Far From Home

by Anne Bennett

  On Friday, after work, Kate and Susie went to get their gas masks. They too were hideous, and when the woman showed them how to put them on, Kate thought the smell was obnoxious. Susie felt the same and she ripped hers off again almost immediately. ‘God, they smell vile.’

  ‘You might be glad of that mask, smell and all, before you are much older,’ the woman chided. Kate tugged her mask off too, as Susie said, ‘Well, let me tell you something. They would have to be pretty certain gas was heading our way before I would put this mask near my face. And another thing, I could hardly breathe when I had it on. You can’t tell me that that’s a healthy way to be.’

  ‘I couldn’t breathe either,’ agreed Kate. ‘The Germans don’t really have to send the gas – just threaten to, and we’d all be asphyxiated in our masks.’

  The woman obviously didn’t appreciate their levity, and this amused the girls still further; they left her frowning in disapproval and went out with the gas masks hung around their necks in the boxes supplied. ‘I think humour will be all that we have left,’ Kate said as they made their way home. ‘When war comes, life will be tougher for all of us. I mean, it’s light enough to come home now, but can you imagine what it will be like trying to get to work and back in the pitch-black?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Susie said, ‘it will be murder. I agree with you – humour and laughter will be all we have to make life worth living.’

  ‘It’s true,’ said Kate. ‘And now let’s run for that tram because I have got to cook the tea when I get in and I am as hungry as a hunter now, and I can’t see anything funny in that at all.’

  When she got home, though, David told her not to bother cooking and said that he would go out for fish and chips. Kate felt her mouth watering at the thought and she said, ‘Ooh, David, that will be lovely. What were you doing when I came in?’

  ‘Putting tape across the windows,’ David said. ‘It was a government recommendation to prevent flying glass in case of an air raid.’

  Kate felt an icy thread run down her spine as she said, ‘David, war hasn’t been declared yet.’

  ‘Might as well be,’ David said grimly. ‘It came through on the news earlier. Hitler’s armies have invaded Poland and the Poles are fighting for their lives. The prime minister is speaking on the wireless on Sunday morning, just after eleven.’

  That Sunday, Sally and Ruby Reynard came to the flat to listen to the prime minister’s speech as they had no wireless of their own – and anyway, Kate had wanted Sally with her. Never had the time passed so slowly, or the eleven chimes of Big Ben sounded so loud, and eventually the waiting, anxious people heard the voice of Neville Chamberlain:

  I am speaking to you from the cabinet room at Ten Downing Street. This morning the British ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note, stating that unless we heard from them by eleven o’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and that consequently this country is at war with Germany …

  There was more about how sorry Chamberlain was and how hard he had tried to avoid conflict and that he was sure that all Britons would play their part with calmness and courage. Kate knew that David would do just that, and join the RAF as soon as he could, and she felt him stiffen with resolve beside her. In contrast, Sally’s face was chalk white and Ruby Reynard began to sob. Kate felt sorry for both of them, for they knew that Phil would now be in the forefront of the fighting.

  David knew it too and he said, ‘I often think that it’s harder for those waiting at home than the servicemen themselves. Kate will be joining those ranks soon, because I am enlisting as soon as I am able.’

  ‘You want to join the RAF, don’t you?’ Sally said, and David gave a nod. ‘And so does Nick. We will go first thing tomorrow, because you get more choice if you enlist rather than wait to be called up.’

  ‘Won’t you be scared up in the air in one of those little planes?’ Ruby asked.

  However, before David was able to answer her, a horrendous sound rent the air, a sound Birmingham was going to become very familiar with. For a moment no one really knew what to do, and then David said, ‘Let’s go down to the cellar. It’s bound to be safer than here.’

  The others were only too glad someone had taken charge, and they pounded down the stairs, as others were coming out of their flats on the second floor and the first, obviously with the same idea as themselves. When they reached the cellar it was to find the Donovan family already there. Apprehension or pure naked fear was written across every face and they waited, listening intently for the sound of bombs. But nothing happened, and after a few minutes more, another siren blasted out. ‘All Clear,’ George Donovan grumbled. ‘Bloody false alarm.’

