wonderful! And how very sweet of you to name her after me.’
Balsa wood painted battleship grey, her details picked out in blackboard paint with a brush from a child’s prewar water-colour set, the Royal Navy destroyer
Charlotte
sat in a russet sea of chenille tablecloth on the dining table.
‘The only thing is, I thought I asked you for another aeroplane,’ Charlotte continued, her gloved hands folded tightly in front of her so her fur coat stayed firmly shut to the neck.
‘I figured boys are like men, Mrs Hennessey-White, in that they like a bit of variety!’ said Colin from the confines of his wheelchair, which had become a useful part of his toy-making since he could wheel it between each project he was working on.
Edna wanted to tell Charlotte that paint was hard to come by, unless you knew someone with access to army or navy supplies.
‘I see that I am not your only customer, Mr Smith,’ Charlotte went on. Her eyes took in the wooden horse awaiting its wheels, the submarine, and a brick trolley, all painted in the same battleship grey, the horse with black spots added, the submarine with detail, and the bricks with black spots and stripes. ‘Goodness, a real Santa’s grotto.’
‘That’s it. Santa’s got a sleigh and I’ve got one with wheels on,’ said Colin, his grin seeming to split his face in half and his hazel eyes bright with childish pride.
‘But he hasn’t got any reindeer,’ said Edna with a sheepish grin.
‘Which is just as well, ’cos it saves me picking up the poo!’
Edna felt her face reddening. The good-humoured but courteous Colin who had gone to war now cared little what he said or who he said it to. ‘Colin!’
‘Edna!’
This was another aspect of his recently acquired behaviour – aping an exclamation or, sometimes, an action.
‘No!’ he said suddenly, pushing hard at the wheels of the chair and wheeling away to the end of the table. ‘I’m not tall enough to be Santa, thanks to the Japanese navy. I’m more like one of his workshop elves.’
He laughed as he said it, but Edna was not fooled. His description was painfully apt. At present he vaguely resembled some goblin workman, dressed as he was in a knitted blue jumper that had stretched in the wash, was rolled up at the sleeves and almost covered what remained of his knees.
‘You have very skilled hands,’ Charlotte said as she picked the boat up. ‘I advise a lot of war veterans on how best to manage on their pension or what to do about setting up in business or in some sort of hobby. Do let me know if you need any extra assistance. I’m sure I can find the funding for you to take your skill further. I can probably find the customers too, though from what I see here,’ she said, nodding at a can of navy issue paint with an amused smile on her face, ‘you appear to be doing quite well without any help.’
Her face shone with enthusiasm. She’s like a lighthouse, thought Edna. The point to rush to when you were tossed in a storm. If only I had her courage. She wondered whether to tell her about the parcel and about Sherman. Perhaps her determined confidence might rub off and she’d bravely claim her child. But then, what would she tell Colin? And could she cope with hurting him?
Charlotte bent to pick up the boat. It was then that her coat fell open and the scarf around her neck came adrift.
‘Mind you don’t lose it,’ said Colin.
Charlotte put the boat down and retied the scarf hastily. It was the first time Edna had ever seen her look embarrassed and she wondered why.
‘I must be going,’ she said hurriedly and immediately turned to leave.
‘Ten shillings and sixpence!’ Colin shouted over his shoulder from the confines of his wheelchair.
Charlotte stopped in her tracks, her face flushed even more. ‘Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry.’
She put the wooden ship back down on the dining table and unclipped the silver clasp on her tan leather bag.
Once the money was jingling in
Balsa wood painted battleship grey, her details picked out in blackboard paint with a brush from a child’s prewar water-colour set, the Royal Navy destroyer
Charlotte
sat in a russet sea of chenille tablecloth on the dining table.
‘The only thing is, I thought I asked you for another aeroplane,’ Charlotte continued, her gloved hands folded tightly in front of her so her fur coat stayed firmly shut to the neck.
‘I figured boys are like men, Mrs Hennessey-White, in that they like a bit of variety!’ said Colin from the confines of his wheelchair, which had become a useful part of his toy-making since he could wheel it between each project he was working on.
Edna wanted to tell Charlotte that paint was hard to come by, unless you knew someone with access to army or navy supplies.
‘I see that I am not your only customer, Mr Smith,’ Charlotte went on. Her eyes took in the wooden horse awaiting its wheels, the submarine, and a brick trolley, all painted in the same battleship grey, the horse with black spots added, the submarine with detail, and the bricks with black spots and stripes. ‘Goodness, a real Santa’s grotto.’
‘That’s it. Santa’s got a sleigh and I’ve got one with wheels on,’ said Colin, his grin seeming to split his face in half and his hazel eyes bright with childish pride.
‘But he hasn’t got any reindeer,’ said Edna with a sheepish grin.
‘Which is just as well, ’cos it saves me picking up the poo!’
Edna felt her face reddening. The good-humoured but courteous Colin who had gone to war now cared little what he said or who he said it to. ‘Colin!’
‘Edna!’
This was another aspect of his recently acquired behaviour – aping an exclamation or, sometimes, an action.
‘No!’ he said suddenly, pushing hard at the wheels of the chair and wheeling away to the end of the table. ‘I’m not tall enough to be Santa, thanks to the Japanese navy. I’m more like one of his workshop elves.’
He laughed as he said it, but Edna was not fooled. His description was painfully apt. At present he vaguely resembled some goblin workman, dressed as he was in a knitted blue jumper that had stretched in the wash, was rolled up at the sleeves and almost covered what remained of his knees.
‘You have very skilled hands,’ Charlotte said as she picked the boat up. ‘I advise a lot of war veterans on how best to manage on their pension or what to do about setting up in business or in some sort of hobby. Do let me know if you need any extra assistance. I’m sure I can find the funding for you to take your skill further. I can probably find the customers too, though from what I see here,’ she said, nodding at a can of navy issue paint with an amused smile on her face, ‘you appear to be doing quite well without any help.’
Her face shone with enthusiasm. She’s like a lighthouse, thought Edna. The point to rush to when you were tossed in a storm. If only I had her courage. She wondered whether to tell her about the parcel and about Sherman. Perhaps her determined confidence might rub off and she’d bravely claim her child. But then, what would she tell Colin? And could she cope with hurting him?
Charlotte bent to pick up the boat. It was then that her coat fell open and the scarf around her neck came adrift.
‘Mind you don’t lose it,’ said Colin.
Charlotte put the boat down and retied the scarf hastily. It was the first time Edna had ever seen her look embarrassed and she wondered why.
‘I must be going,’ she said hurriedly and immediately turned to leave.
‘Ten shillings and sixpence!’ Colin shouted over his shoulder from the confines of his wheelchair.
Charlotte stopped in her tracks, her face flushed even more. ‘Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry.’
She put the wooden ship back down on the dining table and unclipped the silver clasp on her tan leather bag.
Once the money was jingling in
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