by Pamela Evans
The house they were looking for was in a row of cottages on the outskirts of the village. With a determined air they walked up the path and rapped the knocker.
A large woman in a wrapover apron opened the door and looked at them questioningly.
‘Mrs Green?’ asked Dot.
The woman nodded, eyeing them suspiciously.
‘I’m Mrs Bailey, Joe’s grandmother, and this is a close family friend who is also Joe’s godmother,’ said Dot in an even tone. ‘We’ve come to collect Joe to take him home.’
The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Back to London?’ she said disapprovingly.
‘That’s right.’
‘But I heard you’ve still got bombing there.’
‘We have, but it’s all over bar the shouting and I want my grandson back home,’ she said. ‘Evacuation is not compulsory, you know.’
Mrs Green shrugged. ‘It’s your business what you do about the boy,’ she said. ‘But I was told the evacuation people would be moving him to another billet.’
‘Perhaps you were told that, but I’m telling you that he is coming home with us now,’ declared Dot. ‘He isn’t staying anywhere he isn’t wanted.’
‘You’re welcome to him,’ the other woman said nastily.
May put a restraining hand on Dot’s arm as she looked ready to set about Mrs Green. ‘Can you tell us what the trouble with Joe actually is please?’ she asked, hanging on to her temper. ‘He’s normally the easiest of children.’
‘Maybe he is by your London standards,’ she said scornfully. ‘But I don’t tolerate that sort of behaviour in my house.’
‘What behaviour are you talking about? What has he actually done wrong?’ asked May, keeping a firm grip on Dot, who was on the verge of explosion.
‘He don’t eat the food I give him, he won’t do as he’s told without asking why, and the other night he presented me with wet sheets to wash.’
Both women were stunned into silence.
‘What is it you ask him to do that he questions?’ asked Dot eventually.
‘Normal things.’ She seemed evasive.
‘And does he do as he’s told in the end?’
‘Eventually he does, yeah,’ she replied. ‘With a little persuasion from me.’
‘If you’ve laid a finger on him . . .’ threatened Dot.
‘There are other ways of making children behave.’
Dot gave her a hard look. ‘I shall find out exactly what’s been going on and make sure the evacuation people know about it,’ she said.
‘She’s probably been making him do jobs and errands for her,’ suggested May.
‘He has to do his bit around the place, of course,’ admitted Mrs Green.
‘He’s six years old, for heaven’s sake,’ said May.
‘That’s quite old enough to bring the coal in from the coal shed and help around the house,’ she said. ‘And he does it too, I make sure of that, but it’s his damned questions that I can’t abide.’
‘He isn’t used to doing the work of an adult, that’s why he asks why, and rightly so,’ Dot declared.
‘And as for the accident in the bed, that will have been caused by fear – of you,’ May put in.
‘You Londoners don’t train your kids proper, that’s why it happened; it had nothing to do with me. I was just the one who had to clear it up.’
‘Perhaps we could wait in your porch while you get him,’ suggested May as the rain poured down on them. ‘We are getting soaked to the skin here, as you can see.’
The woman’s brows went up in disapproval but she opened the door wider and they stepped into a tiny lobby containing shoes and coats. It struck May how quiet the house was considering there were children here; there were no young voices. It seemed strange to her; where there were infants there was usually the high-pitched sound of their voices. She knew there were other evacuees besides Joe and guessed they were too afraid of Mrs Green to make a noise. She decided not to upset Dot further by pointing this out to her.
After about five minutes a small figure appeared in his dark outdoor coat with his gas mask over his shoulder and carrying the small case he had brought with him. He looked pale and apprehensive but May knew she would never forget the look of pure joy when he saw his grandmother. Then he noticed May and his face was wreathed in smiles.
She and Dot were crying openly as they trudged back towards the village in search of lodgings for the night with Joe walking between them. They were cold, wet and tired but they had their boy back so they could endure anything.
‘From what we can make out from talking to Joe, he was obviously terrified of the woman,’ May told her parents when she got home from Wiltshire the next day. ‘It must have upset his whole system so that he felt sick and couldn’t eat, so she shouted at him which made him feel even worse. He didn’t understand how to do the jobs she told him to do around the house because he had never done adult work before, so he asked and she shouted at him some more and the whole thing led to him wetting the bed and her telling the evacuation people she wanted rid of him.’
‘The poor mite,’ said Flo.
‘The woman wants shooting,’ added Dick.
‘Dot is going to the Town Hall to tell the evacuation people about the way she treats the kids, so hopefully they’ll do something about it.’
‘Terrible to think there are people like that taking kiddies in,’ said Flo.
‘We were unlucky,’ said May. ‘For all the stories you hear about bad evacuation experiences, there are more good ones, though no one will know the truth of it until all the children come back for good after the war. Joe seems absolutely fine now, that’s the important thing.’
‘He’s back where he belongs, thank goodness,’ said Flo.
Winter came in with frost, ice and freezing fog. People were cold, hungry and weary of the war, especially as shortages became even more acute. When news came in that the Germans had broken through in the Ardennes, hopes of peace in the near future vanished completely.
