Homecoming

by Ellie Dean

  ‘Perhaps you could take Stan out for a run in the country,’ said Rita with a teasing light in her eyes. ‘He’d enjoy getting away from the hospital for a while.’

  Danuta met her gaze, knowing that she somehow knew things had progressed with Stanislaw but determined to give nothing away. ‘I’m sure that he would. But only if the doctor gives his approval.’

  The evening broke up shortly after that exchange, and once all the dishes had been washed and put away, and cardigans and jackets collected, Jack stood rather unsteadily by as Rita and Peter were kissed and hugged and wished the very best of luck for the future.

  Peggy and Cordelia were close to tears, and Jack wished he could give in to his own – but there would be plenty of time to cry once his beloved girl was gone. For now he would hold back the emotions that churned inside him and see that she left with no regrets.

  He closed the door as the two cars were driven away. ‘That went well,’ he said. ‘Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and that was a lovely bit of turkey, Rita.’

  She put her arms round him. ‘You don’t fool me, Dad,’ she murmured against his chest. ‘I know you hardly tasted a thing. But thanks for being so brave and supportive when I know how hard tonight must have been.’

  He held her close and rested his chin on her head, unable to speak.

  She eventually drew back from the embrace and looked up at him with a smile. ‘Fifty quid for a good Austin 7? Have you lost your marbles, Dad?’

  ‘She’s a lovely, hard-working girl, and I don’t like the thought of her on that bicycle in all weathers. It’s no skin off my nose, Rita. I’ll make a handsome profit from the other cars, never you mind.’

  ‘You’re just an old softie really, aren’t you?’

  ‘I suppose I am,’ he said on a sigh. He kissed her brow and gave her a swift hug. ‘Now I’m off to my bed. We’ve a very early start in the morning.’

  He shook Peter’s hand, then closed the bedroom door behind him to sink onto the bed and stare out into the darkness beyond the windows. This time tomorrow his little girl would be boarding a train that would take her far from home, and by the end of the week she’d be on a ship heading towards her new life. But Peter would love her and look after her, he was certain of that – and if he kept on making good money at the workshop, he’d soon save enough to take a trip out there to see them.

  With that pleasant thought, he prepared for bed and, with help from the gin, quickly fell asleep.

  Rita hadn’t slept well knowing that her father was still troubled by her imminent departure. She dressed quickly in comfortable trousers, lightweight jumper and cotton blouse, and slipped her feet into her low-heeled shoes before tiptoeing out of the bedroom to use the bathroom. She’d leave Peter sleeping for a while longer as there was plenty of time for them to have breakfast before they caught the train.

  With her hair brushed to a gleam and a light application of make-up, she eyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror and was pleased with the effect. Marriage had certainly brought light and colour to her face, and there was no doubting that the excitement for the coming adventure also had something to do with it.

  She went into the kitchen and found her father leaning in the back doorway, smoking a roll-up and sipping from a mug of tea as he stared out at the unkempt garden. ‘You’ll have to ask Ron to help you with the garden,’ she said, slipping an arm about his waist. ‘It’s probably time to put in some winter vegetables.’

  He looked down at her and grinned. ‘I was thinking of concreting the whole thing over. Much less trouble.’

  ‘That’s just being lazy,’ she replied, digging him in the ribs. She went to pour out a cup of tea and then hunted through the cupboards for the makings of breakfast.

  The bacon was sizzling in the pan and the table was laid by the time Peter emerged from the bathroom, freshly shaved and looking very bright considering the amount of beer he’d had last night. The three of them sat down to eat and drink their way through a second pot of tea, the silence growing ever more tense as the minutes ticked away and the time of their departure drew nearer.

  Rita got up to wash the dishes as Peter went to fetch the cases. ‘Leave that,’ said Jack. ‘I’ll do it later. Come and give me a hug instead.’

  She stepped into his embrace and held him close. ‘It won’t be for ever, Dad. You’ll come and visit, and who knows, we might come back at some point to see you all.’

  ‘I’ll hold you to that,’ he murmured, not really believing she would. He squeezed her tight and then let her go. ‘I won’t be coming to the station to see you off, if you don’t mind,’ he said gruffly. ‘It’s better if you and Peter start your adventure together just as you mean to go on. Easier for me too.’

