thick smoke came another whinny. One that needed guidance and so the little mare continued to call out. Calling out to the sillhoute of a horse and small figure that slowly began to appear through the smoke. Could it be? I thought to myself, as I slowly pushed meself up to my feet. Disbelief filled my entire body as I saw it. That little Fell-pony was right, she was right! Minny neighed again, for she saw Roe coming through the smoke leading Blue-Eye with her or Blue-eye guiding Roe. Which I was not sure, the two were helping each other. Blue was coughing violently, and Roe was not able to speak as she tried gasping for air as the two ran with stumbles in their steps, through the smoke and flames. It felt like hours untill I had arrived beside my daughter and her large black mare. Yet it actually took me mere seconds. "Are you hurt?" I demanded quickly as soon as I arrived by Roelynn, "Are you hurt?!" I asked louder as she didn't reply. Trying to wipe the ash-stains and soot away from her face. Roelynn shook her head no, for she was still unable to speak. I sighed and pulled her in "oh my brave girl". I held her for a moment and turned to Blue-Eye, laying a hand on her shoulder. Relieve washing over me as both seemed alright. And I was glad for another thing. That Blue-Eye knows who she can trust because it is one of the hardest things in the world to get horses out of a stable when there is either fire or flood. I don't know why they won't come out, but they just won't, not one in twenty. A greater bond can not be formed. Roelynn said the roof and floor had all fallen in, and that only the black walls were standing. They found a place where her and Blue-Eye could escape through. But I could also see sadness in her relieved eyes aswell. And upon asking she answered in a hushed sad tone "two poor horses that could not get out were buried under the burnt rafters and tiles".

After the fire had been cleared, I had asked around about the fire. At first no one could guess how the fire had been caused, but at last a man said he saw a man named Jack go into the stable with a pipe in his mouth, and when he came out he had not one, and went to the tap for another. Then the head stablehand said he had asked Jack to go up the ladder to put down some hay, but told him to lay down his pipe first. Jack denied taking the pipe with him, but no one believed him. Even Roelynn can remember the general rule, to never allow a pipe ir cigarette in the stable, and thought it ought to be the rule everywhere.

Published: 17th of July 2024

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