Read Online The Soldier's Song by Alan Monaghan - Free Book Online

particular, he’d conceived a hatred of Kaiser Wilhelm, and made a face whenever his name was mentioned.
    ‘That fella’s the Divil!’ he often spat out, but when Stephen stopped reading and looked self-consciously at the floor, he would urge him on, ‘What else? Is there more? Read it again. Tell me about the fighting.’
    It was distressing for Stephen, and he had taken to lying or skipping over large tracts of the newspaper articles. His father had always been mild-mannered and gentle to a fault. But had this viciousness, this spite, always been in him? Was this mere raving, or was it the real man he was seeing? He was afraid it wasn’t pride that made his father’s eyes light up when he told him he was joining the army, but vengeance: all the bitterness and bile he’d built up lying sick in his bed spewing out unchecked.
    ‘You’ll show them,’ the old man had whispered, his bloodshot eyes burning, and he held his son’s hand so tight that the veins stood out under the parchment-dry skin. ‘You’ll get them back for what they did to us!’
    ‘I’m sure he must be very proud,’ said Billy, giving him a sidelong look. ‘But what about your brother? What does he make of it?’
    ‘He’s disgusted,’ Stephen answered, and smiled to himself. His brother had laughed out loud when he saw his face the morning after the ball. And he’d dined out on it too, smirking to himself the whole week long – until Stephen came back from the barracks on Friday afternoon. That had put the smile on the other side of his face. ‘He nearly had a fit when he found out. “You’re fighting the bosses’ war for them,” says he. “You’re taking the King’s shilling. You’re spitting on the workers.” But I think it sticks in his throat more that I’ll be an officer.’
    ‘God love him,’ Billy chuckled, ‘he must be the only socialist in the country with a brother who’s a King’s officer.’ He stood up and pushed his boater back on his head, his face suddenly brightening as he pulled out his pocket watch. ‘Come on, the pubs are open. We’ll have to have a drink to celebrate – wet your commission or whatever it is.’
    Stephen started to get up from the bench, but groaned and subsided again.
    ‘Help me up,’ he asked holding out his hand, ‘my ribs hurt like hell whenever I try to stand up.’
    Billy hauled him upright and looked him up and down with some concern. ‘I know Kitchener’s said every man should do his bit, and I’m sure they’re probably taking all comers, but really – how did you get past the medical in that state? You look like you’ve already been in the wars. What did they say about all the damage?’
    ‘Oh, there’s nothing broken,’ Stephen said cheerfully, as they set off towards Parkgate Street. But he still remembered the shock on the doctor’s face when he pulled up his shirt. There were so many new recruits he’d been working flat out all week and he’d seen his share of rickets and TB and the mange. But he’d not seen anything to match the yellowish mottling that covered half of Stephen’s ribcage. ‘It’s just bruises. The MO said they should clear up in a week or so.’
    ‘But wasn’t he the least bit curious as to how you came by them? Didn’t he ask?’
    ‘Of course he asked. I told him I got them playing rugby.’
    ‘And he believed you?’ Billy laughed out loud, ‘You cheeky sod! You lied your way into the army!’
    ‘Well, whether he believed me or not is beside the point. He still passed me fit. Anyway, it’s half true. Most of them were on the rugby team.’
    ‘He must have thought you were a bloody awful rugby player.’
    ‘I’m sure he did. He said I should think about taking up cricket.’
    ‘Cricket?’ Billy laughed again. ‘For God’s sake, you’ll hardly have time for that. Doesn’t he know there’s a war on?’
    The flat plain of the Curragh offered no shelter from the wind, and by the time Stephen got to the officers’ mess it