Her or His Story

Hmm, believe Phelan or Anna? I think Tim is the only one with his head screwed on right. Looking at the damage Anna did to Phelan’s van, Tim tells Kevin that he figures Anna had her reasons. “Well, I know Anna, and she’s a good woman. Whereas him – he’s been on the street five minutes. I know who I’d trust.”

To argue Kevin’s side for a minute, it does seem that Anna went temporarily insane. Bashing the windshield in with an axe, breaking off mirrors, totally destroying the vehicle for apparently no reason. Kevin has dealt with a crazy not long ago, he knows people can do things that hurt others for reasons that make no sense to anyone else.

But. Anna has given him some of the reason she dislikes and distrusts Phelan. He knows there is more to it. Should he not give her the benefit of the doubt? Or redouble the effort to get the whole story? Maybe she owes him the whole truth. After all, Phelan has seemed to be nothing other than a good worker and friend to Kevin. Anna knows that Phelan has already ripped off Kevin, she even knows how he did it. She just can’t prove that he wrecked the garage wiring so that he could get work fixing it.

Damage Anna  – or Phelan – did

If she told Kevin the true story of Phelan’s evil, she might save their relationship and might save Kevin’s business. But he might not believe her. He might believe she was a willing participant in the sex for debt trade she made with Phelan. After all, Owen and Katy did not believe her and they benefited from her action.

So she is simply asking Kevin to take her words and actions on faith. But Tim is the only person who does. I guess I’m a little surprised that on such a small street, the backstory of Phelan and the Armstrong-Windass family doesn’t resonate for other people.

Why doesn’t Jason remember more about the animosity and difficulties that had to be obvious on the street? Phelan was very much present at that time, as were bailiffs emptying the Armstrong-Windass house, and Owen and Gary shouting and fighting. Even if no one else knows what exactly happened, I think Jason would remember that there were problems and Phelan was in the middle of them.

At the end of Friday’s episode, Kevin maybe is seeing the side of Phelan that he hasn’t seen, or wanted to see. With Tim’s words still in his head, I hope, he sees Phelan turning away from a frightened Anna backed against the wall of the café. I hope this time he takes Anna’s story, complete or incomplete as it may be, on faith.