Savage Beast-A Peaky Blinders retelling of Helen Keller

1.

Lily sat silently in her chair at the kitchen table as aunt Pol set a cooling cup of tea in front of her, nudging the cup against her nieces fingers to let her know it was there. Lily reached forward and gripped her aunts wrist, running her fingers down to find the base of the cup, and took hold of it. Lily was blind and deaf, the result of a fever that had struck her and left her without sight, hearing, or the ability to speak. She communicated through her own hand made signs at times, but if those didn't make clear her wants and needs to her family members she resorted to what she did best-tantrums. Her fits of rage were rampant in the Shelby household. It was almost like some sort of sick joke of some kind-a family full of war veterans and fearless criminal gangsters had an eleven year old child they could barely control. Kill a man for crossing them? Sure. Beat someone in the smoky cold streets of Birmingham? Sure. But calm the temper of Lily Shelby when she didn't get her way-an impossible feat at times.

 Pol was her favorite family member. It was Polly who cared for her day in and day out, while helping run the family business. It was Polly who was the first one Lily sought for when upset. No one could soothe or give affection to Lily like Polly. She tolerated her nightly baths from Ada, who also brushed her hair and dressed her on the average day. She ran around the streets of Small heath Birmingham with Finn to guide her, leading her around to help with the laundry (although helping consisted of tangling sheets together on the ground and running the soft silk skirts of her aunt across her face in gentle glee while Finn helped Ada hang fresh linens). They would go to the bakery for Pol, running into the shop holding hands, Finn handing Lily fresh warm loaves to carry home. It was a sight for sore eyes, Lily standing in the middle of the shop, arms full of bread, nose in the air to catch the delicious scent of fresh baked goods. Lily knew better than to take a bite of a loaf before heading home because Pol would give her a small smack on the hand. Lily didn't mind Arthur and John too much-but she would only let them kiss her hair so much or caress her small face before shoving their hands away, ready to run and play, blundering down the street in the cold chilly air. She was a tough child, and Finn would sneak down to the cut with Lily where she would splash her hands in the frigid, dirty water.

 Ada had discovered them down at the cut once, playing in the shallow end of the water. Lily had been ankle deep, sloshing her hands next to Finn, who was standing a few feet away and talking distractedly to a few boys from school. Ada had grabbed Finn by the ear, and Lily by the arm, and dragged them home. Finn had gotten a few good lashings and an earful from aunt Pol, and a smack upside the head from Tommy. Lily hadn't understood anything wrong, oblivious, of course-so all she got was an extra hot bath and an early bedtime, with the hopes from aunt Pol that she didn't catch cold. Lily left Tommy alone most of the time-when he rarely tried to stroke her hair or pat her cheek affectionately, she pulled away. She seemed cold and indifferent to his rare caresses. It was as if she sensed his icy heart and horrible deeds. When they had realized that she was deaf and blind when the fever left, the family had been heartbroken. They had tried teaching her, disciplining her, taking her to many doctors to see if she could be healed and see or hear again. They had even visited special schools for the blind and deaf, but not much could be done. The Peaky Blinders had business to do, and could not spend all their time traveling and paying for a never ending rabbit hole with no clear answers. 

The child could be extremely difficult, but her smile and laughter melted the Shelby's hearts. Watching her collect eggs from the chickens in the morning-careful not to break them, or watching her twirl in the rain to Aunt Pols dismay and cries of 'she'll catch cold!' was something to put a smile on their face. She had no shortage of love despite her disability. When she'd trip over her feet in the streets or fall after banging into something and skin her knee, screams and screams would ensue. Polly would rock her back and forth in her arms, Lily curled up small, and Pol would pepper her cheeks with kisses, before making tea and drawing her a hot bath. Then when the boys stormed in after a long day at the stables, or blinding a man, or whatever violent business they did, Polly would tell them of their little princesses bad mishap, and they would give her some extra love. Perhaps Arthur would sneak her an extra biscuit, or John would buy her a peppermint stick. Tommy might take a look at her knee, but it never took long for her to squirm under his touch and shove him off roughly, to clamber away to play with Finn or explore with her roving hands. 