Another wartime Christmas seemed almost too much to bear, but most people managed somehow to create a festive atmosphere. The Stubbses and the Baileys joined forces for Christmas dinner as well as tea this year to help make the rations go further. They only had meat pie with very little meat and rice pudding for afters, but they had Joe back and he created his own magic. Sheila was home on leave and Connie came over on her bike in the afternoon, so they managed to enjoy themselves, playing games, singing songs and talking.
‘We may not have peace yet but at least the streets aren’t quite so dark since some of the blackout restrictions were lifted,’ said Flo to Dot as they were making sandwiches for supper in the kitchen. ‘It’ll be a bit easier for you when you go home later on. I know it’s only half lighting but it’s better than nothing.’
‘I’ll say,’ agreed Dot. ‘And I think we’ve all enjoyed the day even though the war is hanging on for grim death.’
‘I agree,’ said Flo.
‘I’ve got Joe back; what I want now is his dad back too,’ said Dot.
‘I’m sure it won’t be long,’ said Flo encouragingly.
Although the freedom of peacetime gradually got under way in the new year, with various restrictions being lifted and the public tasting what life would be like after the war, still victory remained elusive.
The tension built almost to breaking point during the spring months, when it became legal to buy bunting without coupons so long as it was red, white and blue, and factory hooters were allowed to be sounded again for the first time in nearly six years, but still no end to the war.
Then things really started to happen when the Allies achieved huge successes in Germany and news came through that Hitler was dead. Peace was almost upon them.
May had never experienced anything like VE Day before; a unanimous outpouring of jubilation so strong it was overwhelming. She couldn’t imagine that anything would ever be this powerful again in her lifetime. It was a new world for eve
ry man, woman and child in the country. Knowing that they were free; that they would wake up each morning to a bomb-less life after years of danger and threat. The joy was indescribable.
Everybody was out in the streets, hugging each other and laughing. The Stubbses and the Baileys decided that there was only one place for Londoners to be today, so they headed for the station and joined the crowds outside Buckingham Palace. With Joe sitting on Dick’s shoulders they stared at the balcony draped with crimson and yellow with a gold fringe and cheered until they were hoarse when the royal family came out through those famous doors.
The capital throbbed with patriotism and emotion. People were singing and dancing and kissing complete strangers. Later on, May and the others went home to join in the celebrations there. London was one big party.
May experienced a sudden moment of sadness for Betty and Doug, both struck down at an early age. In the outpouring of relief and joy that peace was here at last, it was easy to temporarily forget those who hadn’t lived to see it. She guessed that all over the world people would be having quiet moments just like hers.
Although nothing could diminish the joy of freedom, the shortages and shabbiness were still there when the celebrations were over, and all the signs were they would be with them for a very long time to come.
May became unemployed when the parachute factory closed its doors to war workers and prepared to return to its former purpose. Her mother’s job at the Co-op would no longer be available to her when single servicewomen were demobbed and wanting their jobs back.
‘We’ll get the Pavilion rebuilt as soon as the compensation comes through,’ Flo said to May. ‘Then we’ll both have a job.’
‘It might be a while before we’ll be able to do it, Mum,’ warned May. She knew how much her mother wanted it, but they had to be realistic. Getting the country back to normal was going to be a huge and lengthy task. ‘They might not lift the restrictions just yet and materials will probably be short for a while.’
‘I know all that,’ Flo sighed. ‘But we’ll get it up and running as soon as we can.’
‘And meanwhile I’ll keep looking for a job,’ said May chirpily. ‘Nothing will defeat us now that we have peace.’
‘Nothing at all,’ agreed her mother.
As the victory flags went down, so the WELCOME HOME banners went up. All over London the dusty, damaged streets were warmed and brightened by them.
WELCOME HOME GEORGE appeared outside the Bailey home one day in the late autumn. Dot and May didn’t know what time he would arrive but they did know the day. It was a Friday. Now working on the switchboard at a canning factory, May went straight to the Baileys’ after work, because it seemed right that she should be there when he arrived.
She was inwardly quaking with a mixture of excitement and nerves, Dot was shaky and emotional too. Joe, who wasn’t old enough to understand the huge significance of the occasion but had been told that it was going to happen and he could stay up late, was looking out of the window, bored with waiting.
Then, just after they had come in for a break from their welcoming positions at the front door, there was the sound of the key being pulled through the letter box and a voice said, ‘I’m home. Anyone in?’ And there he was grinning and handsome as ever.
May stood aside while his mother greeted him by flinging her arms around him and sobbing for joy.
‘Is that him?’ asked Joe.
‘Yes, that’s him,’ said May. ‘Your daddy is home.’
‘Hello, son,’ said George, smiling and putting his arms out to the boy.
There was a silence while Joe stared at his father. Then he burst into tears and rushed from the room.
‘He’s overwhelmed, I expect,’ suggested May, almost physically hurting from the look of disappointment on George’s face. ‘I’ll go and see to him.’
