The Plight Of Esmeralda.

Tommy, Emmie and Mellie!

Spring had come & gone & everyone in Small Heath were hoping for a decent summer since Spring had been pleasantly mild.  Polly stopped by Tommy's office to talk to him since he had been talking about selling the house. Why, Thomas, why sell it , so many memories it's all Charlie and Ruby have known , you know why Polly he said, too much death, the death of both my wives. Lizzie died in Bournemouth Tommy, I told you it was a an unfortunate accident. Polly, Ada and Lizzie had taken a trip with the children down to Bournemouth, Lizzie said she meet them at a little restaurant for afternoon tea by the seaside, unfortunately she never made it. It had began to rain heavily as Lizzie was crossing the road a car lost control and hit her, she was killed instantly. Tommy was supposed to arrive that afternoon of course when he did it was too late. Lizzie had been getting restless in Small Heath and they thought a short family holiday to Bournemouth would be ideal. They bought a small beach house there. Tommy had noticed Lizzie had been acting strange, not herself, after the accident it was discovered that Lizzie had ovarian cancer and it would have only been a few months more that she would have lived. She was in a wonderful  mood that day but she had no idea that she was sick, it had just started to progress. The doctors told Tommy that in a way it had been a blessing in disguise. What months she would've had left would have been painful for her and it would have been hard to see her suffer.
The same month Francis had taken ill with bronchitis which turned into pneumonia, she pulled through but she decided to move to a warmer climate, her husband had been offered work in Australia so she had handed in her notice and today was her last day. They were going to have a small party for her & Tommy was going to give her a bonus for all the hard work she'd put in thru the years and stuck by him thick and thin, thru all his escapades: which reminded him of Esmeralda Gold. He always wondered what she was up to, as long it was good and not no good, yes she was a very naughty girl was Esmeralda he thought to himself, he had never lost his temper like that before with a woman although Tatiana came pretty close , and just as he was thinking about her his phone rang.
Francis said there was a young lady on the other end wanted to apply for the job, does she have the right skills, I don't know sir why don't you talk to her, she said she's just moved to Birmingham, she sounds American.

Within half an hour the young woman arrived at his office Francis showed her in and she took a seat. He asked her how many words she could type a minute , it was ok she could get by, he also mentioned he had 2 children and that he might even need help at the house with them, oh I just love little children she said, well that's great. So he asked her about her life in America she to,d him she had resided in New York, oh, where in New York he asked, Poughkeepsie she said, oh is that so. Yes I stayed with my Mothers cousin, then she told him  her mother's cousins surname Tommy was flabbergasted, her surname was McMillan and she talked about Clive who she called Uncle Clive, he had been married to Grace, Tommy did t know if it was a good idea to hire this girl. Well he said , so your surname is McMillon, oh no sir, she exclaimed, I took my mother's maiden name Gold. Gold he said, he's perhaps you've heard of her Esmeralda Gold. Tommy almost fell out if his chair. Yesss, as a matter of fact I have met your mother, or have you now, it's funny because I told her I was coming here to apply and she gave me a very funny look. Hmm did she now. Oh Mr Shelby please consider me for the position she said, what I don't know I'll learn , I. A fast learner, and I can watch your little ones when you and your Mrs, is that what they say here she smiled , well if you both want to go out one evening. Well thank you very much Emmanuel that's very kind of you, Tommy looked at her and he could see her mother in her, the only thing was is Emmanuel had big  blue eyes as her mother's were dark brown.
So that's a French name, Emmanuel is it , yes my mother named me after her friend, just the. Polly knocked on Tommy's door again hers a cup of tea she said, oh hello dear, hi I'm Emmanuel, oh what a beautiful name, I've heard if that name somewhere, why don't you stay and join us Polly, alright she said thank you.can I get you anything Emmanuel, oh just water, or maybe some coffee I'm the coffee drinker, my mother drinks tea, she also reads tea leaves. Is she a Gypsy , why yes she is, her mother's name is Esmeralda , Polly, Aberamas daughter, oh that was my grandfather replied Emmanuel.
Emmanuel, did your mother go to France, I think she told me she had a friend named Emmanuel in France. Yes I was named after her, oh said Polly. Yo7 have your mother's surname, yea that's right replied Emmanuel. My mother met my father in France, she was a waitress at a French cafe, she told me about this really weird and wild one I think she said his name was Barney, well his senior officer was an RSM , that is my dad, or he was my father, mum said she thinks he died in the war. It dawned on Tommy, Polly looked at him and nodded and smiled, looked like she wanted to cry. He needed to talk to Esmeralda straight away. My god he had a daughter,  a daughter to Esmeralda.
Well he said to Emmanuel, when you can start. Right now if  you want she said, she jumped up from her chair, & said on Mr Shelby I could hug you, it's an American thing she said... well by all means he replied.  He was coming around to the front of the desk but she dashed around and ran into his arms, he couldn't believe it he was hugging his daughter. How o,d are you Emmanuel, I'm 24 she replied, ah 24. Yes,well be careful here I. Birmingham, I'll have you start Monday that gives you tomorrow since it's Saturday to relax . Oh I'm going to go out tonight and celebrate, I heard you have a place called the Garrison, urrr yes, Emmanuel it's really not a place for young ladies such as yourself...I'll tell you what. Why don't you and your mother make reservations at The Midland Hotel  tonight, ring your mother ask her if she can make it, and I'll call it in, oh ...and tell them Thomas Shelby sent you, and Emmanuel, oh call me Emmieshe said, my mum's friends cal, her Mellie and now I'm Emmie , easy to remember, yeah. Yup, he replied. Emmie, yes, no going out late on Sunday night I want you here at 9:00 in the morning alright, yes she said, don't be late. Oh I won't be she replied, Mr Shelby, mum says you're quite strict and you don't take kindly to insubordination, Tommy chuckled, did she now, yes well your mother should know....!

Esmeralda hugged Emmie, oh that's wonderful she said, he's so nice mum, is he, I only met him a couple of times, just be good Emmie, I will be. Just then the phone rang, oh that might be my friend Cleo, well go and answer it said Esmeralda, she ran to the phone, hello she said anxiously, yes oh I'm sure that'll be fine, what time Mr Shelby, at 7, oh wonderful, what's that, oh at 4, um yes I suppose, do you need the address. Mum, Mr Shelby wants to stop by at 4, he needs to drop off some paperwork for me to fill out, since I. American etc I  need to fill out some forms so I can work here. Alright, em yes he can stop by.

Esmeralda was nervous, she hadn't seen Tommy in about 6 months, she was very angry at what happened at first, oh what she was going to do in retaliation was nobody's business but then she started to think how much embarrassment it would bring on the family also she had heard Tommy had a black eye and swollen cheek bind, she then heard that his wife had died in
a tragic  accident on holiday, she couldn't bring herself too bring him any further pain, she'd brought him enough, they'd brought each other enough, it wasn't too long after that Emmie rang her from NY and said she wished to return to Birmingham for an extended visit, maybe to stay. Esmeralda decided to write a letter of apology to Tommy, along with a card offering her condolences for Lizzie along another apology.  She decided to hand deliver it so she went to see Polly and asked her to see that he received it , they talked for awhile and Polly brought up the time when she was in France. Esmeralda, can you go over a couple of details with me again if you don't mind. She told her again about the crazy man, I think his name was Barney , she then told Esmeralda that Barney was one of Tommy's comrades and Tommy was a Regimented Sargent Major, and he was at that French cafe, Esmeralda knew, she knew now that Tommy was Emmanuel's father & so did Polly, Polly had that feeling when she first mentioned being in France the first time she saw her again!