The Sweet Passing of Time
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2020 Jason Cosnett
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“The One”
‘Is that all you’re going to have? A cup of tea?’
‘I’m fine, dad.’
‘Yes, but it’s just a cup of tea. Aren’t you hungry?’
‘I’m fine, dad. Honest, I am. A cup of tea is all I want right now.’
‘But that’s not going to fill you up, is it? What was the point of coming here if all you’re going to have is a cup of tea? Seems a bit pointless really.’
‘Maybe later, dad.’
The old man mumbled under his breath and glanced down at his own half empty cup. ‘Well, I’m starting to get a bit peckish at any rate. Wouldn’t mind ordering something from the specials.’ He looked up to the window where they were sitting. He thought he could hear the waves rolling onto the shore one after the other and squinted through the panes of glass. ‘But I’m only going to order something if you eat as well. I’ve noticed you’ve been getting a bit skinny as of late, and I bet you’ve been skipping meals again, haven’t you? Too much fun with that new man of yours, I bet.’
‘He’s not that new, dad. We’ve been together six months. And no, I haven’t been skipping meals either.’
‘Six months! Has it been that long? In my day, you’d have been married off in three. Your mother and I- well, we were engaged after a week of courting. You don’t see that kind of thing happen nowadays.’
‘No dad, you don’t.’
‘Six months,’ he said again and shook his head. ‘Tch, tch. Can’t believe it. It was only the other day you were telling me you’d met this new man, I swear.’
She smiled. ‘I didn’t want to make a fuss of it. I felt like I was still getting over the divorce with Graham, and you had enough on your plate, what with mum…’ her voice trailed.
‘It’s all right,’ he said, and leaned over to pat her on the back of the hand. ‘We’ve all had a lot on as of late, haven’t we? So when do I get to meet this mystery man of yours…Simon, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ She shrugged. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe in a few weeks. He works in the army you see so it’s hard to find the time when we can both come visit you. But you will get to meet him. I promise.’
He took a small sip from his cup. ‘I do remember you saying he works in the army- you’ve banged on about it enough times. I’m not senile you know.’
‘No dad, I know. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out that way.’
‘I might be old, but I’ve still got a full set up here.’ For emphasis, he tapped the side of his head with his forefinger and furrowed his brow. ‘I’ve seen what they say on the tellie about us old folk living in the past with just their fading memories to get by on, but it’s not like that at all. Change the milkman for just one day and let me have a chat with him for half an hour- this time next year I’ll still remember his name, how naughty his kids have been and whatever else we happened to talk about.’
‘I know, dad.’
‘So do you like him? This new man you’re seeing? You’ve been with him long enough.’
She thought for a moment. ‘We’re still taking it slow, dad. It’s hard to get back into the dating game with someone new after you’ve been married for twenty-odd years you know. But yes, I do like him.’
‘Well as long as you’re happy, that’s the main thing.’ He looked back outside; he thought he could see a group of young children frolicking about where the cove met one of the piers. It seemed blustery outside and the waves left a trail of froth every time they cascaded onto the shore. ‘We used to come here all the time, your mum and me,’ he said. ‘See where those kiddies are? We used to throw pebbles into the sea right there. And that was back before we were even courting. Eleven or twelve I think we were.’
‘I know, dad.’
‘Even then I knew your mum was the one for me. I mean, of course I didn’t know what true love was back then- nobody does when you’re eleven or twelve- but there was definitely something between us. And we had the war to thank for that. None of you lot would be here if it wasn’t for old Jerry, you know.
‘Back in the day, this place was nothing but sand dunes, except for the old pier that was built back when your grandparents were kids.’ He raised his arms slowly and waved his hands back and forth to illustrate. ‘Mind you, got to hand it to whoever it was who decided to build a restaurant here though. Don’t think I’ve ever been here when it hasn’t been full of people.’ His voice trailed. ‘Great location…great location. So many memories.’
‘I might bring Jack and Gemma next time I come, dad,’ said the woman.
‘What? To have a meal here?’
‘If you like. All three of us.’
‘Eh? What do you want to do that for? They’ll only sit at the table and mess around with those bloody phone things all the young ones have nowadays.’ He nodded his head back to the window. ‘They won’t appreciate the view and walking along the cove, that I can tell you right now. Don’t think they’ve been down there since they were kids actually, have they?’
‘It’s just a generation thing, dad. They just like doing their own…stuff.’
‘Pah! Rubbish. No excuse for ignorance.’ He shook his head. ‘I bet they don’t even know that your mother and I used to walk over those pebbles down there.’ He leaned back in his chair and raised his arms again. ‘And we used to come here for a nice meal back when you were a tot. Of course, the décor’s changed over the years, and they’ve probably had a dozen owners since then, but you can’t get away from the fact that this is probably the best view in the whole of Jersey. You can’t argue with that, can you?’
‘No dad, you can’t.’
‘Menu hasn’t changed too much either. Pity the price keeps going up.’ He tapped the saucer and smiled to himself. ‘Tea’s a bit rotten nowadays though. Probably all those chemicals they chuck in the stuff.’
