by Anne Holman
Seeing Mabel she said, “I hope you’re not going to try and kick me out of the building this time!”
Mabel grinned. “Come on in, Vera, I’ll get you a cup of tea.”
Having helped the girls clear away the pots and pans, after the mid-day dinner, they all sat around the big kitchen table.
“And how is little Victor – I’m dying to see him again.” Sally, who loved babies, wanted to know everything she could about him, and Vera, being a proud mum, was happy to give her all the details – until Margaret interrupted.
“How’s Geoff?”
Vera’s face became serious. “Well, he’s improving. Slowly.”
“Not back to his old self?”
“Not entirely. He still has a little way to go yet.”
Sally asked, “Will he always be mentally ill?”
Margaret scolded Sally, “You shouldn’t have said that!”
Vera put up her hands and looked at both women, “Margaret, Sally is only saying what you all must want to know. So I can tell you that he is recovering well from his war wounds. Both physically and mentally you wouldn’t really know what he had suffered now . . . but . . . ”
She swallowed, not able to tell them that two major difficulties remained that spoilt their relationship. That they were not lovers, and that Geoff, although he obviously loved Victor, did not recognise that he was his son?
All the girls were looking at her intently.
A lot had happened to her in the past year. Vera felt she had changed, from being a bride annoyed that her husband was so untidy and harassed about his work, to a woman who had tasted the war first hand. She’d seen death and destruction – and also she’d given birth to a beautiful boy and was now a seasoned mum. Seeing everything in perspective, she could say, “It is difficult for me to explain exactly how Geoff has still to overcome all of his dreadful injuries - but I hope and pray that he will continue to improve, and soon he’ll be able to work again.”
“Will he stay in the army?”
“No. I think he’ll choose something else to do.”
“Is he capable to taking on something new?”
Vera knew that they were only questioning her because they liked her husband and wished him well. She smiled, “Well, he’s taken up playing the violin.”
She was aware of the hushed silence around her.
“Colonel Parkington a fiddler?” Sally was always the first to express what everyone thought.
Vera laughed. “Yes, much to the horror of my ears at times, he has taken down the violin he played at school and now plays with a musical group once or twice a week.”
“I think that’s wonderful!” said Gladys, the kindly volunteer lady, who should have gone home hours ago but wanted to stay and see Vera.
Vera looked at Gladys, who had been one of her first helpers when she started the British Restaurant, and gave her a special smile. “I think so to, Gladys. Even though I admit at times his scrapping makes me what to scream. But Victor loves the racket.”
“Will he come and play at the party?” little Mary wanted to know. “I’d love to see Colonel Parkington again.”
“Yes, yes, “ the girls agreed. “We all love him – he’s so handsome.”
“He looks just like the film star, Gregory Peck.”
Vera smiled wryly. “I’ll ask him – although you may be sorry you asked him when he hear him play!”
“He won’t play that dreary classical stuff, will he? ” Sally asked making a face.
Vera assured her that he would be sure to choose some light music for the party.
“Anyway the reason we are here is to discuss the food for the party – tomorrow - so we’d better get on with it, or there’ll be nothing for the party goers to eat.”
Everything was considered and a decisions made about who was going to make what from the list of sausage rolls, jam tarts, iced buns, jellies, trifles, ginger cakes, oaty biscuits and dozens more dishes to make the make the feast memorable.
By the time the meeting broke up, Vera had managed to convince them all that the food could be fun to make – and that there wouldn’t be more than a few crumbs for the birds left when the party was over.
* * *
She got home on the bus exhausted - and was not pleased to see a strange car parked outside the cottage.
Walking in the front door, the dogs wagged their tails, but she was shocked to see Geoff looking thin and pale - what on earth had happened to him?
And where was her baby?
It was only when she spied Geoff, holding Victor, and standing behind the man she thought at first was Geoff, that she realized that she’d made a mistake.
“Vera, this is my brother, Tony.”
Ah yes, Geoff had mentioned he had two brothers, and this must be one of them. Then she remembered she’d also been told that one of them had been a prisoner-of-war, and by the gaunt look of the man, and that he looked so like Geoff, it must be him.
“Tony,” she said putting out her hand to shake his, but at once she realised she’d made another error, because Tony’s right arm was stiff and he was not able to shake hands.
“Sorry,” she muttered, and immediately she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek - and was rewarded with a wide smile.
“You are so alike,” Vera said smiling at the two brothers.
“People have often remarked on it,” Tony said. “Family likenesses are extraordinary. The men in our family are all the same height, build and have the same colour eyes and hair – and your young Victor has many of these features already and is going to grow to be just the same.”
Vera held her breath – would Geoff disagree?
He did not. He just smiled fondly at his brother. “My son,” said Geoff, “is going to have my looks - but I hope he’ll have Vera’s talents.”
“I’d rather him be an engineer like you, than a cook,” retorted Vera.
Geoff shook his head. “The responsibility of building bridges that won’t fall down is too great,” he said, “I wouldn’t wish on him the worries I’ve had.”
“You can have disasters when cooking too,” Vera said.
“Oh indeed, Vera, I know,” he said, pretending to be serious, “I’ve suffered your overcooked dishes of macaroni pudding, and burnt buns.”
“You haven’t ever been served up with food like that!” Vera glared at her husband.
Tony came between them. “Now you two, the war is over, remember?”
He turned to kiss Vera whispering, “My eldest brother tell me you are the greatest cook in the world.”
“I try,” Vera said modestly.
“Well, sister-in-law, how about cooking the supper, and let me be the judge?”
Tired though she was, Vera made a special effort with the supper that evening and they all enjoyed the simple but nicely prepared food.
