Chapter
19 1943
Christmas
came and went so fast that year, same with new year and soon it was the night
before Martin had to leave. He made sure he had everything ready and waiting by
the door waiting to go so he could spend his last evening with his family.
"I
remember the night before we came here" Lindsey said starting to reminisce
"me and Jenny cried the whole time"
"Don't
you'll make me cry again" Jennifer said sitting on the sofa
"I
think tonight should be a happy night, we can do all the crying and that
tomorrow, Chrissie where's your gas mask" Ellie asked her sister
"Upstairs
in my room, I'll go and get it"
"Good,
you need it on you at all times you never know what might happen" Chrissie
got up and ran out the room. She returned a few minutes later with a small
brown cardboard box with a piece of string around her shoulder,
"Can
we play Monopoly please" she said as she sat back down
"Of
course" Martin got the game out of the cupboard and set it up, they played
for the next few hours, some of them in pairs, Ellie cuddled up to Martin
before they all went to bed.
"It
was a nice night wasn't it" Martin said as he and Ellie got ready for bed
"Yes
it was, goodnight Martin" Ellie kissed him and went to get into bed
"Ellie
I know you're still upset, I wish you would talk to me"
Ellie
sat on the bed looking out of the window she turned to look at him,
"There
is nothing left to say, I've said everything I have to say on the matter,
nothing can change it, It's something we have to live with" She looked at
Martin "Lay with me" she said
"What,
but Ellie the baby..."
"The
baby will be ok" she took his hand and lead him to the bed.
Everyone
gathered at the front of the house the next morning to say goodbye to Martin.
He gave both his sisters a hug each,
"You
both look after each other and behave yourselves"
"We
will" Jennifer said
"Don't
die" Lindsey said tearing up, Martin hugged her again
"I'll
to my best, I promise" he replied, he then said goodbye to Louis and
Chrissie, then to Ellie,
"You
have to promise you will do whatever it take to survive" Ellie said
kissing her husband,
"I
will, I will return, this war can't last any longer, it just can't" He
kissed her again, the knelt down and kissed her bump
"Be
good for mummy. I will be back to meet you I promise" he stood up and said
one last goodbye to everyone before heading up the drive with Ian who was
accompanying him to the train station. Everyone went back into the house.
Ellie collapsed on the stairs in tears. Jennifer also in tears put her arms
around her,
"It's
ok Ellie, he will be back, he promised" She hugged her sister-in-law as
the others sat on the step in front of them to comfort her.
Ian
returned home a few hours later to find the house very quiet. Lindsey, Chrissie
and Louis were sat in front of the fire doing their homework whilst Ellie and
Jennifer sat at the dining room table going through paperwork for the shop,
they looked up as he stood in the doorway,
"Did
Martin get off ok" Ellie asked
"Yes
he did" Ian replied, Ellie nodded and turned back to the shop paperwork.
Ian went back into the living room and put another log on the fire,
"There
you go you three, keep warm"
"Thanks
dad" Lindsey said "was Martin ok" she asked
"Yes,
he was a little teary but hey who wouldn't be. Oh and the butchers son was also
off to war as well"
"Who
Charlie Brook" Chrissie asked
"Yes,
though he kept giving Martin mucky looks"
"That's
because he's jealous Martin's married to Ellie and not him" Louis said
"He's
had a thing for Ellie for a few years now" Chrissie put in
"But
he never did anything about it" Louis bounced back "Snooze you
lose" Chrissie and Louis laughed.
"Don't
be mean you two" Ian laugh a little himself "feelings can't be helped, you will
realise that when you are older and also that sometimes you don't always get
the person you want" Ian sat down on the sofa with a book " Louis
once you are finished we are going to tend to the cows, ok"
"Yes
Ian, I'm nearly done anyway" Louis replied.
