A Wartime Christmas

by Carol Rivers

  Alfie gave a big grin. At three-and-a-half, he had strong pearly-white baby teeth and had lost his puppy fat. He looked so much like Alan that her heart skipped a beat. She was about to ask him if he would like some dinner when there was a knock at the front door. Vi went to answer it.

  Expecting it to be the Chapmans back from their outing, Kay was disappointed to hear another voice.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘Not you again!’ Vi protested. ‘You ain’t welcome here.’

  Kay took Alfie in her arms and hurried to the front door. Dolly Lewis and her son stood beside a man. Dressed in a garish, checked, oversized jacket and a wide-brimmed fedora hat, his narrowed eyes were fixed menacingly on Vi.

  ‘What do you want?’ Kay demanded. ‘And who’s this?’

  ‘He’s a pal of mine,’ announced Dolly. ‘Here to look after my interests.’

  ‘What interests?’

  ‘I want what’s mine. What that blighter Alan stole from me.’

  ‘Look, I’ve told you already,’ Kay insisted, ‘the man you’re after isn’t my husband.’

  Dolly nodded at the man and he pushed his way in. Dolly quickly followed, dragging the boy with her.

  ‘This ain’t a bad gaff,’ the man said as he strolled into the front room. ‘It’d be a shame to mess it all up. You had better hand over the goods to Dolly or else.’

  ‘Don’t you try threatening us!’ exclaimed Vi. ‘Now, clear out, the pair of you.’

  The man pushed Vi’s shoulder. ‘Shut up, you!’

  ‘Leave her alone!’ Kay stepped in front of Vi. ‘Who do you think you are, forcing your way in like this? Get out before I call the police.’

  ‘I told you, call ’em,’ Dolly challenged again. ‘When Alan ran out on me, he took some things that weren’t his to take. When I reported the theft the coppers told me he was an ex-con and knew him of old.’ Dolly drew in a quick breath. ‘Now, if you’ve got me stuff tucked away somewhere, then you’d better own up before I get Sid on the job.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ replied Kay. ‘There’s nothing in this house that belongs to you.’

  ‘We’ll see about that,’ said the man, striding over to the sideboard. He peered in and knocked out the glasses. They crashed to the floor. One by one he went through the drawers, throwing everything out. Kay was terrified but she was angry too. She tried to stop him as he went to the wardrobe, but he pushed her roughly aside. ‘There’s only the old trout’s tat in here and a train set,’ he told Dolly as he tore down Vi’s clothes.

  ‘Who are you calling an old trout?’ Vi yelled, but Kay caught her arm, shaking her head as the man strode up to her.

  ‘Any more out of you and you’ll get this.’ He shook his fist in Vi’s face.

  ‘You’d better look upstairs,’ said Dolly. ‘And hurry. We ain’t got all day.’

  As he left the room Kay wondered if there was a policeman close by. If not, was it possible to run to the station with Alfie in her arms? But she didn’t want to leave Vi alone with these two.

  ‘Christ, Sean, what’s the matter with you now?’ snapped Dolly as Sean began to cry. ‘You’re a blessed nuisance, always moaning. Pull yourself together.’ She walked to the door and looked up the stairs. ‘Sid, what’s keeping you?’

  The little boy went very white. Kay went to him and, putting Alfie on the floor, she looked into Sean’s ashen face. ‘Are you all right, Sean?’

  He shook his head. ‘I’m gonna be sick.’

  ‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ shouted the man as he ran down the stairs.

  ‘What did you find?’ Dolly demanded.

  ‘Nothing. But then I ain’t had time to turn the place over properly.’

  Dolly turned to Kay and screwed up her face in anger. ‘If you’re so worried about my boy then you’d better see what you can do for him. He’s your family after all, ain’t he? Your kid and mine – they’re the spit of one another.’ She slid her hand through the man’s arm. ‘Come on, Sid, we’ll leave Sean here while we go for a drink.’

  ‘You can’t do that!’ gasped Vi.

  ‘Who says?’ sneered Dolly as she tossed back her head. ‘If you decide not to cough up my things, it’ll be the worse for you.’ They walked out, slamming the door after them.

  ‘The heartless hussy,’ spluttered Vi. ‘How could she leave her boy with strangers? And why does she think we’re hiding her stuff?’

