A Mother's Journey by Donna Douglas

Author:Donna Douglas [Douglas, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Romance, Sagas, World War II
ISBN: 9781409190905
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2020-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

Joyce tensed, seeing Reg’s eyes narrow. When they were courting, he’d bragged about how he’d managed to dodge enlistment by pretending to have a weak chest. Over the years, he’d tried to play down his act of cowardice.

‘Tell me more about your training,’ she urged, waving the plate of sandwiches under her son’s nose again. ‘What were the other boys like? Did you make any friends?’

‘For God’s sake, woman. It wasn’t a Boy Scout jamboree!’ Reg snarled at her. But Joyce did not mind. While he was snapping at her he wasn’t ruining Alan’s last few precious hours at home.

When tea was over, Alan insisted on helping her to clear away the dishes. Reg hung about in the kitchen, looking sullen.

‘I was thinking,’ he said, ‘how would you like to go to the picture house tonight?’

Joyce stared at him. ‘Me?’

‘Why not? I looked in the paper and they’re showing Untamed at the Cecil. It’s meant to be good, so I’ve heard.’

‘You don’t want to be taking your mother to the pictures!’ Reg laughed. ‘Isn’t there some local girl you could go with instead?’

‘I’d rather take Ma,’ Alan said gallantly.

‘More fool you, then! If I was a young soldier, I know how I’d like to spend my last night of freedom.’

‘Reg!’

‘For God’s sake, Joyce, I know you like to think he’s still a bain, but he’s a man now. And I daresay he’s heard worse talk than that in the barrack room. Eh, lad?’ Reg grinned at his son. Alan gave him a tight little smile in return.

‘Yes, well, he in’t in the barrack room now,’ Joyce said.

‘Well, I in’t going to no picture house,’ Reg muttered. ‘I’ve got better things to do with my time. And so has your mother.’

He glared at Joyce, as if daring her to argue with him.

‘What do you say, Ma?’

Joyce looked from one to the other, caught between them. She longed to spend time with Alan while she still could, but she feared what Reg might do if she defied him.

‘It’s such a long time since I’ve been to the cinema,’ she ventured cautiously. She looked at Reg, silently pleading for his understanding. But he turned away from her, an expression of stone cold rage on his face.

‘Right, that’s settled, then.’ Alan rubbed his hands together. ‘Go and get your glad rags on, Ma. We’re going to the pictures!’

* * *

‘What did you think, Ma?’ The house lights went up and Alan was grinning at her. ‘It was a good film, wasn’t it?’

The truth was, Joyce had barely taken in a moment from when the lights dimmed and the red velvet curtains opened. All she could think about was Reg, and how angry he would be.

But she couldn’t tell that to Alan. He was so pleased with himself, thinking he had given her a rare treat.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Thank you, son. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

They walked down Anlaby Road in the blackout. The darkness usually terrified Joyce, but she felt safe holding tightly on to Alan’s arm.

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