  Kate was glad it was and wondered if the sirens were sounded out intentionally to jolt the country into a realization that this was what war meant. It certainly had that effect on her. For weeks the papers had been running articles on government directives, such as what to do in air raids and the like, and she had avoided them like the plague. One of them, however, David had drawn her attention to – it recommended filling a shelter bag with identity cards, insurance policies, and bank and post office books and treasured photographs. Kate had agreed with David that it was a good idea, but she had done nothing about it. Now she decided to remedy that as soon as possible. ‘My days of burying my head in the sand are over,’ she told David as they got ready for bed that night. ‘We are at war and that will mean challenges for us all, I think. We must be ready to meet them.’

  ‘You don’t have to,’ David said. ‘Birmingham is likely to be a prime target, being such a big city. You could always go back to Ireland if you wanted to.’

  ‘No,’ Kate said indignantly. ‘David, I am not a hothouse flower and I am going to stay here with everyone else. We can’t all run away; if we tried to, who would run the country while all you men are away chasing Germans?’

  ‘All right, you win, you feisty lady,’ David said, holding her close. ‘And I am proud of you for saying that, but I know that I shall worry about you just as much as you will about me.’

  When Kate and Susie got off the tram the next day, Sally was waiting at the stop. ‘Anything wrong?’ Kate asked her.

  ‘Not exactly.’

  ‘How not exactly?’ Kate asked. ‘And why are you not at work for starters?’

  ‘Well, that’s it,’ said Sally. ‘I haven’t got a job any more – none of us have.’

  ‘What are you on about?’

  ‘I’m trying to tell you,’ Sally said. ‘The government have closed down all places of entertainment.’

  ‘All places?’ Susie asked.

  Sally nodded. ‘Everything, the boss said: cinemas, theatres, dance halls. Anywhere where large numbers of people gather. I don’t think they’re opening the schools either, not that that will worry the children, but it means I’ve lost my job.’

  ‘How long for?’

  ‘Dunno,’ Sally said. ‘Could be for the duration, for all I know. It’s all ’cos of the bombing.’

  ‘What bombing?’ Susie said. ‘There hasn’t been any bombing.’

  ‘I know, but they must think that it might start any minute,’ Sally said. ‘If it doesn’t, they might open again, but I can’t wait around to see if that happens. I need another job. Ruby said to see you.’

  ‘There’s nothing going at our place that I know of,’ Susie said.

  ‘Not at the moment anyway,’ Kate agreed. ‘There will be when the men are called up, but that hasn’t happened yet.’

  ‘But we are at war,’ Susie said. ‘So jobs should be easy to find.’

  ‘Yes, course they are,’ Kate said. ‘Look, I’ll pick the paper up on the way home and come round later tonight and we’ll have a look.’

  ‘I’d rather come now if it’s all the same to you,’ Sally said. ‘I hate coming home in the dark in the blackout.’

  ‘O
h, God, yes,’ Kate said. ‘I forgot about that. Come on now, then. See you tomorrow, Susie.’

  ‘Yeah, see you tomorrow, Kate,’ Susie said with a wave to them both. ‘Best of luck, Sally.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You’ll hardly need luck,’ Kate said. ‘You help me get the dinner on the go when we get in and then we can study the jobs.’

  ‘Will David be there?’

  ‘He might be,’ Kate said. ‘He intended enlisting today, but he said he had to see his boss as well and see if he wants him to work notice and if so how much, so they might be discussing that after work.’

  David wasn’t in but came home as they were both poring over the jobs’ section. Sally told him why she was looking for another job and he said, ‘Ah, what a shame, and you made a first-class usherette.’

  Sally coloured slightly as she said, ‘Thanks. It was a great job, and though it wasn’t that well paid, we did get tips sometimes, and if you threw in the cost of all those cinema tickets, it wasn’t that bad really. But I suppose now me and Phil are engaged, I could do with earning more so I could save a bit.’