  Kay didn’t have time to reply as Sean leaned over and was sick.

  Kay looked at the couch where Sean was lying. After she and Vi had cleared the mess, which had luckily gone over the tiles in the hearth and not on the square of carpet, Sean had fallen asleep.

  ‘Poor little lamb,’ sighed Vi as Kay swept the last of the broken glass into the dustpan and emptied it into the bin. ‘What do you think’s wrong with him?’

  ‘Don’t know, Vi. But he’s dreadfully thin. How could she let him get like that?’ Kay looked with pity at the little boy, his chin hidden under one of Vi’s blankets. Alfie sat quietly at Sean’s feet, holding the blue train that he had unsuccessfully tried to persuade Sean to play with.

  ‘Is ’e gonna be sick again?’ Alfie asked in concern.

  ‘No, love. He’ll be all right now.’ Kay smiled.

  ‘Will ’e play with me?’

  ‘We’ll have to see when he wakes up.’

  ‘It’s hard to believe she just walked off like that,’ repeated Vi with a shake of her head. ‘And that slimy spiv! Smashing our glasses and turning out all me clothes! I’ll give him old trout!’

  ‘What kind of things were they looking for?’ wondered Kay.

  ‘Did he do much damage upstairs?’

  ‘No. Just looked through all me drawers. At least he didn’t find the money that Alan left.’

  ‘Where is it?’

  Kay nodded outside. ‘In the Anderson.’

  Vi smiled, though she quickly returned to being angry as she gazed at Sean. ‘All that about Alan being in prison and nicking her stuff. Do you reckon we should tell the law?’

  ‘I’d have to go up to the local station. And they might come back while I’m gone.’

  ‘I wouldn’t let ’em in.’

  Just then, Sean stirred, rubbing his eyes. ‘Do you want to be sick again?’ asked Kay.

  ‘Where’s me mum?’

  ‘She’ll be back soon.’

  He stared at Alfie over the top of the blanket.

  ‘Do you feel better?’ Kay asked. ‘Would you like something to eat?’

  He nodded, wiping his dirty nose with the back of his hand.

  ‘Me an’ all,’ said Alfie, grinning.

  ‘You as well, tiger,’ said Kay with a smile.

  It was clear that Alfie had taken a shine to their young visitor.

  ‘Look like little angels, don’t they?’ whispered Vi as they stood in Alfie’s bedroom that night.

  The two boys were asleep, both top-and-tailed and dressed in pyjamas. Though Sean was older he wasn’t much taller than Alfie and the striped pyjamas, both sets old and darned, were a big improvement on his dirty clothes. Alfie slept in the bed while Sean occupied one of the Anderson mattresses placed on the floor. ‘He was happy to play with Alfie,’ Kay replied softly. ‘And didn’t seem to mind staying the night.’

  ‘Not a murmur out of him,’ agreed Vi, pulling her old cardigan across her chest. ‘That woman should be put behind bars.’

  ‘I won’t go to work in the morning,’ decided Kay. ‘Dolly and her minder are certain to appear.’

  ‘Your boss won’t like that.’

  ‘He’ll have to lump it.’ Kay switched off the light and they went downstairs.

  ‘Don’t fancy letting that flash package in again,’ said Vi as they sat by the fire.

  ‘We won’t,’ Kay said firmly. ‘We’ll keep both the front and back doors locked, like they are now. Then when they knock, I’ll take Sean out through the yard and into the Cut, then go round to the front.’


  ‘What if that idiot gets stroppy?’

  ‘He won’t, not where everyone can see him.’

  ‘You could ask Eddie to help,’ suggested Vi.

  ‘It’s his leave. I don’t want to spoil it.’

  With their plans made, they decided to go to bed. But Kay didn’t sleep very well. She couldn’t rest, thinking of what was going to happen tomorrow. To her surprise, both boys were sleeping soundly when she got up in the morning and it was only when Vi called them for breakfast that they appeared with yawns and sleepy faces.

  ‘Is me mum coming?’ Sean asked as he ate his porridge.

  ‘I should think so,’ said Kay, glancing at Vi. ‘Do you live round here?’

  But Sean only lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

  After the boys were dressed, they played with the train set.

  ‘It felt a sin to put them dirty clothes back on him,’ said Vi as she and Kay kept watch at the window.

