Chapter
Two
Ellie
walked back from work later that night, in her arms she held the loaf of bread
her mother had asked her to pick up. It was freshly baked and smelled so good,
it had been a number of months since the family had had freshly baked bread. It
was already dark and Ellie just wanted to get home and sit in front of a nice
warm fire. The wind had picked up since the afternoon and all Ellie could think
about was a nice bowl of soup with the freshly baked bread she had in her arms.
As she walked up the lane she could see her home in the distance, she smiled as
in five minutes she knew she would be home. As she approached the driveway she
could see into the window of the dining room
and through the window she saw Martin she looked a bit confused at first
but then remembered Ian's children had arrived.
"I'm
home" Ellie shouted as she walked through the door, she took off her coat
and hung it up,
"Hello
honey, how was work" Nicky popped her head round the door,
"Work
was great, I've picked up a couple more hours at the shop" Ellie walked
into the dining room,
"Ellie
that's great" Nicky replied "Ellie you remember Martin Dinsdale"
"Of....Course,
I think"
"Ellie,
it's nice to see you again, It's been ten years" Martin stepped forwards
to shake her hand. She looked at him as she extended her hand forwards. He was
tall and handsome with dark hair and blue eyes. her heart pounded as she looked
into them.
"These
are my sisters, Jennifer and Lindsey" Martin gestured to his sister who
both stepped forwards,
"Hello"
they both spoke at the same time
"Hello
girls" Ellie smiled.
Later
that night Jennifer and Lindsey were both unpacking and getting ready for bed,
Jennifer sat on her bed and got out a book with empty pages in it, she began to
write,
"Jenny,
Jenny what's that" Lindsey asked jumping on to the foot of the bed,
"Nothing
Linds, nothing" she replied,
"Tell
me, what is it"
"It's
a diary ok"
"What's
a diary, Lindsey looked confused,
"It's
something you write all your personal feelings and emotions in and you must
never read someone else's diary so stay out of it" Jennifer moved over to
the window, Lindsey went and sat on her own bed and got out a piece of paper
and pencil and began to drew, she looked up to see Jennifer crying silently,
"Jenny
are you alright"
"Yes
I'm fine" she wiped away her tears and carried on writing, Lindsey stood
up and walked towards her,
"Do
you think dad will be ok Jenny" Jenny looked up then back down,
"Jenny"
Lindsey shook her arm,
"Lindsey
leave me alone" Jennifer pushed Lindsey on the floor, she started crying
and ran out of the room.
Meanwhile
Ellie was sorting out extra blankets to give to Martin and his sisters, she
rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out three thick blankets. She walked
along the landing and knocked on a door,
"Come
in" a voice said, Ellie entered the room
"Hello
Martin"
"Hello
Ellie" Martin was sat on his bed reading a book, he looked up as Ellie
walked towards him and closed his book "how can I help you" he
continued,
"I
have brought you an extra blanket, it can get quite cold at night this time of
year" Ellie handed Martin a blanket,
"Thank
you Ellie" he took the blanket from her and put it on the bed "Listen
Ellie I hope I'm not out of line here but it has been ten years and I would
really like to get you know you again"
"I
would really like that" Ellie stood shyly in front of him clutching the
other two blankets in her arms "I was hoping to get to know you too"
she continued. Martin stepped towards her until they were only inches away
from each other,
"Well
I look forwards to my stay here" Martin's voice was a bit quieter and
softer, Ellie's heart seemed to skip a beat, it looked as if Martin was going
to kiss her but then the door swung open.
"Martin,
Martin" Lindsey ran in crying and jumped into Martin's arms as he and Ellie
backed away from each other,
"Lindsey
what's wrong" Martin hugged his little sister,
"Jenny's
being mean to me, she pushed me on floor"
"Oh
Lindsey come on lets go talk to her" Martin carried Lindsey out of the
room with Ellie following,
"Jenny
what's going on, why did you push your sister" Martin asked as he walked
through the door,
"Because
she was annoying me" Jennifer never looked up
"Jenny
what's going on" Martin stood in the centre of the room "Jenny"
"I'm
sorry Ok" Jennifer shouted, tears rolled down her cheeks. She got up and
climbed over Lindsey's bed and lied face down on hers,
"Jenny
tell me wrong" Martin sat on the edge of edge of her bed, sitting Lindsey
on his knee,
"I
miss Dad, It's not fair that he has to go to war, It's not fair"
"Jenny,
it's ok we all miss dad, but we have to deal with it..."
"Jenny"
Ellie stepped in "we miss our dad too I know it's not exactly the same
because you lost your mother but if we all stick together we can get through
this" Ellie also sat on the bed. Jenny turned to sit up,
"Our
dad has been away for a year" Ellie continued
"Where
you like this when your dad left" Jennifer asked
"Yes
but only in private where no one else could see"
"Why" Jennifer looked concerned
"Because
I had to be strong for my brother and sister, my mum was crying on and off with
worry. One of us had to be strong" Martin reached over and took Ellie's
hand, they
gave each other a little smile, "anyway" Ellie continued "I have
brought you girls some extra blankets to keep you warm at night"
"Thank
you Ellie" Lindsey look one of the blankets and put it on her bed
"Ellie, Mum made hot cocoa" Louis said as he poked his head round the door
"Ok
Louis, hot cocoa anyone" Ellie smiled,
"Yes
please" Lindsey and Jennifer said,
"That
would be lovely Ellie" Martin and Ellie smiled at each other.
