memories returned. The sound of aircraft engines approaching, the scream of stick bombs as they fell, the fires, the smells, the houses flattened, one on top of her grandparents. She didn’t want to be here, she wanted to go back to Somerset and cried, ‘Mum, I want to go home.’
‘You are home. This is London, and it’s where we belong.’
‘I don’t like it. I want to go back to Gertie’s.’
‘Well, you can’t,’ her mother said impatiently.
They were on a bus now, and Ellen wanted to close her eyes against the sights they passed. So many gaping holes where buildings had been, rubble, so much rubble, and instead of greenery, everything looked grey and dull.
‘Look at that, a female messenger,’ her mother said, as a girl on a motorbike passed the bus. ‘The bus driver and the conductor are women too and I’ve never seen so many in uniforms.’
When the bus pulled up at a stop two elderly ladies got on and sat in front of Ellen and her mother.
‘I hate these bleedin’ things,’ one complained as her gas mask strap slipped off her shoulder.
‘Put a sock in it, Ethel. You’re always moaning about something,’ the other one quipped.
‘No more than you. I heard you having a go at that ARP warden last night.’
‘He asked for it, Flo, knocking on my door after midnight and telling me I had a light showing.’
‘And did you?’
She shrugged. ‘I hadn’t pulled one of my blackout curtains fully across so there might have been a tiny chink, but that’s only because I was using me small torch to come downstairs. Without it I’d be in danger of falling arse over tit and I was desperate for a pee.’
‘Well then, it seems apt that you told him to piss off.’
Ellen heard a titter, then a giggle, and turned to see her mother trying to hold it back. She couldn’t, and suddenly howled with laughter.
‘Are you laughing at us?’ the one called Flo asked indignantly as she twisted round in her seat.
‘Oh…oh, sorry, but I can’t help it.’
‘We ain’t a couple of comedians put on this bus for your entertainment, you know.’
‘Please…I…I’m sorry,’ Hilda gasped, obviously fighting for composure. ‘It…it’s just that it’s smashing to hear London humour again. We’ve been away, you see, living in Somerset, and it’s so good to be back.’
There was a loud, howling miaow from the basket and the woman asked, ‘Gawd, blimey, girl, what have you got in there?’
‘My cat,’ Ellen told her. ‘We’ve been travelling for ages and he wants to get out.’
‘He sounds like a noisy bugger.’
‘No more noisy than you, Flo.’
‘Shut your face, Ethel,’ said Flo before speaking to Hilda again. ‘You ain’t alone in coming back to London. Lots of people have now, including kids that were evacuated.’
‘Yeah, but I think their daft parents should have left them where they were.’
‘Ethel, you’re only saying that ’cos you don’t like kids.’
‘I do. Mind you, I couldn’t eat a whole one.’
Hilda laughed again, but Ellen didn’t join in. She looked out of the window, hating what she saw and wanting only to go back to Somerset.
After several changes, they at last arrived in Clapham, climbing wearily off the bus. Hildaliked what she saw. Clapham Common stretched along one side of the road, and as they plodded along carrying the luggage and cat basket, arms aching, Hilda saw Clapham South underground station. Mabel had written that her house was only a couple of streets away from there. They crossed over the main road, turned a corner, and soon found the right place.
Hilda plonked her case and the basket down, gazing at the house for a moment. There were two front doors, one for the upstairs flat and one for the down, that one having bay windows. It looked nice and Hilda hoped she was in time to secure it, her eyes gritty with tiredness as she knocked on Mabel’s door.
Only moments later it was opened, steep stairs visible behind Mabel as she said,
‘You are home. This is London, and it’s where we belong.’
‘I don’t like it. I want to go back to Gertie’s.’
‘Well, you can’t,’ her mother said impatiently.
They were on a bus now, and Ellen wanted to close her eyes against the sights they passed. So many gaping holes where buildings had been, rubble, so much rubble, and instead of greenery, everything looked grey and dull.
‘Look at that, a female messenger,’ her mother said, as a girl on a motorbike passed the bus. ‘The bus driver and the conductor are women too and I’ve never seen so many in uniforms.’
When the bus pulled up at a stop two elderly ladies got on and sat in front of Ellen and her mother.
‘I hate these bleedin’ things,’ one complained as her gas mask strap slipped off her shoulder.
‘Put a sock in it, Ethel. You’re always moaning about something,’ the other one quipped.
‘No more than you. I heard you having a go at that ARP warden last night.’
‘He asked for it, Flo, knocking on my door after midnight and telling me I had a light showing.’
‘And did you?’
She shrugged. ‘I hadn’t pulled one of my blackout curtains fully across so there might have been a tiny chink, but that’s only because I was using me small torch to come downstairs. Without it I’d be in danger of falling arse over tit and I was desperate for a pee.’
‘Well then, it seems apt that you told him to piss off.’
Ellen heard a titter, then a giggle, and turned to see her mother trying to hold it back. She couldn’t, and suddenly howled with laughter.
‘Are you laughing at us?’ the one called Flo asked indignantly as she twisted round in her seat.
‘Oh…oh, sorry, but I can’t help it.’
‘We ain’t a couple of comedians put on this bus for your entertainment, you know.’
‘Please…I…I’m sorry,’ Hilda gasped, obviously fighting for composure. ‘It…it’s just that it’s smashing to hear London humour again. We’ve been away, you see, living in Somerset, and it’s so good to be back.’
There was a loud, howling miaow from the basket and the woman asked, ‘Gawd, blimey, girl, what have you got in there?’
‘My cat,’ Ellen told her. ‘We’ve been travelling for ages and he wants to get out.’
‘He sounds like a noisy bugger.’
‘No more noisy than you, Flo.’
‘Shut your face, Ethel,’ said Flo before speaking to Hilda again. ‘You ain’t alone in coming back to London. Lots of people have now, including kids that were evacuated.’
‘Yeah, but I think their daft parents should have left them where they were.’
‘Ethel, you’re only saying that ’cos you don’t like kids.’
‘I do. Mind you, I couldn’t eat a whole one.’
Hilda laughed again, but Ellen didn’t join in. She looked out of the window, hating what she saw and wanting only to go back to Somerset.
After several changes, they at last arrived in Clapham, climbing wearily off the bus. Hildaliked what she saw. Clapham Common stretched along one side of the road, and as they plodded along carrying the luggage and cat basket, arms aching, Hilda saw Clapham South underground station. Mabel had written that her house was only a couple of streets away from there. They crossed over the main road, turned a corner, and soon found the right place.
Hilda plonked her case and the basket down, gazing at the house for a moment. There were two front doors, one for the upstairs flat and one for the down, that one having bay windows. It looked nice and Hilda hoped she was in time to secure it, her eyes gritty with tiredness as she knocked on Mabel’s door.
Only moments later it was opened, steep stairs visible behind Mabel as she said,
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