‘That’s just the way of the world nowadays. Not much you can do about it.’
‘I mean, how much was your cuppa? Three pounds wasn’t it? Pah! Complete rip-off if you ask me. No wonder you don’t want to eat anything.’
‘I’m just not hungry. I’m perfectly fine with my tea.’ She paused. ‘With or without the chemicals,’ she added, and smiled.
‘Well what was the point of coming here for lunch then?’ he said, ignoring her comment.
She pointed outside. ‘To see that lovely view for one, dad. And to spend time with you.’
He thought about this for a moment and nodded his head slowly. ‘No arguing with you there. Funny to think it hasn’t changed much either in all that time. Pier’s had a bit of work done over the years of course to bring it up to what they say are required occupational health and safety standards. But it survived old Jerry and that big blow-in we had a few years back…sixty-four, I think it was when that happened. So I’m sure it will be there long after you and I are both gone.’
‘I’m sure it will.’
He stared intently and his mind seemed to wander. ‘I still remember the day Jerry came,’ he said. ‘For weeks beforehand there had been this sense of…inevitable dread. Your grandmother and grandfather thought about evacuating, but I’m glad they didn’t. I probably would never have courted your mother if they’d left and taken me back to the mainland.
‘The Germans bombed along the coast a few days before they arrived,’ he continued, pointing outside. ‘I remember seeing flashes of orange and red flame from mum and dad’s house and the noise was deafening. My father told us to hide under the kitchen table- not that it would have done us much good had a stray bomb hit the
house.’ He pointed over his shoulder. ‘We found out afterwards that most of the damage happened at the harbour, but there were also a few houses hit along with a convoy of lorries. They say a few dozen died that night.’ His voice faltered a little. ‘I only knew of Mrs Greene, the doctor’s wife. She was felled by debris thrown up when a bomb caught their garden wall. Poor dear never stood a chance- killed in the blink of an eye, so I heard.
‘The next day there was a lot of activity around the place. No-one really knew why the Germans decided to bomb us. We didn’t have any military left on the island- the last lot of troops had left weeks before. All that were left were civilians and a load of children who were on holiday helping with the potato crop. Jerry could have walked onto the island with wooden clubs and still conquered the place, you know. I suppose they didn’t really know themselves; probably thought there was a battalion or two squirrelled away along the shore ready to defend the island to the last.’
The woman nodded in understanding.
‘When I did go outside, I came here to have a look, actually. I half-expected the beach to be blown to smithereens. Of course, back then everyone went out to have a nosy around. Nowadays everything would be cordoned off, and kids wouldn’t be let outside unless they checked in with mum and dad on their phones every five minutes. It’s a different world we live in now, eh?’
‘Somethings are for the better though, dad.’
He thought about this for a moment and turned his attention to an elderly couple sitting by the far door. ‘Bet they have fond memories of this place too,’ he said.
She craned her head towards where he was looking. ‘They might,’ she said.
‘Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes…I came here to have a look around. Disappointed I was, if I’m honest. We’d heard about everything that had gone on over on the French mainland, and like everyone else, I didn’t want the Germans here, but I did want to see what their bombs were capable of. Hoped to get a souvenir or two I suppose from whatever fragments I might find. And then to see all this landscape untouched…well, it was an anticlimax really.’ He laughed. ‘I suppose I should be thankful they didn’t drop a bomb or two here; there might have been an unexploded one right under my feet and I’d never have known until the last moment. You wouldn’t be here if that were the case.
‘I was down there by the steps when I saw your mum. She was paddling her feet in the water and throwing pebbles out into the ocean like she always used to do. I remember walking over to her, but we didn’t say anything. There was something about what happened the night before that…made it all real, I suppose. Up until then, everyone was living in hope that the Germans wouldn’t invade, or that they’d be some fleet of ships sent to protect us. We didn’t really think it could happen. And for what end? A couple of tiny islands of no consequence. There was no military here to fight, no rich spoils to conquer. Just normal people going about their daily life.’
He paused and took a deep breath. ‘It was all a waste really. And it changed us all…up here.’ He tapped his head. ‘Before that night, we’d come here and play and have fun. But when I stood there next to your mother, we were both scared of what the future would hold. It was as if our childhood had ended in that moment.
‘She didn’t say anything for maybe two or three minutes, I suppose. She just kept staring out into the sea and occasionally picking up another pebble and tossing it. “Things will be different from now on”, she said finally. “Our homes will be taken away from us, and we’ll probably be sent away. And I’ll probably never be able to stand here again and do this.”
‘I could tell she was full of mixed emotions,’ he continued. ‘For a twelve-year-old, she was very mature. She understood things that only an adult might comprehend. So I told her that it would be all right, that we’d still be able to come down and play and throw pebbles every day even if the Germans did invade.’ He nodded thoughtfully. ‘Yes…I saw your mother in a different light that day. I knew then that she was a very special person.
