not allowed on the children’s ward unless the child was dangerously ill. The powers that be had decided it upset the children too much.
West Row was very dark and the back street quite deserted, every window closely curtained with the blackout material obtainable from the Co-op store. The band of blue paper that shaded half the beam of her flashlight reduced visibility further but Theda walked confidently to the gate of her home and turned up the brick-paved yard to the back door. The scene that greeted her as she stepped into the kitchen was all the brighter for the gloom outside.
‘Now then, how’s my best girl?’
Dad was sitting in his rocker, dressed in his pit clothes for he was on fore shift and Mam sat opposite him with a smile on her face bright enough to break any blackout regulations. But it was the soldier standing before the black-leaded range with his hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face who had spoken. Theda flew across the room and flung her arms around him.
‘Joss! I didn’t know you were back in England, let alone coming home on leave. Why didn’t you let us know?’ She leaned back in his arms and gazed up at him in delight before giving him an extra hug for good measure.
‘I didn’t know myself, that’s why,’ answered her brother, laughing down at her. His eyes were strikingly dark, as were all the Wearmouth eyes. But in his case his face was dark too, tanned deeply by his years in India where he had served as a young soldier after being laid off at the pit. The tan remained, thanks to his time in North Africa and, later, Italy.
‘I’m just making supper, Theda,’ Bea interjected. ‘It’s a shame we used the salmon yesterday. If I’d known – well, never mind, I still had the corned beef and I’ve made a hash and dumplings. There’s plenty for an extra one.’ She lifted the lid of the pan, which was sitting half in the fire and half on the bar, and an appetising smell wafted through the kitchen.
‘Well,’ said Joss, ‘I thought I’d had enough bully beef in the army to last a lifetime. And here I am, coming home to it!’ He winked at his father.
‘Oh,’ said Bea, distressed. ‘It’s all I have, lad. I’ve made herby dumplings though, I had a bit of suet from the butcher today. Your dad and Chuck get eightpennyworth of extra meat each for working down the pit but I have to take it in corned beef.’
Joss put an arm around her and laughed. ‘Only joking, Mam, I love your corned beef hash. It bears no resemblance to what we get in the army anyway. Fetch it on, I’m starving.’ He thought of something and fished in the pocket of his battledress to pull out a paper. ‘You can get more meat tomorrow, I’ve brought my emergency ration card. Just forty-eight hours’ worth but better than nothing.’
Theda watched happily as the family gathered round the kitchen table. By, she thought, it’s grand to have him home. It was almost two years since they had last seen him but now he was here it seemed as though they had seen him yesterday.
After supper, Theda and Clara reluctantly decided it was time they went to bed.
‘I have to be up at five to catch the bus,’ said Clara. ‘Violet and me are on day shift this week.’
‘Well, mind you take your flashlight this time,’ Theda said drily, and they all laughed but Joss.
‘What’s this then?’ he asked, looking from Theda to Clara.
‘Aw, take no notice, Joss, they’re just getting at me,’ said Clara crossly.
‘Clara missed a shift last week,’ her mother explained. ‘She was late getting up and by the time she was ready the others had gone and she had to walk to the bus on her own. And then she forgot her flashlight. She decided to take a shortcut across the gardens and ended up getting lost in the dark.’
Clara frowned fiercely at the amused expressions around her. ‘It wasn’t funny,’ she observed. ‘I thought I’d never find my way. I’d been walking round in circles and somebody’s
West Row was very dark and the back street quite deserted, every window closely curtained with the blackout material obtainable from the Co-op store. The band of blue paper that shaded half the beam of her flashlight reduced visibility further but Theda walked confidently to the gate of her home and turned up the brick-paved yard to the back door. The scene that greeted her as she stepped into the kitchen was all the brighter for the gloom outside.
‘Now then, how’s my best girl?’
Dad was sitting in his rocker, dressed in his pit clothes for he was on fore shift and Mam sat opposite him with a smile on her face bright enough to break any blackout regulations. But it was the soldier standing before the black-leaded range with his hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face who had spoken. Theda flew across the room and flung her arms around him.
‘Joss! I didn’t know you were back in England, let alone coming home on leave. Why didn’t you let us know?’ She leaned back in his arms and gazed up at him in delight before giving him an extra hug for good measure.
‘I didn’t know myself, that’s why,’ answered her brother, laughing down at her. His eyes were strikingly dark, as were all the Wearmouth eyes. But in his case his face was dark too, tanned deeply by his years in India where he had served as a young soldier after being laid off at the pit. The tan remained, thanks to his time in North Africa and, later, Italy.
‘I’m just making supper, Theda,’ Bea interjected. ‘It’s a shame we used the salmon yesterday. If I’d known – well, never mind, I still had the corned beef and I’ve made a hash and dumplings. There’s plenty for an extra one.’ She lifted the lid of the pan, which was sitting half in the fire and half on the bar, and an appetising smell wafted through the kitchen.
‘Well,’ said Joss, ‘I thought I’d had enough bully beef in the army to last a lifetime. And here I am, coming home to it!’ He winked at his father.
‘Oh,’ said Bea, distressed. ‘It’s all I have, lad. I’ve made herby dumplings though, I had a bit of suet from the butcher today. Your dad and Chuck get eightpennyworth of extra meat each for working down the pit but I have to take it in corned beef.’
Joss put an arm around her and laughed. ‘Only joking, Mam, I love your corned beef hash. It bears no resemblance to what we get in the army anyway. Fetch it on, I’m starving.’ He thought of something and fished in the pocket of his battledress to pull out a paper. ‘You can get more meat tomorrow, I’ve brought my emergency ration card. Just forty-eight hours’ worth but better than nothing.’
Theda watched happily as the family gathered round the kitchen table. By, she thought, it’s grand to have him home. It was almost two years since they had last seen him but now he was here it seemed as though they had seen him yesterday.
After supper, Theda and Clara reluctantly decided it was time they went to bed.
‘I have to be up at five to catch the bus,’ said Clara. ‘Violet and me are on day shift this week.’
‘Well, mind you take your flashlight this time,’ Theda said drily, and they all laughed but Joss.
‘What’s this then?’ he asked, looking from Theda to Clara.
‘Aw, take no notice, Joss, they’re just getting at me,’ said Clara crossly.
‘Clara missed a shift last week,’ her mother explained. ‘She was late getting up and by the time she was ready the others had gone and she had to walk to the bus on her own. And then she forgot her flashlight. She decided to take a shortcut across the gardens and ended up getting lost in the dark.’
Clara frowned fiercely at the amused expressions around her. ‘It wasn’t funny,’ she observed. ‘I thought I’d never find my way. I’d been walking round in circles and somebody’s
Similar Books