‘No, I’ll go, May,’ said Dot thickly. ‘You stay here and look after George.’
May felt quite shy as she went over to him. ‘Welcome home, George,’ she said, slipping her arms around him.
‘It’s good to see you, May,’ he said, kissing her, but she sensed that his heart wasn’t in it.
‘And you,’ she said.
Dot re-entered the room looking worried. ‘He doesn’t want to come down and it’s very naughty of him. I’ve given him a telling-off,’ she explained. ‘I think he’s a bit tired. It’s been a long wait. He probably worked himself up over your coming home and got overexcited.’
‘Don’t worry about it, Mum,’ said George, putting on a brave face. ‘He’ll come round when he’s ready.’
‘It isn’t like Joe to be awkward.’
Feeling unusually distanced from what was essentially a family occasion and deciding that she probably shouldn’t have been at the Baileys’ house for George’s homecoming, May said, ‘Well, I’ll leave you to it then.’
‘Don’t go, May,’ said George, but he didn’t sound overly insistent.
‘No, please don’t,’ added Dot.
‘I think you need to concentrate on Joe,’ May insisted. ‘I’ll see you later on or tomorrow.’
Convinced that she was doing the right thing, she slipped quietly from the house. The relationship between George and his son was a vital and delicate thing and George needed to deal with it himself, without the distraction of having her around.
The rift between them that she had sensed during his last leave now seemed like a reality, especially as she had felt a holding back when they had embraced. She hoped desperately that it was all in her imagination, because after all the years of loving him, rejection now would be too much to bear.
George was aware that he had ruined his homecoming for them all but felt unable to rectify it because he had been travelling for two days and was mentally and physically exhausted. The men had had to wait ages to get transported to the port, then queued for hours to get on the boat. The crossing had been choppy and a lot of the men, including George, had been seasick throughout the journey. They had gone to the barracks this side of the Channel to be officially sent on leave, and only then had been free to go. A few had decided to stay overnight before travelling home because they were tired, but George couldn’t wait another night after so long.
He had been so excited about coming home for good at last. It was what he had lived for and what had kept him going for the past six years. He knew the expectation here at home would be high, and he’d let them down. His son didn’t want to know him and May had been so disappointed in him she’d left.
The truth was, he wasn’t some sort of a super-soldier; he was just an ordinary bloke who was subject to the same human frailties as everyone else, and at this moment he didn’t have the energy to put things right.
‘I’ll put the kettle on for a cuppa, son,’ said his mother as he sank gratefully into an armchair.
‘Thanks, Mum,’ he said.
When she brought the tea to him, he was fast asleep.
‘Didn’t George make it back, then?’ asked Flo when May came home alone.
‘Yeah, he arrived,’ she said.
‘Oh. Is he all right?’
‘Yes, he seemed to be fine,’ she said distantly.
‘I thought he’d have come back with you to see us,’ said Flo, obviously disappointed.
‘He wants to be with his own family at the moment,’ she said sharply.
‘I was only asking,’ said Flo.
‘And I was only answering your question,’ retorted May, still bitterly upset by the let-down of George’s homecoming. ‘I’m not his keeper. I can’t tell him what to do. He’ll come and see you when he’s ready, I suppose.’
‘Now then, May,’ admonished her father. ‘There’s no need to bite your mother’s head off.’
‘Sorry, Mum,’ she said, desperately needing to be on her own. ‘I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed.’
‘All right, dear.’
After she had left the room, Flo said to her husband in a low voice, ‘Trouble by the sound o
f it. I do hope it isn’t going to go wrong for them again, after all this time.’
‘So do I,’ said Dick. ‘But there’s nothing we can do about it if it does.’
‘That’s the difficult bit,’ she agreed worriedly.
In her room, May sat on her bed feeling miserable and frustrated. As well as being upset by George’s disappointing homecoming, she was also beginning to feel very restricted by living at home. She adored her parents but she had outgrown their constant nurturing and felt as though she was living under a microscope. Having to explain your every move and knowing that when you were hurt they felt it too was a strain. She was twenty-four. It was time she was out from under their feet. But as the usual way of achieving this for a girl like her was marriage, there didn’t seem to be any sort of a solution at the moment.
George dominated her thoughts. What was going to happen between them? she wondered. She knew he would come to see her when he was ready and felt she must wait until the time was right for him. But what would he have to say to her? His attitude towards her definitely seemed to have changed, which probably meant he was going to tell her that it was over as a romance and he wanted to revert to being friends. But that wasn’t enough for her now. She would rather not see him at all than endure that.
She smiled bitterly. Over before it had even started, she thought. He had proposed to her on the station on his way back off leave and had been oddly remote the next time she had seen him. Theirs had been the courtship that had never happened.
Oh well, whatever the outcome of that situation, she had another matter to deal with; she must go downstairs and make amends to her mother for being so rude. It wasn’t her parents’ fault she had such a disastrous love life.
George woke up to see that it was daylight and two bright eyes were studying him at an unnervingly close range.
‘You woke up then,’ said Joe.