The Poppy Girls by Margaret Dickinson

Author:Margaret Dickinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Forty-Two

‘Norah! Norah!’

Ma was sitting outside in front of their cottage. It was hardly suitable weather, so early in March, but she was well wrapped up.

‘I can’t stay cooped up indoors all day. I need some fresh air, even if it is cold,’ she’d say every day that it wasn’t actually raining or snowing.

Norah came running, fearful that the old lady had fallen or been taken ill suddenly. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

Ma was still sitting where Norah had left her. She didn’t seem ill, but she was pointing up the lane with a trembling finger. ‘There’s a soldier coming down the road, but I can’t see who it is. Is it – is it one of our lads?’

Norah squinted as the young man, dressed in khaki uniform and carrying his heavy kit, marched towards them.

‘Oh Ma,’ Norah breathed at last, ‘it’s Boy. It’s our Boy.’ And then she was running towards him, her arms outstretched as Ma surreptitiously wiped a tear of joy from her eyes. She watched as Norah flung her arms around her son. Harold submitted to her embrace with a smile, but then Norah stood back and slapped his face hard.

‘What’s that for, Mam?’

‘What d’you think it’s for? Going off without a word and then not letting us know where you were for months on end. Not one word have you sent in all this time.’

‘You’d have tried to stop me if you’d known where I was.’

‘I did try. Believe me, I did. But it seems the army, once you’d signed up, wouldn’t let you go even though you were underage. Still are, if it comes to that. Anyway, it’s done now and I’ve had to come to terms with it, but it’ll be a long time until I can forgive you for what you did.’

‘Aye, and it’ll be a long time before I forgive William for what he did, an’ all.’

They’d continued to walk towards Ma, who’d pulled herself up to greet her grandson. She overheard Norah’s words as she said, ‘You mean, you volunteered because William wouldn’t?’

Before Harold could answer, Ma said, ‘Don’t lay the blame at William’s door, Boy. What he’s doing now is just as dangerous – if not more so – than being a soldier, so just you remember that.’ It was the first time Ma had openly stuck up for William, and Norah and Harold stared at her in surprise.

‘I wouldn’t let Len hear you talking like that, Ma,’ Norah said softly. ‘He’ll never forgive William or own him as his son.’

But Ma noticed that for the first time Norah did not add ‘And neither will I’.

There was muted celebration at Harold’s homecoming. They were happy to see that he was fit and well, but they were concerned when he told them that this might be an embarkation leave. ‘When I go back, we’re likely to be sent to France any time soon. How’re the lads? Have you heard from them?’

‘We get letters from both of them, though not very often. We think they’re still in this country, but they’re not allowed to say where.

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