Tall Chimneys by Allie Cresswell

Author:Allie Cresswell [Cresswell, Allie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-10T23:00:00+00:00

Soon after dark on 7 November, the 503rd PIR battalion took off from Land’s End. The thirty-nine C-47s headed for La Senia, Algeria, constituting the first wave attack of the North Africa Campaign. The widely-scattered battalion suffered casualties, both KIAs and WIAs. After reorganizing, the battalion re-grouped at Maison Blanche.

John and I did not discuss the matter again. He was kind towards me, but kept his distance, showing his care in small ways; bringing tea in the morning and cycling up to the village to collect the all-important newspaper, which I read voraciously, looking for news, suspecting even as I did so that he had already read it, and was in possession of the information which I dreaded.

Day followed tormented day; the radio was silent on the subject of the situation in Algeria, the newspapers a blank page. The more stretched out my uncertainty, the greater my sense of panic, the surer I became that, should he survive, I would go with Cam to America and marry him. It was almost as though I hoped my resolving so might keep him alive. I burned, I yearned to know that he lived. I would leave Tall Chimneys; it would be worth the sacrifice, I told myself, if Cam would only live. I would embrace the church, even the shrivel-lipped women who looked at me askance in the village street. I would ask God to wash my sins away. I would wear white, and make my vows, and look them all in the eye.

But then I would catch sight of Kenneth working in the gardens or scaling the old stone walls to repair a window or re-point the masonry. His dedication to Tall Chimneys was absolute, selfless and enduring. He was Tall Chimneys, as much as I was. The house encompassed his past and his destiny as surely as it encompassed mine. What would he be, without it? What would happen to him, and Rose and their family if I left, and where on earth in the world did I belong but here, with them? And all the while John waited diffidently for some word or gesture from me, as unsure as to his fate as I was. His dignity and faithfulness further overbalanced my resolve. How could I leave him? It would break his heart, and I would rather break my own. How could the love we had shared be called sinful? And what did I care about frowning looks from people whose opinion I did not respect, or the judgement of a God in whom I did not believe?

Was it possible to love two men at the same time?

Yes, indeed, it was.

I vacillated between my options, and day followed day, and no news came.

John took Awan to school and brought her home again. Together they went into the woods and selected our Christmas tree. The temperature plummeted. We had snow. It was very cold but we had to ration our use of fuel to run the generator. More officers came.

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