A few days later and I was up with the larks along with father and Jimmy, getting ready for my shift at the pub and they were getting ready for their shift at the pit or so I thought. I was sat in front of my vanity mirror, in my bedroom, fixing my hair up into my signature bun, on top of my head. "Rosie!". Father croaked out from downstairs. "Coming!". I shouted down. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, before I made my way out of my bedroom and across the little landing and down the stairs that lead straight into the sitting, come dining room. I stood at the bottom of the stairs my hand resting on the end of the banister, Jimmy and my father were, both sat in the arm chairs that faced the roaring fire that was a blaze, keeping us warm.
No one said a word for a moment, all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. Father and Jimmy sat there, staring at the floor for a moment. "Sit down pet, we've got summit to tell ye". I said nothing, other than obey orders and I walked round and sat on the three seater sofa that was in front of the staircase. I sat there my hands on my lap, awaiting what they had to tell me, but no one dared speak, they both just kept looking at each other, waiting for one of them to tell me the news, that they had to share. "Well, what is it?". I asked softly. Father then sighed heavily and placed the palm of his hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it. Father then dropped his hand from his neck and looked at the floor. "We're...We're...". Father kept on repeating the same word, but couldn't finish his sentence.
"We're moving!". Jimmy finally spluttered out. Father then gave him a stern look, as though to tell him that, that was not the way he wanted to tell me. "We're what?". I asked shocked. Father then sighed heavily again. "We're moving petal". Father softly said. "M-moving where too?". I asked him. Jimmy then got up and went into the kitchen, as he went to stand at the back door and light a cigarette, for Father approved of him smoking, but not in the house. "I was talkin' to a lad at the match the other day and he reckons that the further down South of the country ye gan, the more you get paid for working down the pit". "Oh, so what ye saying is we 'ave to leave everything that we know and love behind, just to 'ave more money?". I asked.
"No, I'm not saying that flower but...". Father tried speak but I cut him off. "But nothing, everything we love is here, everything we know is within this village, within these four walls, people we work with, our family, memories of mother!". I said, as tears began to prick my eyes, at the thought of her and how we would be leaving everything that reminds us of her behind to start a née life somewhere else. "Mam's dead Rosie and it's time that we moved on and accepted it!". Jimmy finally said, as he finally finished his cigarette and stormed back into the living room. "How can you say that Jimmy, how are you prepared to just brush her under the carpet and move on!". I blubbered, as I began to cry but tried to stop myself.
"No matter how hard we keep her memory alive she won't be coming back, get that into ye thick fucking skull!". Jimmy shouted at me, whilst using his index finger to point at his own skull. "Hew man, Jimmy calm the fuck down will ya, that's your sister ye talkin' too, your supposed to be looking out for her man!". Father jumped up from his seat and snapped at Jimmy. A short silence ascended around the room, as father sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, as he sat back down in his chair.
I put my head into my hands and tried my best not to cry uncontrollably, until I heard footsteps coming closer towards me and a pair of hands grasp themselves around my own and pull them from my face. It was Jimmy, he bent down to the level I was sat at and looked me dead in the face, with a sorrowful expression upon his face. "Rosie, I'm sorry". He whispered to me, as he caressed the back of my hands with his thumbs, as I sat there hiccuping, trying to stop myself from crying. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but it's time to move on, if we stay here we won't be within these four walls for much longer and we will be out on the streets or even worse the workhouse". He continued softly.
I let out a sigh, as I let go of his hands and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Rosie pet, I don't want to leave this place either, for this is the home me and your mother built up together, it was where we were both happy, raising you and Jimmy, a place where we have lived, laughed, loved and lost, but her ghost is just haunting these walls and there's too many memories for me to cope with and like your brother says, if we don't make the move, we will end up losing this house anyway". Father told me. I then finally looked up to face them both, looking back and forth between the pair. "Where are we to move too?". I asked, as I sighed once more and wiped the final tears from my eyes. "Birmingham". Father said. "Birmingham!". I said flabbergasted.
"Aye, Birmingham". Father replied. "Why Birmingham". I asked. "Can we stop saying Birmingham". Jimmy chuckled. "Cos the lad I was talkin' too at the match was from there and he told me, he gets paid twenty shillings more than what we do up here and just think what we could do with that extra bit of money, we could put a bit of extra food on the table". Father said. "But what about my job, I can't just leave, I've only been there for a year". I said. "Well that's the other thing I was ganna say, I've spoken to Henry and he said it's a great opportunity and that you should gan for it, he said he'll miss ya and everything, but we must do what makes us happy and on top of that, I was also talkin' to the fella bout ye and our Jimmy and I told him that you worked in the pub and that if we moved ye would have to quit ye job, so he told me of a street that is full of empty houses, to move into and that there's a local pub, just on the doorstep, he said you could apply to work in there". Father told me.