Much to Vera’s surprise they had an enjoyable evening of entertainment. Many stories the brothers exchanged about their wartime experiences – including the funny side of Tony’s capture and his years in a prisoner of war camp.
It did them all good to have things to laugh about. And the chance for the men to discuss what they wanted to do in the future, now their war service was ended.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
VERA left the two brothers to feed her baby.
She looked down at the youngest Parkington male and smiled as she kissed him then placed him back in his cot. Hearing the men still chatting downstairs, she left them to it, and went to bed.
It wasn’t until she awoke in the next morning that she realized Geoff was snuggled down beside her. He was still fast asleep as she rolled over and kissed him.
Of course, Tony would need the spare room, she told herself, as she got up to get her breakfast.
After that she had to catch the early bus for Lynn, because she needed to be there to supervise the cooking.
“Vera,” Geoff said coming downstairs in his pyjamas, “best of luck with your party food – despite me
teasing you yesterday, I think you are the tops, and will provide a wonderful spread for everyone to enjoy.”
He’d come from the staircase to pad over in his bare feet to give her a hug and a kiss – which surprised and delighted her.
“Now I don’t want you to worry about little Victor. Tony is going to drive us to Lynn and your mother will look after him all day as we arranged.”
Vera was pleased to know her mother would be able to take care of Victor and she could concentrate on her job.
“And good luck with your fiddling,” she said grabbing her basket with the last minute things she had to take with her.
“I’m hoping the kids will be making so much noise no one will hear the music,” he remarked.
“Go on!” retorted Vera, “you’re lucky - no one has to eat what you do. I have to conjure up piles of party food everyone likes. Anyway, you’re not that bad. ”
“Neither are you.” He was teasing her she could tell, but she smiled.
“See you later.” His eyes on her made her melt and she wanted to stay with him.
But she took a deep breath. “Here we go then!” she said marching out of the cottage.
* * * *
The VE Celebration Party was better than Vera’s wildest dreams.
True some of the food turned out less that perfect, and some of the older children, wearing paper hats they’d made, were especially noisy, squealing and spilling their drinks. Several plates got tipped over and unfortunately a few glasses and plates got broken - but overall it was a success because everyone let their hair down, and were determined to enjoy the feast – including some dogs who snapped up any food the kids dropped.
“The food was delicious,” Vera heard time and time again.
Geoff’s musical group played songs the children knew and could sing to – and she couldn’t decide which was worse - the children’s singing or the musical instruments. Anyhow, Tony was good at being an entertainer, encouraging everyone to sing, and telling a few jokes that all but the children had probably heard before, but everyone enjoyed the show and clapped heartily.
It was fun too, for Vera, when the scramble to prepare the food, and to clear the kitchen up when it was over, and she could relax.
She could find her friends, meet people and join her family.
By that time it was later in the evening and the smaller children were taken off to bed, so the adults could enjoy a glass of beer and begin to dance if they felt like it.
Mum, whose neighbour had brought her into town by car with John, and Victor, so they could join in the fun for an hour or two, told Vera that she would now take her grandson home until Vera came to fetch him.
“It doesn’t matter how late you are, dear,” Mum said.
“But you must get to bed before long- you’ll be tired,” Vera replied.
“We’ll leave the door unlocked so you can creep in and get Victor.”
It was still wartime, but no one feared that their house might be broken into.
“OK Mum. Thanks for looking after him today.”
She and John looked at each other and smiled. “He’s no trouble. He’s such a good baby.”
“Enjoy your evening, Vera,” said John, “now off you go and dance the night away – after all the work involved in that party fare you deserve it.”
“My girls did all the work – I just watched them work.”
John smiled broadly and said, “Vera, you are not the kind of person to sit on your hands. I know you there in the kitchen, buzzing around, making sure they everything they made was going to be a delicious. And so it was. Congratulations. Geoff must be very proud of you.”
How pleased Vera was that her mother had married John, and they were now like Darby and Joan.
How she wished she and Geoff could be the same.
It was when Vera couldn’t find Geoff that she began to worry.
So many people out enjoying themselves, everywhere was crowded and noisy. Hunting around, and not finding Geoff, she became convinced that the festivities might have become too much for him because he’d been used to a quiet environment since his accident. She wondered if his brother had perhaps taken him home – but surely they would have found her and told her they were leaving the party?
Hearing dance music being played loudly on a Tannoy, so that people could hear it in the streets around the town hall, Vera approached. Looking here and there for him in the crowd, suddenly she heard . . .
“Zoooo!”
“Woops!”
A boy with outstretched arms, pretending to be a Spitfire, raced into her “Sorry, missus,” the boy apologised as he helped Vera back on her feet.
Her annoyance at being floored - as well as noticing her new nylons had been laddered – she managed to hide her upset as she brushed down her dress saying, “Try and be more careful where you are flying, young man.”
The boy’s freckled face broke into a wide grin and he flew off.
Shaken, but determined not to cry on this joyous occasion, she sat down on town hall steps to recover.
“Vera! We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Looking up she saw a group of people waving to her. Yes, and to her relief, there was Geoff, right in the middle being, being made a fuss of by her British Restaurant girls. But he rose on seeing her and came up to kiss her, so that everyone clapped and cheered.
“Let’s go and dance,” Geoff said taking her hand and leading her off into the crowd of dancers.
Blissful it was to be in his arms, dancing with him as they used to before he was injured.
“It’s a pity young Victor isn’t old enough to remember this great day,” Vera said, “he was asleep when Mum took him back to her home.”
Geoff held her tightly, and she rested her head on his chest. “He’ll have a better time of it than we’ve had, Vera. There is only one thing he could do with.”
“What’s that?”
“A sister – or a brother.”
Vera smiled. “We’ll have to see if we can manage that!” she said dreamily, knowing she had found her lover again at last.
THE END
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