by Irene Carr
‘I’ve signed on in the Durhams,’ Davy Ballard explained. ‘There’s never any regular work around here for a labourer like me. So I’ve joined the Army. At least you’ll all have a roof over your heads and full bellies.’
Matt’s mother wiped at her eyes with a corner of her apron and tried to smile. ‘Your dad will have to live in barracks for a bit but later on we’ll all be in a married quarter, probably down south in Colchester.’ A battalion of the Durham Light Infantry was stationed there. It was a foreign country to her. Her man would go and she would be left on her own and later would be cast among strangers. But she hugged Matt and told him, ‘So we’ll all be fine now. And here’s the rest.’ The trampling in the passage signalled the arrival of Matt’s four brothers and sisters. His mother stood up. ‘I’ve got some bread and dripping for your teas.’ She started to lay out the meal as the other children charged in.
Matt tried to come to terms with what he had been told. His father was going to be a soldier. Matt would be living in a strange place with a new school and none of his friends, just boys he did not know. He was not sure whether he was frightened or excited.
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