"But what 'appens if there are no jobs going there, what would I do then?". I asked. "You could be a sex worker". Jimmy joked, as he went and popped another cigarette in his mouth, just as he was about to leave the room to go to the back door, he received a slap around the head from father, who jumped up out of his seat."Ow, I was joking man!". Jimmy chuckled. "As if I would let me sister stand on street corners, I would kill her stone dead if she did!". He continued. "Yer bloody better be joking!", father warned. Father then turned his attention back to me. "So what do you say pet, will you move with us?". He asked me. "Where abouts in Birmingham are we moving too?". I asked. "Place called Watery Lane, number eight, lovely terraced street, just like here, apprently the people are lovely too, so we should have no problem settling right in". Father told us. "And who told you that?". Jimmy added, as he came back in from his second cigarette. "The fella from the match did". Father replied. "And you belive 'im?". Jimmy asked, but Father never replied.
"And the pub, what's that called?". I butted in. "The Garrison I believe, it's literally just down the road from the 'ouse apprently". Father replied. I said nothing, other than nod my head in agreement. "Right, I'm going upstairs to pack!". Jimmy said, as he patted father on the back and made his way upstairs. "I'll be up shortly!". Father called out after him. "You've got till this afternoon to think bout it petal, I know it's short notice, but if we leave tonight, we can get settled in and me and your brother can start first thing tomorrow morning, I'm not going to force you into going, if you don't want too, but I wouldn't like the thought of you, being up here all alone, whilst me and your brother are down there, that's all". He said, as he stood up from his crouched position in front of me and stroked my head with his hand. "I'm going to go and help ye brother pack his stuff". He added, just as he was about to place his foot on the first step, a realisation hit me.
"Wait, what about the Peaky Blinders!". I gasped out. Father paused for a moment, before answering my question, looking up the stairs towards the landing, before turning back to look at me. "What about them?". He asked. "Wait, so you've heard of them then?". I asked. "I do read the papers petal". He said. "Oh right, well their from Birmingham aren't they, I mean they are meant to be, one of the most dangerous gangs in England or possibly the world". I said. "Birmingham is a big place sweetheart, it would be sods luck if we were to end up living exactly where they were, try not to worry so much yeah". Father told me. "I'm going to gan and help yer brother". He added, as he finally walked up the stairs to the upper floors of the house. I sat there and sighed heavily, before going into the kitchen and making myself a cup of tea, to help me think.
A couple of hours passed and within those couple of hours, I had finally made my decision, I decided that I would move after all and that the house was only bricks and water and that it didn't really hold memories of mother, only my heart and my head held the most precious memories. I was brought out of my thoughts, as I took one final look at my childhood bedroom which was now empty, as the removal men came about an hour ago and took most of our furniture onto a horse and cart, so that it can come with us down to Birmingham. I then took my time to slowly look around the now half empty house and took in the sights, as I was stuck in my thoughts of all fond memories we had within these walls. When I was brought out of them, by the sound of a car horn beeping outside. "Come on Roslyn!". Father bellowed from outside. I then made my way to the front door and took one last look around the living room, before closing the door and joining Father and Jimmy in our car, as we set off on our new adventure.
It took at least three hours to get to Birmingham. By the time we got there, it was dark and it had been raining. We pulled up outside our new home, the street was like a ghost town, both rows of houses towered over us, as they were all in darkness and were black with the soot, that came billowing out from the colliery chimneys. The street lights, created shadows all around, creating a creepy atmosphere, as they reflected from off the puddles, that were created by the rain onto the cobbled ground. Wild dogs barked and howled in the distance, sending a cold shiver up my spine. "Home, sweet home!". Father whispered, as he went to open the door of our new home. He then stopped in his tracks and let me go in first, I was glad to get inside from the nip that had developed in the air suddenly.
I stood there in the dark, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, until father came and scurried behind me and reached for the light switch that was on the wall beside me, the bright warm white, light shone all around the room, as I took in my surroundings. Jimmy not long followed us in, as he brought the luggage in from the car. The room was about the same size as our old house, the stairs and sofa were in the same place, as they were when we were at home, so it was like we never left. The removal men had been in earlier and set everything in place for us ready to move in. Father and mother's arm chairs, where placed facing the fire place and above the mantel piece, was a mirror and on top of that was a mantel clock that was ticking away. On one side of the fire place, was a bookcase and on the other, was a tall ornament cabinet.
Underneath my feet was a clippy mat and on top of that, was a small coffee table. The concrete floor was, the same as our old house. Through the back, was a middle sized kitchen, with green interior and a little table and chairs in the middle of it, with a harth and oven beside it and the door leading out to the yard outside and to an outhouse, where the toilet was kept and also a coal house where the coal for the fire was kept and also the tin bath, that hung up upon the wall. Just like our old house, the sofa was in front of the staircase that lead to upstairs. Underneath the stairs was a table and chair, which I thought would be good for me to sit and write in my diary on. "Well what ye waiting for gan and explore, while I get this fire gannin!". Father told me and Jimmy. "Dibs on getting the biggest room!". Jimmy said, as he pushed past me, like a small spoilt child and ran up the stairs, as he chuckled away to himself. I then chuckled at his childish behaviour and ran up after him.
