Joshy found that bread and milk which he had long ago dismissed as horrible baby food didn’t taste half bad when you were as hungry as he was and when it had been as plentifully laced with honey as Queenie had prepared it, and he swallowed every drop as well as the cocoa and three biscuits she had brought him. Sour as she was, even Queenie had a soft spot for Joshy.
He was leaning back in his chair with a visibly rounded belly, for it had been a very large bowl of bread and milk, and looking decidedly sleepy and Mildred stared at him for a long moment, smiling a little, and then sighed.
‘You’ll have to go home, Joshy,’ she said. ‘No, don’t look like that. I dare say your mother will be cross at first, but once you tell her what happened over the trumpet she’ll understand. You must go now.’
‘Oh, Grandma, I’m so sleepy!’ he said and looked at her winningly. ‘Can’t I go to bed now and p’raps go in the morning?’
She shook her head, smiling. ‘I never thought the day would come when you didn’t plead passionately to stay out of bed at all costs. No, my dear, home you must go. This happened once before you see, and I took time sending her home and – ’
‘What do you mean?’
She shook her head. ‘It’s an old, long story. Ask your Mama some time, or ask Robin. Anyway, I really must send you straight home now. I wish I could take you there, but – well, I can’t manage that. Not at my age and at this time of night. I’m not happy about sending you, but it must be done. We’ll get our usual cab driver. He understands me, since he’s getting on in years himself, and he takes me everywhere I have to go when I do go out. Which isn’t often these bad days – but there, I know I can trust him to take good care of you. Just touch the bell there, Joshy, and we’ll make all arrangements.’
‘Will you talk to Mama on the telephone and explain first?’ Joshy said and Mildred smiled.
‘I think that’s an excellent idea. I will. Let me get the matter sorted out first though. I don’t want to call her too soon or she’ll get over-anxious. As soon as the cab comes and we can see you on your way, then I shall indeed call her. So you have no need to fret yourself – ah, Queenie. We must telephone Albert and get him to come round at once.’
‘Albert? But it’s nearly half past eleven, madam!’ Queenie looked horrified.
‘That cannot be helped,’ Mildred said with all the imperiousness of one who takes good service for granted. ‘Tell him my grandson is here and has to be taken home at once and I can trust no one else but him with the task. He’ll understand. See to it that he gets twice the usual fare for the journey. He’ll have earned it – ’
The cab pulled away from the kerb with Joshy, looking rather subdued as well as sleepy now, sitting in one corner of it and Albert, who was far from pleased to be called from his bed at this hour of night, even for twice the fare, in a decidedly bad temper, not that Mildred knew, or would have cared unduly if she had. After the years of tolerating Queenie’s sulks she took such moods for granted in those who looked after her needs.
She stood by the window peering round the blackout curtain, watching the cab disappear into the darkness, and then reached for the phone. Poppy might be in bed herself, but what did that matter? She would have to get up; and a frisson of mild malice entered Mildred. She loved her daughter dearly and understood the pressures on her, but there were times when she felt herself overlooked. After all, she hadn’t called her for almost two weeks now. And waking her with this news would in a sense serve her right. And she picked up the telephone.
But however long she hung on, however often she replaced the receiver and then called again, there was no answer, and she stood there and stared out at her blacked-out window with her face puckered. Perhaps she shouldn’t have sent Joshy back until she had been certain they were there at home waiting for him, and she prayed that Albert would have the sense to bring him back if no one answered the door when they arrived.
The cab went remarkably quickly along the Bayswater Road, heading west, and Joshy leaned forwards to stare out of the window, trying to see. But it was very dark, not so much as a hint of starshine, let alone moonshine, and everywhere muffled in blackout shutters and curtains, and he caught his breath as the cab swerved to the left. Clearly it had been too near the middle of the road and the oncoming car which passed them going in the other direction had nearly hit them.
‘That was close,’ he said through the little glass shutter that separated him from Albert, but he just grunted, ‘Stupid devil that was –’ and went on, and again Joshy stared out of the window ahead, trying to see over Albert’s shoulder what might be coming towards them.
