Chapter
16-September 1942
The
rain poured down on a Sunday afternoon, Ellie had a newspaper on her knee and a
letter in her hand, she looked at them both (the newspaper headline about more
deaths on the front line) and placed her hand on her tummy, looking out of the
rain soaked window she could see the blurred figures of Martin and Louis
sorting out the barn, Ian was moving the sheep out of the fields,
"Like
I said you can't move the wardrobe on your own Chrissie"
"But
Jenny we're moving my room around" Jennifer and Chrissie came into the
dining room where Ellie sat,
"What's
going on" she asked
"Lindsey
and Chrissie want to move everything around in their room" Jennifer sat at
the table
"Can
we Ellie please, it's boring the way it is" Chrissie batted her eyelids at
Ellie
"Sure,
but wait until Martin and Ian are available to help Ok"
"Ok
thanks Ellie, Lindsey, Ellie said yes" Chrissie ran back upstairs, Ellie
looked back out of the window
"Ellie,
are you ok" Jennifer walked up to Ellie
"I'm
fine Jenny, I'm fine" Ellie folded up the letter in front of her as
Jennifer approached
"Are
you sure, you've seemed a bit off this past month" Jennifer sat opposite
Ellie
"Yes
I'm sure, I'm fine, there is no need to worry about me" she patted
Jennifer on the arm, got up and went in to the kitchen, Jennifer looked on
staring out of the window at the rain.
"Oh my it is pouring it down out
there" Martin walked into the dining room "Hello beautiful" he
kissed his wife
"Chrissie
and Lindsey would like you to move everything around in their room, their
getting bored"
"Sure,
but I'm going to make a fire in the living room first"
"Ok
sweetie" Ellie kissed her husband
"I'll
come help you" Jennifer followed Martin into the living room
"Martin
I need to talk to you"
"What
is it Jenny" Martin looked up at her as he put wood into the fire place
"Well,
I'm worried about Ellie, she's not been herself this past month"
"I
know, everyone's worried but she's just been a bit ill lately, that's all"
"Martin
it's more than that, she got a letter today and was a bit over protective about
it, she wouldn't let me see it when I approached her in the dining room,
there's more to it I know there is" Jennifer finished talking, Martin
sighed
"I
know, she went to the doctors the other week but didn't tell me how it
went"
"Martin
you need to talk to her, find out what's going on"
Martin
looked at her and smiled "I know, I will tonight"
"I
would like the beds in that corner next to the window and that corner next to
the door and the wardrobe and chest drawers along that wall" Chrissie told
Ian and Martin how she wanted her room laid out, she sat on her bed after it
was moved watching what was going on
"To
the right a little" she said as the wardrobe was been put into place
"Dinners
ready" Ellie popped her head into the room
"Ok
we'll be down on a minute" Martin said over his shoulder. They moved the
wardrobe into place and went downstairs for dinner,
"Ellie
this is so good" Ian said with his mouthful
"Thank
you Ian, does everyone else like it"
"Yes
it's very good" everyone said together. Meg sat under the table waiting
for food to be dropped. After dinner Martin helped Ellie clean up,
"What
do you want to do with the rest of this meat" he asked her "there's
not much left"
"Give
it to Meg, she's been hovering all through dinner" Ellie smiled at Meg who
was sat in the doorway to the kitchen
"Ellie,
can we talk?" Martin had just given Meg her dinner,
"Sure,
what about?" Ellie asked
"Hey
do you need any help in the kitchen, woe" Louis tripped over Meg as he
went into the kitchen
"Oh
my god, Louis are you ok" Ellie and Martin helped Louis up off the floor
"Yes,
ow that hurt, why is Meg sat in the doorway again" Louis asked as he sat
on a chair, Meg had crawled under the table again
"I'll
get a cold towel" Martin went back into the kitchen
"Louis
how many times have I told you to watch out for Meg, you know she likes to lie
in doorways when there's food around" Ellie stroked Louis' head
"I
know, I just forgot"
"Here"
Martin handed Ellie a cold damp towel, Ellie put it on Louis' head
"Thanks
Ellie, Thanks Martin" Louis smiled
at them
"You
sit there for a few minutes, we'll finish the kitchen" Ellie got up off her knees and went back into
the kitchen. She finished cleaning up and took Louis into the living room and
lied him down on the sofa
"What
happened" Chrissie asked
"He
tripped over Meg"
"Again"
"I
haven't done it for a few years now" Louis said
"Ha
ha broke your streak" Chrissie laughed
"Chrissie"
Ellie looked at her.
