Keep Calm and Carry On, Children

by Sharon K Mayhew

  Then he jumped up and punched me in the eye. I fell backward into the corridor and crashed into the side of the train. Sam helped me up. But I must have screamed because the billeting officer came running.

  “Who done this to you, Love?” he asked.

  I pointed at the beast in the seat behind me.

  “You’re coming with me, young man.” The billeting officer grabbed the hair on the back of the head of the boy who hit me. He took him down the corridor and into another carriage.

  “You were very brave,” Gina said. “He was horrid.”

  Sam’s shaggy brown hair covered his eyes as he gently placed his hand on my arm. “You jumped up before I had time to think about what to do. Are you hurt?”

  His gentleness took me by surprise. “My eye hurts and so does the back of my head. Would you feel it and see if there’s a bump?”

  “Oh, Joyce! Your eye is swelling up and turning red,” Gina said.

  Sam lightly rubbed the back of my head. “Yep, you’ve got a goose egg back here. Hopefully, we won’t be on the train too much longer.”

  I rested my eyes, as Nanny would say. I pressed my cheek on the cool window. Perhaps its coolness would help with the swelling around my eye. I could neither lean back or lie down because of the knot on my head. I hoped we would arrive at our destination soon.

  The billeting officer came back to check on me, and so did a teacher. I dozed on and off for a bit. A whistle blew and woke me up.

  The billeting officer made another announcement. “We’re pulling in to Birmingham next. No one’ll be getting off, but more children’ll be getting on. We’ll have no more fighting. Does everyone understand?”

  “Yes, Sir,” echoed through the carriages as he made his announcement in each one.

  Birmingham was a big city, perhaps as big as London. As we approached it, I saw lots of railway tracks and crowded rows of houses covered with soot. They didn’t even have small garden patches behind the houses.

  “I wonder what happens to the surname thing when these other children get on.” Sam scrunched up his nose and stared out the window.

  “I hope someone nice sits next to us. I couldn’t stand another nasty bugger sitting near me,” I said.

  As the train slowed, I saw a platform filled with children and mothers.

  “I want to go home. I want Mummy,” Gina said in a whisper.

  “We have to be brave, especially for these new children. They haven’t had time to let it sink in yet.” I rubbed her knee trying to comfort her.

  “Keep your chin up, Gina,” Sam said.

  The new children boarded the train. I kept a sharp eye on them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  September 11, 1940

  1:00 PM

  “Do you want to sit with us?” I asked a girl with short brown hair, who seemed to be about my age and appeared as nervous as I had been when I first boarded the train.

  “That’d be lovely.” She plopped down next to me. “My name’s Molly, what’s yours?”

  “I’m Joyce, and this is my sister Gina,” I said.

  “And I’m Samuel, but you can call me Sam,” Sam said. “What’s your surname?”

  “It’s Neal.” Molly scrunched her eyebrows together. “Why?”

  “Oh, that’s brilliant!” I said. “You’ll most likely get off at the same town as we do.”

  “How do you know?” asked Molly.

  “They’re putting us off by our surnames,” I said. “Our last name is Munsey. Sam’s is Purdy, so there’s a good chance we’ll all be together.”

  “That’ll be smashing!” said Molly. “I’m twelve. How old are you all?”

  “I’m eleven and a half,” said Sam.

  “I’m eleven and a half too and Gina’s five,” I said.

  The train whistle bellowed through the station, the doors were closed, and we were on our way again. All four of us stuck our heads out the window and waved at the people on the platform.

  “Do you see your mum?” I asked Molly.

  “Nah, she dropped me at the station and went to work. I think she’s glad to be rid of me for a bit.” Molly cleared her throat and turned away from us.

  I patted her on the shoulder.

  “I’m glad I sat here,” Molly said as she wiped her eyes. She pulled out a hanky and gave a very loud blow.

  “Umm, does anyone have anything left to eat?” Sam asked.

  I rolled my eyes and smiled at Molly.

  “I have a biscuit and a piece of bread and jam,” Molly said. “I’m not hungry. You can have it.”

  “We’re going to get along famously.” Sam slapped his knees.

  Molly passed her bag to Sam, and he gobbled up the food faster than you can say “bubble and squeak.”

  “I think Sam has a hole in his tummy,” Gina said.

  Everyone giggled. Then we sat quietly and looked out the window, again.

  Gina rested her head on Sam’s shoulder. Her head bobbed around until she finally fell asleep. Sam turned out to be a pretty good mate, much better than I expected. He showed Gina a lot of kindness, which made me like him more.

  “Are you nervous about being an evacuee?” Sam whispered, trying to not wake Gina up.

  “It’s rather odd to be going to live with people you don’t know, isn’t it? The most important thing to me is that Gina and I stay together. She’d be a right mess if we were separated. What about you, are you nervous?”

  “I mostly hope I don’t end up with someone who is unpleasant or conks me on the head if I don’t do as I’m told,” Sam said. “I get enough of that at home.”

