Childhood Memory (Finn Shelby)

Part 5

Elsie couldn't bear to stay in Small Heath, worried she'd get her hopes up and to have them crushed again.  She got on the first train she could and went home, completely forgetting to ring her Aunt, whom was completely surprised when she opened the door to her niece.

A week had passed when one of her maids said that Elsie had a phone call. The phone never rang unless it was her aunt saying she couldn't make it over, but she had been there the previous day so it was highly unlikely to be her. "I'll take it in the living room" Elsie said, walking to the room and picking up the telephone, "hello?" She questioned hesitantly.

"Hi Elsie" a cheery voice said.

"Isaiah? How did you get my number?" She was pleasantly surprised at him phoning her, but concerned at how he got her number.

"Tommy found it" he said, she could imagine him shrugging as he said that.

"Why'd you phone? Not saying I'm unhappy you did but-"

"It's alright Elsie, I get it. But to answer your question, I wanted to let you know we're going to visit your house. We should be arriving tomorrow, bye" Before Elsie could ask "why?", "who's we?" And "what?" Isaiah had hung up the phone. She groaned, that meant that multiple people were staying over.

Elsie rang a little bell and the same maid who told her about the call came in, "yes, Miss?"

"We have a few guests arriving tomorrow. Could you get four bedrooms prepared? I don't actually know how many people are arriving but it's best to be prepared. Oh and get the kitchen to have enough food to feed at least four extra people. Thank you" Elsie said, the maid nodded and scurried away.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

The next day, she was a nervous wreak. She was sweating, she felt sick and she couldn't think straight. She had left them without a word and she was scared to what everyone would think of her.

To clear her mind she grabbed her horse, Paint, and tacked her up and put on her saddle. She got changed into her riding gear since she had a room in the stables where she kept all of her riding clothes and gear, before she climbed on Paint and trotting down the drive, she went through one of the open gates before she set off at a gallop across her fields. Her mind was cleared and free from her nerves. She no longer sweated and she no longer felt sick.

But all good things must come to an end. The sound of a motor vehicle came driving up the drive, Paint, who wasn't used to seeing and being near cars, reared up and Elsie fell off with a shriek, Paint galloped off and the two boys in the back of the car came running out and climbed over the fence to her.

Finn was the first one to reach her, "Elsie? Are you okay?"

"Elsie are you okay?" The ten year old boy asked the crying blonde girl, he didn't know her but he had seen her before and heard her mum and dad call her "Elsie"

"Who are you?" She had asked, holding painfully onto her arm.

"I'm Finn" the boy said happily, "you're hurt. Shall I get help?"

"I need to find my dad" she said, her lip wobbled as she was about to cry.

"I can help, I'm good at finding things" the boy puffed out his chest in pride, he helped the young girl up. She yelped in pain as the boy accidentally touched where it hurt. "Sorry" he immediately apologised. "What does your dad look like?"

"He has brown hair. Glasses. He's very tall"

The downside of her description was that quite a few of the men in Small Heath matched that same description and all of the men, to Elsie and Finn, were very tall as they were short.

Finn held the girl's hand, leading her around, asking her every so often to see if a man who met her description was her dad. Half an hour had passed and Elsie was beginning to feel frightened, did her dad leave her?

"Elsie!" Both children turned their heads and saw a man walking extremely fast towards them.

Elsie dropped Finn's hand and ran to her dad,"Daddy!" She squealed. He picked her up but she yelped once more when her bad arm got hurt.

"What happened?" Her dad asked, moving her so she wouldn't hurt her arm again.

"I fell over and Finn was trying to help me find you" she said, pointing over to the ginger boy standing a few feet away from the pair.

"It's nice to meet you Finn, thank you for helping Elsie find me"

"It's alright" Finn said, he heard one of his brothers shout his name, "I gotta go, I'll see you Elsie"

"Bye Finn"

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Elsie's eyes flickered semi-open and a small pain short through her head, a soft groan fell from her lips and she felt movement next to her, when she opened her eyes fully and saw a freckled face next to her, "Finn?" She questioned, debating whether or not she was seeing things, when Finn smiled in relief she knew he was real, "Finn" she said happily, before flinching as another pain shot through her head, she decided to lay back down. "I remember you, well, I remember how we met" she said happily, "I had fallen over and you helped me find my dad"

"I did" Finn smiled, equally happy. "Listen Elsie, I'm sorry for not showing up at the pub, there was a family meeting and I couldn't leave, I was going to find you the next day but you'd already left"

"It's alright Finn, I'm not even mad anymore. I remembered something, I remember a part of you, that's all that matters." She paused, "wait, did I fall off Paint? Where is Paint?" She wait to sit up but another pain shot through her head once more, she laid back down.

"You did fall off your horse, so I'm guessing the horse is called Paint?"

"Yeah, she is. Painted Canvas was her racing name"

"Well, she reared up when our car made a loud noise, she bolted and you fell awkwardly and hit your head" Finn explained.

"Did you get her back?" She questioned.

"Your stablehand went and caught her while we brought you here"

"Thank god" she sighed.

Elsie politely asked Finn if he could leave her for a while so she could sleep. He said that that was okay.