British English language and spelling. In some stories the processes or facts may be incorrect, it's only a story and in my world that's how it happened. A warning to those who steal stories to use on YouTube channels, I am watching and will hit you with a copyright claim.
Susan, is that you?
A man reconnects with his sister.
I cursed as I walked out of the train station. When I left home for work this morning it was a mild overcast January day, the weather had turned during the day, it was now cold, windy and pissing down with rain. I turned up my collar and pushed my hands deep into my coat pockets as I started the short walk home. The rain was running inside my collar and down my back, my mood was as bad as the weather. A perfect end to a crappy week. Work had been a pain in the arse with a client constantly changing his mind.
I ducked into the local convenience store to get out of the weather, I didn't think I needed any groceries but a quick look wouldn't hurt, it got me out of the rain for a few minutes. I picked up a few pints of milk and some microwave meals, just for emergencies, I told myself. Minutes later I stepped outside with my carrier bag, the rain had eased off slightly. As I approached a telephone box I saw a homeless person sitting beside it, they were trying to shelter from the wind and rain.
"Can you spare some change please?" I stopped dead in my tracks, that voice sounded familiar.
"We haven't eaten since yesterday." She pleaded. I knelt down and looked at the woman, she had a small child huddled inside her coat.
"Susan, is that you?" I asked.
The woman sheltered her eyes from the rain and looked up at me. "Kenny, my god, Kenny is it you?"
"Yes. Come on, let's get you out of this weather." I offered her my hand, she grabbed it and I noticed her hand was freezing cold and filthy. After she stood Susan turned and picked up a tatty holdall. I took the bag and headed for home, Susan followed behind me. I fumbled for my keys and opened the door, I practically pushed her inside.
"Take off your coat and shoes, I'll get the fire going." I had a log fire in the lounge. I didn't use it much, usually at Christmas or if I was entertaining a lady friend.
Susan sat on the floor, I put the groceries away and ran upstairs to get changed. Susan was still on the floor cuddling the child, I imagined she was glad to be warm and dry.
"I'll make a hot drink, tea or coffee?" I asked.
"Either will do for me. Can you warm some milk for Tommy, please." I nodded and headed through to the kitchen. As the milk warmed up I looked at my sister, I had a million questions for her, for now a hot drink and some food was more important.
"Okay, what do you want to eat?"
"We don't want to put you to any trouble." Susan replied.
"It's no trouble. Now let's see what I have to eat. I put the microwave meals in the oven and made two coffees', Tommy was sitting quietly drinking his warm milk. Susan said something to him before she joined me in the kitchen.
"Want to tell me about it?" I asked.
"When Joe threw me out of the house I moved in with Brian, things were great at first. I fell pregnant with Tommy and he changed, really changed. Three months ago the bastard sold the house and disappeared. We have been on the streets as nobody was interested in helping."
"I would have helped, if only you had kept in touch, Sue. Did you try social services?"
"I tried them, I kept getting moved from one person to another, in the end I gave up and tried to sort it out myself. Clearly that plan failed. Whenever I called Mum she said you were out with friends, if Joe answered he just hung up the phone as soon as I spoke."
"He threw me out as well." I replied. "I take it you don't know about Mum?" Sue shook her head.
"She passed away, lung cancer. It was about a month after she passed that our delightful stepfather, Joe, told me I had a week before I had to leave." I saw Sue's face tighten at the news. "I got a bedsit to start and then a small flat. I got this place when I divorced Janet. She was screwing someone she worked with, she left town with him and left me the house."
"How long have you been divorced?" Sue asked.
"About six months. I had to wait and file for abandonment as I had no idea where Janet was, I haven't seen or spoken to her since the day she walked out."
The oven timer pinged, I took the meals out and served them onto plates. Sue assured me there was enough for her and Tommy. Tommy walked out and sat next to Sue, she reassured him it was okay and he started eating.
"Can we stay for the night?" Sue asked.
"Stay for as long as you like. When we have finished eating you and Tommy can have a bath, I'll make up the spare bed for you both." I washed up as Sue bathed Tommy, she bought him downstairs wrapped in a towel. I watched as she sorted through what few clothes she had in the holdall. Sue dressed Tommy in a fairly decent pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
"Shit! My stuff is all wet." She cursed. I went back upstairs and found an old sweatshirt and fleece trousers that Janet left behind, she and Sue were about the same size.
"Here, you can wear these for tonight, Janet left them behind." Tommy sat on the sofa and watched the kids cartoons, a couple of times he looked at me and smiled, I smiled back. When Sue joined us she looked a lot better for taking a bath.
"I hope you don't mind, I used some of your shampoo, my hair was a mess."
I nodded and smiled, it wasn't just her hair that was a mess. Her skin was dirty, god knows when the last time she and Tommy washed. Sue sat down, Tommy climbed on her lap, within minutes he was asleep.
We sat and talked quietly. It was strange that I hadn't seen Sue for years, and now here she was sitting on my sofa chatting like we had never been apart. I saw Sue stifle a yawn.
"Let's get you two in bed for the night, we can talk some more tomorrow." I carried Tommy upstairs and placed him in the bed, Sue hugged me. "Thank you, for everything."
"I couldn't leave you on the street, now get some sleep."
"Yes sir." Sue giggled. I gave her an oversize t-shirt to sleep in and left her to settle in bed. I headed off to my room. I lay in bed and thought about how things must have been for Sue and Tommy, I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of what I would do to Brian if our paths ever crossed.
In the morning I was on my second cup of coffee when Sue and Tommy joined me in the kitchen. "All I have for breakfast is bread for toast, we can go shopping later."