Affection or attention from Tommy was the last thing to ever be on her mind. The other boys could give her treats or sneak a kiss or a stroke of her hair, but Pol was the only one who she sought out for comfort, and who she would not shove away and tire of. Pol was the one would whisper sweet nothings into her deaf ears at night as Lily drifted to sleep. Lily enjoyed visiting the stables to pat and brush the horses. Sometimes Tommy would take her, standing back and admiring her gentle nature with horses. The only thing they shared in common. The only thing he could actually truly help her with. Uncle Charlie, Curly, and Johnny Dogs all knew Lily an were fond of her visits to the stables. They kept and eye out when she and Finn traipsed the streets of Small Heath, or when some of the schoolgirls walking home decided to share some food with her. 

At the table, Lily reached an arm out to see what her aunt was doing, and her fingers found the newspaper her aunt was holding. Lily understood when she felt the crinkly paper-many a time she had reached out to discover her aunt or Tommy reading the paper. She had never seen it really of course, but she had felt what they were doing by doing what she did well-putting her hands anywhere and everywhere to get information. One time they had found her sitting in a chair with Tommy's reading glasses on, holding the paper in front of her face. She didn't really understand the meaning of what she was imitating-reading-but if her aunt or someone else in the family did it, she wanted to try it too. She would reach out and feel the family talking, feel their lips moving and the vibrating of their throats. When she couldn't imitate that, she would fall to the floor in frustration and kick and scream, flailing about, boots pounding the floor. Grabbing her own throat, she would cry out and kick away anyone who tried to comfort her, or anything that was in the way of her warpath of anger and destruction. It was rare that her tantrums were resolved with affection-she usually calmed after tiring herself out, or if she was distracted with sweet treats. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Tommy entered breathlessly, a cold chill following him in. Lily jumped in her seat, started at the sudden feel of the slam of the door. "Jesus, Tommy." Pol reprimanded. She was always telling the boys to be more gentle around Lily so as not to startle her. Although Lily herself could be quite loud and abrasive. But she had her quiet moments, as did the Shelby boys. 

Tommy ignored Pol, but paused to take in the sight of Lily miming reading the paper. He blew smoke out of his mouth and chuckled under his breath. "Wicked smart, that one. It might be in other ways than us, but she's smart, she is." His Brummie accent was thick. Polly smiled at his compliment towards his younger sister. Lily dropped the paper and reached out abruptly, standing and roaming the room until she found Tommy. She grabbed his hand roughly and sniffed. One of her ways to tell who was who. Perfumes, cigarette smoke, different clothing textures were some of the ways she could discern who was who. She dropped his hand after realizing who it was, scrunching her nose at the smell of smoke and whiskey, and drug her hand against her nose as if to attempt to rid herself of the smell. Pol laughed. "I don't know what she has against me. I buy her what she wants, leave her be, don't know what else she fuckin wants from me." His voice was irritated and low, but he was used to the shunning behavior from her. "She senses things. Your moods, perhaps your crimes. That Gypsy blood gives her smart senses about these things. Horses and good senses. That's what she has, Thomas. Maybe not sight, or hearing or even speaking. But she senses your heart. Heavy with what you do." Pol murmured. "She may not speak, but she sure can scream all the way to London when she doesn't get what she wants." Tommy spoke, pulling out another cigarette and heading for the betting shop. He was too busy to listen to Pol's riddles and witch tales about his sisters cool indifference towards him. 

*authors note: So here it is! For so long I have wanted to make this book and insert someone with severe disabilities into Peaky Blinders. They deserve stories too. Also this is heavily based on Helen Kellers story, as I have stated. She has always fascinated me. Also lol @ Lily not wanting affection from Tommy-she's like 'if you don't have food for me, i'm leaving'. Anyway-Hope you enjoy the story of a wild little girl named Lily Shelby.