  ‘Well, all the war-related jobs pay the best,’ Kate said. ‘And look, there’s a new engineering works opened in Witton. That isn’t far away – I should say there would be a variety of jobs you could do there.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Sally said. ‘And I suppose I could be trained as well as anybody else.’

  ‘Course you could,’ Kate said, leaping to her feet and dragging her sister with her. ‘Come on, that concoction in the pan – that passes for stew with a little imagination – is nearly ready if the smell is anything to go by. If I dish up now you’ll be able to eat it and still be home before it’s truly dark.’

  ‘I can’t blame you for being nervous of the blackout,’ David said. ‘And as the days shorten you’ll be going out in the dark and coming home in the dark.’

  ‘I know,’ Sally said. ‘Coming home from work on Saturday was bad enough.’

  ‘I can see accidents happening,’ Kate said.

  ‘Don’t suppose the dark will worry me where I shall be in a fortnight’s time,’ David said. ‘Darkness is often the friend of the pilot.’

  ‘You got in,’ Kate said, feigning pleasure because she knew it was what David wanted, but he wasn’t fooled and he slipped an arm around her as he said, ‘Yeah, ’fraid I did, old girl. At least, subject to a medical, I will be accepted for training at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, which isn’t a million miles away. Whether I will be passed as a pilot is another thing altogether, apparently, although it’s the only thing I want to do. Then I would be part of the 605 Squadron. But, as the Commanding Officer said, all the young men want to fly, but there are other important jobs to do in the RAF.’

  ‘None of which you would consider?’

  ‘I don’t think anyone has that much choice in the Forces,’ David said. ‘They say jump and you jump. But I would hate to be behind a desk doing any job, however important, that could be done by one of the WAAFs just as easily.’

  ‘They don’t get the chance to fly then?’ Sally asked with a wry smile.

  David returned the smile as he said, ‘Not to my knowledge, no, but the point is, there will be a job going at our place in a fortnight or so.’ And he turned to Kate and said, ‘That’s the notice I have to work, and I could definitely put a word in for Sally if she’s not fixed up by then. There’s plenty of work at the moment, because we’re building transmitters as well as standard wirelesses.’

  Sally wrinkled her nose. ‘Sounds awfully complicated.’

  ‘No, it isn’t,’ David assured her. ‘Honest, you’d soon pick it up.’

  ‘Thanks. David,’ Sally said. ‘But I do need to get a job as soon as possible. Ruby is not well off and misses Phil’s money, for all he sends her what he can every week. I need to be paying my share as soon as possible. The engineering works will probably suit me well enough.’

  TWELVE

  Kate told David that he owed it to his family to tell them what he had done. He wasn’t keen, but agreed she had a point and they set off on Sunday afternoon.

  ‘It won’t be any surprise to them anyway,’ Kate said as they turned down the road. ‘You have made no secret of it. I wonder what branch of the services your brother will choose?’

  ‘Huh,’ said David. ‘All Lawrence cares about most of the time is himself. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he tried to wriggle out of active service of any description.’

  ‘I don’t think it is something that people can choose.’

  ‘No, nor do I, but if there is any kind of loophole you can bet that Lawrence will find it, aided and abetted by Dad, no doubt, because the two of them are like bosom pals.’

  Kate saw that for herself just a little later. ‘Can’t wait to play the conquering hero, can you?’ Lawrence said sneeringly when David told them he had enlisted in the RAF.

  David decided to let the remark pass and so he said pleasantly enough, ‘Well, it was only a matter of time, anyway, like it will be for you eventually.’

  ‘Maybe not.’

  ‘What you on about?’ David said. ‘You registering yourself as a conscientious objector, or what?’

  ‘Oh, no need for all that unpleasantness,’ Lawrence said with a supercilious drawl. ‘But there is a medical to pass.’

  ‘What of it?’ David demanded. ‘You’re as fit as I am.’

  ‘No, I’m not. I have problems with my chest.’

  ‘Since when?’

  ‘Since now,’ Lawrence said. ‘Comes from years working in the intense heat – isn’t that right, Dad?’

  ‘Are you party to this fabrication too?’ David said, turning to his father.