  ‘Oh, Dad, I do wish you could be happy for us.’

  He looked at her in astonishment. ‘But of course I’m happy for you,’ he gasped. ‘You couldn’t have a better husband than Peter, and I rather envy the adventure you’re setting out on.’ He caressed her cheek. ‘I’m just feeling sorry for myself, that’s all. You must take this chance with both hands and make the very best of all the opportunities there are out there – and not worry about me. I’ve got more work than I can handle, and if I need company, there’s always the Anchor or Beach View.’

  He looked over her head to Peter who was standing in the doorway with the suitcases at his feet. ‘Get out of here, the pair of you,’ he said with a forced smile. ‘You don’t want to miss that train.’

  Peter grasped his hand. ‘It’s been good getting to know you, mate,’ he said. ‘Thanks for everything, and no worries – I’ll look after her.’

  ‘I know you will,’ he replied gruffly.

  He followed them into the hall and Rita kissed his cheek before hurrying to join Peter who was waiting by the motorbikes. The cases had been strapped to the back and he was holding out her crash helmet.

  Jack watched them ride away – two vibrant, ambitious young people who looked so fine together that surely they could conquer anything. He returned Rita’s wave as she paused briefly at the corner of the street, and once she’d ridden out of sight he closed the front door and leaned against it for a while to take control of the emotions that were ripping through him.

  The bungalow already felt empty and the silence was heavy as he wandered from room to room and then stood in the kitchen eyeing the dirty dishes. He lit a cigarette and went into the back garden hoping the fresh air would clear his head, but the emptiness was there too – almost mocking him.

  Unable to stand the solitude any longer, he fetched his clean overalls from the bedroom, picked up his lunchbox from the kitchen and slammed the front door behind him. Work would be his saviour, and thankfully there was enough of it to keep his mind occupied for weeks.

  They’d stowed the motorbikes in the guard’s van, and Rita went to hug Stan the stationmaster and take charge of the paper bag filled with freshly baked rock buns. Turning to gaze for the last time down Cliffehaven’s High Street, she broke into a smile.

  ‘I knew you’d come,’ she said as Peggy rushed from the car park and enfolded her in her arms.

  ‘I couldn’t let you go without saying one last goodbye,’ Peggy murmured, holding her tightly. ‘I know you’ll be absolutely fine and will make a huge success of things out there, so I don’t want you worrying about Jack. Ron and I will look after him.’

  ‘Thanks, Auntie Peg. And I promise to write often and let you know how we’re getting on.’

  ‘You make sure you do.’ Peggy turned to Peter and hugged him. ‘I know you’ll look after our girl, so I have no worries there. I hope your homecoming is all you wish it to be, Peter. It’s been lovely to get to know you.’

  Stan was fidgeting with his flag and whistle. ‘Sorry, lass, but if I don’t blow the whistle soon, the train will be late leaving.’

  Rita swiftly hugged Peggy again and followed Peter onto the train. She tugged the leather strap on the window and leaned out as Stan blew his whistle and w
aved his flag. ‘Bye, Aunt Peggy, bye, Stan. I love you,’ she shouted above the deep grind of the train wheels as they began to turn.

  The train gathered speed and rounded the bend, taking her away from Cliffehaven and everything she knew. She sank down beside Peter and nestled against his side as she fought back her tears and tried very hard to be brave.

  ‘It’s all right, love. You’ve got me,’ murmured Peter. ‘And I love you enough to make up for everyone you’re leaving behind.’

  Rita closed her eyes on the tears and held him close, sure in the knowledge that as long as they were together, all would be well.

  Peggy hadn’t really planned to go to the station to see them off, but she hadn’t been able to resist, for no matter how hard it was to say goodbye to her chicks, each and every one of them deserved a proper send-off.

  She hurried back to the car, her eyes blurred with tears. Beach View already felt deserted, but how much worse it must be for Jack. He’d clearly been unable to face seeing them off at the station this morning, and she could only imagine how bereft he must be feeling now he was alone in that bungalow.

