The Man With The Umbrella

- 57 -

Twenty-five years ago...

A seven year old Amelia stood close to her father as they stayed in West Sussex for the weekend; stepping through the old tavern, The Swan. John, fifteen and Harriet, seventeen, walked through the threshold first with Margaret in between the pair whilst Reginald and Amelia walked a little behind.

As the teenagers ordered their soft drinks and Margaret got a table in the cosy corner, Reginald let go of Amelia's hand and untucked his pack of cigarettes out from his formal trouser pants. Amelia watched in fascination as her father wrestled with his lighter to get a flame from it but to his amiss, it wouldn't light.

"Here you go, sir." A educated males voice called out handing his lit match to the Watson man. Amelia studied the man who willingly helped her father. Tall, slim-built and looked a littler older than her dad.

"Thank you, Mister -" Reginald cut himself off pointedly. The black haired man smiled thinly. "Holmes." He smiled. "Siger Holmes." The man introduced with a hand gracefully pulling out. Shaking hands in a firm manner, Amelia's father introduced himself. "Reginald Watson."

As Siger's eye caught onto the small figure attached to Reginald, Amelia tucked her head into her father's side a little further in shade of her embarrassment whilst hugging her beloved dolly, Dotty, closer.

"Ah. Whose this beautiful girl?" Siger spoke gently whilst bending forward to smile at the shy and timid girl. Reginald eyed his daughter before stroking her head. With the cigarette rolling between his lips, he pulled it away with his dominant hand to introduce her. "This is my youngest, Amelia. John and Harriet are by the bar and my wife..." He points to Margaret. "Margaret." He smiled politely.

Waving passively to the Watson family, Siger kneeled forward to the girl hiding behind her father's legs to shake her hand. "It's lovely to meet you." He spoke sweetly.

Pulling her thumb away from her mouth, Amelia swapped her dolly over to her other hand before hesitantly shaking Siger's hand. A seven year old Amelia was medically classed as a mute due to the fact that she hadn't said her first word yet but it came as a surprise to the Watson father as Amelia stuttered slightly before talking softly. "You-you too, sir."

Still smiling, Siger brandished a five pound note to give to the young girl. "Here you go, get yourself some sweeties." He held the note between his middle and index fingers.

Looking up to her father, aware of taking things from strangers, Reginald nodded mutely. "Thank you, Mister Holmes." Amelia spoke more confidently before skipping away to her siblings.

It was a fine chance for Reginald to befriend someone upon first introductions but he kept in contact with Siger for a few years. They both had military backgrounds and shared a lot in common.

When Margaret and Reginald went through their divorce as Amelia turned thirteen, Siger and Reginald became drinking buddies, dart buddies, pool buddies and even card buddies.

Also, during the few years that the Watson parents were divorced, Amelia came out of her shell and became a confident, slightly bossy, sweet and lovely young girl.

She also found a love with music and Siger was the one to gift Amelia her first violin for her fourteenth birthday just as her father was the first to gift Amelia her first electric guitar.

***

Amelia laughed in memory quietly as she sat in the back of the expensive smelling car, gazing fondly to the greens of the countryside.

"What's so funny?" Allison asked offhandedly whilst blowing over her latte. Amelia smiled at the poshness Allison seemed to have as her pinky finger cocked out as she sipped her beverage. "Nothing much. I was just remembering... Siger met me first, not Violet." She explained.