  Kate saw that Alf was embarrassed. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘Lawrence could probably claim exemption anyway because he is in a reserved occupation. Almost all the brassworks are now making war-related goods. If he has a doctor’s say-so about his bad chest, too, that will probably clinch it.’

  ‘A doctor will do that?’ David asked incredulously.

  ‘Not the one we’ve used the few times we’ve needed one,’ Alf admitted. ‘But there are some who’ll do it if the price is right.’

  David’s mouth dropped open with surprise and shock and Kate too could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She glanced at David to see his face brick-red with anger and his eyes smouldering as he spat out: ‘You are despicable, both of you. And you have only got to look at Lawrence to see how fit he is. Women are taking on men’s roles now, so there is no need to try and claim exemption.’

  ‘Oh, I disagree with you, dear brother,’ Lawrence said in his supercilious tone. ‘I think there is every reason.’

  ‘And you, Ma, are you are party to this fantasy?’ David demanded, turning to face his mother.

  Dora was embarrassed and couldn’t meet David’s eyes, bending her head as she mumbled, ‘Isn’t it enough of a sacrifice to risk the life of one son?’

  ‘Don’t give me that,’ David spat out. ‘None of you give a tuppenny damn for the life of this son. This whole plan has been hatched to keep lily-livered Lawrence safe.’

  Before any of them could find an answer to this, Lawrence gave a smug smile and said to David, ‘Look on the bright side, our kid. This way I’ll be able to keep an eye on your pretty young wife.’

  David’s fists were balled and Kate felt him taut beside her, like a tiger waiting to spring. She felt blisteringly angry as she snapped out, ‘No, you will not, Lawrence Burton. You turn up at my door and I will show you that quick enough.’

  ‘Ooh, Miss Hoity-Toity,’ Lawrence said.

  ‘Not at all,’ Kate said in a voice as cold as steel. ‘I’m just particular about the company I keep.’

  ‘Hey,’ said Dora. ‘There’s no need to talk to our Lawrence like that.’

  All Kate’s life she had been taught respect for her elders, but so incensed was she now that she barked back at Dora, ‘There is every need, and if you can’t see that then there is someth
ing radically wrong with you.’

  Dora was stunned, but before she could think up a reply Kate turned to David and said, ‘Shall we go? We have done what we came to do.’

  David too had been amazed by the way Kate had handled both Lawrence and his mother and he got to his feet as he said, ‘Yes, I’ll be glad to go. The air round here stinks.’

  Outside in the street, he began to smile ruefully, but it had turned into a chuckle before Kate noticed because she still felt upset. Eventually, she said, ‘All right, what’s so blinking funny?’

  ‘You are,’ David said. ‘I don’t think anyone has ever spoken to Lawrence like that before.’

  ‘I meant every word,’ Kate said. ‘If he comes near me I will brain him with the nearest thing to hand, but maybe I shouldn’t have spoken to your mother the way I did.’

  ‘You were perfectly right,’ David said. ‘My parents are as bad condoning Lawrence doing this, and what my dear brother said to you was totally unacceptable. I wanted to smash his face in, if you want the truth.’

  ‘I know,’ Kate said. ‘I could feel the rage running through you. I told you, I can deal with men like Lawrence.’

  ‘You’ve convinced me, you very special lady,’ David said.

  Kate was glad that David was reassured because really the encounter had disturbed her. She told Susie about it the following morning as they made their way to work. Susie felt, like David, that she had been quite justified in what she had said and she was horrified at Lawrence trying to wriggle out of fighting for his country.

  ‘You could report them for that, I should think,’ she said.

  ‘Probably,’ Kate said. ‘That would mean David shopping his own parents though, and this doctor chap as well.’

  ‘A doctor like that needs shopping,’ Susie said angrily.

  ‘I feel the same way,’ Kate said. ‘But doctors are important people, aren’t they? People listen to them and take note of what they say. If David was to speak out against one of them, it could cause a heap of trouble for him, and if anything stopped him going into the RAF, he would be destroyed – that’s all he’s talked about since the possibility of us going to war was spoken about.’