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Authors: Amanda James
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dress.
‘Well, do you ’ear me?’
John straightened his tie, said nothing and looked at the floor. Sarah thought he looked like a naughty schoolboy rather than a man in his thirties.
‘In Violet’s house an’ all; bloody disgustin’. Come on you, we’ve a meeting to be at!’ Albert turned to leave.
Sarah felt anger at Albert’s words vying with panic at the thought of John leaving. Combining the two emotions to good effect she said, ‘What’s disgustin’ about it? We’re both single and we really like each other. And for your information, we’re all going to the shelter, not to a meeting!’
John looked at her, puzzled, and Albert harrumphed and stomped out. Sarah followed hot on his heels, in time to see Albert push past Violet and grab his coat and hat from a chair. Violet, who was just putting a panshion pot of bread to rise by the fire, yelled, ‘Oy, you nearly made me drop this! What’s going on?’
‘You’d better ask yer nutty niece! She’s just been half-undressed in there with our John, now she’s on about shelters and there’s not even been a siren yet!’ Albert snapped, slipping on his coat.
Sarah folded her arms and fixed him with a steely glare. ‘Half-undressed is pushing it a bit, Albert, and there will be sirens … very soon.’
‘How the ’ell do you know that? You a witch, now?’ Albert asked, ramming his hat on his head.
‘No, it’s just a feeling I’ve got. Besides, it’s a bombers’ moon.’
Albert gave her a withering look and made for the back door.
Sarah turned to John behind her and grabbed his hand. ‘Please, John, you ’ave to trust me on this. Stop yer dad leavin’ before it’s too late!’
John pushed his hands through his hair. ‘Dad, perhaps we ought to wait a bit if Sarah’s ’ad a feelin’.’
‘Ha! She’s certainly ’ad a feelin’ from what I saw in t’ parlour.’
‘Stop being coarse, Albert!’ Violet said, planting her legs and putting her hands on her hips. ‘Now, Sarah, what’s this about shelters?’
‘We have to get to t’ shelters before t’ sirens go. ’av we got an Anderson shelter nearby?’
‘No. Have you even forgotten that? We use t’ cellar.’
Sarah remembered that many families didn’t have space for an Anderson shelter and felt safer in their cellars than going to a public shelter. That was good news regarding the time; it must be going up for 6.45. No need to leave the house. But were cellars safe? What if the house took a direct hit, they’d be trapped in the rubble.
‘You comin’ or what?’ Albert asked, standing in the open doorway.
John looked at Sarah and she shook her head, no. He shrugged. ‘Can’t we just give it a bit longer, Dad?’
‘No, we bloody well—’
‘Violet, will we be safe in t’ cellar?’ Sarah said, cutting Albert off in mid-rant.
‘I expect we’ll be as safe as anywhere. Tom Butler reinforced it with steel sheetin’ a few months ago and we ’ave a tunnel all t’ way through this row of houses.’
‘Oh, I see. Is the tunnel so that we could escape better if we did get flattened?’ Sarah asked, stalling for time.
‘No, it’s to make sure that we ’ave a more direct route to the loony bin for you, yer daft mare,’ Albert said from the corner of his mouth.
‘Please, Dad, stop being so nasty. Sarah’s really worried,’ John said, putting his arm around Sarah.
‘Albert, close t’ door, yer lettin’ all t’ warm air out,’ Violet said.
Sarah looked at Albert. He showed no signs of relenting and dug his hands into his pockets. If she could just get him to stay until seven o’clock, the sirens would sound and she’d have saved John, and Albert, too.
‘Please, Albert; just come down t’ cellar for ten minutes. You won’t be late for yer meetin’ then, and you will have helped me to ’ave peace of mind,’ Sarah said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
‘What do you think, Vi? What do you want to do?’ Albert asked, stepping back
‘Well, do you ’ear me?’
John straightened his tie, said nothing and looked at the floor. Sarah thought he looked like a naughty schoolboy rather than a man in his thirties.
‘In Violet’s house an’ all; bloody disgustin’. Come on you, we’ve a meeting to be at!’ Albert turned to leave.
Sarah felt anger at Albert’s words vying with panic at the thought of John leaving. Combining the two emotions to good effect she said, ‘What’s disgustin’ about it? We’re both single and we really like each other. And for your information, we’re all going to the shelter, not to a meeting!’
John looked at her, puzzled, and Albert harrumphed and stomped out. Sarah followed hot on his heels, in time to see Albert push past Violet and grab his coat and hat from a chair. Violet, who was just putting a panshion pot of bread to rise by the fire, yelled, ‘Oy, you nearly made me drop this! What’s going on?’
‘You’d better ask yer nutty niece! She’s just been half-undressed in there with our John, now she’s on about shelters and there’s not even been a siren yet!’ Albert snapped, slipping on his coat.
Sarah folded her arms and fixed him with a steely glare. ‘Half-undressed is pushing it a bit, Albert, and there will be sirens … very soon.’
‘How the ’ell do you know that? You a witch, now?’ Albert asked, ramming his hat on his head.
‘No, it’s just a feeling I’ve got. Besides, it’s a bombers’ moon.’
Albert gave her a withering look and made for the back door.
Sarah turned to John behind her and grabbed his hand. ‘Please, John, you ’ave to trust me on this. Stop yer dad leavin’ before it’s too late!’
John pushed his hands through his hair. ‘Dad, perhaps we ought to wait a bit if Sarah’s ’ad a feelin’.’
‘Ha! She’s certainly ’ad a feelin’ from what I saw in t’ parlour.’
‘Stop being coarse, Albert!’ Violet said, planting her legs and putting her hands on her hips. ‘Now, Sarah, what’s this about shelters?’
‘We have to get to t’ shelters before t’ sirens go. ’av we got an Anderson shelter nearby?’
‘No. Have you even forgotten that? We use t’ cellar.’
Sarah remembered that many families didn’t have space for an Anderson shelter and felt safer in their cellars than going to a public shelter. That was good news regarding the time; it must be going up for 6.45. No need to leave the house. But were cellars safe? What if the house took a direct hit, they’d be trapped in the rubble.
‘You comin’ or what?’ Albert asked, standing in the open doorway.
John looked at Sarah and she shook her head, no. He shrugged. ‘Can’t we just give it a bit longer, Dad?’
‘No, we bloody well—’
‘Violet, will we be safe in t’ cellar?’ Sarah said, cutting Albert off in mid-rant.
‘I expect we’ll be as safe as anywhere. Tom Butler reinforced it with steel sheetin’ a few months ago and we ’ave a tunnel all t’ way through this row of houses.’
‘Oh, I see. Is the tunnel so that we could escape better if we did get flattened?’ Sarah asked, stalling for time.
‘No, it’s to make sure that we ’ave a more direct route to the loony bin for you, yer daft mare,’ Albert said from the corner of his mouth.
‘Please, Dad, stop being so nasty. Sarah’s really worried,’ John said, putting his arm around Sarah.
‘Albert, close t’ door, yer lettin’ all t’ warm air out,’ Violet said.
Sarah looked at Albert. He showed no signs of relenting and dug his hands into his pockets. If she could just get him to stay until seven o’clock, the sirens would sound and she’d have saved John, and Albert, too.
‘Please, Albert; just come down t’ cellar for ten minutes. You won’t be late for yer meetin’ then, and you will have helped me to ’ave peace of mind,’ Sarah said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
‘What do you think, Vi? What do you want to do?’ Albert asked, stepping back
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