  ‘I’d have rinsed them out if there was time,’ agreed Kay.

  ‘Still can’t believe she just left him here.’

  ‘Neither can I.’

  All day they waited for the knock to come. But it never did.

  After breakfast the next morning, Kay and Vi carried in the tin bath. ‘Your mum and her pal will have to wait in the street if they come,’ said Vi to Sean as she secured the back door again. ‘A good scrub is long overdue. Now, drop your towel, love, and in you climb.’

  ‘Don’t want to.’ Sean looked frightened of the water.

  ‘Water ain’t going to bite you, son,’ coaxed Vi. ‘And there’s a niff in this kitchen that’s making the place smell like a gorilla’s armpit.’

  ‘You’ll like it, I promise,’ Kay urged.

  ‘Don’t think he’s ever seen a bath before,’ frowned Vi, ‘let alone sat in one. Tell you what, Alfie, you get in first.’

  Kay nodded and Alfie enthusiastically stripped down and climbed into the water. ‘See, it won’t hurt you,’ said Kay. ‘It’s lovely.’

  ‘C’mon, Sean!’ Alfie splashed the water. Sean jumped back but soon he was laughing. After a few minutes, Kay was relieved to see one foot go in and then the other.

  ‘That’s the ticket,’ grinned Vi. ‘Now have a good soak.’

  It was painful for Kay to look at Sean’s thin body. His bow legs, pronounced rib cage and stick-like arms were startling against Alfie’s well-fed physique. But soon laughter was echoing in the kitchen as Vi attempted to wash them both with the Lifebuoy soap.

  Kay found herself thinking again of what Dolly had said. With their wet hair slicked back and big brown eyes, the likeness between them was remarkable.

  Monday 1 June dawned bright and clear. Once again, Dolly had not shown up. Leaving Vi briefly with the boys, Kay went to the factory very early. She had decided to ask for a few days off. She couldn’t leave Vi to shoulder the responsibility of Sean. There was nothing else to be done but stay at home until Dolly put in an appearance.

  ‘If everyone in this factory wanted to take their holiday on the spur of the moment, our planes wouldn’t have no wings to fly with,’ her supervisor complained. She felt guilty, but had her way in the end.

  ‘What are we going to do, love?’ asked Vi as they watched the two boys playing in the yard.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Kay with a shrug. ‘What can have happened to Dolly?’

  ‘P’raps she’s done a bunk for good.’

  ‘And abandoned her own son?’

  ‘Could be what she wanted all along. P’raps she got the idea in the pub when she heard Harry talking.’

  ‘So she made up this Alan, just to get rid of Sean?’ Kay shook her head. ‘No, I think she wanted something more. Or why else did she bring that man to look for her stuff?’

  ‘So you think she’ll be back?’

  ‘Yes, I do.’ Kay couldn’t believe that a mother, even a mother like Dolly, would leave her son in such a way.

  ‘Have you told Babs what happened?’

  ‘Not yet. Eddie was due to go back yesterday.’

  ‘Gill and Tim will call after school. You could give her the nod then.’

  ‘Yes, I will.’ Kay lowered her elbows to the draining board and rested her chin in the palms of her hands. ‘I wonder if Sean has been to school.’

  ‘Don’t seem like it,’ decided Vi.

  ‘I’ll get Alfie’s crayons. See what he can do.’

  But Vi tapped Kay on her shoulder. ‘Don’t go getting too interested. It’s his mother’s job to see to his education, not yours. You’ll only get hurt when she takes him away.’

  But Kay was wondering what kind of mother would neglect their child so badly. Did Dolly have a conscience?

  Perhaps she was trying out her luck, believing Kay was a soft touch and would return only when it suited her.

  ‘If he’s not your child, then I haven’t the authority to issue coupons,’ said the woman at the food office a week later.

  ‘I’m only asking for what a young boy needs,’ Kay repeated. ‘I took him to the doctor who said he’s undernourished and must eat properly. He’s got to have milk, orange juice and cod liver oil. He needs clothes and shoes too.’

  ‘His mother should be here seeing to that, not you.’

  ‘I told you, she’s disappeared.’

  ‘Have you reported her missing?’

  ‘Yes. I was told lots of people go missing in wartime.’ Kay had eventually decided to go to the police station. It had been a mistake. The sergeant at the desk asked some personal questions in front of other people. It was embarrassing to have to repeat what Dolly had said. Even after explaining it all, the policeman offered no help, saying it sounded like a domestic matter.