‘I don’t know exactly know why I did it, but I reached out and tapped the back of her hand lightly. She didn’t move, but I remember seeing her eyes dart down in front of me. So I held my hand there for a moment, hoping that it would perhaps give her some hope. We must have looked a sight, a couple of kids standing almost knee deep in the water, nearly holding hands but not quite.
‘She looked back out at the ocean. “Things will never be the same again”, she said again. I didn’t say anything; I just let her have her moment to reflect, and I understood what she was trying to say. We’d heard all the stories from France, and how they’d capitulated. And England was probably next.’ He turned to his daughter and shrugged. ‘It’s easy in hindsight to say that it was never going to happen, but at the time it was the unknown. And for us here on Jersey, invasion was a mere formality. We just didn’t know what it meant for us, whether we would be allowed to continue to live out our lives here or be sent to mainland Europe somewhere and be…’ his voice trailed. ‘Well, thrust into the great unknown.’
‘You were both very brave and courageous.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know about that. But I do know that in that moment down there at the water’s edge, I saw your mum in a very different light. She seemed so very grown up. And…and I just knew she was the one.’ His lower lip started to quiver, and his eyes glazed over. ‘So many memories.’
‘I know you miss her a lot, dad. Just…Just hold onto the good thoughts, OK?’
He nodded. ‘You can’t ever forget something like that. I know it sounds stupid now, but at the time, I didn’t even know if I would see her again after that day. The Germans were sure to come back and bomb the place again, and we were fearful they would send us back to the stone age and kill everyone.
‘She then asked me if we were all right- my mum, dad and brother, that is. That’s the kind of person your mother was; always asking about others and never really bothering about herself. I told her that we were all fine and that none of the bombs had come close to where we lived. “That’s good,” she said, “Because you can bet a bloody pound of butter they’ll be back here again tonight. And they’ll probably bomb this beach into the middle of next week too for good measure.”
‘I told her that she shouldn’t think like that. I said that Jerry probably dropped a few bombs here because they were testing them out before trying their luck with London. But of course- and you know what your mother was like- she didn’t see it that way at all. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they arrived and took over. And she said something to that effect.’ He chuckled. ‘There were a few swear words chucked in for good measure too.
‘She asked me if I was scared, and I just tried to act all big and tough. I told her that I wasn’t going to worry about Hitler’s planes and bombs, and that Jerry probably couldn’t get their aim right anyway. She had a bit of a laugh at that, did your mum.’
‘You were always making her smile with your words,’ said the woman.
‘But it all changed for us afterwards, didn’t it? It wasn’t even three days later before we surrendered, and the whole place was crawling with infantry and anti-aircraft defences after that. Anyone would think the crown jewels were being kept here.
‘And of course, we all know what happened to your grandfather.’ He shook his head. ‘Imprisoned for such a trivial matter too, no less. But that’s what it was like under occupation, you know. Even failing to surrender your wireless got you locked up, or worse. It’s a wonder we didn’t have to carry around paperwork just to be allowed to breathe.’ He looked down at her cup. ‘Are you sure you’re not hungry?’
‘I’m fine, dad, really. Just being here listening to you is enough. I don’t need to eat.’
‘Well I’m getting peckish. We’ve been here ages and all I’ve done is gabber on. You must be getting sick of listening to me.’
‘Dad, it’s fine. I like listening to you.’
He patted his stomach. I might just have s
omething light then. I really should be watching how much I eat anyway at my age.’ He chuckled again. ‘Your mother would be making me eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner if she saw the state of me now.’
‘You’re not that bad, dad.’
‘No? And what about compared to that chap over there?’ He nodded his head in the direction of an old man who was slowly eating a sandwich. ‘Skin and bones, that one. He obviously didn’t order a lamb roast with all the extras. I think I’ve let myself go a little since your mum passed away,’ he said.
‘She’d still love you no matter how you looked,’ said the daughter. ‘Of that I’m sure.’
‘You’re very kind.’ He went to say something else, but he sensed a figure approach him from behind.
‘Everything all right, is it, Mr Sinclair?’ said a man’s voice.
‘Oh yes. Fine thank you,’ he replied. ‘I am getting a little hungry though and wouldn’t mind ordering something. Just for me, however. My daughter says she hasn’t really got an appetite and is quite happy with her tea. Unless she’s changed her mind?’ He glanced over to her and widened his eyes.
‘I’m fine, dad.’
‘Very well. Then I’d like to look at your specials first if that’s all right.’
‘Now, now, Mr Sinclair. No specials today.’
‘Oh, that is a shame,’ he replied.
The man leaned over and placed a small round plastic container onto the table. ‘Have your pills first, Mr Sinclair. Then I’ll go get you something to eat. A pickle sandwich all right?’
‘No, it isn’t! I want to see the specials.’
‘Dad, do as the nurse says please,’ said the woman. ‘It’s important.’
‘But I want to see the specials,’ he protested.
The nurse looked at the woman and gave her a reassuring smile. ‘I’ll come back in a few minutes,’ he said softly.
The woman nodded and reached over to her father. He seemed a little distraught and confused and she rubbed his back for comfort. ‘Come on dad, have your medicine.’
The Sweet Passing of Time Page 1