fool not to snap one of 'ems up, sergeants and the like. And then she had to go and marry me da. That was a case of must. By, I've learned something'.
If there was another war no bloody tatie peelin' private would get me, I can tell you. I mayn't be a Greta Garbo but I've got me head screwed on the right way. By, I have. Me ma's taught me a lesson, and the squad she's got. "
"Wouldn't you marry a pitman?"
"Pitman? Not me. No bloody fear. Pitman!"
I looked at her out of the side of my eye and said with a little laugh,
"I thought you liked our Ronnie?"
She gave me a sly look back, dug me in the ribs and said, "Likin's one thing, marryin's another. If he won the pools now, I'd have him the morrer."
We both burst out laughing, then covered our laughter I know, and she would try the patience of a saint, but she's got a lot on her plate.
She's a very unhappy woman, so we dont want to make things worse for her. Just you keep him at arm's length, and whatever you do dont let him see you're afraid of him. "
We looked at each other in the flickering candle-light, then her hands came out and cupped my face, and as she stared at me her eyes grew very soft, and bending forward she kissed me on the mouth. This was a very unusual gesture. I kissed her every night before going to bed and also before going out in the morning, but it was on the side of her cheek, and when she kissed me it was on my cheek, but this was a special kind of kiss and in that moment I felt that I must always be good and never, never do anything that would hurt her.
CHAPTER THREE
I remember the day I left Mrs. Tumbull's. It was a day in October, nineteen-thirty-eight, shortly after Hitler overran Czechoslovakia. I knew about this from Dad's talk, for I did not read the papers. He had been very concerned about this man called Hitler, but now, seemingly, the man had got what he wanted and everything would settle down.
Anyway they had stopped digging trenches in the London parks.
Mollie, on the other hand, took a great interest in the newspapers and gave me her verdict, day by day, on the headlines. I knew that she was disappointed there wasn't going to be a war. A war for Mollie meant excitement and all the lads in uniform.
She was talking, this particular morning, in whispers and with some regret about the latest news, saying, "Eeh! by, me ma had some fun in the last war. She keeps me in stitches sometimes with the things she did. And she had some chances an' all. She was a bloomin' fool not to snap one of 'ems up, sergeants and the like. And then she had to go and marry me da. That was a case of must. By, I've learned something'.
If there was another war no bloody tatie peelin' private would get me, I can tell you. I mayn't be a Greta Garbo but I've got me head screwed on the right way. By, I have. Me ma's taught me a lesson, and the squad she's got. "
"Wouldn't you marry a pitman?"
"Pitman? Not me. No bloody fear. Pitman!"
I looked at her out of the side of my eye and said with a little laugh,
"I thought you liked our Ronnie?"
She gave me a sly look back, dug me in the ribs and said, "Likin's one thing, marryin's another. If he won the pools now, I'd have him the morrer."
We both burst out laughing, then covered our laughter hurriedly as we heard Mrs. Turnbull coming out of the other shop. I remember I turned from a shelf to look at her and my mouth fell into a gape, for behind her stood Dad. He came straight towards me, his cap moving nervously between his hands, and said, "I've been talking to Mrs. Tumbull' he nodded his head back at her 'you'll have to come home, lass, your mother's taken bad."
I said nothing, I did not even apologize to Mrs. Tumbull for my hasty exit, but, running out to the back, I grabbed up my coat and hat and joined Dad in the shop. And there, Mollie, before Mrs. Turnbull could speak, asked, "Will you becomin'back?"
It was my dad who answered.
"I dont think so, lass, not yet. Me wife's very ill, she'll be in bed for
If there was another war no bloody tatie peelin' private would get me, I can tell you. I mayn't be a Greta Garbo but I've got me head screwed on the right way. By, I have. Me ma's taught me a lesson, and the squad she's got. "
"Wouldn't you marry a pitman?"
"Pitman? Not me. No bloody fear. Pitman!"
I looked at her out of the side of my eye and said with a little laugh,
"I thought you liked our Ronnie?"
She gave me a sly look back, dug me in the ribs and said, "Likin's one thing, marryin's another. If he won the pools now, I'd have him the morrer."
We both burst out laughing, then covered our laughter I know, and she would try the patience of a saint, but she's got a lot on her plate.
She's a very unhappy woman, so we dont want to make things worse for her. Just you keep him at arm's length, and whatever you do dont let him see you're afraid of him. "
We looked at each other in the flickering candle-light, then her hands came out and cupped my face, and as she stared at me her eyes grew very soft, and bending forward she kissed me on the mouth. This was a very unusual gesture. I kissed her every night before going to bed and also before going out in the morning, but it was on the side of her cheek, and when she kissed me it was on my cheek, but this was a special kind of kiss and in that moment I felt that I must always be good and never, never do anything that would hurt her.
CHAPTER THREE
I remember the day I left Mrs. Tumbull's. It was a day in October, nineteen-thirty-eight, shortly after Hitler overran Czechoslovakia. I knew about this from Dad's talk, for I did not read the papers. He had been very concerned about this man called Hitler, but now, seemingly, the man had got what he wanted and everything would settle down.
Anyway they had stopped digging trenches in the London parks.
Mollie, on the other hand, took a great interest in the newspapers and gave me her verdict, day by day, on the headlines. I knew that she was disappointed there wasn't going to be a war. A war for Mollie meant excitement and all the lads in uniform.
She was talking, this particular morning, in whispers and with some regret about the latest news, saying, "Eeh! by, me ma had some fun in the last war. She keeps me in stitches sometimes with the things she did. And she had some chances an' all. She was a bloomin' fool not to snap one of 'ems up, sergeants and the like. And then she had to go and marry me da. That was a case of must. By, I've learned something'.
If there was another war no bloody tatie peelin' private would get me, I can tell you. I mayn't be a Greta Garbo but I've got me head screwed on the right way. By, I have. Me ma's taught me a lesson, and the squad she's got. "
"Wouldn't you marry a pitman?"
"Pitman? Not me. No bloody fear. Pitman!"
I looked at her out of the side of my eye and said with a little laugh,
"I thought you liked our Ronnie?"
She gave me a sly look back, dug me in the ribs and said, "Likin's one thing, marryin's another. If he won the pools now, I'd have him the morrer."
We both burst out laughing, then covered our laughter hurriedly as we heard Mrs. Turnbull coming out of the other shop. I remember I turned from a shelf to look at her and my mouth fell into a gape, for behind her stood Dad. He came straight towards me, his cap moving nervously between his hands, and said, "I've been talking to Mrs. Tumbull' he nodded his head back at her 'you'll have to come home, lass, your mother's taken bad."
I said nothing, I did not even apologize to Mrs. Tumbull for my hasty exit, but, running out to the back, I grabbed up my coat and hat and joined Dad in the shop. And there, Mollie, before Mrs. Turnbull could speak, asked, "Will you becomin'back?"
It was my dad who answered.
"I dont think so, lass, not yet. Me wife's very ill, she'll be in bed for
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