There wasn’t much traffic and Albert put his foot down and again the cab shot forwards, and this time Joshy held on like grim death to the leather strap beside him, because the cab was decidedly old and rattling rather ominously. It would never do to be landed on the floor and arrive home with bruises. That would really make Mummy get in a state –
When it happened it was so sudden that Joshy didn’t hear it, let alone see it. There was a shuddering bang and then the cab turned right round and hit a lamppost on the kerb, flinging Joshy to the floor in spite of his holding the leather strap, and then out on to the road, where he actually bounced, grazing the side of his leg as he did so. He shouted in protest, but there were other noises now, more shouting and running feet and he sat there dazed, for what seemed a long time, trying to get his head to stop spinning.
Someone appeared beside him, bent down, prodded him. ‘You all right, kid?’ he said in a throaty voice.
‘Think so,’ Joshy said. ‘Got a grazed leg –’ And then he was suddenly copiously sick, sending half-digested bread and milk in all directions.
‘Strewth,’ the man jumped back. ‘Better get you to the hospital – Fred!’ he bawled then. ‘Got a kid ’ere. Throwing up something rotten. Get him to the next ambulance will you? How’s the other one?’
‘Looks dead to me,’ a voice came back from the darkness. ‘Can’t be sure but he’s pretty battered. The other one’s got a busted leg and ’e’s unconscious – ’
Joshy was looking a bit better now, and he reached out and pulled on the trouser leg of the man standing beside him.
‘Is Albert all right?’
‘Who?’
‘The driver of the cab I was in – that’s Albert – ’
‘Hmm. Well, sonny, he’s the one with the broken leg, I think, and the knockout. Gone to the hospital – St Mary’s down Praed Street. We’ll get you there soon – ’
‘No, I’ve got to get home –’ Joshy said and struggled to his feet. He really was feeling rather awful again.
‘What’s the address, sonny?’
Joshy, bewildered as he was, didn’t stop to think. ‘Endlane Farm, near Forncett St Paul, Norwich –’ he said. It had been his address for so long now that he’d almost forgotten the Norland Square one.
The man bent and peered into his face. ‘Ah!’ he said with great satisfaction. ‘Runaway vaccie, are you? Well, well, who’d ha’ thought it? We’ll soon get you back there, sonny, and no error! Come on now. Get you cleaned up and settled. Here’s the ambulance, thank Gawd. Come on then. On your way – ’
29
The train pulled into Euston so slowly that it seemed to Poppy it was hardly moving at all, but at last it touched the buffers and there was a shudder and finally it stopped, and she stretched a little in her seat and peered across at David.
He was sitting bolt upright in the corner, his head resting against the criss-crossed sticky tape that adorned the window, and his mouth half open, snoring. Lucky man, she thought for a moment, to sleep like that through such a pig of a journey, and she moved awkwardly as the man beside her got up and collected his bag from the rack and picked his way out over David’s outstretched leg. He gave Poppy a glare as he passed her, and Poppy almost stuck her tongue out at him, knowing it would be childish but wanting to all the same. It hadn’t been her fault that David needed to take up so much spac
e with his massive plaster.
Really he should have travelled by ambulance, but there were simply none to spare for such a long journey from Liverpool, which had had more than its fair share of raids, too, and they had been lucky to get on to the train at all. But then a woman who had been squeezed into the far corner came picking her way out of the carriage too, and she leaned over Poppy and patted her shoulder and said in a breathy little voice, ‘My dear, I do hope your poor husband is well again soon – such a worry when one’s loved ones are hurt, isn’t it? Do let me give you this –’ And she pushed a piece of paper into Poppy’s hand and beamed at her and climbed out of the train.
Poppy looked down at the paper and shook her head in mild exasperation. It was a tract from a religious society of some sort, exhorting its readers to take up their consciences and follow their God, rather than their country’s flag, because that was the best way to deal with an enemy – and she looked over at David’s exhausted face and remembered the tales he had told her of the way German U-boats had pursued the convoy for a large part of their journey and how they had attacked unarmed merchant ships, and her gorge rose. She had never been particularly patriotic, had never found herself waving the Union Jack with fervour at Empire Day parades, but she knew with every fibre in her that this was a war that had to be fought; and she remembered Hamish and how Robin had looked at him, and frowned and then shook her head. No time for that sort of worry now.
