𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟎𝟗, under the oak tree

IX. 1919

    "Vivian, there's a call for ya." Scud shouted trying to get her attention, waving her over. She was a few tables away, fixing the books. It take forever to fix mistakes as the men's handwriting was illegible. Her's wasn't neat, of course, but at least you could read it. Most of the time, the sums would be wrong and she'd have to do a not so quick run through the books. Usually the men would hurriedly jot down the numbers, not thinking about it, and often being way off but she carried one with her job anyway.

Looking over she saw the man calling her over, and rushed over. They swapped places as she took the phone off him. She didn't know who would call her, everyone lived close by, and if they were to call her, they'd ring the house phone, "Hello?"

"Vivian?" She heard a soft voice on the other side. She recognised the small voice.

"Meg?" She spoke into the mouth piece. Vivian wondered why the young girl would be calling her.

Through the phone she heard hushed voices and shuffling, "Um, Scott wants to talk—" the girl was cut off as she heard rattling and a deeper voice that she knew too well, "Vivian? You there?" And there he was.

As she sighed, he spoke again, "Vivian, don't hang up just listen, okay? I'll be quick." Scott spoke quickly.

Hesitating, wondering whether to listen or go, but she decided, "be quick, then." There was no reply, "talk."

"I don't know what to say . . ." He stammered, not knowing what to say as he expected you to hang up, "Just meet me at the green . . . to talk." The green was the patch of land an hour outside of Small Heath. He knew if he could get Vivian there it wouldn't be hard to talk to her, she wouldn't waste an hour there and back. He wanted for a response.

"When?" She sighed to herself, looking around the den at the busyness. She'd have to talk to him someday. She didn't know what she wanted from him, he apologised, but for some unknown reason, it wasn't enough. There were times when she thought she was being unfair.

"Uh, Sunday, maybe . . . six o'clock?" She heard him say.

"Perfect." She deadpanned, "Now pass the phone back to Meg." She spoke before he could speak again. He exhaled and she was unsure what was going through his head. Turning her head to the board she saw John who, by coincidence, had glanced to look at her at the same time. He looked back down angrier than before, it wasn't like she killed him.

She turned back to the phone, facing the beam, "Vivian?" Meg spoke softly.

"Hi Meg, how's all there?" She asked, smiling into the phone.

"Guess what?" She asked and Vivian could hear the excitement in her voice. Before she could asked, she heard a young Meg ramble on, "the pups are born. You should see them, they are so cute and tiny and their little faces. Mum says that we have to leave them so Betty can mind them."

The Shelby girl laughed at the young girl. Meg was a very bubbly girl and always making people laugh. You could be talking to her and she wouldn't listen to you, but she could be in the other room and hear you if even whispered anything about animals. She loved going to the stables and was outside as much as possible. Scott had three other sisters, Penelope; she had just turned one, Sofia, who was four in April, and Emily who was Finn's age, maybe a little younger. Meg was six going on seven soon.