  “Oh Gosh, Sam, couldn’t you tell someone your parents were hitting you?” I asked.

  Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Wouldn’t do no good. I’d probably get it worse if I did. I hope whoever takes me in likes boys and makes a nice tea.”

  “I hope so too, Sam. Perhaps you’ll end up with a wonderful family who’ll treat you fairly and feed you every time you’re hungry.”

  “That would be brilliant.” Sam’s face brightened up as he rubbed his stomach.

  Molly stared out the window while Sam and I chatted.

  Molly sighed. “I hope I don’t have to live with Mister Gloom and Missus Misery. I can’t bear people who aren’t cheerful.”

  “I expect anyone who picks you will be as cheerful as a robin on a spring day,” I hoped we all would find kind host families.

  The billeting officer marched down the corridor, shouting. “If your surname begins with G through K, you need to find a teacher because you’ll be getting off at our next stop. Once you find her, she’ll check off your name and document the name of the village you are staying at. Make sure you get all your things before you get off the train. If you leave it here, it’ll be gone forever.”

  “Well, that’s some good luck,” Sam said. “They did five letters this time, so if they do five next time, we’ll all be in the same village.”

  “That would be jolly good,” Molly said.

  “I hope we’re in a village that’ll give us with some smashing adventures,” I said. “Perhaps one with a mystery that needs to be solved.”

  “Perhaps one with a nice sweet shop,” said Sam.

  “Or one with a lovely lake, for bathing,” said Molly.

  Gina’s head rolled off Sam’s shoulder and banged on the window.

  “OUCH!” Gina said. “Why’d you do that, Sam?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Gina. Your head slipped.”

  Gina rubb
ed the sleep out of her eyes. “Are we there yet?”

  “No, but the next group of children are getting off soon,” I said.

  “Awww, that’s not fair,” Gina complained. “I’m tired of being on the train.”

  “I expect it won’t be long. We’ve just come through Stafford. We’re quite a long way from a big city now, so we should be safe.”

  The train whistle screeched as the train slowed. It appeared to be a lovely village. The train station was made from beautiful sandy coloured bricks. A massive clock hung under the awning. Cast iron decorative braces hung under the roof. I suspect they would have held baskets of flowers if it wasn’t wartime.

  Three ladies dressed in tan trousers and pine green blouses waited on the platform. They looked very official in their uniforms.

  When the carriage doors were opened the children climbed off. The ladies directed them to stand in a line. The oldest lady went to the beginning of the line, the youngest one with blonde hair pulled back in a bun went to the end, and the one with a scowl on her face walked to the middle of the line. The lady in the front shouted, “Follow me and stay in line.”

  Gina gulped. “Gosh, they sound rather bossy.”

  “I’m sure they’re lovely ladies, they’re doing their jobs trying to keep everyone in order,” I said.

  “They seemed bossy to me too,” Sam said.

  I was glad we didn’t get off there. Perhaps our village would have nicer teachers.

  Chapter Sixteen

  September 11, 1940

  1:30 PM

  The train quieted. All that was left were L through Zed, plus a few A-F children who boarded the train in Birmingham. All of a sudden, a ghastly smell filled our carriage.

  Molly pinched her nose. “Oh, that’s horrid!”

  “What do you think it is?” Sam asked.

  “I’ll have a look. You two stay here with Gina,” I said.

  I slipped my gas mask back over my shoulder and walked along the corridor. Then I saw it…someone had gotten sick all over the seat. I heard someone crying farther down the carriage, so I squeezed my nose with my fingers, looked in the other direction as I passed the smelly spot, and walked until I found out who was crying.

  A little boy, no more than four, stood in the corner of the carriage sobbing.

  I bent to his eye level. “Are you all right?”

  “I feel poorly,” he said.

  “If you tell me your name, perhaps I can find someone to help you feel better.”

  “I’m Leslie, but most people call me Les,” he said. “I lost my sister. I couldn’t f...find…find her I got…got sick all over my seat,” he stammered.

  “Well, the good news is you probably aren’t poorly. You probably got sick because you were scared to be without your sister. Let’s see if we can clean you up a bit and find a teacher.”

  “Ta,” Les said.

  I pulled out my hanky and spit on it a bit, just like Mum does, and wiped his face clean. I helped him take off his cardy. Somehow, I managed to not gag. At least his trousers were still clean.

  “Good as new!” I said as I tapped him on the nose. “Why don’t you come and have a sit with my sister while I look for a teacher?”

  I put out my hand, and he took it. We walked back to Gina, Sam, and Molly.

  “This is Les. I think his sister got off the train in Stafford without him. I’ll find a teacher. Will you keep him company while I’m gone?”

  Sam and Molly nodded.

  “I’ll let him hold Dolly until you get back,” said Gina.

  “Smashing idea, Gina! I’ll get cracking and find a teacher.”

