Bluebirds by Margaret Mayhew Page A

watching for women in uniform among the crowd, and envying them. They walked with their heads held high and with purpose in their step, and she longed to be one of them and not imprisoned in a dreary office. She never saw many in Air Force uniform but there were always a lot in Army khaki. She watched one crossing the street. She looked young and very self-assured. Her tunic buttons and shoes were shiny and her hair was dressed in a beautifully neat roll under her cap. Virginia fingered her own hair and wondered if she could ever make hers go like that. She peered after the girl until she was lost to view.
    In two weeks time she would be eighteen and officially old enough to join up. Several people in the department had gone already. Mr Wilson and Mr Platt had joined the Army and Mr Whicker, who spent his weekends sailing, had gone into the Navy. And Mavis, the junior typist, had announced only that morning that she was going to join the ATS.
    â€˜I’m going to do my bit, like they asked,’ she had told the office smugly. To Virginia she had said later in lower tones, and with a huge wink, ‘And it’ll be a lot more fun than working here. Chance of a lifetime, that’s what it is. Aren’t you going to join up, or something?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I’m not sure yet.’
    Mavis had shrugged and picked at the sleeve of her pink angora sweater. ‘Loopy if you don’t. There’ll soon be no-one left here but old men and Miss P.’
    Miss Parkes, so disparaged by Mavis, spent her lunch hours knitting long scarves for servicemen. She clicked away briskly in her corner by the filing cabinet and thescarves grew rapidly, snaking onto her bony knees. After Mavis had delivered her news she looked up as Virginia went to one of the cabinets and smiled.
    â€˜I expect you’ll be leaving us before long, dear. Joining up with all the rest of the young things.’
    Virginia coloured. ‘I’d like to – as soon as I’m eighteen – but . . .’
    â€˜But what, dear?’
    â€˜There’s my mother, you see.’
    â€˜Is she ill then, dear?’
    â€˜No . . .’
    â€˜Then why can’t you? If you want to. I’m sure you’d be very useful to one of the women’s services. You’ve got a good sensible head on your shoulders. And you’re intelligent and hard-working.’
    Virginia said reluctantly: ‘Mother doesn’t want me to leave her, that’s the trouble. We live alone, you see. Just her and me . . . she rather depends on me.’
    Miss Parkes looked over the top of her spectacles. Her hands went on moving busily, the needles click-clicking.
    â€˜Is your mother an invalid?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜So, there’s no reason why she can’t look after herself?’
    â€˜No . . . the thing is she spends most of her time by herself in the flat. She hardly ever goes out and it’s very lonely for her. She looks forward to my coming home. She got very upset when I told her I was thinking of joining up.’
    â€˜I see. Have you suggested she tries joining something like the Women’s Voluntary Service? She’d meet a lot of people and keep busy. It might do her good. Try that as an idea.’
    â€˜I’ll try,’ Virginia said doubtfully. ‘But I don’t think she’d like it very much. She doesn’t seem to get on with strangers very well. It’s awfully difficult to explain . . .’
    Miss Parkes started on another row. ‘Which service would you like to join?’
    â€˜The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, actually, if I couldchoose. I don’t really know why . . . I’ve hardly ever seen an aeroplane in my life. But I heard an appeal on the wireless for volunteers, and it’s new . . . I’ve seen queues of girls in Kingsway waiting to join every day.’
    Miss Parkes, surprisingly,