Tears of the Dragon by Jean Moran

Author:Jean Moran [Moran, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2019-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

*

In silence they arrived and in silence they contemplated what lay in front of them.

Weathered and tossed by wind and rain, the remains of the bonfire formed a bleak island in a sea of green grass.

‘Go! Work! Dig!’

Some sobbed. One or two brought up what little was in their stomach.

‘Dig! Now!’

Somebody mumbled a short prayer: ‘May they rest in peace, safe in the arms of the Lord.’

They worked in pairs, one digging, the other holding open the mouth of the sack.

The ash was loose and easy to break into. In some places a scorched bone pierced the surface, a grim reminder that this grey morass had once been people. Overnight rain meant the top few inches of ash had formed a damp crust so at first there was no dust. As they dug deeper, the remains were drier, a mixture of powdered bone and wood ash rising in a pewter cloud to coat their faces and sting their eyes.

Sporadic coughing began as they breathed it into their lungs. Rags torn from their clothes were wound around noses and mouths. Salty tears ran from their eyes leaving white trails on pale grey faces. Some dug slowly, some more quickly but always carefully.

In an effort to keep her feelings at bay, Rowena opted to dig furiously, another woman holding open the mouth of the sack so she could drop in the ash.

The shovel suddenly hit something more solid. She reached into the ash and picked out a small round object. A ring. It looked like an engagement ring, which saddened her. Somebody, possibly a nurse, had been engaged to be married. What dreams she must have had: a white wedding, a handsome husband probably in uniform, dreams of a home where they would raise a family. The dream had ended at Christmas in 1941, a black Christmas that would long be remembered by those who’d survived.

A few minutes later she came across a nurse’s belt buckle. She picked that out too and laid it to one side with the ring. Eyes wet with tears and sobs strangling her throat, she went back to digging. The sooner the residual remains of the fire were all gone, the better.

The personal items were plucked and put to one side in the hope that at some point in the future somebody would locate the relatives of the dead person and the items could be claimed.

Her throat dry, she pulled the rag mask off her face, took a gulp of air, then water from the ladle hanging at the side of the bucket they’d brought with them. Half a cup only every hour. It wasn’t enough but it was all they were allowed.

When the sacks filled, everyone stood silently, staring at the scorched ground.

Looking at that patch, Rowena had expected to feel emptiness, but instead she was about to burst with emotion that was too much to bear. The silence was deafening and the emotion had to come out. She opened her mouth, expecting words of damnation,

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