  I walked to the end of our carriage and peered through the window into the next carriage. I saw two teachers sitting together, chatting. I knocked on the glass, and they both jumped. They must have been having a serious discussion. The younger teacher got up and came to the doorway.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so. There’s a little chap in our carriage who’s lost his sister. She got off the train in Stafford without him. He’s dreadfully upset.”

  “Oh my! I’ll get Miss Peters. She’ll know what to do.”

  Miss Peters looked much more like a Missus than a miss. She must have been a hundred years old. Her hair was white and her skin frail, like old paper.

  “What seems to be the problem?” Miss Peters demanded.

  I explained about Les, again.

  “Right, let’s go and sort this little one out,” she said.

  She marched down the corridor to where Les, Molly, Sam, and Gina were sitting.

  “Which one of you lost your sister?”

  Les pointed to himself and then jammed his hands under his arms.

  “Buck up, young man,” she said. “We’ll find you a nice spot in the next town. You’ll be better off without your irresponsible sister.”

  Les began to shake, and before I could calm him, he got sick all over Miss Peters’ frock and shoes.

  “You horrid child!” she shouted. “I think you did that on purpose. Get off at the next stop and manage on your own.”

  Miss Peters pulled out her hanky, started wiping up the mess on her frock, and stormed out of the carriage.

  “Oh my,” said the other teacher. “This is quite a terrible situation.”

  “What is Les going to do? He’s just a little boy. He can’t manage on his own.” I was horrified by the way that wretched Miss Peters treated Les. He had done nothing wrong. Clearly, she should have made sure he got off the train with his sister.

  “When we get to your stop have Les go with you. Ask someone there what to do about him. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to do.” She turned and walked into the next carriage.

  Les cried again. Gina put her arms around him.

  “Everything will be fine,” I said. “We’ll find someone in charge when we get off, and they will help you get back to your sister.”

  Les snorted and sniffled.

  “I say,” said Sam. “If they won’t help you get back to your sister, we can pretend you’re my little brother.”

  I gave Sam the look Mum gives me when I’ve done something terribly stupid. Sam looked at his feet.

  “We’ll make sure you find your sister, Les.” At least I hoped we could.

  Chapter Seventeen

  September 11, 1940

  3:30 PM

  As I looked out the window, I wondered where we were going to end up. Would it be with someone kind or someone horrid? Would we be in a village or in the countryside? Would Gina and I be able to stay together? She couldn’t survive without me. Her heart would break if we were separated and I would be sick with worry. We had to stay together at any cost.

  The railway ran beside a river. Country farmhouses dotted the bank. Fields of animals grazing on grass stretched as far as the eye could see. In the distance, there were mountains. They were dotted with red, yellow and brown trees. They had big patches of grass on them. They didn’t seem as steep as the Blue John Mountains, which we climbed a lifetime ago. Perhaps we could live in the mountains if no one took us. Sam, Molly, and I could build a house out of fallen branches. Les and Gina could fill in the gaps with mud. We would weave mats to make a covering for the floor and use grasses to make blankets. We could collect berries and dandelion leaves. We’d have to dry some of them for the winter. Mountains always have streams, so we would have fresh water and perhaps even be able to catch fish. It would be a grand adventure. Yes, we would manage just fine even if no one picked us.

  The train pulled through
another station without stopping. The billeting officer walked down the corridor again and announced the next stop would be where anyone with the last names starting with L through O would be getting off.

  Sam’s face turned the colour of a weak cup of tea. “Oh, this is terrible! I don’t want to go on to another town without you lot.”

  “I have an idea,” I said. “Does anyone have a pen or pencil?”

  Molly reached in her bag and pulled out a pen.

  “I can solve this problem easily,” I said. “Pass me your identification card, Sam.”

  I carefully made the P into an N. The black ink matched perfectly. “When the teacher checks her list say your name is Sam Nurdy. If she says it’s not on the list, say your middle initial is P and perhaps it is listed in the P section instead of the N section. Then she’ll think the list was written wrong. After all, you’re old enough to know your own name.”

  Everyone had a giggle. I felt rather pleased with myself for coming up with the plan. We would all be getting off together. I would find someone to help us with Les, hopefully. If not, we would have to find him a host family too. It’d be jolly good if we all lived on the same road and went to the same school.

  “Oh,” sighed Molly. “Look at that lovely house.” She pointed to a beautiful white cottage with four windows and a brick fence. Red roses climbed up the side of the house almost reaching the tiled roof. A flower bed full of different coloured roses ran all the way across the front of the house. The front door had a tiny window in it and basket of flowers hung on a black hook to its side. I’d never seen such a lovely home in my whole life. The people who lived there must be very lucky indeed.

  “Gosh, it even has a stream running beside it!” exclaimed Sam. “Wouldn’t that be a brilliant place to end up?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  The train ran beside a lovely lake. The row of mountains grew closer. They weren’t as big as I expected, but they would still work if we had to live on them. We were approaching a village. It had several church spires and looked to be a busy place.