Keep the Home Fires Burning by Anne Bennett Page A

but Marion was well aware of how he was feeling and she was annoyed with her mother.
    ‘This really isn’t the time to go into this, Mammy,’ she said. ‘Bill can do nothing now to ease the situation and he just has a couple of days at home. The time for any recriminations at all is well past.’
    ‘Well said,’ Eddie told his daughter approvingly, and to Bill he said, ‘Shall we leave them to chat and I’ll treat you to a pint? Then you can tell me all about life in the army.’
    Bill was glad to get away from the malicious eyes of his mother-in-law. The children wished they could go too, but they had to stay and talk to their grandmother, though most of her conversation was criticising and finding fault with what they said and did.
    In the convivial pub, where Bill was greeted by many, Eddie waited until their pints were in front of them before saying, ‘Tell me how life is treating you?’
    Bill told him all about the training camp and what he had to do, and Eddie listened with interest.
    ‘And I suppose the training is over now and this is embarkation leave?’ Eddie asked finally.
    ‘I imagine so,’ Bill said, ‘though they tell us nothing definite. To be honest it’s the family I worry about. What Clara said today, well, she wasright, because I was shocked at the state of them when I came home. Marion made this stew for us all and afterwards young Tony said he had forgotten what it was like to feel full. And you know why that was? It was because, in honour of my coming home, Marion had allowed them bread to mop up the gravy. Usually she can’t afford to do that.’
    ‘Things have been hard for her,’ Eddie said. ‘Hard for all the wives of servicemen, especially if they’re mothers too, like the vast majority are.’
    ‘I feel so helpless,’ Bill said. ‘That’s what’s so hard.’
    ‘Seems to me all that you can do is get over there and finish this war just as soon as you can so life can get back to normal again,’ Eddie said.
    Bill smiled wryly. ‘I’ll do my best. As for the family, I saved my cigarette money and had thought to take them to the music hall or cinema for a treat, but I know now a few good feeds is what they really want. Tomorrow early I’m going to the shop to buy extra sugar and full-cream milk for their porridge, and I’ll treat them to a fish-and-chip dinner tomorrow evening. Anything I have got left over I’ll give Marion before I leave.’
    ‘I would say that they’ll be grateful for that,’ Eddie said.
    And they were pleased with the extra sugar and milk on their porridge before they left for school and work the next day.
    Bill was shocked to see the younger childrendressed in clothes and boots provided by the Christmas Tree Fund, this stamped on them so that they couldn’t be pawned, and he felt shame steal all over him.
    Marion saw his face and guessed his feelings. When the children had gone, she said, ‘I felt the same way at the time, and wished that I could have refused them. But how could I have done that? You should see the state of some of their other things, and their warm clothes from last winter won’t go near them now.’
    ‘I just wish I could make things easier for you,’ Bill said.
    ‘There is no way you can,’ Marion replied.
    Bill nodded miserably. ‘There is one thing I can do to put a smile on their faces.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I intend to buy fish and chips for us all this evening.’
    Marion felt her mouth watering at the thought. ‘Oh, Bill, you couldn’t buy anything that would please them more. They’ll think they have died and gone to heaven, so they will. You just wait and see when you tell them that tonight.’
    And Bill did see. The children were almost speechless with pleasure. And later he watched them devouring the meal with such relish it brought tears to his eyes.
    A couple of days after Bill had left, Polly said to her sister, ‘Look, Marion, if you won’t take anymoney off me then at least let Tony and the twins come