  The woman removed her glasses and sighed. ‘This is only the Food Office. You’ll have to go to another department for missing persons.’ The woman’s tone softened as she saw Kay’s distress. ‘Look, I’m sorry, but rules are rules. Have you tried the Salvation Army?’

  ‘I’m not asking for charity.’ Kay picked up her shopping bag and left. What was she going to do? As she walked home, she decided she would use some of the fifteen pounds seventeen shillings in the Anderson to buy some clothes for Sean at the market. Somehow she would make ends meet. With her wages and Vi’s small contribution, they could manage for a while.

  Tomorrow she would revisit the town hall. This time she would take Sean with her and let them see how his health depended on the things the doctor had ordered.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It was the end of June and Dolly still hadn’t shown up. Kay was beginning to think Vi was right. Even the woman at the council offices agreed that it looked as if Sean had been abandoned. ‘I’ll get someone to call and speak to you,’ Kay was told at last.

  To Kay’s surprise, the next day a young woman arrived on the doorstep. ‘I’m Miss Pearson from the Children’s Welfare Department,’ she explained. ‘Is it convenient to speak to you?’

  ‘Yes, come in.’ Kay hadn’t expected someone to turn up even though she had been promised.

  Vi took Alfie into the yard and Kay sat with Sean in the front room. Miss Pearson asked Sean his name, how old he was and where he lived. Both Kay and Miss Pearson smiled when he said he lived at one hundred and three Slater Street.

  ‘Thank you, Sean,’ said Miss Pearson. ‘I expect you’d like to join your friend now?’

  After Sean had gone, Kay said quietly, ‘He don’t seem to know much about where he lived with his mother.’

  ‘No, but I can see he’s taken a shine to you.’

  ‘He’s never any trouble,’ Kay agreed, going on to give an account of all that had happened since Dolly had appeared.

  ‘So, Mrs Lewis, you have no idea where she is now?’ Miss Pearson had short, curly brown hair and didn’t smile much, but she seemed interested in what Kay had to say.

  ‘No, I haven’t,’ Kay said.

  ‘She left no forwarding address?’

  ‘Like I told you, Dolly said she was going
for a drink with her friend – the man who broke all me glasses and searched in the drawers for something that Dolly claimed was hers. We waited and waited but she didn’t come back.’

  ‘And you told the police?’

  ‘Yes, I reported Dolly, not that it helped much.’

  Miss Pearson frowned. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

  ‘If Sean had been found on the street I think they’d have taken more notice.’

  ‘Yes, you may be right.’ Miss Pearson frowned, her face clouding. ‘Street children are taken into care by the authorities and put into orphanages.’ She hesitated. ‘Or some other kind of institution.’

  ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

  ‘In wartime, there are hundreds of displaced children. I’m afraid it’s a growing problem. And one the authorities are failing to solve. In these unusual circumstances, you’ve been very kind to take Sean under your wing.’

  ‘I don’t mind looking after him,’ Kay replied. ‘He’s no trouble and gets on well with Alfie and his friends. It’s waiting for Dolly to appear that unsettles us all.’

  Miss Pearson turned the page of her notebook. ‘I can’t do much to resolve that problem. But, you could make an application for temporary care of Sean. If granted, you would receive coupons and the things the doctor wanted him to have. There is a food and clothing allowance too.’

  ‘What about school?’ Kay asked.

  ‘He would have to go, of course.’ Miss Pearson wrote this down. She sat back then, pulling down the hem of her grey utility skirt over her crossed knees. ‘You know it could be hard for you financially.’

  ‘We’ll manage somehow.’

  ‘You could apply for a test of means.’

  ‘No, thank you,’ Kay answered at once. Undergoing a means test meant that every stick of furniture you had was evaluated, all your possessions such as they were put under a microscope. It felt like the very last resort and a disgrace.

  Miss Pearson smiled. ‘I’ve one more question. It’s a rather delicate one. Is your husband aware of what’s happened?’

  Kay blushed. ‘You can’t write something like this in a letter.’

  ‘No, I suppose not.’ The young woman closed her notebook. ‘Well, if you’re sure about caring for Sean, I’ll make the application?’