  She drove carefully back home, aware that she wasn’t really in any fit state to be driving while in tears. Parking outside the front of Beach View, she sat for a moment to gain some control over her emotions and then climbed out purposefully. She had a busy day ahead of her, and she didn’t have the time to sit here moping and feeling sorry for herself. Rita and Peter would be perfectly all right, she just knew they would.

  Charlie was dressed and ready for his first day at his new grammar school. Ron had taken him to the barber’s yesterday for a proper haircut, and she suspected it wouldn’t be long before he started shaving, for there was a definite dark shadow on his top lip and jaw.

  ‘Charlie’s going to school,’ announced Daisy. ‘I go to school too. He come with me?’

  ‘No, darling. He’s going to big people’s school,’ said Cordelia. ‘But when you’re five, you’ll be going to school down the road.’

  Daisy gave a dramatic sigh. ‘That’s a long time,’ she said. ‘Why can’t I go now?’

  Peggy closed her ears to Daisy’s endless questions and left Cordelia to answer them as she turned to Charlie. ‘Now, have you got everything?’ she asked as he picked up the over-stuffed satchel.

  ‘Bar the kitchen sink,’ he replied with a grin.

  ‘Do you want me to walk with you to the bus stop?’

  ‘Mum,’ he protested. ‘I’m fifteen. I don’t need walking anywhere.’

  She smiled lovingly at this man-child who’d come home in place of the small, eight-year-old boy she’d sent away all those years ago. ‘No, I don’t suppose you do.’ She handed him the cap and gave his perfectly knotted tie a tweak. ‘Have a good day, son, and I’ll see you at teatime,’ she murmured, longing to kiss his cheek but knowing it wouldn’t really be appreciated now he was so grown-up.

  ‘Yeah, bye, Mum. See you all later.’

  Peggy gave a sigh as he slammed the back door behind him. The guilt of having sent him and his brother away would always be with her. Had they any inkling of how very hard it had been for her to let them go – or understood that she’d done it to keep them safe?

  She turned her thoughts to more pleasant things. ‘Has the post come yet?’ she asked Cordelia who was now cleaning Daisy’s face of jam.

  ‘It has, but there was only a paper bill and a letter for me from Canada.’ She eyed Peggy over her half-moon glasses as Daisy ran off to play with her toys. ‘How did it go at the station?’

  ‘They got off on time, and of course I couldn’t help crying as usual,’ she replied, pouring out a cup of tea. ‘I’ll pop in and see Jack on my way to work and ask him to come to supper tonight. He’ll find it very hard being on his own.’

  ‘It was kind of him to find a car for Danuta,’ Cordelia commented, clearing away the dirty plates. ‘And at such a good price too.’

  ‘Yes. I wondered about that,’ murmured Peggy. ‘Where is she, by the way?’

  ‘Sleeping in. It’s her day off, remember?’

  Peggy lit a cigarette. ‘I have so many things on my mind at the moment that I barely know what day it is, let alone remember Danuta’s duty roster,’ she said on a sigh.

  ‘I suppose you’ve noticed there’s something going on between her and that baron,’ said Cordelia with a twinkle in her eye.

  Peggy smiled. ‘Oh yes, but like Rita, I’m keeping that to myself until the girl’s ready to tell us.’

  Cordelia raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s most unlike you, Peggy Reilly. I’d have thought you’d be making wedding plans by now.’

  ‘I never said I wasn’t,’ she replied with a wink.

  15

  The past few days had flown by and Peggy was relieved that Saturday had come round. She could lie in for a while longer and look ahead to a lovely quiet day with nothing much to do other than watch Charlie play his first rugby match, and think about the new curtains she’d ordered for the big room upstairs that would soon be hers if things went according to plan.

  The factory was busy with new orders flooding in, and she’d been kept on her toes making sure they were fulfilled and delivered on time. Solly was like a dog with two tails in his delight at how well everything was going, and had given Peggy a generous pay rise – which turned out to be very useful indeed now that Ron had started decorating the bedrooms. Wallpaper and paint were costly, and soon she’d have tradesmen to pay as well.

