Philpott's with peace and let it overflow.

Part 1

It started to rain as we arrived at the Birmingham station. I got off to look for Joe and the others, but just so I wasn't getting off to early I asked the driver if this was the closest stop for Walsall. He answered, "No we are going on to Walsall." So I got back on the National Express bus, and went "on to Walsall." I remembered telling the Joe that the bus stopped at the station closest to Walsall in Birmingham, and I hoped that we were going to that station.

I got out of the bus into a rainy day and waddled my bags under a pavilion. I had Joe's home number, but no one else's, and so I tried to find a public phone. After trying a store or two, and using someone's mobile a couple times, I knew I needed to get some more information. I did not have their address, and I needed to find some free internet. So I went into a local mall, bags and all. Looking like a complete goof, I parked my suitcases in a back corner near the pay phone and thankfully it took credit cards. I called several times at different intervals, but no answer. I found a toilet and then searched for a telephone directory somewhere. But to my surprise none of the stores had one. On my trek to the toilet, I spotted one of the pavilion owners using his computer on the internet, and I decided to ask him if I could use it. So I made my case known, and he obliged me very kindly. I searched white pages dot com slash UK, and typed in their name. Several names came up of course, but only one with the same home number. I typed in the address into my iPod and thanked the man for his help.

I quickly lifted my bags and stepped out into a fresh, rain free afternoon. Some taxies were lined up in a cue, and I decided to grab one no matter what the cost was. A kind lady yelled out to me, "Where' you com'n from then lad?" "From America Mam!" I replied in my best midland's accent. "Welcome home then love!" she said with a grin. I smiled back and said, "Thank you Mam. Cheers!" "Cheers love!" Came the reply: I didn't feel like explaining.