As I ran up the stairs, I counted fifteen steps in total, which was the same as our old house. I then stopped, as I reached the top step, I took in my surroundings, there was a door directly in front of me that lead to one room and as I turned the landing a little there was one door opposite the open banister at the top of the stairs and then one right down the far end of the small landing. A single light, hung from the ceiling and it swayed from side to side slightly, from us both running up the stairs. I then, was brought out of my daze, as I heard rustling coming from one of the rooms. Jimmy was already in one making himself at home, he picked the room that was opposite the open bannister. "Knock, knock". I announced, as I knocked on the bedroom door.
Jimmy was kneeling on the floor, unpacking his suitcase and placing items on the bed. "This the biggest room then, is it?". I asked him sarcastically, as I folded my arms across my chest and leant against the door frame, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "No, but that one was too small, he nodded to his left to the room opposite the stairs and I'm not staying in a room decorated pink!". Jimmy said, as he nodded to his right, indicating to the room, that was the furthest along the landing. "That could ruin my reputation with the ladies, if I choose that room". He said. I just looked at him and smiled and shook my head at him. Jimmy's room was dark and dingey, with a small brown wardrobe in one corner of the room, beside the window that looked out onto the front street and a fire place in the middle of another wall, whilst his bed, was in the middle of the room, up against the wall nearest the bedroom door. "I'll leave you to unpack". I said, as I left him the room went to explore this, so called pink room he was on about.
I walked a little along the landing and opened the bedroom door and flicked on the light switch that was just beside the door. I gazed in awe at the sight of the room. The walls were a dusty pink colour with small white flowers on them, the bed was like Jimmy's on the wall just closest too the bedroom door, but straight away I thought I'm going to move it towards the wall beside the window, which also looked out onto the front street. In the middle of the room, was a small brown wardrobe, also like Jimmy's and a small black fire place in the corner of the room. On the other wall beside the door, I noticed that my vanity table from our old home was in the room. I smiled softly to myself, they have tricked me into thinking, I was going to choose this room, when all the while they had chosen it for me.
"Thought you would like it". Said Jimmy, who made me jump out of my skin, as I didn't realise he had crept up behind me. I let out a screech and held my hand up to my chest, to help ease my breathing, as Jimmy walked away and back into his room chuckling to himself. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, it was Father, carrying my suitcase up with him. "Do you like your room then princess?". He asked me, as he dropped the suitcase, gently at my feet and brought me in for a hug and kissed the top of my head. "I love it, thank you". I whispered to him. "Hungry?". Father asked. "I could wip us up some dippy egg and soldiers, the removal men kindly went and got us a few things in from the shop". He added. I just shook my head. "I'm not that hungry, I'm actually quite tired, I'm going to turn in for the night, if that's alright?". I said.
"Course pet, you get your rest and I'll see you in the morning and we'll go to the pub and get you a job aye". Father whispered, as he kissed me on top of my head and placed my suitcase into my room for me. "Does that mean I get her egg?". Jimmy asked, as he walked up beside father and winked at me and smiled. "Give over winding her up you and get downstairs and help, before I eat your's anarl!". Father jokingly warned him. Jimmy, then smiled and walked down the stairs, "Night sis!". He shouted up, as he carried on walking down the stairs. "Night!". I shouted back. "Night petal". Father said, as he too made his way to the stairs. "Night". I replied, as I then went and closed the bedroom door behind me.
I stood with my back to the bedroom door for a moment and took in my surroundings again, before I made the effort to pull my suitcase up onto my bed and unpack my things. I unpacked a photograph of my mother, that was in a gold floral frame and placed it onto my vanity, just like it would of been, in our old house. I then began to unpack my clothes and started to place them into the wardrobe. Once that was done, I then got undressed into my silk nightgown, put on my slippers and placed my clothes I was wearing onto the vanity chair. I then walked over to the window and looked out of it, the street was completely dead, not a person about, it was slightly drizzling outside and the rain drops, looked like they were dancing in the puddles. I then closed the curtains and went over to the bed, I then with all my strength pushed the bed up against the wall, beside the window.
I then pulled back the covers and sat down on the bed, jumping up and down on it getting the feel for it, I then got up and went over to the vanity and grabbed the box of matches, I saw earlier and lit the gas lamp, that was on a little bedside cabinet, that I had also pushed up next to the bed. I then went and turned the main light of the bedroom off and walked back over to the bed, as I lay down upon the mattress and pulled the covers over me and rested my head upon the pillow, eventually difting off to sleep, dreaming of what fun events, would be awaiting me tomorrow.