‘David.’ She leaned over him and gently shook his shoulder. The carriage was empty now, and she could get him out. ‘We’re in London, darling. Almost home – wake up.’
Even before his eyes were open his arms came up and wrapped themselves around her and he pulled her down until her face was buried in his coat and she laughed, making a muffled protest, and he hugged her even more tightly.
‘Of all great words of tongue or pen the greatest are these, “We’re home again!”’ he said and let her go. ‘I swear I’ll never complain of anything ever again. To be home – and have a bath – ’
‘Not in that cast you won’t,’ Poppy said, and he made a face.
‘Damn it all to hell and back, would you believe I’d forgotten it? I shall just have to stink then, I suppose.’
‘Not if I have anything to do with it.’ Poppy was collecting his luggage from the rack. ‘I’ll blanket-bath you. I haven’t forgotten how.’
‘That sounds exciting.’ He gave her a lascivious leer and reached up and pinched her bottom and again she laughed, absurdly happy.
‘You’ve spent too much time with lustful sailors,’ she said. And he laughed too and began to haul himself to his feet.
It took them a long time to manoeuvre themselves along the crowded platform, because even with his crutches David found it difficult to walk, for his plaster was hip high and very heavy, and as they went she thought – I didn’t know how much I loved him. I thought I’d only ever felt real passion for Bobby, but it’s all right – I feel the same for David now, and he’s mine and I’m the luckiest woman in the world – and then felt a great pang of guilt. How could she feel so light-hearted when Jessie was in hospital with her legs paralysed and her business a ruined, useless mess? But she couldn’t help it. She was happy, war or no war, injuries or no injuries. The people she loved were all alive. She couldn’t ask for more than that.
Goosey greeted them at the doorstep as they got out of the taxi, and with a great deal of exclaiming about how thin poor Mr David looked and her with nothing in the larder to build him up with and mind his poor leg, oh dear, oh dear, it must hurt something cruel, fussed round them so much that it took twice as long as it should have done to get David in and upstairs to the bedroom. Poppy was determined that that was where he was to go to start with, so that she could get him cleaned up and the doctor in to see him and, over his protests, that was where she took him, while Goosey kept getting in the way and trying to hiss something in her ear.
But at last he was there and Goosey was able to grab Poppy’s arm and tell her whatever it was that was clearly bursting out of her.
Poppy, only half listening, because she was thinking about what she’d need to get David comfortable and clean again, suddenly heard what she was saying and she stopped and stared at Goosey, her eyes wide and dark with shock.
‘What did you say?’
‘Oh, Mrs Poppy, hush do, you’ll upset poor Mr David –’ Goosey said, fluttering her hands, but Poppy ignored that.
‘Tell me what you said. I didn’t – disappeared? What are you talking about?’
Goosey shook her head and threw a look at David who was now regaining his breath – because despite his denials, getting up the stairs had been an enormous effort for him – and he said curiously, ‘What’s up, Goosey?’
She waved her hands around distractedly, not seeming to know what to do with them.
‘I wouldn’t have fretted you for the world.’
‘Out with it, ducks,’ David said firmly and Goosey, who had always behaved as though men were slightly alarming if beneficent gods, obeyed.
‘It’s Joshy, Mr David. Run away again – ’
David lit up. ‘That boy is too much – where is he?’
‘That’s the trouble, Mr David, that’s what I was trying to tell Mrs Poppy without worrying you and – ’
‘How can he have disappeared, Goosey?’ Poppy demanded and made the old woman sit down in the small armchair beside the dressing table. ‘Short and sharp, for God’s sake. Tell me.’
