The Ration Book Baby: An utterly heart-wrenching and uplifting World War 2 saga (A Village at War) by Ellie Curzon

Author:Ellie Curzon [Curzon, Ellie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781837905263
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-07-24T23:00:00+00:00

Annie climbed onto her motorbike and rode to the hamlet. She had another bottle of iron pills in her bag. Ewa had still looked pale last time she’d visited, and Annie wondered if stress was making her anaemia worse. After all, she’d been through so much, and she hadn’t had time to rest, as she was forever called on to act as translator and mediator.

As she turned the corner, she spotted some lads standing about in the lane. A stone dropped into her stomach as she realised it was Jamie and his gang. Hadn’t they anything better to do on a Saturday morning?

But maybe I’m jumping to conclusions and they’ve come here to help out.

Jamie watched her approach, scuffing his shoe on the ground insolently as she came closer. Then he turned to his friends and went on chatting as if she wasn’t even there.

Annie stopped her bike. ‘Is there a particular reason why you’re down this way?’ she asked them.

Joe ran his sleeve under his nose. ‘Free country, ain’t it?’

Jamie glanced over his shoulder. ‘We’ve every right to stand here if we want. Not doing you any harm, is it?’

‘It’s not me I’m worried about,’ Annie told him. ‘Don’t think for a moment that I’ve forgotten what you lot got up to down here, harassing the Poles. Let them live in peace, won’t you? At least, as much peace as any of us can find at the moment.’

‘So stop picking a fight and crack on,’ Jamie told her. He nodded towards the little row of houses. ‘On your way.’

You rude little toerag!

‘I’ll be telling your mother and your sister about this,’ Annie told him. ‘How dare you speak to me like that.’

And with that, she started her motorbike again and rode into the hamlet, trying her best to stifle her annoyance at Jamie and his gang.

She reached Ewa’s cottage and parked up on the path before knocking at the door. A minute or so passed before it opened and Mateusz emerged in uniform, looking rather strained. Ewa stood behind him, her face thunderous as she spat something after her husband in Polish. At the sight of Annie, he gave a smile and said, ‘Just the person I needed to see.’

‘Mateusz,’ Ewa warned darkly, shaking her head.

‘Ewa’s losing weight,’ he said. ‘And she cannot afford to. Talk to her, Annie, please.’

‘Of course I will,’ Annie replied, trying to avoid sounding too concerned. Patients didn’t like nurses and doctors to sound worried. It didn’t do much for their confidence. ‘I brought you some more iron pills, Ewa. They should help.’

‘Go on in,’ Mateusz told her, an invitation Ewa hardly ever issued, no matter how many times Annie visited. Then he gave Ewa a smile and said, ‘Kocham cię!’

Ewa shrugged one shoulder, but twitched her lips into a half-smile and replied with the same words before Mateusz strolled away, no doubt headed for the airbase.

Annie went into the cottage, wondering what her next steps should be with Ewa’s treatment. She didn’t want

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