smoke and sins

Marriage?

It was a Sunday morning, it had been a couple of days since the lees attacked the betting shop and those couple of days were spent cleaning and trying to earn back the money they stole.

I was at Johns helping him look after the kids, which if you didn't know John out of all people was a single dad to four beautiful children, unfortunately the mother of his children died when the kids were small leaving John alone looking after four kids. So I always offered to help when I had time. "These bloody kids are running rings round me Ivy!" John said complaining as he walked into the kitchen with one of the kids across his shoulder "fuck sake John give him to me" I said laughing at him as I took the child. "God he's covered in mud" "yeah all of them have been out playing bare foot with the fucking dogs in the rain" "fuck sake come on let's get them in" "oi in now!" John shouted "right come on your all getting in the bath your covered" I said to all of them as I made my way upstairs to run the bath. A couple hours passed and after multiple tantrums and arguments we finally got them all to bed "finally" I said as I let out a deep breath "pub?" John said asking me "we can't just leave them" "I'll get Marge from next door to sit in" "who's Marge?" I said laughing "a little old lady that lives next door she doesn't mind coming round she just sits in front of the fire and bloody knits" he said laughing. "And she's not scared of you?" "She has no idea who I am" which caused us both to laugh "come on then let's go" I said grabbing my stuff.

We walked in the rain to the garrison getting absolutely drenched on the way but the achohol was worth it. "I still can't believe this is Arthur's" I said walking in "literally like Tommy actually went and brought it him" John said smiling. The garrison still looked the same it would be undergoing construction soon though and of corse Harry stayed with my offer so the only thing that had changed was the owner. "Go on in I'll get us some drinks" John said motioning towards the private room "ok" I said walking through the doors "ivy!" Arthur said greeting me "Arthur" I said back and looked around the room it was just Arthur and Tommy in there "Thomas" I also said greeting him "where've you been?" Tommy asked me as I took the cigarette out of his mouth "johns with the kids" I said taking a seat next to him as he snatched back his cigarette. "There a nightmare them bloody kids!" Arthur said "there not that bad" "he needs a wife!" Arthur shouted he was clearly a couple drinks in. He has this strange habit to shout when he's drunk if you had a conversation with him while he's drunk the whole of small heath would hear him. "Shut up Arthur" John said jokingly walking in with drinks passing one to me. I laughed as I took out my cigarettes and my lighter, I went to light it but my lighter had seem to have broke from the rain "fuck sake!" I shouted throwing it on the table "come here" Tommy said as I got close to his face so he could light it for me "get a room!" Arthur shouted. "Piss off!" I shouted back at him laughing. We stayed and drank for a couple of hours "now tomorrow we have a big day" Tommy said to all of us having a drag "why Tom?" I asked "tomorrow we take down the lees" "fucking great" I said. We drank for a little more before John got up saying "I've gotta go back for the kids, thanks for your help today Ivy!" He said walking off just leaving Me , Tommy and Arthur. "Right we're not taking down the lees tomorrow" Tommy then said "Tommy what the fuck are you on about?" Arthur asked. "I couldn't say it in front of John but he obviously needs a wife so he's getting married tomorrow" he said emotionless "are you taking the piss Tommy, an arranged marriage!" I said angry at him "listen to me there's a lee girl who's johns type, John needs a wife and them two getting married will stop the war and make our army bigger" "shouldn't we let him choose who he wants to marry?" I said still pissed off "it just has to work this way" "fucking piss take" I said getting up going to walk out, but Tommy grabbed my wrist and pulled me back "now fucking listen to me, John can't know until we're there else he will refuse to do it" "fucking good he probably doesn't want to marry her anyway!" "Ivy if this doesn't happen someone is going to end up fucking dead!" "Okay fine" I said pulling away from his grip and going to leave "and your not walking on your own!" He said shouting threw the door "watch me!" I said leaving out into the cold, dark, damp streets of small heath on my own.

I walked down the streets on my own letting out deep breaths of warn air that turned into vapour in the cold air. "Ivianna!" I heard Tommy shout from behind me, I chose to ignore him "ivianna!" He said getting closer up behind me "what Thomas" "your not walking on your fucking own" he said finally catching up to me "it's only a ten minute walk" "yeah ten minuets where anything could happen to you" "you worry to much Thomas" "you don't worry enough ivianna" "stop calling me that" "that's your name isn't it" he said in his stupid smug voice "yes but I don't like being called it" "hmmm" he said getting out his pack of cigarettes and offering me one "thanks" I said taking it and looking the other way to avoid our eye contact we always have when this happens. "Come here" he said lighting my cigarette as I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine, we stayed like that for a moment before I let out a deep breath dropping my anger "tommy you know you can't pawn John off to stop a war" "you really think I want to?" "You seemed pretty passionate about it in the pub" "yes because if we don't do this one of us is going to end up fucking dead, and it could even be you" "pha I wish" I said taking a drag. The rain from earlier came back this time heavier than before, I looked up to the sky and felt something hard drop on my face "fuck,hale" we started fast walking down the street to try and avoid being hit by the hard blocks of mini ice falling from the sky. The Shelby's lived closer so we quickly decided to take shelter in there "fucking hell" I said peeling my drenched coat of my shoulders "oh your back are you" Polly said coming up to us and taking our wet clothing to go hang up "thanks poll" "the kettles boiled help yourselves to tea, I'm going to bed" "you alright poll?" I asked concerned as she seemed down "yeah fine just tired" she said with a small smile "ok night"

"Don't know about you Thomas but I need something stronger than tea" I said getting the whisky out the cupboard "we have a big day tomorrow" "yeah a day of hell" I said pouring us both a glass. We sat down and talked for a while and had some drinks "why don't you like your name?" Tommy then asked me "I don't know" "tell me" "no" "it's a nice name" "thanks" "who came up with it?" "My farther" "did you like him?" "Yes very much" I said looking away and taking a drag. "Come on get some sleep" he said getting up "here?" "It's like two in the morning you may as well" "Tommy" "no your staying here, you can stop in Ada's room she not here" "where is she?" "That's a question I keep asking myself" "is she coming tomorrow?" "Hopefully" "tommy I'm gonna go home" I said getting up "your not going on your own and it's still hailing" "but I can't sleep" "what do you mean?" "You wouldn't understand" "tell me" "I don't want to" "just fucking tell me" "I can't sleep without my.." "without your what?" "Without my opium" I said quietly. He let out a deep breath and looked to the side "I have some" "you get them to?" "Get what?" He said not looking at me like he was trying to avoid this conversation "the nightmares" "of the war?" "Yeah" he said quietly "come on its late" he said as I followed him up the stairs "come in" he said opening his bedroom door.

I walked in and scanned the room it was different to what I had expected it had striped kind off wallpaper and a big double bed it was very plain and his suits hung up over his chair. "Nice suit" I said touching it "where did you get it from?" I asked "the market" "god must be expensive" "I get my suits on the house, or the house burns down" "charming" "here you go" he said offering me this big pipe "thanks" I said before using it. "Fucking hell how much do you need" he said with a small smile "a lot" "I can tell" "right goodnight Thomas" I said walking out.