A Place To Call Home by Francis June

Author:Francis, June [Francis, June]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2016-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

11

Despite not wanting to lose Alex to his real family, Greta could not wait to see his face when she handed his mother’s letter to him as it contained information that could only please him. She decided to leave her grandmother reading the letters from Fred and hurried out of the house with the envelope in her coat pocket. She stood at the bottom of the street, hoping to see Alex and her father come into view but there was no sign of them. So she walked to the sweet shop opposite the church and bought a stick of liquorice. Sucking it, she meandered along the pavement breathing in the clean smell of washing from the Wong Hing laundry before retracing her steps. She gazed up the street on the opposite side of the road but there was still no sign of Alex and Harry. So she continued her stroll, wondering if they could possibly have gone to check up on whether the Coxes were OK.

Suddenly she heard her name being called and whirled round to see Harry and Alex crossing the cobbled road towards her. ‘What are you doing here?’ asked her father. ‘Is Rene OK? Your gran? Why didn’t you tell me about … ’

She interrupted him. ‘Poor Rene! She’s really upset about what her mother did! I presume Uncle Jeff told you about the letters.’

Grim-faced, Harry nodded. ‘Terrible. But what about … ?’

She did not let him finish. ‘Good news, Dad! Mrs Miller kept Uncle Fred’s letters and among them was this!’ She produced the envelope postmarked Keswick and waved it in front of Alex’s face. ‘It’s from your mother! It went to our old address and the new tenant put it through the Millers’ letterbox by mistake and the old hag kept it. Your mother’s address is on it and so is her married name!’

Never would Greta forget the expression on Alex’s face as he snatched the letter from her fingers. ‘She tried to find you. Even going to Keswick for a holiday with her husband and visiting the orphanage,’ Greta said rapidly, ‘then they went to the farm but, of course, the farmer didn’t know where you’d gone. She finishes by asking why hadn’t Mam written last Christmas and was she well.’

Emotion seized Alex by the throat and he could not speak. He blinked back tears of joy. Then he leapt into the air and ran in the direction of the house.

‘Wait!’ she called. ‘I haven’t finished … ’ Her voice trailed off.

‘He’ll read it himself, luv,’ said Harry. ‘I’m glad the lad’s had some good news at last. We’re not on duty tonight, either, and that’s good news, too. But what’s this about you getting caught in a blast?’

‘It was nothing, Dad,’ said Greta hurriedly. ‘I survived and if nothing else it proves Gran’s maxim. If it’s got your number on it then you don’t stand a chance. I think someone up there’s looking out for me.’ She began to walk towards the house. ‘Apparently, Uncle Jeff’s gone to pick up his kit from the Seamen’s Home.

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