  She’d met with the plumber, electrician and plasterer and they would start next week on the basement, so Charlie would have to move upstairs into Jane and Sarah’s old room now Ron had finished in there. There was still a lot of clearing up to be done in the basement, but she’d made a good start on it during the evenings, and Charlie had built a bonfire in the garden to get rid of all the accumulated rubbish.

  She stretched and yawned before slowly getting out of bed, and, still in her nightclothes, went in search of a nice cup of tea. Daisy was still asleep, so she’d leave her for a while and have a few minutes to herself.

  Cordelia was already at the breakfast table with Charlie who was stuffing down toast and baked beans as if his life depended upon it. ‘For goodness’ sake, Charlie, stop gobbling your food. You’ll get indigestion,’ Cordelia admonished mildly.

  ‘I’ll be late for the team meeting if I don’t get a move on,’ he said through a mouthful. ‘We’ve got a match this afternoon and the coach wants us to have a good warm-up session.’

  ‘What time are you playing?’ asked Peggy, sitting down with her cup of tea. ‘We’d love to come and watch, wouldn’t we, Cordy?’

  ‘Three o’clock,’ he said, pushing back from the table. ‘Grandad and Uncle Frank are coming, and as it’s the first game of the season the club’s laying on tea for everyone, so don’t be late, or you’ll miss out. They’re a bunch of gannets down there.’

  ‘We’ll be there,’ said Peggy, a smile twitching her lips at his audacity for calling others gannets when he could put away enough food to feed a family for a week. ‘Will you be back for lunch?’

  He shook his head. ‘I’m eating at the Anchor.’

  With a depressing sense that she still didn’t really know him, Peggy watched her youngest son gather up his things and leave the kitchen without saying goodbye. There had been a time before the war when she could gauge his moods and almost read his thoughts, but five years of being apart meant that although she loved him deeply, they were virtual strangers. They’d never really broached the subject of his evacuation, or how he’d felt about being sent away. It seemed to be something neither of them were willing to discuss – perhaps because the reality of how it had affected them might be too painful.

  Peggy wondered fleetingly if he was happy to be home again, or if he was missing Aunt Vi and life on the Somerset farm. It wouldn’t have surprised her, for he’d spent his formative years there and had grown extremely fond of Vi, who’d taken on the role of surrogate mother in her absenc
e. This was something that had made Peggy profoundly jealous, but her innate good sense had soon made her realise how selfish that was. The main thing was that Charlie had been given a loving, stable home. Of course he’d been lucky to have his sister, brother and nieces with him – and they’d all managed a very short visit home to see Jim before he was sent to India – unlike so many evacuees who’d had no contact with their families for years.

  She listened to him clattering about in the basement, and then heard the slam of the back door. He seemed to be more settled now he was back on the rugby field, but he didn’t confide in her as he’d once done, and clearly found any sort of intimacy very awkward. She could only hope that he used the time he spent with his grandfather and uncle to open up and talk about the things that worried him.

  Her thoughts were broken by Cordelia. ‘There’s post for you this morning,’ she said, pushing the letters and cards towards her. ‘I read the postcards as they were addressed to no one in particular. They all seem to be having a high old time,’ she added before returning to her perusal of the newspaper headlines.

  Peggy felt a thrill of pleasure as she saw there was a letter from Jim and another from Ruby, as well as the four postcards. The one from Rita showed a view of Portsmouth docks, the note on the back clearly written in haste and excitement, for they were about to board the ship and she wanted them all to know she was thinking of them.

  The picture postcards from Jane were more exotic, showing the port of Tripoli basking in the Mediterranean light, the pyramids of Cairo, and an ornate domed mosque in Bahrain. She turned them over one by one to read the messages.

  It seemed Tripoli, Cairo and Bahrain were scorching hot and dusty and the food highly suspect even though they’d been staying in first-class hotels. They were expecting more of the same as they left for Karachi and Calcutta.

  The flight had been surprisingly smooth and comfortable, but as they went further east they were hoping not to get caught up in the summer storms that had been forecast, for it would make the flight most unpleasant. They were on schedule to arrive in Singapore by Sunday, and promised to send a telegram the minute they arrived.