I Found You

Part 1. The First Time Meeting You.

"Ha'way man, chop chop!". Henry said, as he brought me out of my daze. I cleared my throat and went over to a old gentleman, who was stood at the bar, waiting to be served. "Yes, what can I get you?". I asked him. "I'll have a pint of John Smiths, please pet". "Coming right up". I told him, as I walked away from him and took a glass from the shelf at the back and took it too the pump, what held the beer he wanted. Once it was filled to the top, I stopped the pump and handed the man the pint. "That'll be 6 pence please". I said to him, as I held my hand out over the bar for the money. He then, placed the money into my hand and I grasped it firmly, to make sure I didn't drop it and turned my back to him to put the money into the till.

Once I did that, I wiped my hand onto my apron, just to get rid of a few of the germs, that might have been lingering on my hands, as I have always been conscious of germs, ever since mother died, as I always wondered where she got it from to get sick in the first place. I then turned my attention to another customer. "Yes, what can I get ya?". I asked him. "A pint, please flower". He said. "Sure". I said, as again, I went to retrieve a glass and go to the designated pump, poured the beer, gave the man his pint and took the money from him. I then shut the till draw and went on about serving more people, until I spotted one of my friends from school, who is a regular in this pub. "Al'reet, Rosie!". He happily said. "Hiya, Edward, what can I get you?". I asked him. "Usual please". He replied. "Course". I said, as I went to get him his drink, his usual was a Scotch whiskey on the rocks.

Once I came back, I placed the drink onto the bar for him and took his money and went to the till to put it in, I then came back and looked around curious for a moment. "Is there also a special occasion, that I don't know about, apart from the match, as I've never seen it so packed?". I asked Edward, in my loudest voice ever, so that he could hear me, over the hustle and bustle of the people. Edward, then leaned over the bar, so I could hear him clearly. "Well between you and me, a rumour 'as been gannin' round that the Peaky Blinders, are supposed to be coming in 'ere the day". He told me. "Who's the Peaky Blinders?". I asked him. "Seriously, ya been living under a rock or summit, you've never 'eard of the Peaky Blinders, big criminal razor blade gang from Birmingham, they've been in the papers and all sorts, never a day gan's by, when I don't read summit about one of them in the paper, when I'm at work". He told me.

I just stood there and shook my head. "Mind ye, I wouldn't like to cross one of them, I can tell you that for nowt". He said. "The paper reckons that they can cut people up in under two minutes their so skilled at it". He continued. "How do they cut them up, like Jack the Ripper used too?". I asked. "They use a razor blade right, get a peaked cap, stitch it into the front and then tak' it off and then gan' like that with it". He told me, as he mimicked the motion, of how they use their weapon on people. "Can't they just use their fists like normal people?". I asked, as I picked up the tea towel and began to clean glasses with it, so that I could show Henry that, I wasn't skiving and I was working, just being sociable. "Are ye for real, that wouldn't make them original, or stand out from every other gang in the world, it would mak' them more like a follower, like everyone else and they wouldn't be feared by all men in England and possibly Ireland". He told me.

"Oh". Was all I replied with, as I stared off into space slightly, as I cleaned a glass with the tea towel. "Besides all these in 'ere are just talkin' a loud of fuckin' shite man, as if the Peaky Blinders would come into this pub and drink in 'ere, besides their more of a horse racing loving type of gang, like to bet, to win money, I mean you can do that with football anaral, but ha'way man, their all living in fuckin' cuckoo land thinkin' their ganna come all the way up from Birmingham and waltz in 'ere!". He said. I said nothing other other smile at him, as I couldn't think of what to say. "Anyway, I'm ganna gan sit our there with our Frank and Geordie boy, is your dad and Jimmy not 'ere the day?". He said. Frank and Geordie or George, as he is more known, are Edward's younger brothers, they were a year and two below us in school.