"Are you sure you get this
Jenny"
"Yes
I'm sure"
"Good
I'm going to hand things over to you now so if there is anything you are not
sure of you can ask me before I get too busy and tired" Ellie and Jennifer
finished going through the paperwork of the shop,
"That's
great, thanks Ellie. I think I know everything
now, it's just time consuming" Jennifer replied
"I
know but unless you know or have anything to make it all faster and easier then
let me know, until then we are stuck with the written hand and our heads"
they both gave a little laugh
"There
probably will be one day" Jennifer said
"Yes,
most likely after we're long gone" Ellie said in reply
"Most
likely yes" they both smiled
"My god, it's cold out" Louis
said stating the obvious as he came in from the barn,
"Well
what do you expect, it is winter Louis" Ellie said trying to get up
"Can I have some help please" Jennifer and Louis rushed to help Ellie
get up
"You
can't be that heavy already" Ian said walking into the room
"You're
not having twins are you" Jennifer asked, Ellie stopped dead and stared at
her,
"I
bloody well hope not" she finally replied
"Sorry
I was just curious"
""Well
as far as I'm aware I'm only having one, so please don't scare me again thank
you" and she went into the kitchen.
Ellie
laid awake that night staring at the ceiling, her arm stretched out over
Martins side of the bed wishing he was lying next to her. A tear ran down her
cheek. Elsewhere in the house Jennifer, Lindsey and Ian were also wide awake.
Meg the dog lied at the end of Chrissies bed looked up as Lindsey got out of
bed and walked towards the window. She got up and followed sitting down against
her leg. Lindsey patted her on the head,
"I
hope Martins going to be alright Meg" Lindsey said sitting down under the
window, she cuddled up to Meg who cuddled back.
"Lindsey,
Lindsey" Chrissie shacked Lindsey
"What"
she replied
"Why
are you sleeping under the window" Chrissie asked
"What,
I've been here five minutes" Lindsey relied
"It's
morning, you've been there all night " Lindsey jump up, throwing Meg off
her. She looked out of the window to find it was indeed morning and the sun
trying to peak through the clouds . She looked at Chrissie,
"I
was worried about Martin"
"We
all are, Ellie's not even awake yet, I guess she was awake most of the night
with worry"
"I
miss my brother" a tear rolled down Lindsey's cheek
"I
know, I miss him too" Chrissie gave her a hug.
The
next few weeks were quiet ones, everyone got on with what they were meant to
be doing, no complaints, rain or shine. In lessons Lindsey, Chrissie and Louis
had asked Mrs Latham to teach them about life on the front line so they knew
how Martin would be living and soon had notes full.
"Life
is very hard, constant watches on the enemy, guns always at the ready, all the
mud and water that is collected in the trenches, Chrissie" Chrissie had
raised her hand,
"Mrs
Latham, how do you know so much" she asked
"Because
I have already lived though one war, the Great War, both my brother and fiancé
fought for our country, we wrote to each other every day, they detailed every
bit of their lives and the lives of others on the front line, though things may
be different now, you will have to ask Ian about that"
"What
happened to your brother and fiancé" Lindsey asked
"They
died, my brother in battle, my fiancé in a Prisoner of War Camp, I never saw
them again after they left" she started to cry
"I'm
sorry I asked Mrs Latham" Lindsey apologised
"It's
ok" she replied "anyway after the war I married my dear Arthur's best
friend who survived the prisoner of war camp but died before this war
started" she had to sit down
"Did
you have any children" Louis asked
"Yes
but she died as an infant" more tears rolled down her cheeks as she
remembered the pain she longed to forget
"Mrs
Latham I'm so sorry" Lindsey gave her hug.
"Why
so quite you three" Ellie asked as they ate dinner that night,
"Oh
nothing, just got nothing to say" Chrissie replied
"Ok,
how was school, what have you been learning about" Ellie asked
"Life
on the front line" Lindsey said trying to cut her lamb "why is this
so hard to cut" she stressed
"Give
it here" Ian said and Lindsey passed her plate to him
"You
know if you wanted to know about life on the front line Ian could have told
you" Ellie said
"We
know but Mrs Latham's brother and former Fiancé fought in the Great War"
Chrissie replied
"Did
they now"
"Yes,
they both died too"
"What
a sad story" Ellie put her cutlery down "is that why you've all been
so quiet"
"Yes
it is, remembering made Mrs Latham cry, it was very sad" Chrissie told her
sister
"What
happened to her husband, I'm guessing she married seeing as she goes by Mrs and
not Miss" Jennifer asked
"Yes she did but
he died just before this war started" Chrissie explained "Another loss
she's suffered as well as her daughter as an infant" 
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