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october26th, small heath, birmingham SHE ENTERED Small Heath at 12 37 am, she got a lift from a kind gypsy man who left her at the edge of Birmingham and gave him 5 shillings for his kindness.
She and her son walked for about half an hour before she got to a familiar street.
"Mum are we there yet I'm sooo tired", Alex yawned.
"Yes, it's this house", she said smiling as she stopped and looked at it, she loved this placed and hoped that her brother would be up to let them in.
She quickly walked over to the door hand in hand with Alex and knocked. She heard rummaging through the door before it opened, she seen a shadow of her brother, his eyes sunken, hair messed. He's eyes blinked a few times wondering if he is imaging her, ever since the war he has been hearing voices and noises, and ghosts of his friends.
"Annie, is that you", he said surprised.
"Yes, Sammy it's me, I'm back", she said with tears in her eyes as she took him in for a hug.
"I'm here to you know", Alex said coming out from behind his mother into Sam's view.
"Alex, jesus, you little tike, give your uncle a hug", Sam said, for once he had a smile on his face.
"Your bigger than I expected", he admitted.
"And cuter too", he said craftily.
"Well you both must be tired, let's get you to bed Litte Man", Sam told them as he ruffled his nephews hair and showed them into the house.
"I'll put Alex to bed Sam.. and I'll come down and chat you to later", Anna kindly smiled as she took Alex's hand and took him upstairs to her room. It was much bigger than their house in New York, and cheaper too since in wasn't in a big city.
"It this your room Mummy", Alex asked looking around the room.
"Yes I stayed here when I was your age", she said looking at him.
"Mum... who's he?", Alex asked pointing towards a photo.
Annabella walked over to him wondering what he was looking at until she was frozen. She forgot that photo was there.
It was a photo of her and Tommy, him sporting his usual peaky cap and a cigarette in his mouth, SMILING, and Anna wearing a beautiful dress smiling too. They both looked so happy. It was a party at the Garrison, when the Peaky's took it over.
"Mum", Alex shouted a bit louder breaking her gaze.
"Ummmm..", she said shuffling, "it's one of Mummy's friends".
"Is he from around-"
"Off to bed now... I'll be up in a while to sleep beside you", she told him as she walked out and closed the room door.
She heard Sam shuffling down stairs as she made her war into the kitchen and took a seat. He turned round with two glasses of whiskey and sit a glass in-front of Anna as he took a seat opposite her.
He lit up a cigarette before he offered her one, which she declined. She didn't really smoke much when she lived in Small Heath and cut it out altogether when she moved to New York. She lifted the glass of whiskey to her lip and took a sip, the rough taste in her mouth.
"Sam.. you look awful... how are you doing?", Anna asked disrupting the silence.
He took a puff of his cigarette before he answered, "How do you think I'm doing? Well I see ghosts, I hear voices, noises in my head, and dad has died. So how do you think I am? I have been working with Tommy since I got back from the war, Dad was helping out too, the money's good, but those bastards killed him.. and I have to lie to Tommy everyday, he asked about you for awhile when he got back, but I told him you didn't tell me where you moved. He's like a brother to me, I know he hurt you, but he has a son, he deserves to know".
Anna sighed before she broke down, "I'm sorry I left, it was too hard being here, reminded of him. He broke my heart, told me I was just a bit of fun. And I have done worse, not telling him he has a son, but Alex deserves someone who isn't in a gang, doing illegal stuff. Wondering if his Dad will come home or not, it just so hard Sam".
She and Sam hugged for what felt like forever before they let go.
"I'll be staying for 2 weeks then be heading back. I'll explain to Alex first about his father then I'll talk to Tommy, I promise", Anna tells him, "You need to take a break too Sam, you are wreaked, get to bed now and don't wake up until next week", she tells him.
Sam then goes to his bed and Anna takes her last swig of whiskey before she puts it away and cleans the glasses signing, wondering how she ever is going to tell Tommy, and Alex.