By
the following weekend everyone had settled in, they had all their jobs to do on
the farm and took to them like they had done them all their lives. Monday
rolled around quickly and it was time for school for the young ones. Nicky had
employed a private tutor for them since
the village school had closed at the beginning of the year. They were taught by
Mrs Latham an elderly woman with grey hair tied in a plaited bun, she dressed
very smartly and always wore the same broach her late husband gave her on their
wedding day, she was firm but not strict when it came to teaching. Mrs. Latham only
taught Nicky's children for half a day three times a week before heading
off to another farm to teach some evacuee children.
"Good
morning Mrs Latham" Nicky greeted Mrs Latham as she walked through the
door,
"Good
morning Mrs Pickard, are the children ready for class"
"Nearly
Mrs Latham, I will send them through when they are, also you have two new
students today"
"Really, who?" Mrs
Latham smiled
"Jennifer
who is 12 and Lindsey who is 7"
"Very
well Mrs Pickard, I will be in the classroom preparing" Mrs Latham headed
into the room Nicky had set up as a classroom when the war began.
In
the dining room Ellie and Martin had started cleaning and tidying the kitchen,
while the other four, dressed in school uniform finished their breakfast,
"Is
Mrs Latham strict" Lindsey asked,
"Not
all the time only when Louis is naughty" Chrissie giggled as she replied,
"I'm
not always naughty" Louis folded his arms and screwed up his face,
"Come
on children, eat up Mrs Latham is here" Nicky walked into the room, she
picked up a cloth and began to wipe down the table. The younger ones finished
eating and left the table,
"See
you after school Mum" Chrissie kissed Nicky on the cheek and ran out of
the room, Louis, Jennifer and Lindsey followed.
"Good
Morning children" Mrs Latham said as the children entered the room,
"Good
morning Mrs Latham" they all lined up behind their chairs, Mrs Latham handed
Chrissie and Louis their workbooks and handed Jennifer and Lindsey an empty one
each,
"Welcome
Jennifer and Lindsey, it is a pleasure to meet you"
"Pleased
to meet you to Mrs Latham" Jennifer and Lindsey looked at each other
anxiously,
"Please
be seated" Mrs Latham began to teach "now today we will be learning
our times tables and multiplication, Jennifer and Louis turn to page 33,
Lindsey and Chrissie page 2, please look at your two times tables whilst I show
Jennifer and Louis what to do"
Outside
Nicky was ready to take the milk, milked from the cows that morning to the milk
factory,
"Ok
Ellie make sure the sheep are moved into the next field, the cows fed and
vegetable garden checked and the other fed at lunch, I will be back just
before dinner" Nicky kissed her daughter on the forehead,
"Bye Mum, I'll see you later" Ellie hugged her Mum.
After
Nicky had left Ellie changed into her wellingtons ready to head to the fields,
"Anything
I can do to help" Martin stood behind her,
"Yes
there is, you can help me with the sheep" they smiled at each other
"Meg, come on" the family dog, Meg a border collie ran ahead of them
"wait up Meg" Ellie continued as she and Martin ran after her.
"You
don't have many lambs do you" Martin asked as they approached the field,
"Well
we sold some during the end of summer for breeding and to meat farms and the
others grew up" Ellie smiled in reply,
"Oh,
how much do you sell them for"
"Well
they range from about forty pounds upwards, depends on the breed, we have
Boreray's, British Milk sheep, very
popular bread and Exmoor Horn Sheep another popular breed"
"Wow,
never knew you had so many"
"Yes
we do, these are the British Milk Sheep" Ellie and Martin stood looking at
the sheep, Meg squeezed through a hole in the fence and began running towards
the sheep barking,
"You
ready" Ellie looked at Martin,
"Yes,
let's go" he smiled at her. They walked through gate and began rounding up
the sheep. The sheep ran in a big group this way and that, Meg ran around
keeping them together and guiding them towards the gate, Ellie told Meg which
way to run and which way to guide the sheep, Martin helped making sure none of
the sheep strayed from the rest of the group,
"Now
for the next lot" Ellie said as the successfully got the herd of sheep
though the gate and the headed to the next field.
After
they were done they headed back to the house,
"haha
yeah me and my dad always have fun doing this, one time he got his foot stuck
in a rabbit hole"
"haha
no way" Ellie and Martin laugh and talked all the way home. As they
approached the house they saw a man dressed in a suit at the door,
"Can
I help you" Ellie said as they approached him,
"Yes
I'm looking for Mrs. Nicola Pickard" the man said, he spoke with a deep
scatty voice,
"My
mum's not home at the moment can I take a message or a tele....gram"
The
man handed Ellie the telegram. She opened it and read what it said,
"No"
Ellie collapsed to the ground, Martin caught her in his arms and saw what the
telegram said,
"Ellie,
oh god Ellie I'm so sorry" he whispered in her ear, Ellie cried,
"Miss
Pickard, I'm so sorry my thoughts and those of the war office are with
you" the man in the suit left. Chrissie ran outside to see what was going
on.
"I'm
home" Nicky shouted as she walked through the door. The house was quiet, Martin
had sat everyone down in the living room after Ellie told her siblings what had
happened,
"Ellie,
Louis, anyone" Nicky continued calling them,
"Do
you want me to tell her Ellie" Martin asked,
"No
it's better if it comes from me" Ellie got up and handed Chrissie over to Martin,
Nicky entered the room,
"What
are you all doing, Ellie what going on, is everything alright"
"Mum,
a telegram came today" she paused "Dads been killed in action"
No comments:
Post a Comment