Goosey looked up at her with swimming eyes. ‘He run to his grandma, you see, Mrs Poppy, on account you was annoyed with him last time, she said, and she sent him home sharpish and the taxi cab had a crash in the blackout and there was one of the drivers killed and the other one in the taxi with Joshy, he was unconscious and never came round to be asked and they found out Joshy was a runaway vaccie and set him off again – ’
‘They sent him back to Norfolk?’
‘If only they had! I’ve phoned up there, talked to my nephew –’ She swallowed and David reached a hand out to her and said, ‘That was brave of you Goosey,’ for everyone knew how terrified Goosey was of the phone.
‘Well, that’s as may be. And he was that upset! They’ve been looking everywhere. It seems there was some trouble over some of the local boys picking on our Joshy and it all turned nasty, and well – ’
Now she was frankly weeping. ‘No one knows where he is. Your Ma, Mrs Poppy, she’s been that upset. On the phone ever since it happened, she’s been, talked to them at the rest centre and the office that looks after these evacuees and no one knows nothing. There was three trains going out of Liverpool Street that day and no one knows which one he was put on. They say they’re trying but it’s all right on account he’ll be safe being out of London and he’ll write home soon enough – but oh, I’m that upset – ’
Poppy was standing very still and then she turned and looked at David. ‘Darling – can you manage? I’ll go and phone Mama and see what she can say and then I’ll have to go and look for him, won’t I? I can’t just have him adrift somewhere and not know –’ She swallowed. ‘Please, can you cope if I – ’
‘Go on,’ he said at once. ‘Right now. Phone me when you can. You’ve got enough money on you?’
‘I’ve got enough.’ She ran over to kiss him and then shrugged back into her coat, which she’d only just got out of and headed for the door.
‘Look after him, Goosey,’ she called and was gone.
*
I never want to see another train as long as I live, she thought, staring out at the blank greenness outside the window. The train had been standing silent like this for over half an hour, and the crowded carriage was cold and foully stuffy at the same time. She was lucky to have a seat, and she knew it, but that didn’t make her feel any better. There ought to be a better way of finding him, there had to be, and temper rose in her until she almost shouted her fury aloud. But she controlled it and started to take deep slow even breaths to give hers
elf something else to do until the train moved. Counting her own breaths was better than nothing.
But it didn’t help. All she could do was go over and over it all in her mind. The uselessness of the people at the air raid post who had salvaged Joshy from the Bayswater Road that night, and taken him to hospital; the officiousness of the Sister at the hospital who had told her the child had been handed over to the evacuation authorities as soon as he was fit enough to go, and she had no more news than that – all accompanied with the sort of accusing glare that made it clear how much she despised any woman whose child created so much trouble in wartime – and finally the sheer ineptitude of the woman in the office that had supposedly dealt with Joshy’s re-evacuation.
‘I can’t say, my dear, I’m sure,’ she had bleated. ‘I’ve told the boy’s grandmother that, and really what more can we do? The children who came back were so silly, yes silly, and now we have to get them all away again –’ And she had looked helplessly at Poppy as though the unhappiness of evacuees which drove them to abandon their safe country billets in order to get home again was all her fault, and again shook her head.
‘I’m sure he’ll get in touch with you and tell you where he is,’ she said. ‘Won’t he? I’m sure he’s a good boy and can write his own name, and knows his home address.’
‘Oh, of course he does, but I can’t wait until he’s able to get in touch – I have to find him now. He’s my son, for God’s sake. Can’t you understand?’
‘They’re all somebody’s child, Mrs Deveen,’ the woman said reproachfully. ‘I wish I could help, indeed I do, but I’ve no assistance here and all the paperwork that has to be done, it’s really too much for one person. I keep telling them that. Don’t worry, dear. I’m sure he’ll turn up somewhere and as long as he’s out of London he’ll be safe enough – ’
‘But can’t you see, you stupid creature!’ Poppy had blazed. ‘He ran away before when he was with his sister and with people he knew and who loved him. Don’t you see he’ll obviously run away again now he’s with strangers? And he’ll be frightened to come home because he thinks we’ll be angry, and anything could happen to him. He’s only ten – ’
Blitz - Book 4 of the Poppy Chronicles Page 30