"Louis
is in bed sound asleep now" Ellie had put Louis to bed a few hours later
"he will be fine" she got into bed next to Martin "Oh you also
wanted to talk to me" she sat against the headboard and looked at him
"Yes
I did, um, this past month you've seemed a bit off, a bit ill, I know you went
to the doctors and you never told me how it went and that letter you got today
you've been overly secretive about it, I need to know what's going on, I need
to know you are ok"
"Martin
I, I know, I don't want to keep anything from you but I couldn't say anything
until I knew for sure"
"Know
what, Ellie what is it" Ellie took Martins hand and placed it on her tummy
"I'm
pregnant" she smiled at him
"Wha-what,
no way, oh my god, how, how far along are you"
"Four
months"
"Oh
Ellie, that's amazing" Martin kissed her "this is wonderful news, I
can't believe it" he kissed her again and gave her hug "So when do
you want to tell everyone" Martin and Ellie lied in bed, Martin caressed
the small bump that had started to form from Ellie's tummy with his hand
"I
was thinking tomorrow, then I'll write a letter to my Mum" she snuggled up
to Martin who gave her a kiss.
The next morning Martin served up
breakfast just as everyone came down ready for the day
"Morning
you lot"
"Morning
Martin" They all sat down to eat, Ellie and Martin looked at each other
and smiled,
"We have an announcement" Martin said, everyone looked at him "Ellie
and I are going to have a baby"
"Really"
Jennifer asked
"Yes
we are, I'm four months already" Ellie replied
"Is
that what the letter was about yesterday"
"Yes
Jenny I had a few tests done and the baby is happy and healthy"
"Wow
congratulations, I can't believe it" Jennifer gave her sister-in-law and
brother a hug
"This
is excellent news, I'm so happy for you both" Ian hugged them,
"Dad
you're going to be a granddad" Lindsey said
"I
know, my first grandchild, this is so exciting" they hugged each other and
congratulated Ellie and Martin who were very happy.
"I
can't believe we are going to be aunties" Chrissie said as she and Lindsey
tended to the garden
"I
know, I hope it's a girl" Lindsey replied
"Me
too then we can dress her up in cute little dresses"
"I
know I can't wait"
They
both dug up the soil to plant more vegetables. The weather was cold and the
rain started to fall
"Oh,
why does it always have to rain" Chrissie and Lindsey put all the
gardening tools in the greenhouse and ran inside,
"It's
raining again" Chrissie said as they sat on the sofa next to Martin
"Why
does it always have to rain" Lindsey sat next to Chrissie
"Well
it is Autumn, we're meant to get colder, wetter weather" Martin put the
book he was reading down "you can work in the garden tomorrow"
"What
if it's raining again"
"Then
you can grow things in the greenhouse it's what it's there for"
"Ok,
what can we grow in there?"
"Well
you can grow tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, melons, oranges, peas spinach,
strawberries, raspberries, peppers, coriander"
"How
do you know all this" Lindsey asked
"Mum
use to grow stuff in the greenhouse we had back home all the time"
"I
don't remember that" Lindsey looked sad
"You
were a bit too young at the time Linds"
"I
know, I just wish I could have spent more time with her"
"We
all do" Martin gave his sister a hug "right school uniform you two,
Mrs. Latham will be here soon"
"Ok"
Lindsey and Chrissie made their way upstairs
"I'm
home" Jennifer shouted as she come through the door
"Hi
Jenny, what's in the bag?" Martin asked
"Wool
and knitting needles, Ellie's going to start knitting for when the baby
arrives" Jennifer handed Martin the bag "I'm going to get
changed" and she ran up the stairs. Martin took the bag into the living
room. He looked in the bag and took out the wool and put it on the coffee
table. As he looked at all the colours, the whites, blues, pinks, yellows,
greens and purples it suddenly hit him,
"I'm
going to be a father"
"Are you
ok son" Ian stood in the doorway
"Yes
I'm fine, I'm just..."
"Suddenly
realising what's about to happen" Ian sat on the sofa next to his son
"It's
just such a big thing to happen"
"Martin,
I felt the same way when I found out I was going to be a father for the first
time. It's natural to feel like this"
"It's
just so overwhelming, we've only been here a few years yet so much has happened,
I'm married and expecting a baby, you lost part of your arm, Jenny's got a job,
Lindsey's, well Lindsey's just Lindsey complaining about the rain" Martin
sat back
"I
know it's a lot but we have no idea what's going to happen with this war,
everything you've done since you've got here was the right thing to do, I've
not seen you this happy before"
"I
have no regrets, none at all, I love Ellie so much. I'm just scared I'm not
going to be a good father"
"You
will be a great father, it just takes time and practice and anyway all first
time parents learn on the job" Ian patted his son's arm as there was a
knock at the door
"I'll
get it" Ian answered the door "Hello Mrs Latham, how are you"
"Very
well Mr Dinsdale, how are you" Mrs Latham put her umbrella next to the
coat stand
"I'm
very well thank you, may I take your coat?"
"Thank
you very much"
"Good
afternoon Mrs Latham" Chrissie, Lindsey, Jennifer and Louis all stood on
the stairs
"Good afternoon
children, shall we go into the classroom" Mrs Latham led them into the
classroom.
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