Read Online Tin Hats and Gas Masks by Joan Moules - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joan Moules
Ads: Link
Johnny, I don’t need to think about it. I’d love to come.’
He turned to face her so suddenly he almost fell over himself. ‘Smashing.’ he said. ‘We’ll have a whale of a weekend. You can help me choose what we go to see, and we’ll have a slap-up meal.’
‘Sshh Johnny, keep your voice down or you’ll have sir and madam up to “see what is going on”.’ Annie gave a fair imitation of Mrs Dover’s voice. They went downstairs again, and for the rest of the evening they gave each other excited glances.
Later, at their nightly chat session Johnny told her how excited his mum had been to have all the family home together, even though it was only for the weekend.
‘And the siren didn’t go once during the wedding, but it did in the night, though there were no bombs dropped near us. Just heard the planes going over, that’s all. Didn’t see any action.’
Johnny’s twelfth birthday was actually on the Wednesday, but the jollifications were arranged for the weekend when Mrs Bookman would be home from thefactory where she worked.
Annie’s parents were hesitant when she asked permission to spend the weekend in London with the Bookmans. Mrs Evesham had a long telephone conversation with Mrs Dover one evening and at the end of it Mrs Dover said, ‘Anita, your mother would like to speak to you.’
Johnny went upstairs, ostensibly to go to the bathroom, but in reality to squat on the landing and peer through the banisters. Looking down on to the mass of Annie’s shining dark hair he thought, I bet they’ll stop her coming with me, yet her mum never comes to see her and only writes once a month. She doesn’t really care about her, not like I do.
This discovery made him feel strange from head to toe. He even shivered a little. Yes, he did care about her, in fact he couldn’t imagine life without Annie now. She was better than his own mates because not only did she join in with any adventure that was on the go, but he could talk to her as well. And looking at her, as he was now from his vantage point, a heady, vibrant sensation shot through him and he felt the blood suffusing his cheeks at the temerity of his thoughts. Annie Evesham, I believe I’m in love with you .
He waited until he heard her say, ‘Goodbye, Mummy,’ and disappear into the front room before he came downstairs. She looked across to him as he entered and, smiling happily, she said, ‘I can come, Johnny.’
It was hard not to rush over and swing her round and round as he had in that dancing sequence at school last week, but instead he simply said, ‘That’s good.’
She took him to task about this when they were upstairs again later.
‘You didn’t show much enthusiasm when I said I was allowed to come and spend the weekend at your house, Johnny. I thought you wanted me to.’
He laughed delightedly, feeling power too now for the first time in his life. ‘I do, Annie,’ he said, ‘you know darn well I do, but it’s best not to let the others see that. If grown-ups think you want something very badly they’ll try to stop it, pretending it’s for your own good.’
Mrs Dover made a great deal of the proposed weekend in London. ‘I’m sure I think you’re very brave, the both of you,’ she said several times. ‘You wouldn’t catch me going up there unless it was necessary. Certainly not to go to the theatre.’
‘And have dinner in a restaurant,’ Johnny said proudly. ‘No messing about with rations and things. I shall eat enough to last me for days.’
Annie laughed delightedly. ‘If you’re too greedy you’ll be sick and then it won’t have been any pleasure at all.’
‘My stomach’s strong. You’d be surprised at what I can put away,’ he boasted.
‘You are both forgetting that it costs money to eat out,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘It’s me birthday treat. I’m having a theatre visit and a meal out instead of a present.’ Johnny looked smugly at her. ‘Me mum’s earning a lot of money in the factory
He turned to face her so suddenly he almost fell over himself. ‘Smashing.’ he said. ‘We’ll have a whale of a weekend. You can help me choose what we go to see, and we’ll have a slap-up meal.’
‘Sshh Johnny, keep your voice down or you’ll have sir and madam up to “see what is going on”.’ Annie gave a fair imitation of Mrs Dover’s voice. They went downstairs again, and for the rest of the evening they gave each other excited glances.
Later, at their nightly chat session Johnny told her how excited his mum had been to have all the family home together, even though it was only for the weekend.
‘And the siren didn’t go once during the wedding, but it did in the night, though there were no bombs dropped near us. Just heard the planes going over, that’s all. Didn’t see any action.’
Johnny’s twelfth birthday was actually on the Wednesday, but the jollifications were arranged for the weekend when Mrs Bookman would be home from thefactory where she worked.
Annie’s parents were hesitant when she asked permission to spend the weekend in London with the Bookmans. Mrs Evesham had a long telephone conversation with Mrs Dover one evening and at the end of it Mrs Dover said, ‘Anita, your mother would like to speak to you.’
Johnny went upstairs, ostensibly to go to the bathroom, but in reality to squat on the landing and peer through the banisters. Looking down on to the mass of Annie’s shining dark hair he thought, I bet they’ll stop her coming with me, yet her mum never comes to see her and only writes once a month. She doesn’t really care about her, not like I do.
This discovery made him feel strange from head to toe. He even shivered a little. Yes, he did care about her, in fact he couldn’t imagine life without Annie now. She was better than his own mates because not only did she join in with any adventure that was on the go, but he could talk to her as well. And looking at her, as he was now from his vantage point, a heady, vibrant sensation shot through him and he felt the blood suffusing his cheeks at the temerity of his thoughts. Annie Evesham, I believe I’m in love with you .
He waited until he heard her say, ‘Goodbye, Mummy,’ and disappear into the front room before he came downstairs. She looked across to him as he entered and, smiling happily, she said, ‘I can come, Johnny.’
It was hard not to rush over and swing her round and round as he had in that dancing sequence at school last week, but instead he simply said, ‘That’s good.’
She took him to task about this when they were upstairs again later.
‘You didn’t show much enthusiasm when I said I was allowed to come and spend the weekend at your house, Johnny. I thought you wanted me to.’
He laughed delightedly, feeling power too now for the first time in his life. ‘I do, Annie,’ he said, ‘you know darn well I do, but it’s best not to let the others see that. If grown-ups think you want something very badly they’ll try to stop it, pretending it’s for your own good.’
Mrs Dover made a great deal of the proposed weekend in London. ‘I’m sure I think you’re very brave, the both of you,’ she said several times. ‘You wouldn’t catch me going up there unless it was necessary. Certainly not to go to the theatre.’
‘And have dinner in a restaurant,’ Johnny said proudly. ‘No messing about with rations and things. I shall eat enough to last me for days.’
Annie laughed delightedly. ‘If you’re too greedy you’ll be sick and then it won’t have been any pleasure at all.’
‘My stomach’s strong. You’d be surprised at what I can put away,’ he boasted.
‘You are both forgetting that it costs money to eat out,’ Mrs Dover said.
‘It’s me birthday treat. I’m having a theatre visit and a meal out instead of a present.’ Johnny looked smugly at her. ‘Me mum’s earning a lot of money in the factory
Similar Books
